 When Windows 10 launched in 2015, PC users were confronted with a dilemma. Microsoft had, in many enthusiasts' eyes, been making blunder after blunder in their efforts to turn what we all thought was a perfectly functional operating system into some kind of idiot-friendly, touchscreen, Fisher-Price-looking nonsense. And on top of trying to fix what ain't broke, Microsoft wanted unprecedented access to their users' data and resolved to just force system updates when you're right in the middle of something. And all for what? DirectX 12? So many power users ended up sticking with Windows 7 and are still using it today. But they have a problem. If you're one of these individuals, you now have less than one year before Microsoft cuts off Windows 7. You may not want to risk an upgrade, but as Aragorn said to Theoden in the Great Hall of Edoras, Upgrading is upon you, whether you would risk it or not. Wait, I don't think that's quite what he said. It's close enough. You know what else is close? I can almost smell it so close. That's our sponsor! It won't help you with your Windows 7 problem, but, like, still. G.Skill's Trident Z Royal Series DDR4 memory features a polished aluminum heat spreader that's available in both gold or silver and a crystalline light bar that radiates beautiful RGB. Check it out at the link below. Now, you might not realize this, but in spite of Microsoft practically giving away Windows 10, even to those with pirated installations, most users stuck with Windows 7 rather than upgrading either to 8 or 10, something that only finally changed late last year. In December, Net Market Share reported that Windows 10 installations rose above Windows 7 for the first time and now account for nearly 41% of the user base compared to Windows 7's 37%. Now, hopefully, that number is going to continue to go down as we get closer to January 14th, 2020, the day that Windows 7 dies, because otherwise, we are going to have some serious problems. Because, yes, yes, okay, Windows 7, it's not going to die. It's not like you just turn on your computer and it doesn't turn on anymore. It's just going to stop receiving feature updates, bug fixes, and, most importantly, security updates. Which are pretty important if you want to, I don't know, continue, oh, say, using the internet. Now, as it did for previous versions of Windows, Microsoft is offering extended security updates, or ESU, ECU, for Windows 7 Enterprise and Pro editions up until January 2023. But this extended update service won't come cheap. And adding insult to injury, the price will double each year. So three years of support is going to cost $175 for Enterprise licenses and $350 for Windows 7 Pro. Ouchie. Also, if you're a megaball or PC gamer thinking, yeah, no problem, $350, that's like what, mid-tier graphics card? Sorry, I've got some bad news for you, too. ESU is only available for volume licensed subscriptions, which are usually held by companies or schools. So businesses running Windows 7 machines on Microsoft's Azure Cloud as part of the Windows Virtual Desktop program, those folks get ESU for free, but again, baller gamers, I would imagine that scenario doesn't apply to you. So then, if you're just a regular Windows 7 user with a personal license, what can you do? Well, before we get too deep into your options, let's take a look at why people want to hold on to Windows 7 like that grudge against their brother for stealing the last piece of their birthday cake, even though they told him that they were saving it for later and hid it away way in the back of the fridge so you wouldn't know it was there. Windows 7 was, is kind of fantastic. It's mature, stable, and reliable, and offers a great amount of control over the way it behaves. Its interface is functional, familiar, and extremely customizable, and it's got all your settings just the way that you like them. I mean, furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if anyone upgrading now has a program or two that would either require a new, not to mention costly license to run on Windows 10, or that isn't available for it at all. And there's other little creature comforts. Typing in the search bar retrieves results that make sense instead of a Windows setting you weren't looking for or a web result from Bing. Windows 7 doesn't incessantly ask you to send more of your personal information to Microsoft, or decide on its own when it's time to update whether you like it or not. Updates are available. Oh, sorry, you know what? I'm actually kind of in the middle of something kind of- Roger that! Updating now! Wait, what? What the f***? But as awesome as Windows 7 is, there are quite a few cons to staying with it past the end date for extended support. Besides lacking the latest antivirus protections, Windows 7 won't have Windows 10 features like Device Guard, UEFI Secure Boot, and Windows Hello, which offer higher overall security for your system. And while gaming performance is about the same, some things, like system boot times, are slower in Windows 7 compared to Windows 10. So it turns out Microsoft software engineers weren't just sitting around playing beer pong for the last 78 years. Also, if