You may recall that we have been advocating upgrading your computer’s operating system to Windows 10 this year to ensure you are ahead of the game when Windows 7 reaches the end of its life in January 2020.
The main reason for doing this is that Microsoft will stop plugging up the vulnerabilities which hackers will exploit. You can learn more in our blog here.
So, you have Windows 10 and you must be feeling quite smug – right?
Well, not so fast …. Unfortunately not all versions of Windows 10 are created equal.
Just as Windows XP had its Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows 8 was vastly improved by the release of Windows 8.1, Windows 10 has its Feature Updates. These are major changes to the operating system which are often not installed as part of regular patching. Indeed, you may choose not to have Feature Updates applied automatically as they tend to be more involved and you won’t have access to your computer for a prolonged period.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 version 1803 end of service was on 12 November 2019 and you will no longer get security patches. In practice, this means that there will be Windows 10 users who will be vulnerable to cybercriminals a whole 2 months ahead of those who have stuck with Windows 7!
How can you find out your Windows 10 version?
If your computer is monitored by Computer Troubleshooters, our control panel will indicate the version number alongside the operating system. We have already contacted our service plan customers to ensure that remedial action has been taken.
If not, right-click on the Windows icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, select SETTINGS, then choose ABOUT. The Windows version is in the WINDOWS SPECIFICATIONS section.
What do you do if you find that your version is 1803 or earlier?
The software for the Feature Updates is available without charge from Microsoft, so you could have a go at upgrading your version of Windows 10 yourself. If you would prefer to hand the task over to a professional, please give us a call on 01732 300064.
… And if you would like to avoid your business ending up in this situation in the future, consider signing up for a managed service plan. All your computers will be monitored and maintained, and fixes will be applied without you having to lift a finger.