Microsoft suspends Windows 7 Extended Security Updates on Tuesday

Windows 7 Professional Edition and Enterprise will not receive security updates that address critical vulnerabilities. This change takes effect Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

In October 2009, Microsoft released the legacy operating system. The January 2015, and the January 2020.

Customers who needed legacy Microsoft products to continue using after Windows 7’s end of support, had the option to use Extended Security Update (ESU).

EOS will include all editions Windows 8.1 launched in November 2013 nine years ago.

Microsoft clarifies that most Windows 7 computers will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. Instead, they can purchase and install a full-featured version of Windows 10 on compatible Windows 7 machines.

Consider this: Windows 10’s end-of-support date is October 14, 2025, before you consider upgrading to Windows 10.

Microsoft suggests that customers who have devices that do not meet technical requirements of a newer Windows version replace them with those that can support Windows 11. This will allow you to benefit from the most recent hardware capabilities.

According to , Windows 7 is currently running on more than 11% of all Windows system worldwide. Windows 8.1, however, is being used by 2.59% percent of Microsoft customers.

Support for Windows 7 is also being dropped by web browsers

Redmond will release Microsoft Edge 109 next week. This web browser is the last to support Windows 7/8.1.

Microsoft Edge 5.0 will be discontinued for Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Google made a similar announcement in October, when it announced that Google Chrome 110 would beginning February 2023.

Microsoft Edge 109 will still work with legacy operating systems. However, they won’t receive security updates or bug fixes. This exposes their users to security threats.

Google Chrome has now a . Safari is next with around 18%, and Microsoft Edge with just over 4 percent.

Others have dropped support for Windows 7 before the date that security updates will cease.

NVIDIA has stopped providing Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 drivers, .