you're worried about future-proofing at all, which you should be at least a little bit, Windows 7 is not a great bet, as software and even hardware makers eventually do stop providing support for legacy operating systems. So even if you pay for ESU, support only lasts for three years and costs more than a Windows 10 license, and you might be able to upgrade for free anyway. Yep, even though Microsoft officially ended their offer for a free upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8, many users have reported successful, fully-activated upgrades by using Microsoft's official upgrade utility. And even if you have to pay, bear with me for a moment here, Windows 10 might not be as bad as you think. There are a lot of happy users out there who appreciate its combination of the efficiency and customization of Windows 7 and the modern design of Windows 8. And despite Microsoft's best efforts, there is actually a fair bit that you can do to minimize their data collection and postpone system updates until absolutely necessary, or at least until it's convenient. So we're going to have some resources for you guys for this linked in the video description. But let's say you draw the line at Windows 10. Fine, you say, I'll stop using Windows 7, but hashtag never Windows 10. Whoa, I can tell you guys are serious because of that hashtag there. Well, for you guys, there are other options. First up, there's Windows 8.1. I mean, I doubt that you guys have stuck with Windows 7 for this long just to give into the OS that Gabe Newell called a catastrophe. And its data collection and update system are kind of similar to Windows 10, but at least it'll be getting security updates. Though realistically, now that Microsoft has learned from their mistake of supporting Windows XP for like ever, that'll probably only buy you a couple of years. So maybe that's not a great option. So then what about Mac OS? While Apple's desktop OS has come a long way and is obviously used by many tech enthusiasts, the thing is I don't see many Windows 7 diehards willingly defecting to Apple's camp. Plus, you would need to either buy a totally new computer or begin the long, arduous process of trying to turn your existing PC into a Hackintosh. Now, it might be doable, but even most Hackintosh enthusiasts are pretty open about what a finicky experience that is, leaving Linux. Now, a couple of years ago, I would have said that that's madness. But Linux is a more viable option than ever before, even for gamers. Now, we're planning another follow-up video on Valve's Proton compatibility software. But for now, the main thing you need to know about it is that it makes an ever-growing list of Windows games run flawlessly on Linux. And community reports indicate that thousands more run pretty well. As for the non-gamers, popular Linux distros like Ubuntu work great for productivity-focused use, especially if the majority of your work is done on the web. And there are even distros that borrow heavily from Windows for their interface, like Linux Mint, so your homesickness will at least be soothed a little. And then, of course, there's the last option. Stick with Windows 7. Hold fast as your destruction edge is ever closer. Say goodbye to hardware or software upgrades, and just... well, just don't browse the Internet after January 14th, 2020. With regards to that option, I mean, you know what? Odd speed, you brave bastard, but needless to say, we don't actually recommend doing that. What we do recommend, though, if you need to build a beautiful website without the hassle, is Squarespace. With Squarespace's all-in-one platform, you just pick a template, enter in your text, throw in your pictures, design a logo. They've got all kinds of amazing tools, and boom! You have a website. It might not be a very good website. It might not have a lot of important information on it. But that's on you, sir or ma'am. It's not on Squarespace, because they have tons of amazing help that you can leverage. They offer webinars, full series of help guides, and you can contact their 24-7 customer support via live chat and email if you're ever having trouble. And if you already have a third-party domain, you don't have to give it up. You can just transfer it to Squarespace. Plus, with Squarespace, you get tons of e-commerce features to help you sell merch or services online and easily manage your inventory and orders. So head over to squarespace.com forward slash LTT and get 10% off your first purchase. We're going to have that linked below. So thanks for watching, guys. If you disliked this video, you can hit that button. I'm sorry. It's really bad news. I get it. But if you liked it, hit like, get subscribed, or maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured. Windows 10, I guess? At the link in the video description. Also down there is our merch store, which has cool shirts like this one and our community forum, which you should totally join. We should have where you can buy a new Buntu CD. Canonical will ship you one if you pay like a couple bucks. I think you can... Please don't buy Windows 10. And don't pay for Linux either. Like, it's free. That's kind of the point.