Is This Serious?

[NoseyNose]

When I log on, I get this message~
"To get future Google Chrome updates,you'll need Windows 10 or later.This computer is using Windows 7"

Is this serious,and should I update,which will have to wait until I move into my new flat(March 15th)

Thank You friends,Gordon.

 

 

[bookbinder]

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop

[bhg481]

I'm still using W7 on two of my computers and I've no intention of upgrading as I'm sure I'll lose out on some programs I use.

[barry1010]

You just use a different browser, lots of good ones to choose from.  Have a look at Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi

 

[Buenchico]

There's no need to rush to update anything but it would be wisest to add the task onto your "to do" list.

Microsoft's support for Windows 7 computers ended four years ago, meaning that if computer hackers can identify any vulnerabilities in that version of Windows, there won't be any security fixes forthcoming from Microsoft.  So, theoretically at least, your computer is more at risk of something nasty happening to it than one which is running Windows 10 or 11 is.

In line with that, Google has now ceased updating the Chrome browser on computers that are still running Windows 7.  You won't notice any difference immediately but eventually you might start to find that you can't access some websites because they're designed to work only with the latest version of Chrome (which you won't have).

So now would definitely be a good time to start thinking about getting a computer that's running Windows 11 but, as I've said above, there's no great need for any immediate rush.

[Hymie]

I’ve been getting this message for some time on my laptop running Windows 7, you need not worry about it, it’s just that Google Chrome are no longer updating the browser Win 7 computers are using.

 

But make sure you have a good anti-virus software installed, in case there are security updates that otherwise are missed.

Eventually you might have difficulty accessing certain websites using Chrome.

[NoseyNose]

bhg481

Yes,I am of the same opinion.

barry1010

What advantages (if any) do the other browsers that you list have?

Thank You~Gordon.

[NoseyNose]

Buenchico & Hymie,

Thank you both for your very helpful answers.

I DO have the best (and strongest?) Norton Antivirus programme,hopefully this will help to stop any weaknesses that may occur in Windows 7?

 

 

[Buenchico]

Before considering alternative browsers, you'll need to know whether or not they're based upon Chromium.  I'll try to explain . . .

Chromium is a 'developer level' web browser, which others then use to create their own browsers from.  Chrome is one such browser.  (i.e. Google have taken Chromium, and then tweaked it a bit, to produce Chrome).

It's actually the team behind Chromium (rather than Chrome) that's ceased supporting Windows 7.  So all web browsers that are based upon Chromium are no longer supported 0n a Windows 7 computer. 

As Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, Slimjet, Brave and many other browsers are all Chromium-based, that means that there aren't that many alternatives available.

Firefox isn't based upon Chromium.  However (because Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft and thus isn't getting any security updates) the Firefox browser will only be getting security updates until September of this year.

The only other PC browsers that aren't based upon Chromium are those which are based around older versions of Firefox, such as Pale Moon and Sea Monkey, meaning that they're largely out of date already.

You really need to get a Windows 11 computer (or, at the very least, a Windows 10 one), so that you can run a modern browser on it.