As most of you are already aware, Windows 7 is nearing its end of life (EOL). Starting January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop supporting updates for Windows 7. This means that Windows 7 users will no longer receive bug fixes, security updates, or new functionalities for this version of the OS.

What can you do?

The best way to stay ahead of this change is to migrate to Windows 10. However, for those of you who either cannot migrate or are reluctant to upgrade, there are still things you can do to keep your endpoints secure from cyberattacks.

Purchase Extended Security Updates (ESUs) from Microsoft

The Windows 7 ESUs will include security updates for an additional three years after Windows 7 reaches EOL on January 14, 2020; ESUs can be purchased from Microsoft.

Who can avail these ESUs?

These updates are available to Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise edition users.

When are these update offers available?

The ESUs offer has been available in the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) since April 1, 2019. ESUs will be available via Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) starting December 1, 2019.

The cost of ESUs

  • Enterprise Agreement (EA) and Enterprise Subscription Agreement (EAS) customers with active subscriptions to Windows 10 E5, Microsoft 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 E5 Security can avail Windows 7 ESUs free of cost for a year.
  • For Windows 7 Professional users, pricing starts at $50 per device and doubles each year.
  • For Windows Enterprise users, pricing starts at $25 per device and doubles each year.

Microsoft's approach to deploying ESUs

On-premises organizations that purchase Windows 7 ESUs will be provided with a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) through the VLSC. The MAK can be deployed to all applicable machines in the organization, along with the prerequisite servicing stack updates. Once this is done, the ESUs can be deployed through the organization's preferred patch management solutions.

How to deploy ESUs using ManageEngine's patch management solutions

Once you have applied the MAK purchased from Microsoft, you can easily deploy ESUs to your Windows 7 endpoints using any of our products that support patch management, including Patch Manager Plus, Endpoint Central, and Vulnerability Manager Plus. Further, we will also extend support to deploy ESUs for Windows Server 2008/2008 R2, which is also nearing its end of life. Subscribe now for further updates on ESU support in our products.