Windows 7 End of Life – How will this affect SOLIDWORKS?
You may have heard that Windows 7 is ending support on the 14th of January 2020 but, what does this mean to you?
In short, now is the time to upgrade to Windows 10 Professional. Your machines will continue to run Windows 7 but Microsoft will not provide security updates for Windows 7 from 14th of January 2020. This means if you don’t upgrade then your design data will be exposed to greater risk from malicious threats such as viruses and ransomware.
How do I know which version of Windows I am running?
The Easiest way is to navigate to the Windows Control Panel, and double left click on “System” (may be under the “System and Security” subheading)
How much does it cost to update Windows 7?
Officially from Microsoft, the cost for Windows 10 Professional is £220. However, depending on your license it may have included the license to upgrade to Windows 10, check with your hardware supplier and you may find it cheaper elsewhere just ensure it is a legitimate license/seller.
How much does it cost to get the latest version of SOLIDWORKS?
SOLIDWORKS software updates are included as part of any SOLIDWORKS subscription. If you are already on subscription then you can access the latest downloads here. If you need to renew your subscription contact your local VAR.
When will Windows 10 end support?
Currently, Microsoft have said that they do not plan to release a new version of Windows and instead they will keep updating Windows 10. Currently, this is two major updates per year so if you keep up to date, it will remain supported. Older versions of Windows 10 will gradually lose support.
What are the advantages of upgrading Windows 7?
We realize this deadline from Microsoft may seem like bad news, but upgrading brings plenty of benefits. Aside from the security and new features in Windows 10, there have also been hundreds of great enhancements to SOLIDWORKS in recent years. Check out our what’s new pages for more details on the highlights.
Since 2015 SP5.0 we’ve also seen the introduction of entire new SOLIDWORKS packages, including:
What about SOLIDWORKS?
SOLIDWORKS 2015 SP5 and newer support Windows 10 Professional, which means if you’re running an older version of SOLIDWORKS you’ll need to upgrade. However, as Microsoft updates Windows 10 every six months with major updates we cannot guarantee any SOLIDWORKS software versions outside the current support cycle will function on the latest versions of Windows 10.
To avoid issues and potential downtime you are the best keeping to a recent SOLIDWORKS edition. For instance, SOLIDWORKS 2019 ends its support life cycle at the end of 2020 after this no fixes will be made to account for issues caused by Windows updates.
If you decide to continue using Windows 7 then not only will you be exposed to security threats but you will not be able to install SOLIDWORKS 2021 and beyond. Consider what other companies in your supply chain are doing, SOLIDWORKS collaboration is the most seamless when everyone uses the same version. If they all upgrade, you may become the weak link!
Hardware
While you may be able to update your current hardware, if things don’t go smoothly in the upgrade you may experience downtime and there may not be drivers for your hardware on Windows 10 potentially causing issues or not functional components on this new Operating System.
Given the age of Windows 7, your hardware may be of an age where a hardware upgrade will be a better option as you are likely to see a significant performance improvement. Check out our hardware advice here.
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