MICROSOFT has warned customers against running Windows 7 because of compatibility as well as "viruses and security problems".
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| Microsoft chief marketing officer has said customers can use Windows 7 'at their own peril' |
Windows 7 currently powers around 55 per cent of the world's computers – but use it "at your own risk, at your own peril," Microsoft has warned.
The controversial comments about the hugely popular operating system, which was first released in October 2009, were made by Microsoft chief marketing officer Chris Capossela.
Mr Capossela issued the warning during his appearance on Windows Weekly – an online show on the TWiT podcast network.
The chief marketing officer for Microsoft made the comment while fielding questions about Windows 10 and the firm's upgrade tactics.
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| Microsoft first launched its hugely popular Windows 7 operating system back in October 2009 |
"As we've moved Windows to a service, we're trying to find the right balance," Mr Capossela told Windows Weekly host Leo Laporte.
"It's just so incredibly important to try and end the fragmentation of the Windows install base.
"And so we think that every machine that's capable of running Windows 10, we should be doing everything we possibly can to get people to move to Windows 10.
"We do worry when people are running an operating system that's 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn’t going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn’t work on a bunch of older machine.
"As we're pushing our hardware partners to build great new stuff that takes advantage of Windows 10, that obviously makes the old stuff really bad, and not to mention viruses and security problems.
"So we really are trying to push people to get to Windows 10."
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| More than 55 per cent of the world's computers currently run on Windows 7 |
It's easy to understand why Microsoft is keen to push users to its latest operating system, Windows 10.
But the Redmond technology firm has already confirmed it will continue to support Windows 7 until 2020, which means the operating system will remain up-to-date with the latest security patches.
As a result, the "viruses and security problems" highlighted by Mr Capossela will not become an issue until 2020.
His example of Fallout 4 not running on Windows 7 machines is also not true. The blockbuster video game is fully compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 8.
If you're having issues getting this game to load, you need to update the components in your PC – not your operating system.
Microsoft has previously announced it would like one billion devices to run on Windows 10 within two to three years of its release.
The US technology firm released its new operating system – Windows 10 – back in July.
The redesigned operating system was the first to unite all Windows-powered devices – from sprawling desktop set-ups to svelte smartphones, tablets, Raspberry Pis and even the firm's own Xbox One video game console.
Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be a free upgrade for anyone running genuine copies of Windows 7 or Windows 8.
However this offer expires on the first year anniversary of the release of the new operating system.
Perhaps spurred on by the end of the upgrade offer, more than 200 million people have upgraded to the latest operating system.
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| Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela made the controversial comments |
Microsoft recently rolled out its first blockbuster update – codenamed Threshold – to Windows 10 users across the globe, as well as an Android and iOS app for its popular virtual assistant, Cortana.
Threshold – dubbed version 1511 – brought a number of long-awaited features to Windows 10, including improved browsing in Microsoft Edge, better multi-tasking for desktop users and security and stability tweaks, too.
Unfortunately the blockbuster release also included a number of unwanted bugs and glitches.
Microsoft is now looking to add a slew of new functionality in the next major update, dubbed Redstone.
The upcoming Windows 10 update is expected to launch next year, although some features will be made available to Windows Insiders within the coming weeks.
According to The Verge, Microsoft is experimenting with a number of upgrades to Cortana, including allowing the voice assistant to float around the operating system.
Microsoft could allow Cortana to follow users as they navigate around the operating system, surfacing useful information based on what users are viewing on-screen.
The nifty context-aware functionality sounds closer to Now On Tap in Android Marshmallow than the infamously annoying Clippy character bundled with Windows 97 to 2003.
Microsoft is also believed to be planning a number of updates to the Notification Centre, also known as Action Centre.
Future versions of this pane are expected to include widgets, offering quick snapshots of data, synced across your Windows 10 devices.
Uber recently updated its Windows 10 app to allow users to book a taxi from the Cortana window. It's possible the Notification Centre widget could boast a similar functionality.
For more information on Windows 10 Redstone, click here.
If you have managed to get your version of Windows 10 up and running smoothly – NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has rounded up SEVEN top tips to master your new operating system.
And if you are feeling negative towards the new operating system, here are the WORST features Microsoft included in Windows 10.
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