Microsoft ends Windows 7 extended security updates on Tuesday

Windows 7

Home windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions will no longer obtain prolonged security updates for important and essential vulnerabilities setting up Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

Microsoft introduced the legacy functioning system in Oct 2009. It then arrived at its end of guidance in January 2015 and its extended conclusion of support in January 2020.

The Extended Stability Update (ESU) application was the final resort selection for prospects who nonetheless necessary to operate legacy Microsoft products and solutions previous their stop of assist on Home windows 7 systems.

All editions of Home windows 8.1, released nine decades ago in November 2013, will also arrive at EOS on the similar day.

“Most Windows 7 equipment will not satisfy the hardware prerequisites for upgrading to Home windows 11, as an alternative, suitable Home windows 7 PCs can be upgraded to Home windows 10 by getting and setting up a comprehensive version of the application,” Microsoft points out.

“Before investing in a Home windows 10 enhance, you should look at that Home windows 10 will access its finish of assistance day on October 14, 2025.”

Microsoft endorses customers with units that really don’t satisfy the technical necessities for a extra recent Windows release to substitute them with ones that assistance Windows 11 to consider benefit of the most current hardware abilities.

Presently, Windows 7 runs on more than 11{2c093b5d81185d1561e39fad83afc6c9d2e12fb4cca7fd1d7fb448d4d1554397} of all Home windows devices around the world, whilst Home windows 8.1 is utilised by 2.59{2c093b5d81185d1561e39fad83afc6c9d2e12fb4cca7fd1d7fb448d4d1554397} of Microsoft prospects, according to Statcounter GlobalStats.

Microsoft Windows market share
Microsoft Windows current market share (Statcounter GlobalStats)

Internet browsers also dropping support for Home windows 7

Upcoming 7 days, Redmond will also release Microsoft Edge 109, the website browser’s previous version to appear with help for Home windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1.

This edition of Microsoft Edge will also be the previous to guidance Home windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.

A identical announcement was produced by Google in Oct when the corporation said that version 110 of its Google Chrome world wide web browser would also likely fall assist for Home windows 7 and 8.1 starting in February 2023.

Microsoft Edge 109 and Google Chrome 110 will go on to work on legacy functioning techniques, but they will no for a longer time acquire protection updates and bug fixes, exposing their users to protection challenges.

Google Chrome now has a market place share of above 64{2c093b5d81185d1561e39fad83afc6c9d2e12fb4cca7fd1d7fb448d4d1554397}, followed by Safari with roughly 18{2c093b5d81185d1561e39fad83afc6c9d2e12fb4cca7fd1d7fb448d4d1554397} and Microsoft Edge (which employs Chrome’s Blink rendering motor with enhancements from Microsoft) with just over 4{2c093b5d81185d1561e39fad83afc6c9d2e12fb4cca7fd1d7fb448d4d1554397}.

Other distributors have already dropped support for Home windows 7 in advance of the date when the OS will end receiving protection updates.

For occasion, NVIDIA is no for a longer time furnishing Windows 7 and Home windows 8.1 motorists considering that past yr, starting in Oct 2021.