Buzz
Microsoft introduced Windows 7 in October 2009 and ended support in January 2015, with the 'extended support' phase concluding in January 2020. In the latest update reported by Mytour, the software giant will officially end extended security update support for Windows 7 next Tuesday.
End of security updates for Windows 7
Specifically, Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions will no longer receive extended security updates for critical bugs and vulnerabilities after Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
The Extended Security Update (ESU) program is the last resort option for customers still needing to run Microsoft's older operating systems such as Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1.
To explain this, Microsoft argues that most Windows 7 devices won't meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. Therefore, Windows 7 compatible PCs can be upgraded to Windows 10 by purchasing and installing the full version of the software or by referring to the guide here.
- Learn more: How to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10
Additionally, the company also advises customers to replace devices that do not meet the technical requirements for newer Windows releases with devices supporting Windows 11 to leverage new features and ensure security capabilities.
According to Statcounter GlobalStats, Windows 7 currently holds over 11% of the total Windows systems worldwide, while Windows 8.1 is only used by 2.59% of Microsoft's customers.
Similarly, web browsers will gradually cease support for Windows 7.
Microsoft Edge 109 will be released next week and is the final version of the web browser supporting Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. This is also the last version of Microsoft Edge supporting Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
A similar announcement was made by Google in October when the company stated that version 110 of the Google Chrome web browser might also cease support for Windows 7 and 8.1 starting from February 2023.
Users can still use Microsoft Edge 109 and Google Chrome 110 on Windows 7, but these versions will no longer receive security updates and bug fixes, exposing them to security risks.
Other providers such as Nvidia and Safari have ceased support for Windows 7 before the official end of support for this operating system.
