Next decision point for Windows 7?

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Google has pledged to support the Chrome browser on Windows 7 until “at least” July 15, 2021, a year and a half after Microsoft stopped issuing Windows Updates to all users of that operating system. With any luck, this date will be extended, but needless to say, Win7 support is bound to end sooner or later.

Presumably, Google’s ultimate decision will also affect other Chrome-based browsers such as Brave, which seem to follow Chrome updating practices. At that point, users of both Windows 7 and Chrome-based browsers will have to make a new decision, this time as to whether to continue using their favorite OS or to limit their Web surfing to browsers outside the Chrome family.

Does anybody know how long other (and especially non-Chrome) browser developers intend to keep supporting Windows 7? I didn’t find anything specific with respect to Firefox, for example.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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Microfix, wdburt1, Myst, OscarCP

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[Geo]

I use Firefox. My 0patch Pro is constantly doing micro patch’s  for Firefox.   Some one using one of the one’s your mentioning  and using 0patch Pro might be able to answer you.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Geo.

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Cybertooth

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As Microsoft has announced they’ll be providing ESU patches for Win7 (to customers willing to pay for them) for an additional three years after official Win7 EOL in January 2020, seems a pretty safe bet they’ll continue supporting their Chromium-based Edge browser on Win7 through January 2023.

For more info on Chromium-based Edge: [On AskWoody]

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/is-chromium-edge-really-gaining-users/

To download & install Edge:

https://www.microsoft.com/edge

Hope this helps.

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Cybertooth

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That’s an interesting question. The new Edge is of course based on Chromium, which Google won’t support on Windows 7 past July next year. (Or, more precisely, a Web search didn’t find any end-of-support dates for Chromium on Win7 that were independent of Chrome.)

Apparently, Microsoft at one point committed to supporting Edge on Windows 7 for at least the same period of time, although subsequently they got more vague about that. After July 2021, might they go ahead and port new versions and fixes from Chrome over to Edge for Windows 7 ESU customers? I guess only time will tell.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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This is a valid concern. This is how Vista and XP were killed off, by stopping browser support. Looks like our beloved Windows 7 is also headed for oblivion in 13 short months.

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Cybertooth

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Looks like Canadian Tech will be busy in the 2nd quarter of 2021..
There are bound to be 3rd party browsers who will keep supporting Win7 beyond this scheduled cut-off for Chrome.(probably a pre-aranged agreement between Google and MSFT).
Thereagain, the ball is in MSFT’s court and can determine what browsers are permitted relative to patches and ESU, and if they deem the browser secure enough, this article on Ghacks shows the same cut-off date for Chredge on Win7..
so, what happens after that for ESU subscribers?
Exclusive Chredge ESU for Win7?
Where do 0Patch fall into this?
3rd Party Antivirus browser bundle for Win7?
Speculative, time will tell.. I’m sure there will be workarounds available should anything like this happen

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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abbodi86, Cybertooth

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I do not currently use Firefox or Chrome on my XP Pro, and will not be using either on my Win 7 PC, when it arrives from eBay in a couple weeks. As for browser derivatives, Mypal and Centaury continues to work on XP Pro, but neither are compatible with Win 7. Firefox-based browsers for Win 7 are Waterfox, Cyberfox, and Basilisk (probably others I don’t know of), but I have not seen any communiques from those developers as to whether the Win 7 EOL/EOS blather will mean anything to them. For Firefox:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1122661

The CA certificates store embedded in XP Pro has rendered all Chrome/Chromium based browsers pretty much useless, with its 101 certificate errors blockade of about half the internet URLs, but so far as I can tell, this is not a problem with Win 7. I’m not seeing any missives from SRWareIron, Slimjet, or Citrio on dropping Win 7 support, so I assume it’s too soon to tell.

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WSVorn: For what is worth, I have Waterfox in my Windows 7 Pro, x64, SP1 PC and it works fine there. In fact, I updated it yesterday to a new version. I did it to see what MS has to say about the Office 2010 patches, still being delivered until EOL in October. Otherwise, I am not keen on using any browser on this machine anymore (instead, now I use my Mac for all Web activities), because I patched Win 7 there for the last time in January and that was it, having decided that life is too short (and not getting any longer) to continue to deal with this monthly recurring hassle.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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