Windows 7

Windows 7
Version of the Windows NT operating system
Screenshot of Windows 7, showing its Start Menu, desktop, taskbar, and the glass effect of Windows Aero
DeveloperMicrosoft
Source model
Released to
manufacturing		July 22, 2009; 15 years ago (2009-07-22)[1]
General
availability		October 22, 2009; 15 years ago (2009-10-22)[2]
Final releaseService Pack 1 with January 2023 monthly update rollup (6.1.7601.26321)[3] / February 8, 2023; 21 months ago (2023-02-08)[4]
Marketing targetConsumer and business
Update methodWindows Update
PlatformsIA-32 and x86-64
Kernel typeHybrid
UserlandWindows API, NTVDM, SUA
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Preceded byWindows Vista (2007)[5]
Succeeded byWindows 8 (2012)
Official websiteWindows 7 (archived at Wayback Machine)
Support status
Excludes Windows Thin PC and some embedded editions:

Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015 (2015-01-13).[6][7]
Extended support ended on January 14, 2020 (2020-01-14).[6][7]

Paid Extended Security Updates (ESU):
Professional & Enterprise volume licensed editions support ended on January 10, 2023[8][9]
See § Extended Security Updates for details.

Exceptions existed until October 8, 2024,
see § Support lifecycle for details.
Part of a series of articles on
Windows 7
Siblings

Windows 7 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available on October 22, 2009.[10] It is the successor to Windows Vista, released nearly three years earlier. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. It was succeeded by Windows 8 in October 2012.

Extended support ended on January 14, 2020, over ten years after the release of Windows 7, after which the operating system ceased receiving further updates. A paid support program was available for enterprises, providing security updates for Windows 7 for up to three years since the official end of life.[11]

Windows 7 was intended to be an incremental upgrade to Microsoft Windows, addressing Windows Vista's poor critical reception while maintaining hardware and software compatibility. Windows 7 continued improvements on the Windows Aero user interface with the addition of a redesigned taskbar that allows pinned applications, and new window management features. Other new features were added to the operating system, including libraries, the new file-sharing system HomeGroup, and support for multitouch input. A new "Action Center" was also added to provide an overview of system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive. Windows 7 also shipped with updated versions of several stock applications, including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media Center.

Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 received critical acclaim, with critics considering the operating system to be a major improvement over its predecessor because of its improved performance, its more intuitive interface, fewer User Account Control popups, and other improvements made across the platform. Windows 7 was a major success for Microsoft; even before its official release, pre-order sales for the operating system on the online retailer Amazon.com had surpassed previous records. In just six months, over 100 million copies had been sold worldwide, increasing to over 630 million licenses by July 2012. By January 2018, Windows 10 surpassed Windows 7 as the most popular version of Windows worldwide.[12] Windows 11 overtook Windows 7 as the second most popular Windows version on all continents in August 2022.[13] As of 2024, just 3% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 7,[14] although it remains relatively popular in parts of the world, such as China (where it is tied with Windows 11),[15] and is second most popular in some countries.[16]

Windows 7 is the final version of Windows that supports processors without SSE2 or NX (although an update released in 2018 dropped support for non-SSE2 processors).[17] Its successor, Windows 8, requires a processor with SSE2 and NX (for any then-supported architecture).[18]

  1. ^ LeBlanc, Brandon (July 22, 2009). "Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  2. ^ LeBlanc, Brandon (October 22, 2009). "Windows 7 Arrives Today With New Offers, New PCs, And More!". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  3. ^ "Windows 7 SP1 Security Monthly Quality Rollup x64-based". Microsoft. February 8, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "2023-01 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB5022338)". Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft. February 8, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Thadani, Rahul (September 6, 2010). "Windows 7 System Requirements". Buzzle. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ a b "Microsoft Support Lifecycle". Support. Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Rose, Stephen L (February 14, 2013). "Windows 7 RTM End Of Support Is Right Around The Corner". Springboard Series Blog. Microsoft. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  8. ^ Spataro, Jared (September 6, 2018). "Helping customers shift to a modern desktop". Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "Lifecycle FAQ-Extended Security Updates". support.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2019. The Extended Security Update (ESU) program is a last resort option for customers who need to run certain legacy Microsoft products past the end of support.
  10. ^ "Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Timelines Shared at Computex". News Center. Microsoft. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  11. ^ "Windows 7 End of Support Info - Microsoft". www.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  13. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  15. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share China". StatCounter Global Stats. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  16. ^ "Desktop Windows Version". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  17. ^ "Microsoft Quietly Kills Windows 7 Support For Non-SSE2 CPUs". Gizmodo Australia. June 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  18. ^ "System requirements – Microsoft Support". support.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2023.