If you are still using Windows 7 or 8, then it’s high time you started thinking about Windows 10 upgrade. This is because Microsoft has now come out in the public to state that it will no longer support the legacy DRM on these old operating systems. This implies that many of the media features you have come to depend on are no longer available or are soon going to be a thing of the past; features such as listening to music and watching videos.
Now Let’s Look at What DRM Has to Do With It?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the technology which is used to manage access and distribution of digital content like music and videos. From this date, protected content will not be able to play on Windows media player or Silverlight on Windows 7 & 8. Therefore, if you are still using these versions of Windows, you will realise that you are no longer able to play legally acquired music or videos.
This comes on the heels of Microsoft’s decision to decommission other less modern tools such as Paint 3D and Adobe Type1 fonts as the company continues to discourage use of these unsupported systems.
That Is A Big Deal
However, more than a billion people continue to use Windows 7 and 8 even after Microsoft stopped supporting them several years back. Consequently, users do not receive important security patches, which makes their systems exposed to cyber threats and malware. However, due to the elimination of DRM services, users will be restricted even further while working with these outdated OS.
No More Media Playback: If you have been using Windows Media Player to listen to CD or watch DRM protected films and videos, this feature will no longer be available soon. For many users this means that they will no longer be able to access the content they have legally purchased.
Security Risks: Working on an operating system that does not have an official support is very dangerous especially for people who deal with sensitive data. All the new vulnerabilities that are discovered in Windows 7 or 8 will not be patched since they will not get updates.
The Push to Upgrade
This is clearly another push by Microsoft for users to finally shift to Windows 10 or Windows 11 since both are still receiving updates. Although this may be a pain in the neck, it is important for the security and performance of the system.
And the best part? Upgrading is free. If you still in the older version of Windows, upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 won’t incur any cost and you are going to benefit from new features and or security updates.
What You Should Do
If you are on Windows 7 or 8 currently then it is high time that you upgrade. No matter if it is for the improved media, better security, or merely for the better performance of the system, staying with the old operating system is simply not worth it.
If you don’t want to encounter problems and want to keep your files safe, update your system to a current version of Windows.