Google Chrome will soon stop working on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. An additional sign of the end of life of these two versions of the Microsoft OS.
Our software, whatever it is, has a more or less long life cycle. Their end of life is shown in different ways depending on the parties involved, but quite often death is synonymous with the end of support for a particular platform. This will soon happen with the popular Google Chrome browser on some versions of Windows.
Google Chrome will soon stop working on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
Mountain View has indeed announced that it will end support for Chrome on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 starting next year. Chrome 110, due out on February 7th, will not run on these two versions of Microsoft’s operating system. You will still be able to use older versions of Chrome on Windows 7 and 8.1, but you won’t be able to install new ones, and this includes both new features and security updates.
An additional sign of the end of life of these two versions of the Microsoft OS.
On the help page where the news was announced, the American giant suggests upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 in order to keep getting Chrome updates. It can be difficult for those whose systems don’t support newer versions of the Microsoft OS, businesses that are stuck with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, or users who can’t afford an upgrade to suggest a new machine. In any case, Google must at some point lower the compatibility of its browser. The company indicates that this schedule coincides with the end of Microsoft Extended Support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on January 10th.
And it turns out that Google will support Chrome on Windows 7 for longer than expected. Mountain View previously announced that it would stop all Chrome updates for this version in 2021, then 2022 before making a final decision on early 2023.