Another Windows 7 cutoff approaches. After October 31, Microsoft will no longer provide its PC partners or systems builders with copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate to preinstall on new PCs. This means that computer manufacturers will be able to continue to sell their stock of PCs running these versions of Windows 7, but they won’t be allowed to replenish their supply. (Last year on October 31, Microsoft ceased selling shrink-wrapped copies of Windows 7 at retail.) However, the looming October 31 deadline does not apply to PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 Professional. Microsoft officials said again this week they still have not yet gone public with the end-of-sales cutoff date for PCs running Windows 7 Pro. That lack of a firm cutoff date is a good thing for business users still leery of Windows 8 and waiting to hear more about Windows Threshold/Windows 9 before committing to buying PCs with those versions of Windows preinstalled.