Upgrade now! Microsoft says goodbye to three key tools

• W10 November Update support ends • Office 2007 unsafe • Windows Mobile RIP

Microsoft

has axed support for three tools that millions of people still use: the Windows 10 November Update, Office 2007 and the Windows Phone mobile operating system. This cull will leave many users at increased risk of being hacked.

The end of support for the November Update requires the most urgent attention. Numbered Version 1511, it was the first major update to Windows 10, arriving in November 2015, four months after the operating system launched. It will receive no more security fixes, so anyone running it should update as soon as possible to either of the Creators Updates released in 2017 (see timeline below).

Microsoft explained its decision in a blog post ( www.snipca.com/25938): “Since version 1511 was released in November 2015, Microsoft has released additional feature updates that build upon each other, delivering the newest features and more comprehensive security”.

To discover what version you’re using, type winver into the taskbar’s search box, then press Enter. If you’re using version 1511 you can update to the Creators Update (1703) or Fall Creators Update (1709) by visiting the Windows Security page ( www.snipca.com/25939) and clicking ‘Verify you’re updated’ (see screenshot above).

In April, Microsoft said that it will support every update to Windows 10 for 18 months. This means 2016’s Anniversary Update will be the next to lose support, in February 2018.

So long, Office 2007

Support for Office 2007 also ended on 10 October, marking the end of ‘Extended’ support, during which Microsoft continues to release security fixes. ‘Mainstream’ support, which adds new features, ended back in 2012.

If you use Office 2007 you have several options: subscribe to Office 365 for £59.99 a year (or £5.99 a month), or buy Office 2016 (£119.99) - both are available at www.snipca. com/25940. The best free alternative is Libreoffice, available in a new version (see page 19). If you want to carry on using Office 2007, read our feature in Issue 509 for tips on minimising the risks.

Farewell, Windows Phone

Windows Phone users don’t have to take drastic action because support is not ending, but Microsoft has confirmed that it’s unlikely to develop the mobile operating system much further.

Joe Belfiore, who previously oversaw Windows Phone development admitted on Twitter that “building new features/hardware aren’t the focus”. Recently, Belfiore and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates admitted they use Android phones, not Windows devices.

Since launching in 2010, Windows Phone has failed to compete with Google’s Android and Apple’s IOS. Sales have plummeted, sinking to a new low of just 0.03 per cent of devices sold between April and June 2017.