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Taking advantage of the ‘fresh start’ that comes along with the new year, Microsoft has kicked off 2016 with one of the most significant Patch Tuesday’s we have seen in a long time – Say goodbye to the regrettable Windows 8 and Internet Explorer (minus the one lone version that survived).
Most significant, but probably least surprising for most, is the death of Windows 8. As an OS that had two different interfaces, being built to run on PCs and tablets; Windows 8 was expected to be revolutionary. When Windows 8 ultimately failed, Microsoft worked hard to improve the situation by adding into Windows 8.1 the features that PC users wanted. It wasn’t until Windows 10, however, that Microsoft and it’s users hit the level of innovation they were looking for.
That being said, Microsoft is only planning to cease support to Windows 8 – Windows 8.1 is safe. After these new patches, Windows 8 users can expect no more security updates. For the Windows 8 users out there, free upgrades to Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 are available – and recommended. Just keep in mind that in order to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, you’ll need to go through the Windows Store and not Windows Update.
As far as saying goodbye to Internet Explorer 8 through 10, the only exception will be Windows Vista which will continue to get support for Internet Explorer 9. Support will continue due to the fact that Internet Explorer 9 was the last version of the browser built for the OS, however, that support is not intended to continue for too long – Microsoft will end support for Vista in April 2017. As with Windows 8 and XP, this OS will stop receiving updates completely.
Luckily for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 users, you already have Internet Explorer 11 built in so there is nothing to worry about. Along with Internet Explorer 11, Windows 10 users also have the option to turn to Microsoft’s new (and popular) Edge browser.
The only people really getting affected here are Windows 7 users. Fortunately, if you have automatic updates enabled, updating to Internet Explorer 11 shouldn’t be hard at all. In fact, a patch has already been released for Windows 7 to detect your current version of the browser and lead you to updates.
Though it may take a few days before you see them, Microsoft’s latest round of security patches were released on Tuesday. For more information, give us a call at (416) 410-7268, or send us an email: info@sysoft.ca.
