Today, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Cuts Windows 7 Mainstream Support

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will be ending its free mainstream support for Windows 7 today, January 13, 2014.

What this means is that should problems occur with your Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will no longer offer no-cost help and support starting today. In other words, warranty claims end with the end of mainstream support.

Furthermore, this also means that the Redmond, Washington-based giant will also end developing and releasing updates including features for Windows 7.

What it does not mean is that the company will end security and reliability patches for Windows 7. Non-security patches end here.

All versions of the said operating system will have mainstream support cut today. That includes Enterprise, Enterprise N, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Professional for Embedded Systems, Professional N, Starter, Starter N, Ultimate, Ultimate for Embedded Systems, Ultimate N, and Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7.

Extended support for all versions mentioned above will be ended by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) on January 14, 2020. With the end of extended support, the Windows maker will cease releasing security fixes for Windows 7.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) released Windows 7 in 2009 after the wreck which was Windows Vista. The company is currently weaning its users to Windows 8.

However, Windows 7 continues to be very popular. According to Netmarketshare.com, the best-selling operating system runs 56.26% of the world’s desktop computers. It should be noted that Windows XP, released way back in 2001, still runs 18.26% of the world’s desktop computers even though every version of it except for Windows XP Embedded has ended extended support.

According to the Netmarketshare data, Vista accounts for 2.9% of all desktop PC operating systems while Windows 8 and 8.1 account for 4.03% and 9.49% respectively.

If you do encounter a problem with your Windows 7 copy, however, Microsoft can still help you, but now for a fee.

Thomas Steyer’s Farallon Capital owned 3.75 million shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by the end of September 2014.