Google will stop Chrome support on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 from February 7, 2023, onwards.
Both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 won’t support Chrome 110, which is set to go live on February 7th. On Windows 7 and 8.1, earlier releases of Chrome will still work, but users will be unable to install updated builds, which will incorporate new enhancements and security upgrades.
Users of these operating systems won’t receive any new updates, but earlier Chrome versions will continue to work. Google advised transitioning to Windows 10 or Windows 11 in order to continue receiving Chrome updates. However, this may be challenging for those whose systems don’t support more modern versions of Microsoft’s operating system, companies that are still using Windows 7 or 8.1, and individuals who can’t afford to purchase a new computer.
Google had to eventually stop providing support, though. The company noted that its plan coincides with Microsoft’s decision to cease extended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 from January 10th onwards. Microsoft officially stopped support for Windows 7 in 2011, although due to the product’s popularity, it provided additional years of extended support.
Google noted, “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.”
Data indicates that Windows 7 is still being used on a large number of devices, even though it was originally launched in 2009 and Microsoft formally ended support for it in 2020. As late as last year, it was estimated that at least 100 million PCs were still running Windows 7. That might pose a serious security concern because many users may soon have both an outdated operating system and a web browser.
According to a recent report, Google Chrome is the most vulnerable browser currently in use, with over 303 vulnerabilities and a combined total of 3,159 vulnerabilities as of 2022.
According to the report, the findings were based on information drawn from a database covering the period from January 1 to October 5. Of the five days in October, only Google Chrome had vulnerabilities, including CVE-2022-3318, CVE-2022-3314, CVE-2022-3311, CVE-2022-3309, and CVE-2022-3307. The CVE program monitored security vulnerabilities and weaknesses on various platforms. The report stated that the vulnerabilities could cause memory corruption in a system, however, the database does not provide information about them.
Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser created by Google. It was created using open-source technologies from Mozilla Firefox and Apple WebKit. It was first made available in 2008 for Microsoft Windows. With a market share of almost 65 percent, Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, followed by Safari (18%) and Microsoft Edge (4.32%).
I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.