Last Updated on October 12, 2021 by Mathew Diekhake

The last software update rolling out for Windows 7 is removing the wallpaper and replacing it with a black screen. While it sounds alarming, the new black screen is thought of as a bug rather than Microsoft turning out the lights on a version of its operating system that it has been trying to get users to upgrade to more recent Windows offerings for several years now.

Windows 10 is the operating system Microsoft wants people using today. So you would be forgiven if you thought Microsoft had purposefully made life difficult for those running older versions of the operating system after the latest Windows 7 update to roll out, which is also considered to be the last update the outdated operating system will receive.

But according to reports on Microsoft forums, the final update which started rolling out on January 14, labeled Windows 7 KB4534310, contains a bug that is making the operating system think the Microsoft activation server is not activating the software. The activation server is a feature Microsoft has always had to protect its software from piracy.

Since only some users were reporting the problem and not all, it does seem to point toward Microsoft’s activation server and not a deliberate ploy to make Windows 7 seem more unappealing.

Windows 7 has been an outdated operating system, in every sense of the word, for years now. You can still find free ways to upgrade according to Microsoft employees if money is the reason for not upgrading to Windows 10.

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