How To Hide A Windows Update In Windows 7

Windows 7 support end date nag message on desktop

Windows vii will presently get-go nagging you lot to upgrade to Windows ten—again. Specifically, y'all'll see a message informing you that Microsoft will officially finish supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Here'south how to avoid information technology.

Update: As of April 22, 2019, the nags are starting to appear on Windows 7 systems. You can merely click "Practise not remind me again" and close the window to terminate the nags.

Why Windows 7 Volition Nag You

Microsoft will only support Windows 7 with security patches until January 14, 2020. That's the "end of support" or "end of life" (EOL) date. After this date, Windows vii will technically leave "extended back up." Businesses can pay for additional support, but average consumer PCs will be stuck without security patches.

That means Windows vii machines will be increasingly vulnerable, and software developers volition eventually get out those old PCs behind and stop writing software that works on Windows vii.

The full message reads:

After 10 years, support for Windows vii is nearing the stop.

Jan fourteen, 2020 is the last day Microsoft will offer security updates and technical support for computers running Windows 7. We known tin be difficult, that's why we're reaching out early on to aid yous backup your files and prepare for what's next.

We strongly recommend upgrading to a supported operating system by Jan 14, 2020. You're using a supported operating system until then—then feel free to hide the nags and use your PC. And who wants to be nagged, anyway?

RELATED: Windows seven Just Has 1 Yr of Security Patches Left

Microsoft Will Allow You Silence the Nags This Time

Windows 7 end of life notification

Microsoft has learned its lesson—kind of. While the original "Get Windows 10" (GWX) messages simply kept coming back over and over again, this finish-of-back up notification looks much less abrasive.

This latest popup message doesn't try to install any software on your system. In fact, the gratis Windows 10 upgrade offer is over—although there'due south even so an official but kind-of-secret way to upgrade to Windows 10 for costless.

All the message does is inform you that Windows 7 will no longer be supported on January 14, 2020, and provide a link to Microsoft's website with more information.

More than importantly, there's a "Do Non Remind Me Again" checkbox at the bottom left corner of the window. Enable this checkbox and Microsoft volition hopefully finish bugging you. Even so, if you don't enable this checkbox and simply shut the window, yous will see the stop of life notification repeatedly.

Option to hide the Windows 7 upgrade nag screen

Bleeping Computer has the full technical details on exactly how this message works, including the process the update installs ( C:\Windows\System32\sipnotify.exe ) and the scheduled tasks it creates. It looks like a big comeback from Microsoft'southward aggressive and misleading tactics last time around.

RELATED: Upgrade Now or Upgrade Tonight: How Microsoft Has Aggressively Pushed Windows 10 to Everyone

How to Remove the Nags From Your System

This nag message arrives as function of KB4493132, an update that volition be automatically installed past Windows Update if your PC has automatic updates enabled. To stop the nag from appearing, all yous have to do is avoid installing the update—or remove information technology if it'south already installed. The update is titled "Windows seven SP1 Support Notification."

KB4493132 was first released on March 19, 2019. Information technology may already be on your Windows 7 PC. Notwithstanding, it will remain dormant until April 18, 2019, when the nag messages will start to announced. We didn't encounter the update in a Windows 7 virtual machine, so Microsoft may exist slowly rolling information technology out.

To avoid installing the update, just choose not to install the update from Windows Update. Hide it if you see it. If Windows 7 is ready to install updates automatically, you tin set up it to notify you but not automatically install them—or uninstall the update subsequently.

To hide the update, head to Command Panel > System and Security > Windows Update and click the number of available updates. Correct-click KB4493132 if you run across information technology in the list and select "Hide Update."

Hiding an update in Windows Update on Windows 7

If y'all've already installed this update, yous tin uninstall information technology. Head to Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates, locate KB4493132 in the list (you can search for information technology using the search box), and uninstall it.

Uninstalling a Windows update on Windows 7

Or, better yet, y'all can merely non worry nearly it. The nag will pop upwards once on Apr 18, but you tin cheque the box that says you never want to see information technology again and close the window. And then you're done, and you never have to see them again—on that specific PC, anyway. That's the theory, anyway. Hopefully, Microsoft doesn't become increasingly ambitious over time and obeys the wishes of users who click the checkbox.

You Should Upgrade By January 14, 2020

You lot don't have to dump Windows 7 immediately. It's still officially supported past Microsoft with security updates until January 14, 2020, after all.

Nosotros do recommend getting off Windows 7 after that date. Windows 7 volition no longer exist supported with security updates, which means it's much more vulnerable to attack. Windows 10 is already a more than secure operating system, even while Windows 7 is still getting updates. (And aye, you can however get Windows 10 for gratuitous, if you like.)

This doesn't mean you have to upgrade to Windows 10. If you take a rather old PC, you may only want to buy a new Windows 10 PC.

And, if you don't want to employ Windows 10, that's fine—you should consider a Chromebook, Mac, iPad, or but installing Linux on your current PC. Any you practise, we recommend using a secure operating organization that's currently existence supported with updates. Merely, while Windows viii.1 is all the same supported with updates for a few more years, we recommend Windows ten over Windows eight.1.

RELATED: All the Ways Y'all Can Still Upgrade to Windows ten for Complimentary