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Well, we knew it would happen but now, we know when. Google has officially announced the end of support for the Chrome browser on devices running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. This comes as very little surprise as Microsoft proper will be discontinuing in-house support for these Windows builds as of January 10th, 2023. The announcement arrived via a post on the official Chrome Community support page and details the timeline for the sunsetting of Chrome updates for these versions of Windows.
With the release of Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for February 7th, 2023), we’ll officially end support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. 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.
Chrome Support Community
What it means for you
If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you are likely already aware that your security updates will soon come to an end. For many consumers, this may not seem like a big deal but it does come with some warnings that you should be made aware of. Shortly after Microsoft ceases to roll out security updates for Windows 7/8.1, Chrome will also put an end to updates for the desktop browser. Your operating system as well as the Chrome browser will continue to work after the end of the updates but you will be leaving your system in a vulnerable position as new software exploits are discovered on a daily basis. I’m not fear-mongering. I’m just stating facts.
So, what now? Honestly, I’d recommend buying a Chromebook but this is a ChromeOS-centric website. Seriously though, if you aren’t able to upgrade your device to a newer version of Windows, it may be time to consider buying a new machine. On the other hand, you could get the best of both worlds by giving ChromeOS Flex a try. The free-to-use ChromeOS software works very well on a wide variety of old Windows and macOS devices and who knows, you may end up breathing new life into an otherwise out-of-date computer. You can learn more about ChromeOS Flex here. You can find the full post on the Chrome Community Page here.
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