Microsoft will end mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015.
After January 13, Windows 7 will enter ‘extended support’, which means that the OS will only get security updates and hotfix services.
Microsoft said: "Extended support lasts for five years and includes security updates at no cost, and paid hotfix support."
In April of this year, Microsoft ended support for Windows XP, which has seen hundreds of thousands of customers and businesses move on to other operating systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8, or even Mac OS as Windows XP becomes a prime target for hackers exploiting the lack of security support.
On the Windows website, Microsoft said: "Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it’s no longer supported.
"Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to upgrade or make other changes to your software."
The move by Microsoft is also perhaps the biggest hint yet that it will be ready to roll out Windows 9 in 2015, and also helps with trying to get customers to buy Windows 8.x machines.
As of June 2014, Windows 7 has a 50.55% share of the desktop operating system market. It remains as the most popular operating system in the world on desktops, with an increasing market share being reported every month, more recently caused by users upgrading from XP.
