Q. I have heard that Microsoft is closing its support for Windows 7. As most of our practice computers are running on Windows 7, what does this mean for our practice?

Microsoft says that all good things must come to an end. This includes Windows 7, despite it still being the world's most popular operating system. After January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs running Windows 7. This means in practice that Microsoft will no longer be providing updates and software patches. The operating systems will run as usual, but if you continue to use a Windows 7 PC, you will become increasingly vulnerable to security hacks and malware.

It is generally advisable to upgrade your computers to Windows 10 machines rather than upgrading your software. As future patches will operate smoother on a Windows 10 machine than an upgraded network, the balance for this is based on price and how old the Windows 7 computer processor is. In general terms, practice management software vendors recommend an Intel Core i5 processor or better and to consider a software upgrade if your processor is less than this, although you would be better off investing in a new computer.

Practices using Microsoft 365 Business can get a free upgrade to Windows 10. Otherwise, an update to Windows 10 Pro is €180 per computer. Bear in mind also that Office 2010 is ending its support on October 13, 2020.Failure to upgrade leaves your business vulnerable to malware/ransomware attack and if this happens your practice GDPR protocols could be scrutinised by the Data Commissioner.

On the subject of Microsoft, if you have not already, I recommend that you consider subscribing to Microsoft Office 365. I find it an invaluable product for day-to-day tasks; as well as the typical office programmes like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, it includes Outlook where you can link all your email accounts to one place, even Healthmail. It also has One Drive where you can store all your documents in one place, up to 1TB. With One Drive, all of your materials are easily accessible at home and at work on the iPad and your phone. There is no need to keep your documents on removable drives or to keep up with upgrades and patches as they all occur automatically, and a personal annual subscription is only €69. You will never use a USB stick again!

For information on the end of support for Windows 7, visit www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsforbusiness/end-of-windows-7-support