Google issues vital advice to Chrome users – and ignoring it is dangerous

GOOGLE is warning users with old Windows devices that Chrome will soon be unsafe on their machines.

The tech giant is planning to end support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 early next year.

AFP - Getty

Support for Windows 7 ended way back in 2020[/caption]

It comes as Windows owner Microsoft will also stop providing essential security updates on January 10, 2023.

Chrome is expected to receive its first update around February 7 that will only work on Windows 10 or later.

That means anyone with an older version of the operating system will be blocked from the update and any others in the future.

This leaves them open to hackers, as vulnerabilities will go unfixed.

As the cut off quickly approaches, Google is apparently ramping up efforts to warn users.

According to GHacks, the firm is putting out a notification to affected Chrome users whenever they launch the app.

“To get future Google Chrome updates, you’ll need Windows 10 or later,” the alert reads.

“This computer is using Windows 7.”

Support for Windows 7 was actually stopped back in January 2020.

But Microsoft continued to provide extended support to companies who need to run certain legacy Microsoft products past the end of support.

Just over 10 per cent of Windows desktop devices were still running Windows 7 as of November, according to Stat Counter data.

The widely-disliked Windows 8.1 is apparently still running on 2.5 per cent of machines.

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