Mozilla refuses to follow the trend by maintaining Firefox support for Windows 7 and 8/8.1 users, despite Microsoft ending support. This decision provides an additional 15 months to plan for the upgrade.
Windows 7 and 8 (and 8.1), two highly controversial operating systems from Microsoft, have bowed out. They were put to rest in January 2023, when the Redmond giant ended the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, prompting third-party developers to follow suit and stop supporting their software.
Yet even though Edge and Chrome were the first to drop these systems, the Mozilla Foundation has decided to continue supporting Firefox users on Windows 7 and 8/8.1. But this situation can’t last forever — after months of deliberation, Mozilla is finally ready to reveal the end date of support.
Windows 7 and 8 abandoned by most, but Firefox resists… Until 2024
According to a document posted on the official Mozilla support site, users reluctant to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 will be able to use Firefox version 115 Extended Support Release (ESR). until September 2024. Mozilla promises to continue providing security updates for another 15 months, leaving plenty of time to plan the upgrade process.
Although Windows 7 and 8/8.1 have a relatively small market share (around 5% combined), Mozilla finds many people continue to use Firefox to browse the Internet from PCs using these now obsolete operating systems. Maintaining test machines for a few extra months isn’t a disaster for Mozilla, but the nonprofit can’t maintain them indefinitely.
Of course, the end of support may not affect diehard Windows 7 fans. After all, some users continue to use Windows XP as if nothing had happened (in fact, the OS just to be cracked, 21 years after its release). Remember though that a web-connected PC that no longer receives security updates is not a good idea, as it exposes users to malware exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities.
Users are encouraged by Mozilla to upgrade to newer versions of Windows, such as Windows 11 for example, to benefit from the latest security features and protect their data.
Source : Mozilla
