The End of Chrome Support on Windows 7

Normally we are more concerned about Microsoft-indicated end-of-life support for Windows or Office software. But now we find that Google has indicated the end of Chrome support on Windows 7 in February of 2023. It is actually in line with the extended support ending for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8/1 in January of 2023. With Windows 7 ending ‘officially’ in 2020 already. So now that Google Chrome will not be supported on these Windows versions anymore, what to do?

One option would be to simply keep running the latest installed version of Chrome on your old Windows system. The problem with that is that the security risk will increase over time as no new updates will be available.

Switching to Microsoft Edge? Using the same chromium-based engine, so that would be an alternative option. But, you guessed it, Microsoft only supports Edge on Windows 7 will January 2023 as well. This also means the IE mode in Edge will stop working.

Firefox then? At the moment this remains an option. As long as Mozilla keeps updating Firefox on older Windows versions, as they seem to indicate, you can run it on Windows 7 beyond the start of 2023.

Upgrade Windows

The recommended solution by almost everyone is to upgrade your Windows version to Windows 10 or Windows 11. And of course, that is what most people did. Only around 10% of PCs are still using Windows 7. So a lot of users already upgraded. But what if you have an older system that is not compatible with Windows 10 or higher? Upgrading the hardware may work. Adding TPM 2.0 support, replacing an HDD with an SSD, or simply plugging more RAM may enable the upgrade. But even then performance may not be what you would want.

A second drawback is that older devices may no longer be supported. What about your old printer? Time for a new one, or struggle to get it to work under Windows 10?

Switch to Linux

Linux is known for its lower system requirements compared to Windows. So, even older hardware can run a Linux version without problems. And yes, Chrome will be available on the Linux operating system. But how familiar do you need to be with Linux? There are many variants and even though the GUIs are very user-friendly, it does have a learning curve, and not all your Windows apps may be available. Maybe this is an option for some Windows 7 users, but not for all I am sure.

Replace the Hardware

If you cannot run a newer version of Windows on your hardware and don’t want to run Linux, one of the last options to ensure updates and support is to replace the PC hardware. A new PC that supports Windows 10 and Windows 11 will ensure that not only Chrome, but many other applications will remain up to date on your PC. Even though it may be tempting to stick with older hardware and older software, the security risks today may be too big.