Many of our parents’ computers are essentially held up with duct tape. How these ancient behemoths manage to power on each day is an eternal mystery. But if your parents are running an old version of Windows, specifically Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, be warned: Google Chrome is about to get rocky.
Google will end support for Chrome on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 on Jan. 10. While this news might seem like short notice, it really isn’t. Chrome 109 will be the final version released for these systems. Google planned to end support for these outdated versions of Windows originally on July 15, 2021, but delayed things to Jan. 15, 2022 once COVID hit. Obviously, last January came and went, and Google pushed old Chrome’s execution to this Tuesday.
Let’s be clear: No one should be running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 on their PCs, especially our parents. These versions of Windows are no longer supported by Microsoft, which means they are totally vulnerable to any and all security vulnerabilities hackers and other bad actors may discover. Microsoft will not patch these security flaws, which leaves anyone running the OS wide open.
That’s why apps like Google Chrome are jumping ship. (Many of them already have.) At this point, the software is simply too old for developers to justify the resources to maintain support. Big names like Google have the reach to keep their popular apps running longer, which is why Windows 7 can still run Chrome as of this article.
Now, the browser will still work, but it won’t be safe to use. Just as Microsoft isn’t issuing security updates for Windows 7, Google won’t be issuing security updates for these versions of Chrome. Anyone running this combination of software is putting their security at risk and should upgrade to software that is currently supported.
Even if people try to hold onto these platforms beyond this point, things will likely breakdown soon enough. As Chrome stays on version 109, sites and services will stop working with the browser. Eventually, the lack of functionality will force people to move on, so it’s even more worthwhile to do so now.
[Metro]