# Do I really need to upgrade from Windows 8? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504 "2023-02-28T19:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/1 "2023-02-28T19:09:29Z")
Windows 8 is no longer supported. Do I really need to upgrade? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/2 "2023-02-28T19:24:34Z")
You don’t need to in the sense that your computer will not stop working. But even extended support for Windows 8 will end this year, which means there won’t be any updates or patches even if security vulnerabilities are detected. So from an IT security point of view, it’s very much a good idea to upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/3 "2023-02-28T20:09:01Z")
Does Windows 8 have the Edge browser? That will become necessary if it isn’t already. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/4 "2023-02-28T20:22:31Z")
According to this [Edge Browser Is Compatible With Windows 7 8 8 1 And 10 – KillBills Browser](https://www.killbillsbrowser.com/edge-browser-is-compatible-with-windows-7-8-8-1-and-10/#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20yes%21%20Edge%20browser%20is%20compatible,7%2C%20Windows%20Server%202008%20R2%2C%20and%20Windows%208.) it is compatible. ---
**Author:** ![SharltoCopley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sharltocopley/32/12309_2.png) [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/5 "2023-02-28T20:29:30Z")
I don’t know the answer to your question, but I have Windows 8.1 and I really don’t like it. I think this version of Windows was generally designated as Microsoft’s failed attempt at building a touchscreen-friendly operating system. Any way, the version I have is the one licensed for the laptop I bought and I can’t upgrade to Windows 10 without many compatibility issues arising due to the sheer age of my laptop. So if you can skip this version and get either 7 or 10, I’d advise you to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/6 "2023-02-28T20:31:37Z")
Are you kidding me?! You’ve been living with that lemon all these years?! It didn’t even have a desktop unless, of course, you actually have 8.1. Get Windows 10. You can still find it for free, I believe, because you have the previous Windows OS. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/7 "2023-02-28T20:43:46Z")
Are there programs that run on 8 that won’t run on 10? ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/8 "2023-02-28T21:21:29Z")
Really? I have computers that were shipped with Win XP that are running Win 10 just fine. Granted, they were made at that awkward stage where they were intended to be ready for Vista, but I’ve not had any problems at all updating them. ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/9 "2023-02-28T21:30:54Z")
You would be better off to “downgrade” to win 7. I have had that on my laptop for ages (although XP was their best OS)). FWIW, I never allow my computer to update, and took the anti virus off it years ago on the advice of my son in law, who runs the IT dept in a Hawaii school. I go to some very sketchy websites (XXX stuff really), haven’t had a problem at all. So I have no idea what all the noise is about security patches and being at risk, and for years and years a lot of people say that its an issue. Not w/ me, works fine all the time. I had 8 on a laptop and took it back, not a good OS. 7 will let you set things up the way YOU want them, not how Microsoft wants it. I also got rid of Chrome (slow and bloated) and went to Brave a long time ago. It stops trackers, has shields, and is setup virtually identical to Chrome but works much faster. Combined that w/ proton email that is double encrypted and their VPN (all free), it’s a sweet, secure machine. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/10 "2023-02-28T22:01:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there programs that run on 8 that won’t run on 10? Yes. I had a favorite little program written by some guy in Denmark that would ran in the background and let you enter non-keyboard characters by pressing and releasing ctrl, then a two-letter code, -e for ē for example or yy for ¥. 10 broke it and it was never updated. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/11 "2023-03-01T01:58:13Z")
Yes. I upgraded from 8.1 about a month ago because Turbotax won’t run on 8.1 anymore. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/12 "2023-03-01T04:21:45Z")
back up anything of importance to you into the cloud or an external disk drive. 1. Win8 is vulnerable to viruses 2. Your PC is so old it could die any minute (an may keep running for another decade or two) ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/13 "2023-03-01T11:27:10Z")
Yes, it does in fact have a desktop. There is actually a “show desktop” icon on the menu, and when clicked it takes you to the standard desktop. On the other hand, yes, the OP should update. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/14 "2023-03-01T12:02:08Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Windows 8 is no longer supported. Do I really need to upgrade? FYI - Support for Windows 10 ends some time in 2025 and, to run Windows 11, you have hardware requirements your old machine could never possibly meet. So, treat yourself and get a new machine now! It will either have Windows 11 already on it, or you can get a free upgrade via the Windows Updates function in your OS. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/15 "2023-03-01T12:15:47Z")
I agree with you on not using Chrome (I use Firefox myself), but your way of using a Windows 7 machine with no updates and no antivirus seems rather reckless to me, at least if you’re doing anything sensitive like using a credit card or logging into your bank account on that computer. You might be lucky and be fine over years, but it is a risk you’re taking. ---
**Author:** ![SharltoCopley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sharltocopley/32/12309_2.png) [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/16 "2023-03-01T17:52:11Z")
My device was made after the Vista period, but it might be the quality. The brand is HP. Not sure if this means anything in particular. I tried Windows 10 several times and each time I had weird errors that simply did not go away and weren’t even a thing that people were asking about. I’m talking about an erroneous desktop right-click context menu, no audio, Chrome doesn’t load no matter what, and so on. Every time I rolled back to Windows 8.1, everything worked. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/17 "2023-03-01T18:27:36Z")
> [@SharltoCopley](#): > > The brand is HP. Not sure if this means anything in particular. IME, it means that professional-grade ($$$) HP machines are pretty good, gaming-grade ($$) HP machines can be OK, but consumer-grade ($) HP machines are hit-or-miss quality wise. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/18 "2023-03-01T18:39:45Z")
> [@SharltoCopley](#): > > My device was made after the Vista period, but it might be the quality. The brand is HP. Not sure if this means anything in particular. I tried Windows 10 several times and each time I had weird errors that simply did not go away and weren’t even a thing that people were asking about. I’m talking about an erroneous desktop right-click context menu, no audio, Chrome doesn’t load no matter what, and so on. Every time I rolled back to Windows 8.1, everything worked. ⁢ That sounds like it may be more an issue with the upgrade—the part where it brings all your programs and setting over from Windows 8—and not Windows 10 itself. A fresh install would probably circumvent those errors, though it might bring its own difficulties in needing to get the drivers for everything. So I understand not wanting to try that yourself. Still, If you get someone who knows what they’re doing (and knows to make a backup of your Windows 8 installation just in case), you would likely be able to get Windows 10 running properly on your system. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/19 "2023-03-01T19:56:00Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > You might be lucky and be fine over years, but it is a risk you’re taking. Next you’ll be suggesting that my personal experience of never dying even once in my entire life so far is irrelevant when assessing the merits of life insurance. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504/20 "2023-03-01T20:50:44Z")
This is terrible advice. No one should still be on Windows 7 and on the Internet or sneaker-netting. Your experiences does not make for good practice. It is just a single data point. Though you are correct Windows 8 was a bad operating system. 8.1 was OK. If using windows, you should be on Win 10 or Win 11 and doing the updates. IT Professional, recently retired. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-to-upgrade-from-windows-8/980504.md?page=2)