Microsoft extends deadline of Windows 7 PCs for business

Microsoft has reportedly announced that it has extended life for PCs that come pre-installed with Windows 7 Professional, which means that those computers with consumer versions of the OS still face the axe on October 31 this year.

The software manufacturer said that erroneous information about Windows 7's ending was posted online in December, adding that only the consumer versions, including Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate, would be ended.

According to PC World, the move to exclude Windows 7 Professional PCs for a yet-to-be-established amount of time doesn't mean much for everyday people in the market for a Windows 7 machine.

As Microsoft tries to promote its latest Windows 8 OS in a better and wider fashion, the company has already announced killing its Windows XP and Office 2003 suite on April 8.

Microsoft's senior business program manager, Shad Larsen, said that that the extension was unrelated to Windows XP's demise, adding that Office 2003 will be officially abandoned on the same day as Windows XP.

The report added that Microsoft's end of support for Windows 7 is still scheduled for January 15, 2015, after which, the company would continue to provide security fixes for Windows 7 through 2020.