Firefox to support Windows 7 and 8 systems well into 2024 at least
Mozilla has revealed some of its plans regarding support for the Windows operating systems Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. The organization plans to support the operating systems until the third quarter of 2024 at the minimum.
The announcement comes in form of a reply by Mozilla employee Mike Kaply, who had this to say on Mozilla's bug tracking website Bugzilla: "We will not be ending support for Windows 7/Windows 8 before the release of the Firefox 115 ESR, so the Firefox 115 ESR will support Windows 7/Windows 8 at least until 3Q 2024."
The next extended support release version of Firefox, Firefox 115 ESR, will support Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. The first Firefox 115 ESR version will be released on July 4, 2023. It will be supported for 15 releases until it runs out of support. Mozilla releases a new major version each four weeks, which means that Firefox 115 ESR will be supported for 60 weeks after its release in July.
Mozilla did not commit to ending support then, keeping its options open. Factors, such as the number of users and organizations who use Firefox on Windows 7 or 8.1 devices, will play a role in determining the fate of the browser then for these systems.
Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 and 8 in January 2023, and all Chromium-based browsers are no longer supported on the platforms, as Google decided to end support for these systems. Mozilla Firefox is one of the few browsers that continues to support these operating systems.
Closing Words
Mozilla has played its cards right this time. While it could also have ended support for Windows 7 and 8 with the end of this ESR cycle, which ends on August 29, 2023, it decided against this and continue support for at least another ESR cycle.
Mozilla's latest hardware survey shows that 13.44% of all Firefox installations run on Windows 7. It is second only to Windows 10, which has a commanding lead. The numbers will drop, likely, in the coming months, but it is a sizeable part of the entire userbase.
The move ensures that these Firefox users won't switch to another browser, as few as there may be. Also, and that may have also been a factor for Mozilla, it could entice Chrome users on these systems to switch to Firefox. Firefox continues to get security updates and bug fix updates for well over a year, which may be reason enough for some to make the switch.
As far as downsides are concerned, there are not many. Mozilla has to test Firefox builds on these platforms to make sure the browser runs stable and secure, but it has done so already in the past ten or so years.
Now You: what is your take on this decision?
Well i am running the normsl firefox version not the esr one and hey its still 2023 right.
But i am still supportive to their edition when it comes to those all crapy windows 10/11 features that not 98% users use.
I am proud to announce my windows performance index that is 7.3
Intel Core 2 Quad
please update firefox115 ESR in window8
So what does this all even mean? I’m trying to avoid ESR does that mean standard Firefox updates will go until July and then switch to ESR or what does this all mean it’s all very confusing for me. I just want to know when I need to shut off updates entirely to avoid ESR because I don’t want to have to figure out how to save my passwords, bookmarks, and other stuff not to mention I was not able to get the Windows update installed on my PC that you must have to install Firefox 100 and up. Luckily I already had Firefox installed prior to Firefox 100 release so Firefox updates itself without needing that update just fine, but if I was to uninstall Firefox and reinstall the installation would not go through because of that require Windows update being missing. For some reason when I would do Windows updates they would totally crash my computer forcing me to have to bring back images I made through Macrium Reflect to a point I just gave up on them. These issues started before March of 2019 and I haven’t been able to get Windows updates on my PC since so I’m missing alot of them, but surviving by having lots of Adware protection, malware protections, spyware protections and running Norton Power Eraser once in a while it works. Please help me anyway possible and tell me when I need to cut off updates to Firefox to avoid ESR and maybe back up my PC it’s greatly appreciated.
So what does all this even mean? I’m trying to avoid ESR does that mean standard Firefox updates will go until July and then switch to ESR or what does this all mean it’s all very confusing for me. I just want to know when I need to shut off updates entirely to avoid ESR because I don’t want to have to figure out how to save my passwords, bookmarks, and other stuff not to mention I was not able to get the Windows update installed on my PC that you must have to install Firefox 100 and up. Luckily I already had Firefox installed prior to Firefox 100 release so Firefox updates itself without needing that update just fine, but if I was to uninstall Firefox and reinstall the installation would not go through because of that require Windows update being missing. For some reason when I would do Windows updates they would totally crash my computer forcing me to have to bring back images I made through Macrium Reflect to a point I just gave up on them. These issues started before March of 2019 and I haven’t been able to get Windows updates on my PC since so I’m missing alot of them, but surviving by having lots of Adware protection, malware protections, spyware protections and running Norton Power Eraser once in a while it works. Please help me anyway possible and tell me when I need to cut off updates to Firefox to avoid ESR and maybe back up my PC it’s greatly appreciated.
