Chrome will stop working properly on millions of Windows computers next week

[ad_1]

Google Chrome will no longer be supported for business clients (Credits: Getty Images)

Business owners and employees who are still using Google’s Chrome browser on an older version of Windows will need to upgrade pronto.

This is because Google is set to discontinue technical and security support for the browser running on Windows 7 next week.

Google initially had plans to stop support on July 15, 2021, but due to Covid-19, it pushed back the deadline first to January 15, 2022, and then to January 10, 2023.

Chrome 109 is the last version of Chrome that will support Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for release February 7, 2023) is the first version of Chrome to require Windows 10 or later, says Google’s Chrome Support Manager.

You’ll need to make sure your device is running Windows 10 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases.

Windows 7 may be old, but it is still used by millions of computers around the world. According to NetMarketShare.com statistics, 14 percent of global Windows devices were still running Windows 7 in December 2021.

Google added: “Older versions of Chrome will continue to work, but no further updates will be released to users on these operating systems. If you are currently using Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, we encourage you to move to a supported version of Windows to ensure you continue to receive the latest security updates.” and Chrome features.

Many small businesses may have avoided moving to Windows 10 while larger organizations may not be willing to pay for the upgrade.

Microsoft itself stopped supporting Windows 7 in January 2020.

Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 years ago (Credits: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“If your computer is running Windows 7, it will no longer receive security updates,” the company said at the time. Therefore, it is 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 safe.

If you continue to use Windows 7 after support ends, your computer will still work, but it will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.

“Your computer will continue to start up and run, but you will not receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.”

It now appears that Chrome will suffer the same fate.

In November of 2020, Max Kristoff, Engineering Director at Google Chrome, explained: “Moving to Windows 10 has been part of many organizations’ roadmaps for this year. But as new priorities emerge for IT teams, we’ve heard that 21% of organizations are still in the dark. The transition to Windows 10.

“While the past few months have been a catalyst for technology investments and digital transformation initiatives for many organizations, for others, some of their planned IT projects may have had to back off.”

Even more: Bitcoin uses eight times more energy than Google and Facebook combined

More: TikTok has replaced Google as the most popular site of the year

Get the latest news, happy stories, analysis and more

[ad_2]