Microsoft ends support for Windows 7 after 10 years

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Software giant Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 on Tuesday, bringing a long-awaited technical close to the 10-year-old operating system.

Microsoft has been warning users for months it would cease support on Jan. 14, even with a third of all personal computer users still running Windows 7.

Windows 10, which the company said has 900 million users, only recently surpassed Windows 7 in market share.

"While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware," Microsoft said.

Microsoft ended help with warranties and non-security updates for the software about five years ago as it started to point users toward its newest operating system, Windows 10. The company agreed to provide basic services for certain businesses still running Windows 7 -- like hospitals and banks, which store sensitive customer information -- until Tuesday.

Windows 7 launched in 2009 and outlasted its immediate replacement, Windows 8, and predecessor Windows XP. With support no longer available, Microsoft is now encouraging users to update to the latest version of Windows 10.