If you read my previous post you know I am going back to Win 7

Hello Ron, :)

Extended support for Windows 7 ends on January 14, 2020.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...cle-fact-sheet

No problem. :)

Mainstream support. Microsoft will offer mainstream support for a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability. For example, if you buy a new version of Windows and five years later another version is released, you will still have two years of support left for the previous version.

Extended support. Microsoft will offer extended support for a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability.

See also number 6 below.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...cle-policy-faq

Hi,
38 months unless extended like x-p was :)

eaglepi said:

I read the above link but I still can't tell the difference of End of mainstream support & End of extended support. I got my copy of Win 7 Ultimate in 2010. when will the support end for my Win 7

If you want to go to the trouble, you can also try to get ONLY the security-related updates between now and Jan 2020---rather than additional optional stuff. Microsoft has revamped Windows Update for Windows 7 in the last couple of months and it's more than a bit confusing. The security only updates come out monthly and so far there have been 2: October and November.

As I understand it, they are NOT cumulative---you have to stay on top of it and get each month's update.

I was under the impression that, due to Windows 7 being in Extended support, the only updates that were being provided are security related. this should mean that the cumulative updates, which started after the cut-off for mainstream Support, would only provide security related updates. ( I only run Win7 in VM these days, for support purposes, as I need it so rarely if ever update)

It is confusing.

For instance, for November there are these 2 items:

Security Monthly Quality Rollup 3197868

and

November 2016 Security Only Quality Update 3197867


An ordinary reading of those names would lead you to believe that the latter is more limited than the former due to the use of the word "only" and the omission of the word "rollup".

But what do I know?

The naming and explanation remain confusing. I have no idea who is in charge of packaging, documenting, or explaining these things at Microsoft. Whoever it is has failed.

I'm going with the "Security Only" packages until and unless I get more clarity.