Google has rolled out an upgrade to its popular Chrome browser for Windows, Mac and Linux.
However, users who are still running Windows 7 or Windows 8 won’t be able to install the update because Chrome no longer supports updates on these versions of Windows.
Last month, Google stopped technical and security support for the browser running on Windows 7 next week.
Google initially had plans to halt support on July 15, 2021, but due to Covid-19, it pushed the deadline back first to January 15, 2022 and then to January 10, 2023.
‘Chrome 109 is the last version of Chrome that will support Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for release on February 7th, 2023) is the first version of Chrome that requires Windows 10 or later,’ explained Google’s Chrome Support Manager.
To get the new updates to Google Chrome you will need to ensure your device is running Windows 10 or later.
Google Chrome 110 update is rolling out as normal for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, along with Mac and Linux users. In most cases, the update will be downloaded automatically and will be implemented after restarting the browser.
If you continue to use Windows 7 after support has ended, your PC will still work, but it will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.
The new update fixes 15 security vulnerabilities, including three classed as high-risk.
Windows 7 may be old, but it’s still used by millions of PCs around the world. According to statistics from NetMarketShare.com, 14 per cent of global Windows devices were still running Windows 7 in December 2021.
Since older versions of Chrome still continue to work without the updates, many small businesses may have avoided the transition to Windows 10. Larger organisations may not be willing to pay the cost of an upgrade.
Microsoft itself stopped support for Windows 7 in January 2020.
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