Microsoft support for Win 7 PRO
Hello! This is not really a question ... more a comment. This morning when I opened my WIN 7 HOME tower PC, and opened FIREFOX, I saw the notice that this latest release is the latest for WIN 7. That's fine, but I wish to tell you something about WIN 7 PRO & MICROSOFT. Evidently, there is some major user of WIN 7 PRO who has demanded that MICROSOFT continue to support this version. I have two H-P laptops, which I use for Ladder programming. Both are loaded with WIN 7 PRO, and both receive periodic updates from MICROSOFT. So, it would seem that ALL support for these older releases of Windows has not ended. I am in the process of moving all my files & applications from this WIN 7 HOME PC to my WIN 10 tower PC. THANK YOU. robert herold [removed emails from public]
P.S. Had no problem porting the FIREFOX data to the 10, but had a lot of problems doing the same for THUNDERBIRD on this PC to the 10, despite getting assistance from your tech people.
Modified by James
All Replies (1)
Security updates for Windows 7 ended back on January 14, 2020 apart for some critical free security updates. The SMB and enterprise customers paid-for Windows 7 ESU ended back on January 10, 2023.
https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/products/windows-7
It was not a matter of if but a matter of when support for the EOL Windows 7, 8, 8,1 was going to end with web browsers support.
Other major web browsers like Chrome (and Chromium, Opera since 96) already dropped support for the old old End Of Life (EOL) Windows 7, 8, 8.1 as of Chrome 109 released back in January 2023 https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7100626?hl=en as Chrome 110 only supports Windows 10 and later since.
Mozilla on the other hand will be supporting the old EOL Windows 7, 8, 8.1 with Firefox 115.0 ESR (Extended Support Release) for a good while still as 115.7.0 ESR for example is scheduled in Jan 23, 2024 and will likely go to 115.15.0 ESR as 102.15.0 will be the last version for the 102 ESR. Normally ESR is meant for Enterprise users in mind however like what happen with WinXP/Vista users in past, this will allow people to still have Firefox with security fixes for a good while still.
For example Mozilla supported the then old EOL Windows XP and Vista for over two years longer (with Fx 52 ESR) compared to Chrome, Chromium, Opera, Edge, etc yet WinXP users were still not happy with Mozilla somehow not supporting for years longer.
Linux of course is a option to continue using current Firefox Releases for some more years on the old hardware whether as a dual boot or only OS.
One again Mozilla Firefox is going to be the only major web browser to still support EOL Windows the longest like they did with WinXP/Vista.
Modified by James