Microsoft will stop security updates and technical support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on January 10. The announcement happens with the release of Microsoft Edge 109, the last edition to support the outdated operating systems.
Although the browser will continue to function on these devices, no critical security updates or new features will be provided. Support for WebView2, a tool that allows developers to incorporate web-based content into their apps, will also be stopped on January 10.
However, Edge isn’t the only major search engine leaving Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Google announced in October that Chrome support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 would end on February 7.
Devices running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 will be increasingly vulnerable to bugs, malware, or other online security risks. Furthermore, these PCs will be unable to obtain the company’s most recent functions and features.
The deadline gives users with devices still running Windows 7, estimated to be around 100 million as recently as 2021, some time to upgrade their machines or face the security risks associated with using an outdated operating system and browser.
A Lansweeper survey of 27 million Windows systems conducted last October discovered that more PCs were running Windows XP, 7, or 8 than Windows 11.
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