Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft Windows 7 was one of the most successful versions of the Windows operating system line ever released.

Windows 7 Release Date

Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009. It was made available to the public on October 22, 2009.

It's preceded by Windows Vista, and succeeded by Windows 8.

Windows 11 is the latest version of Windows, released in 2021.

Windows 7 Support

The Windows 7 end-of-life was on January 14, 2020. This was when Microsoft discontinued technical support and quit supplying Windows 7 users with software updates and security fixes through Windows Update.

On January 14, 2020, Microsoft also ended support for the following for Windows 7 users:

• Internet Explorer
• Games like Internet Checkers and Internet Backgammon
• Microsoft Security Essentials platform (signature updates remain)

Although Windows 7 has been discontinued, it can still be activated and installed on new computers. If you're a Microsoft 365 user, Microsoft continued to provide security updates for Microsoft 365 through January 2023, but not feature updates.

Windows 7 Editions

Six editions of Windows 7 were available, with these first three being the only ones for sale directly to the consumer:

• Windows 7 Ultimate  
• Windows 7 Professional 
• Windows 7 Home Premium  
• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Starter
• Windows 7 Home Basic

Except for Windows 7 Starter, all of those versions were available in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions.

While this version of Windows is no longer supported, produced, or sold by Microsoft, you can still find copies floating around on Amazon.com or eBay.

The Best Version of Windows 7 For You

Windows 7 Ultimate is the, well, ultimate version of Windows 7, containing all the features available in Professional and Home Premium, plus BitLocker technology. Windows 7 Ultimate also has the largest language support.

Windows 7 Professional (aka, Windows 7 Pro) contains all the features available in Home Premium, plus Windows XP Mode, network backup features, and domain access, making this the right choice for medium and small business owners.

Windows 7 Home Premium is the version designed for the standard home user, including all the non-business bells and whistles that make Windows 7...well, Windows 7! This tier is also available in a "family pack" that allows installation on up to three separate computers. Most Windows 7 licenses allow installation onto only one device.

Windows 7 Enterprise is designed for large organizations. Windows 7 Starter is only available for pre-installation by computer makers, usually on netbooks and other small form-factor or lower-end computers. Windows 7 Home Basic is only available in some developing countries.

Windows 7 Minimum Requirements

Windows 7 requires the following hardware, at a minimum:

• CPU: 1 GHz
• RAM: 1 GB (2 GB for 64-bit versions)
• Hard Drive: 16 GB free space (20 GB free for 64-bit versions)

Your graphics card needs to support DirectX 9 if you plan to utilize Aero. Also, if you intend on installing Window 7 using DVD media, your optical drive will need to support DVD discs.

Windows 7 Hardware Limitations

Windows 7 Starter is limited to 2 GB of RAM, and 32-bit versions of all other editions of Windows 7 are limited to 4 GB.

Depending on the edition, 64-bit versions support considerably more memory. Ultimate, Professional, and Enterprise support up to 192 GB, Home Premium 16 GB, and Home Basic 8 GB.

CPU support is a little more complicated. Enterprise, Ultimate, and Professional support up to 2 physical CPUs, while Home Premium, Home Basic, and Starter only support one CPU. However, 32-bit versions of Windows 7 support up to 32 logical processors and 64-bit versions support up to 256.

Windows 7 Service Packs

The last service pack for Windows 7 is Service Pack 1 (SP1), released on February 9, 2011. An additional "rollup" update, a sort of Windows 7 SP2, was also made available in mid-2016.

See Latest Microsoft Windows Service Packs for more information about Windows 7 SP1 and the Windows 7 Convenience Rollup.

The initial release of Windows 7 has the version number 6.1.7600.

More About Windows 7

We have a lot of Windows 7-related content, such as how-to and troubleshooting guides like how to fix a sideways or upside down screen, what to do if you've forgotten your Windows password, how to start Windows 7 in Safe Mode, how to speed up Windows 7, how to use the Startup Repair tool, and how to delete Windows 7 services.

You can also find Windows 7 drivers, a guide on how to install Windows 7 from USB, and Windows 7 system monitoring gadgets.

If you need additional help or other resources, be sure to search for what you're after using the search bar at the top of the page.