Employees and business owners who are still using Chrome on an older version of Windows will need to upgrade right away.
This is because the browser that runs on Windows 7 will no longer receive technical or security support from Google beginning next week.
Google originally intended to end support on July 15, 2021; however, because of Covid-19, the deadline was pushed back to January 10, 2023 and then to January 15, 2022.
‘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,’ explains Google’s Chrome Support Manager.
‘You’ll need to ensure your device is running Windows 10 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases.’
Despite its age, millions of PCs worldwide still run Windows 7. In December 2021, statistics from NetMarketShare.com indicated that 14% of worldwide Windows devices were still running Windows 7.
Google added: ‘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.’
It’s possible that a lot of small businesses didn’t make the switch to Windows 10, and larger businesses might not be willing to pay for an upgrade.
The company said at the time: ‘If your PC is running Windows 7, it will no longer receive security updates. Therefore, it’s important that you upgrade to a modern operating system such as Windows 10, which can provide the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer,’ the company said on its support website.
‘If you continue to use Windows 7 after support has ended, your PC will still work, but it will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.
‘Your PC will continue to start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.’
Chrome now appears to be headed in the same direction.
Max Christoff, the engineering director at Google Chrome, provided the following explanation in November 2020: For many businesses, upgrading to Windows 10 was a part of their year-long plan. However, as IT teams’ new priorities emerged, we were informed that 21% of businesses are still migrating to Windows 10.
‘While the past few months served as a catalyst for technology investments and digital transformation initiatives for many organizations, for others, some planned IT projects may have had to take a back seat.’