Microsoft officially ended Windows 7 end of support and Windows 8.1 end of support on January 10, 2023, meaning neither operating system will receive security patches, system updates, or technical assistance going forward.
What Windows 7 End of Support Means for Users
From January 10, 2023, Microsoft will no longer push security updates or technical updates to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 machines. This is a hard cutoff — not a gradual wind-down. WebView2 support for developers also ended on the same date, which affects apps that rely on the WebView2 runtime to stay current.
Running an unsupported OS has direct security consequences. Without regular patches, known vulnerabilities go unaddressed, making machines running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 easy targets for hackers. Bugs that would ordinarily be fixed in a monthly update will simply remain on affected machines indefinitely.
By the end of 2021, roughly 100 million users were still running Windows 7. Microsoft had already signalled this moment was coming — the company warned Windows 7 users as far back as 2020 to begin planning their migration.
Chrome Support Also Ending for Older Windows
Google announced in October 2022 that it was discontinuing Chrome browser support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 as well. From February 7, 2023, the latest versions of Google Chrome will no longer run on these operating systems. Users who stay on Windows 7 or 8.1 will be stuck on an outdated version of Chrome, compounding the security risk from the OS itself.
How Many PCs Are Still Running Unsupported Windows?
A survey conducted in the months before the January 2023 deadline found that 27 million more computers worldwide were still running Windows XP, Windows 7, or Windows 8 compared to the number running Windows 11. That is a significant installed base of machines that will now operate without any vendor security support.
For businesses and individuals still on these platforms, the practical options are:
- Upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11 if the hardware supports it.
- Replace ageing hardware with a new PC that ships with a supported OS.
- Isolate legacy machines from the internet where an upgrade is not immediately possible.
Microsoft's Supported Alternatives
Windows 10 remains in mainstream support, and Windows 11 is Microsoft's current flagship OS. Users on unsupported versions are strongly encouraged to upgrade. For more coverage of Microsoft and other major tech brands, explore our brand section.
Security Risks at a Glance
| Operating System | End of Support Date | Security Updates After Date |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 | January 10, 2023 | None |
| Windows 8.1 | January 10, 2023 | None |
| Google Chrome (on Win 7/8.1) | February 7, 2023 | None |
The bottom line is straightforward: staying on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 after January 10, 2023 means accepting an increasingly vulnerable machine. With 100 million users still on Windows 7 as recently as late 2021, the scale of exposure is enormous. Unpatched operating systems are among the most common entry points for ransomware and data-theft attacks, and that risk compounds every month without updates. Migrating to a supported OS is the only reliable way to stay protected and keep personal data secure.
