14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 was officially discontinued in January 2020, so it’s about time for the software world to leave it behind.
While Windows 7 was the world’s number one operating system for so many years, the focus is now entirely on Windows 10 and Windows 11. And given Windows 7 is now considered an outdated operating system, running it isn’t by any means recommended, not only from a security perspective but also when it comes to stability and reliability.
The lack of support means Windows 7 is no longer getting any new updates, so any bugs that are discovered in the operating system would remain unfixed.
While the whole thing isn’t necessarily the end of the world in case of a non-security bug, the risks are significantly higher when a security vulnerability is discovered.
Since the end of support was announced in January 2020, Windows 7 has been gradually left behind by software developers across the world.
And the latest to do so is none other than Google.
At this point, Google Chrome continues to support Windows 7, so while Microsoft no longer updates its browsers on this operating system, users are still provided with several important alternatives. Including Firefox and Google Chrome, that is.
While Mozilla is yet to pick a date for the end of support on Windows 7, it’s very clear the whole thing is going to happen next year.
As far as Google Chrome is concerned, the Mountain View-based search giant says the latest update for Windows 7 will go live in February. Google Chrome 109 will be the last version to run on Windows 7, so once Chrome 110 goes live on February 7 next year, Microsoft’s 2009 operating system will officially be considered unsupported.
The timing isn’t necessarily a surprise. Microsoft is also ending the ESU program for Windows 7 in January, so the company would no longer provide security updates at all. Not even to paying customers, that is, so Google dropping support for Windows 7 pretty much makes sense.
“Chrome 109 is the last version of Chrome that will support Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for release on February 7th, 2023) is the first version of Chrome that requires Windows 10 or later. You’ll need to ensure your device is running Windows 10 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases. This matches Microsoft's end of support for Windows 7 ESU and Windows 8.1 extended support on January 10th, 2023,” Google says.
Needless to say, if you’ll try to install Google Chrome on a Windows 7 device after this date, the installation should fail, so the browser wouldn’t work.
On the other hand, if Chrome is installed on a Windows 7 device, it will continue to work normally, but obviously without getting any other updates.
Google says the best way to go right now is to upgrade to a newer Windows that is still supported, in which case you will also be able to run the latest version of its browser.
“Older versions of Chrome will continue to work, but there will be no further updates released for users on these operating systems. If you are currently on Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, we encourage you to move to a supported Windows version to ensure you continue to receive the latest security updates and Chrome features,” the company says.
Once Google Chrome drops support for Windows 7, the only big browser that will continue to support the operating system will be Firefox. Mozilla is currently considering a couple of end of support dates, but 2023 is definitely the last year when Firefox will be updated on Windows 7.