Microsoft has reported finishing its specialized help for Windows 8.1… and its security. It is, in this way, time to introduce its replacement, Windows 10… if conceivable! Microsoft affirmed the finish of specialized help for Windows 8.1, the last working framework rendition delivered in October 2012.
This implies that adaptations still being used can never again profit from the authority specialized help, programming updates and, most importantly, security patches… at the end of the day, Microsoft will, as of now, not right new defects and bugs found after this date and is probably going to be taken advantage of by infections and another noxious programming.
Windows 8 and 8.1 clients, in this manner, straightforwardly risk succumbing to programmers and, best case scenario, losing their information or experiencing different breakdowns that could genuinely influence their PC and its utilization. What’s more, as though that weren’t sufficient, this security issue stretches out to Office applications, for example, Microsoft 365, which will never again get utilitarian and security refreshes on the off chance that they proceed to “run” on Windows 8 or 8.1!
Windows 8, The Unloved?
As we have seen, the end of support for Windows 8.1 poses a significant security problem. Now, what about a functional and ergonomic point of view? After the very popular Windows 7, Windows 8 aimed to adapt Microsoft’s flagship operating system to new generations of touch screens.
Its designers had, among other things, imagined a Start screen in the form of tiles instead of its predecessor’s more compact start menu, which is easier to manage with your fingers. As for the taskbar, it had simply disappeared! It was enough for many users to lose their bearings and let it be known, pushing Microsoft to return to a more classic Start menu and taskbar on the following version Windows 8.1.
Windows 8 brought other significant innovations, such as synchronizing data with your smartphone (messaging, SMS, music) and their encryption, the optimization of screen input, support for devices, etc. But from a commercial point of view, it was a failure. Was Windows 8 / 8.1 too far ahead of its time? The question remains, but in 2015 most PCs welcomed their replacement, Windows 10.
End Of Technical Support Windows 8.1: What’s Next?
Of course, even without technical support now, Windows 8.1 remains operational; it will not suddenly disappear or be disabled from computers! Except that the security risk becomes latent, even in the presence of an up-to-date antivirus, unless used offline. From then on, the various possible options depend directly on the computer’s performance. If it runs on Windows 8 or 8.1, it likely dates from 2012 to 2015, an eternity in computer terms… not necessarily prohibitive in this case.
To determine if a PC running on Windows 8.1 is compatible with Windows 10, you have to look at its innards and detail its microprocessor and other elements. To do this, press the Windows key and in the search bar, type “system information.” Then click on the link, and a window presents a summary of the PC’s configuration.
These mainly concern the microprocessor, RAM, disk space and graphics card:
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster processor or SoC
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for a 32-bit system or 2 GB for a 64-bit system
- Available hard disk space: 16 GB for a 32-bit system or 32 GB for a 64-bit system
- Graphic card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
- Screen : 800 x 600 pixels
Moving From Windows 8.1 To Windows 10: Easy… Or Not
The theoretical compatibility of the computer with the Microsoft prerequisites is already good news but needs to be improved. Because updating Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 can be dangerous if you do not have a minimum of computer knowledge and practice yourself. For example, it is possible that Windows Update does not offer the Windows 10 update or that downloading the Windows 10 update assistant directly from the Microsoft site generates a bug.
Then, following the step-by-step instructions the Microsoft site gives, it is just as likely to install Windows 10 without problems… as fail. As Alexandre Lascaud, Wiclic technical manager, explains, this then forces us to reinstall everything from 0 when the customer agrees, even if it means sometimes losing software for which he has lost the key. But this migration from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 should be possible in most cases since the two operating systems require roughly the same configurations.
On the other hand, switching from Windows 8.1 to Windows 11 is an entirely different story:
“Installing the latest Windows 11 on old PCs running Windows 8.1 is now impossible because of the infamous security-related TPM chip, which is gradually being introduced on computers. From 2017.
The only solution to update your PC is to switch from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.
You should know that official support for Windows 10 is guaranteed until 2025, which still leaves the room and also allows you to benefit from the advantages of this OS in terms of functionality, ergonomics and security. Then, in 2025 a computer that initially ran on Windows 8 or 8.1 will be more than ten years old, so it will be high time to change it for a new one with Windows 11 or its successor.
Also Read: How To Install And Configure Windows 11 Without An Internet Connection
