Windows 8.1 End of Life: No More Security Fixes

Windows 8.1 will no longer receive security updates from next month. It is said to effect millions of users.

Microsoft has reminded users that January 10th, 2020 is the "end of support" date for the system. That means it will continue to work, but users will no longer get any updates or fixes, whether for security or performance bugs. The deadline also means an end to technical support from Microsoft of any kind. (Source: microsoft.com)

The system has already past the mainstream support deadline in 2018. That's when Microsoft stopped adding any new features.

No Pay-To-Secure Option

Unlike with some previous versions of Windows, Microsoft is not offering an Extended Security Updates program. That's where users can pay a fee for up to three years to get fixes for any "critical" or "important" security problems. Instead, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows 8.1 completely.

Statcounter, which analyses traffic to the websites of its customers, estimates that around 2.53 percent of people running Windows are on version 8.1. That compares with 69.75 percent on Windows 10, 16.13 percent on Windows 11 and 10.25 percent running the long outdated Windows 7. (Source: statcounter.com)

As always with end of support timetables, Microsoft has to weigh up two risks. Continuing to offer security fixes could mean users feel they have less incentive to upgrade. However, not patching a system could create a target for hackers and increase the spread of malware.

40 Million May Still Be Using Windows 11

There's also a risk of a "boy who cried wolf" situation such as when Microsoft had to backtrack on support deadlines for Windows XP, largely because Vista had such a poor reception and deterred upgrades.

Exactly how many people are using Windows 8.1 is unclear. Microsoft said in January that 1.4 billion devices were running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Combining that with the Statcounter estimates would suggest around 40 million devices running Windows 8.1, which could make it a target worth the effort for some hackers trying to spot and exploit security holes.

What's Your Opinion?

Do you run Windows 8.1? Is Microsoft right to switch off security updates on the system now? Should Microsoft use deadlines for ending security fixes or instead wait until the number or proportion of users falls below a certain point?