If you just need the software, you can still buy Windows 7 software in shrink-wrapped retail and OEM packages, sometimes at prices that are literally too good to be true.

In January 2020, the Windows 7 support lifecycle will officially end. In January 2015, Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7, and the five-year extended support phase began. With each passing day it is getting further and further from the midpoint of Microsoft's 10-year support lifecycle for Windows releases. It was publicly released more than six years ago, on October 22, 2009. In that spirit, I've completely reworked this post with information that reflects the current PC market. It's also possible to tweak and tune newer Windows versions so that they are functionally equivalent to Windows 7. But it is indeed still possible to find great deals on PCs running Windows 7, if you know where to look. Most of the deals listed in those original posts are no longer available.

Six years later, Windows 7 is in the rear-view mirror. I wrote it in late 2009, and posted a follow-up one year later If you had followed my advice, you could have saved hundreds of dollars on upgrades and special deals for students and IT pros. Updated November 25, 2015: One of the most popular posts I have ever published at ZDNet was this one, originally titled Seven perfectly legal ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free).

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