Microsoft is going to stop supporting Windows 7 from Tuesday, January 14, 2020, so that it can focus on “newer technologies.”

As a result, Windows 7 users will no longer receive the all-important security updates and patches that keep their machines safe.

It is estimated that there are still more than 440 million people using Windows 7 worldwide, which was first released in 2009.

What does this all mean?

It means that Microsoft is ending the cat-and-mouse game with hackers seeking to exploit software bugs in the Windows 7 operating system.

If perpetrators find a flaw in Windows 7, Microsoft will not fix it.

Without continued software and security updates, Windows 7 machines are more likely to be infected with viruses and malware, Microsoft wrote on its website.

What are the risks?

Hackers use malware to invade, damage or disable computers.

It can be used to steal personal and financial data, spy on other users without them knowing, and to hold companies to ransom until a payment is made.

In May 2017, the NHS was hit by the WannaCry ransomware attack.

A government report in 2018 concluded that the attack could have been avoided if NHS Trusts had updated their computers and applied the necessary security patches.

Hackers exploited weaknesses in unpatched versions of Windows 7, as well as to a lesser extent the earlier Windows XP, which Microsoft had stopped supporting.

What should you do with your Windows 7 PC?

Computers running Windows 7 will still function after Tuesday but they will become less and less secure.

Microsoft is urging people to move to Windows 10, a newer operating system.

It is possible to install Windows 10 on old PCs but Microsoft warns that it may not run smoothly.

In order to run Windows 10, PCs must have a 1GHz processor, 16GB of hard drive space, and 1GB of RAM memory.

Windows 7 users do not need to upgrade if they use their PC offline.

What do officials say?

Authorities have warned Windows 7 users not to do internet banking or send emails after Tuesday.

Among the risks users run are having their computers infected with malware, which can steal sensitive details such as financial and banking information from their device.