Windows 8 stunk. It might have helped cost chief executive Steve Ballmer his job. Windows 8.1 was a bit better — but if you love it, you have only a month or so left to enjoy it. Microsoft will kill ...

It’s the end of the line for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. These older versions of Windows (plus Windows RT) stop receiving all security updates today, over a decade after their original releases.

As one option, you can enable File History in Windows 8.1 to back up key folders and files to external media. Alternatively, you can turn to a third-party backup software or a cloud storage service.

In brief: Microsoft is scheduled to put another of its legacy operating systems out to pasture in the near future. Anyone still using the aging OS needs to start getting serious about transitioning to ...