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Warning to loyal Windows 7 and Windows 8 users! In a week, on January 10, 2023 to be precise, Microsoft will end support for these two older operating systems.
After ending official support, users running Windows 7 and Windows 8 on their devices can still use the operating system. But Microsoft will not provide security updates and technical support.
Not only that, Microsoft will also stop releasing updates for the Edge browser on Windows 7 and Windows 8 starting January 12, 2023. Microsoft Edge 109 will be the last version to support the two operating systems.
Edge isn't the only major browser that will be dropping from Windows 7 and Windows 8. In October, Google announced that Chrome would end support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 on February 7, 2023, as quoted from The Verge, Wednesday (4/1/ 2023).
Both browsers will still work in Windows 7 and Windows 8, but won't be receiving important security updates or new features. Support for WebView 2, a tool that allows Edge to display webpages outside of the browser, also ended support on January 10, 2023.
Windows 7 and Windows 8 actually have several life extensions. Microsoft initially ended support for Windows 7 in January 2015, but then extended it to January 2020, only to be extended again due to the large number of users.
Meanwhile Windows 8 was discontinued in January 2018, and after that it also received an extension. Windows 7 and Windows 8 themselves are more than a decade old, so it's only natural that Microsoft will withdraw support and focus on Windows 11.
Despite their age, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are still fairly popular. The 2021 study found that there are still around 100 million devices running Windows 7. A Lansweeper survey conducted last October also found more devices running Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 than Windows 11.
If you are still running Windows 7 and Windows 8, it's a good idea to upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11 immediately. But if that's not possible, Microsoft recommends replacing your device with a newer one before January 10 to avoid security issues.