Windows 7 will reach the end of support in January 2020, and with left than 12 months of updates left, Microsoft is already making plans for a world without this OS version.

And while the transition will undoubtedly be a difficult moment for both Microsoft and its customers, the software giant has every reason to be optimistic, as it expects the death of Windows 7 to generate a significant boost in the number of upgrades to Windows 10.

Speaking with TechRadar, Mark Linton, GM of OEM Portfolio and Product Management for Microsoft, said the company anticipates that the end of support for Windows 7 would help not only boost the adoption of Windows 10, but also increase PC shipments.

The second Windows XP

Gartner earlier this week revealed that in the fourth quarter of 2018, PC shipments declined once again, blaming the CPU shortage as one of the reasons.

“There are a few factors here. Innovation in silicon, innovation in graphics [and] Windows 10 momentum in terms of the install base. Windows 7 is going end of support in a year, and so customers are looking to move to make sure they get updated and so on,” Linton said.

“Each silicon generation, things get thinner and better battery life. Again, I often compare it to that Windows 7 machine [that] is six or seven years old, compared to what you’re getting now, it blows your mind. Windows 7 support is a big one that we see customers thinking about, you know, ‘I want to upgrade to Windows 10, so I can get updates.’ And, just overall, excitement is back in the PC,” he continued.

There’s no doubt that the demise of Windows 7 will translate to more upgrades to Windows 10, but as I explained recently, the 2009 operating system is very likely to become the second Windows XP.

With more than 35% market share right now, Windows 7 is losing ground at a rather slow pace, so there’s a chance that by the time the January 2020 milestone is reached, only a few users would upgrade to Windows 10.

Time will tell how Microsoft handles the retirement of Windows 7, but for now, the company seems very optimistic about it. No matter what happens, Windows 10 will be the first one to benefit from this milestone.