Windows 7 End of Life - Last Call

[Canale, Andrew]

(If you only use Mac OS, Linux, or Windows 10 computers, you can safely disregard this message.)

Hello all,

We continue our effort to mitigate remaining Windows 7 usage in the department, prior to Microsoft's end of support for Windows 7 on January 14th.
Our remaining university-owned Windows 7 computers tend to be in research laboratories. Some of these have been addressed, but many remain.
A general rule of thumb: if you have a Windows 7 computer and can reach google.com or other non-OSU sites, it is within the scope of this project.

Some of you may have received communications from me or my students- starting this Thursday the 9th, any Windows 7 computers remaining on the main network, may be subject to disconnection.
This disconnection (at the network closet) would be performed in order to protect these computers from the increased threat of viruses/malware/exploits after January 14th.

If you contact us and make plans for alternative action, we may be able to delay disconnecting the computer until alternative actions are taken.
I am sending out batch emails to alert of this upcoming action, but our records re: "who's responsible for this computer" can drift out of date, so I'm sending this notice to everyone.

As a reminder, there are several possible courses of action:

1.       Air-Gap (fully disconnect from the computer network). This is effectively what we would perform by the disconnection as noted above.

2.       Upgrade the computer to Windows 10. (either an in-place upgrade, or a wipe-and-install "re-image")

3.       Retire the computer (surplus)

4.       Restricted/Isolated Network. Some groups have (or can have) a local, restricted network for their lab. In this case, one or many computers can have access to a protected network, which only allows data transfer to shared drives or other specific resources. Incoming connections from outside the restricted network will be blocked.

Bottom line, contact us (asctech at osu.edu<mailto:asctech at osu.edu>) if you know of any Windows 7 computers that need to be addressed.

Thank you,

Andrew Canale.6

Walk-ins: PRB 1199
Phone: 614-292-4269
Direct phone (emergency only, please): 614-292-4767
Email: asctech at osu.edu<mailto:asctech at osu.edu> (to create a support request). Replies to this email will be directed to asctech at osu.edu<mailto:asctech at osu.edu>


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