A Quarter of Computers Still Run on Windows 7

On Tuesday, Microsoft will officially end an era when updates and support for Windows 7 will be discontinued. Although the operating system will continue to be available, the company will stop offering technical support, software and security updates and fixes. Microsoft recommends replacing Windows 7 with Windows 10 because the lack of security updates will make systems more vulnerable to viruses and cyber attacks.

According to data from analytics website Net Market Share, Windows 7 is still used on 26.6% of the world's computers. This means many users will haveto either look for other options or deal with the negative consequences of using the outdated software.

Windows 7 has been available since 2010. Windows 10 followed in 2015. While there are obviously many upsides to using a more recent operating system, some users have deliberately hung on to Windows 7 citing problems with compatibility of third-party programs or older hardware, that is slowing down resources-heavy Windows 10.