Upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 is about to become vital and those who haven't made the switch are facing an expensive start to 2020. Microsoft is about to end all support for its ageing Windows 7 operating system and that means anyone still using this popular software face an increased risk of security issues, cyber-attacks and annoying bugs.

January 14, 2020, is the date that the US firm has set for the big change and the advice for anyone using Windows 7 is to upgrade as soon as possible to avoid and cyber issues in the future.

Although some Express.co.uk readers have contacted us to say there are hidden ways to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, the official stance from Microsoft is that its promotional no-cost upgrade offer expired on July 29, 2016.

The firm also says that for most Windows 7 users, moving to a new device with Windows 10 will be the recommended path forward.

"Today’s PCs are faster, lightweight yet powerful, and more secure, with an average price that’s considerably less than that of the average PC over nine years ago," Microsoft said in an email sent to us.

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