Windows 7 computers that do not use compatible antivirus λογισμικό δεν λαμβάνουν πλέον ενημερωμένες εκδόσεις security by Microsoft due to a compatibility issue believed to cause blue screens.
This policy was first introduced in Windows 10 with cumulatives updates of January 2018. Microsoft required Windows 10 systems with incompatible antivirus software to set a special registry key to continue receiving security updates, as the company was blocking the updates it was rolling out.
According to Myce, systems running Windows 7 without antivirus or with security products that are not considered compatible will also be excluded from receiving security updates.
Unlike Windows 10, Windows 7 does not come with a built-in security program, so Microsoft offers free Microsoft Security Essentials to those who have not yet upgraded to the latest version of the operating system.
To set the registry key that Microsoft checks when it sends new updates, you must go to the following path and then create a new DWORD (32 bit) entry and name it cadca5fe-87d3-4b96-b7fb-a231484277cc with a value of 0 :
Computer \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ QualityCompat
As for the list of security products that may not be supported (not considered compatible) and thus prevent Windows 7 systems from receiving updates, Microsoft itself does not provide any guidance on this issue.
However, the major antivirus product companies have already updated their software to comply with the new Windows 10 policy, and chances are the same applies to Windows 7, so the majority of antivirus products should be technically compatible with operating system of 2009.
Windows 7 will continue to receive updates until January 2020 and it is critical for systems that are still running this version of the operating system to be updated with the latest patches.
