Windows 8 and 8.1 died earlier this year, but that hasn’t stopped people from continuing to use those operating systems. But if the lack of support and security updates haven’t compelled you to upgrade, Google’s now increasing the pressure to get on to a modern OS: Come this summer, it’s discontinuing support for its Windows 8 and 8.1 Google Drive apps.
As reported by Android Police, a Google Drive support page warns users to upgrade to Windows 10 for uninterrupted service—and specifically the 64-bit version, as the company is also dropping support for 32-bit Windows 10 systems. While web access to Drive will still be available, sync will stop working in August.
Dropping support for dead versions of Windows isn’t new for Google, which started this push with Chrome back in February. Other companies are making similar moves, with Mozilla also ending Firefox support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.
Upgrading to Windows 10 should be straightforward—and if you already have a licensed copy, won’t cost you anything. (If for some reason you don’t, try one of our tips for getting a cheap license key.) Just be sure to back up your PC before beginning the conversion. Even if you can do an in-place upgrade via the upgrade assistant, which installs the new version of Windows without wiping your apps and files, it’s a safeguard against something going awry. Meanwhile, if you’re moving from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows, having backups is absolutely necessary. You unfortunately can’t make the jump without a complete wipe and fresh operating system install.
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld
A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.