Microsoft has announced that it will no longer provide free mainstream support for the ageing yet still prominent Windows 7.

Released in 2009, Windows 7 sold over 100 million copies in just six months and remains highly accepted among end-users.

Estimated to be dominating half of the world's PCs, Windows 7 is more stable than predecessor Windows Vista and more familiar than its successor, Windows 8.

The move by Microsoft to halt its mainstream support for free shows that the tech giant is keen to transfer its users to Windows 8.

The end of the free help and support does not mean that all Windows 7 user will face sudden lag or automatic shutdown, just that consumers will have to pay for the mainstream tech-support from Jan 13 onwards.

Despite that, users have been informed to not hit the panic button as the company has pledged to continue to offer extended support for Windows 7 for another five years, until Jan 14, 2020.

Some netizens have taken the issue to the social media to voice out their grouses while others chose to remain calm.

Below are some of the reactions found on social media: