Fusion 360 Announcing End of Support for Windows 7

[James.Youmatz]

It's been swell, Windows 7, but it's time to go our separate ways.

Microsoft has announced the end of support for Windows 7 to take place on January 14th, 2020. From this date forward, Microsoft will cease technical assistance and development for Windows 7.

What does end of support mean for Windows 7 and Fusion 360?

Fusion 360 will continue to work on Windows 7 after the 14th, however, Autodesk will no longer consider Windows 7 for validation, bug fixing, and product support of future releases. At this time, future releases of Fusion 360 will not be blocked from installing on Windows 7, but compatibility and support will not be guaranteed for this platform moving forward.

Why is Autodesk ending support for Windows 7?

End of support applies not just to end users, but application development, too. It is difficult to ensure quality and functionality on a platform that is no longer receiving the latest security and feature updates utilized by newer versions of Windows.

Despite worldwide popularity, Windows 7 represents a single-digit percent of Fusion 360 installations - the vast majority are on Windows 10. Autodesk is committed to providing the best possible experience with the latest operating systems supported by Microsoft and Apple.

Can I upgrade my existing device to Windows 10?

This will depend on the specific device hardware and software installed. Please see the Windows 10 Upgrade FAQ for more information.

My current device cannot run a newer version of Windows - what requirements should I look for in a new device?

While complex assemblies and high resolutions will benefit from a dedicated graphics card, extra RAM, and a multi-core processor, it's worth noting that modern ultraportable laptops and integrated graphics are generally capable of basic modelling and even rendering operations in Fusion 360.

Chances are, if a device can run your favorite game, it can probably run Fusion 360. If it struggles to browse the internet, it's probably not going to cut it for CAD, either, be it Fusion 360 or any process of similar resource demand.

Will integrated graphics be sufficient? Do I need workstation-grade components?

Workstation-grade chipsets like Nvidia Quadro, AMD Radeon/Ryzen Pro, Intel Xeon series are often certified that they work flawlessly with industry standard modelling and rendering software, such as Inventor, Maya, and Revit, and the higher price point reflects the level of validation and support required for mission-critical business operations. This is not to say that gaming-grade or uncertified hardware won't work for CAD, merely that it hasn't been tested or targeted for optimization with CAD operations. 

For many users, Fusion 360 is their first CAD software experience. They've got MacBooks, ultrabooks, home-built gaming machines, and everything in between. Consumer hardware configurations vary significantly more than those in professional settings, so it can be difficult to guarantee every single configuration will work in the way "workstation parts" will. That said, many users run Fusion 360 on Intel UHD, Nvidia GeForce, and AMD Radeon hardware on the latest drivers without issue.

You can learn more about Fusion 360 system requirements here.

What versions of Windows are supported?

Microsoft is committed to supporting Windows 8.1 until January 10, 2023.

As of writing, Microsoft currently supports Windows 10 builds 1709 through 1909; Windows Insider Preview builds are not supported.

Windows 10 introduces the Semi-Annual Release update cycle, replacing the "Service Pack" model used in previous versions of Windows. A Semi-Annual release is generally supported for 1-2 years, after which users must update to a newer release to maintain support. To learn more, please see the Windows Lifestyle Fact Sheet.

I use macOS - does this news affect me?

No, but it's worth noting that Apple traditionally supports their 3 most-recent major releases; the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina effectively signals the end of support for 10.12 Sierra. Users on 10.12 will see an informational banner reminding them to upgrade to the latest version through the App Store, as compatibility and support will not be guaranteed for 10.12 Sierra. To learn more about updating your Mac, please see the macOS User Guide.

[lee9966]

The link "You can learn more about Fusion 360 system requirements here." gives a 404 error

[James.Youmatz]

Hi @lee9966 ,

Thanks for letting me know. I think I was using a long URL (which worked on my end), but I just changed it to this short URL which may resolve better. Can you let me know: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Fusion-360

[lee9966]

 That URL works fine. Thank you. I suppose now I’m obligated to buy a new computer 🙂 

[MoshiurRashid]

As fusion 360 is ending suppor for win 8, will the new users face any new problem for that?

[Anonymous]

Hello, My computer is too old for an upgrade with WIndows10. By the way , at the moment, i stay with my OS (W7).

Is it possible to stay in this version 2.0.7463 from 03/13/2020 ?

i mean keep things like they are without no more Fusion's up to date ?

Shall i be always in offline status in order to ovoid the upgrades ?

Does Fusion still work if i stay Offline all the time ?

thanks for yours answers.

regards

[geraldft]

Good question.  It would be good to be able to freeze a version and prevent updates.  Unfortunately this strategy can be easily undone in an instant unless a machine is rigorously disconnected from the internet.  Better solution would for a fixed "legacy" version to be separately available that will work on Win7 through Win10.   If such a thing was available at reasonable cost I would even pay for it.  Fusion has so many bells and whistles already I can do without even more of them.  Just a straight forward, stable and reliable version is all I need...

[aldimeart]

I fully support the idea of a version without the need for constant updates, maybe these numbers are important to someone (7,8,10, 2.0.7463, etc.), but my work is more important and interesting to me than the pursuit of new version numbers ...

[geraldft]

Meantime - looks like carry on and don't change your OS unless it stops working.  Mine hasn't yet.  Interesting they cite "security updates" among reasons to "upgrade".   I just have to put with repeated warnings about Win7 every time I start it up - that is really annoying...

[aldimeart]

I know quite a few people who still use windows xp very well for a number of reasons, I’m not so "artodox", but I think the transition to a new OS is premature at the height of a serious workflow, at the expense of security and other things ... all the more if we take into account that security in general, it is not critical from the version of the OS and software .. In general, I seriously decided to take a number of measures to archive data, OS and software, while this is still possible !

[mmcdade]

FWIW, I upgraded to Win 10 but I have a DX-32 control on my VMC which won't network under Win 10 but works fine on Win 7 (that's a Microsoft issue, bummer).  I down leveled to Win 7 and now I can load G-code again.  Is there at least a way to turn off the annoying Win 7 unsupported banner?  I'm going to be on Win 7 for as long as I can so I can still run parts...

[Anonymous]

Will I be able to download and install Fusion 360 on windows 7 from now on?? 

If yes, then from which website do I need to download

[g-andresen]

Hi,

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Will I be able to download and install Fusion 360 on windows 7 from now on?? 

YES if it´s a 64 BIT Version. > There no difference between the  WIN 64 versions

günther

[Anonymous]

No i cant install it because im getting some weird script error when trying to run the installer, btw windows 7 is on a esu program so you just ending support for the os that is basically still receiving security updates until 2023. how rude.

[geraldft]

"YES if it´s a 64 BIT Version. > There no difference between the WIN 64 versions"

I assume that only applies to the installation?  I have been running on 64bit Win7 for years now - aside from the annoying warning at startup, they broke the input of sketch constraint values when creating simple shapes like rectangles etc.  There may be other things I haven't noticed, but that one is actually quite important, even though it's possible to work around.