Windows 7 Retirement Jan. 20, 2020

To: UCSC Faculty and Staff

From: Lisa Bono, Information Technology Services (ITS)

Microsoft will end support of Windows 7 on January 20, 2020. UCSC currently has more than 500 Windows 7 computers in use by instructors, staff and students. Therefore, ITS is preparing now for the Windows 7 retirement. 

If your computer is managed by ITS through BigFix and your machine is running Windows 7, you will be contacted by an ITS technician before January to upgrade your system. You can check if you have BigFix by the blue circle icon next to your computer's system clock. 

If your computer isn’t managed by ITS and your machine is running Windows 7, we highly recommend upgrading sooner rather than waiting until the last minute. When a vendor ends support, it can lead to security vulnerabilities, software incompatibility, compliance issues, and poor computer performance and reliability. Vulnerable systems may be removed from the network. It’s important that your computer is always kept up to date with the latest supported software and operating system.

Which Version of Windows?

To find out which version of Windows your machine is running, visit the Microsoft support page for instructions: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13443/windows-which-version-am-i-running

If you have a question, please contact your local IT specialist, submit an IT Request ticket at http://itrequest.ucsc.edu or contact the ITS Support Center by email help@ucsc.edu, telephone 459-HELP(4357), or in-person Kerr Hall Room 54.

Thank you.