How to make money
Thank you, Mozilla. Love my Win7 machines. I purchased a Win10 laptop about a year ago in preparation for the upcoming difficulties of moving around on the web. Three days ago, I turned it on, installed Classic Shell, deleted a few things, turned it off. (Btw, it isn’t faster than my Win7) Now here is the good news about FireFox. My day is looking up.
Well done Mozilla! I purchased a Windows 11 machine, but got pissed off with it and have gone back to using my Windows 8.1 machine until support for FF was planned to expire come summertime this year. So a further support cycle for another year is most welcome.
I’m going to go donate to the project as a way of saying thank you: https://donate.mozilla.org/en-US/
I have a monthly donation setup for Mozilla for like 6 months now, which is going to stop when they drop Windows 7 support – we can only be thankful that they’re doing it longer than chromium.
Alternative thought: put something that’s not Windows 11, on your new machine – why not?
Seems like good news, although I recently found out that there used to be legacy extensions which Firefox moved away from – and forks of Firefox may be better? Waterfox, obelisk, stuff like that.
@basingstoke:
Use Waterfox Classic or Basilisk? Sure but with massive site incompatibilities. I think the WebExtension system turned out fine.
My only evidence of this is the following thread on superuser forum:
https://superuser.com/questions/1590959/how-can-i-better-see-find-results-more-clearly-in-firefox
The prospect of older, useful extensions, that used to exist, but which don’t now, is pretty annoying for me. Especially when I stumble upon something I’d like to have.
They advised on that page to use “Pale Moon or Basilisk or Waterfox”. Might be worth a shot for me
People actually use Windows 8?
Though I disagree, I can understand why some refuse to give up 7, but 8 was a total abortion.
You’d think they’d go back to 7 or up to 10 or just get a Mac.
Take away Metro and no Start Menu – all remedied with Classic Shell, Windows 8, albeit a tad flatter on the desktop, performs a hair smoother than Windows 7 does. Some newer technologies integrate better with it, in the same way Windows 10 does.
All you’re doing @Tachy is taking the same Windows H8 that was applied to Vista and running with it. If you had tried it, cared to customize it and stuck with it in any meaningful way, you would actually like it. I hated Windows 8 initially too, but after using it awhile, I think it’s THE BEST Windows ever.
This is good news, too bad that so many browsers have abandoned all these users. Pale Moon should also work just fine for some years to come on those platforms, and it has been rapidly improving its webcomponents implementation over the past few months, meaning that it now renders the vast majority of sites without difficulty.
Ultimately I hope that those users will keep their hardware and migrate to fully libre GNU/Linux distrubutions like Trisquel, PureOS, Parabola and Guix. On those distributions, they will be able to use their hardware with fully updated software and browsers for as long as they like.
“Ultimately I hope that those users will keep their hardware and migrate to fully libre GNU/Linux distrubutions like Trisquel, PureOS, Parabola and Guix”
You have to try to understand why Windows 7 users still use Windows 7, I can’t speak for all of them, but Linux isn’t a very viable solution, no matter how many times people bring it up.
Sure if I’m just using a browser like some absolute normie (no offence intended), Linux can pull that off, but that’s really not what the “crux” of the issue, I don’t think.
Trisquel and Parabola do at least look like knock off versions of some sort of Windows, PureOS however looks closer to android so not sure why you mentioned it, and according to web search, Guix isn’t an OS?
Guix is both an OS and a package manager that can be installed on other OS’s. I’ve used it both ways. PureOS is one of the most advanced distros available right now, especially in terms of privacy and security. Looks are subjective – everyone is going to have a different reaction to the way a desktop environment looks.
The reason that Windows 7 & 8 users should consider moving to GNU/Linux distros is that it will allow them to stay on their same device and yet get up-to-date software with strong security. I know that Windows users love their Windows-only programs, but most programs have strong alternatives these days that run on nearly any OS.
Andy Prough – looks can be subjective however if we had to poll everyone that has been using PCs for 10+ years I don’t have any doubt that Windows Aero theme would come out as the best looking theme for any OS, ever.
I am actually considering virtualising or externalising the browser usage, maybe I remote into a PC with a modern OS & browser, or use a VM with it – a less bitter solution than abandoning one of the best operating systems ever. As far as I’m concerned any local programs that don’t use the internet, do not suffer the consequences of being “out of date” or “insecure”.
Problem is I do have certain audio programs that only work EXACTLY as I have it set up – on Windows. Luckily I can move ahead to Windows 10 when I see fit, but sometimes certain xNix equivalents just aren’t up to snuff, or would take a lot of reorganization. That’s not something I wish to invest a lot of time in any longer.
Firefox ESR is the last good option to survive in a world full of fast changes. :S
But only for windows 7 & 8 embedded version and for x64
Firefox 115 ESR to be released in July, but when will support for Win7/8 end? Because i have in mind the alternative :
1- Switch to 115 ESR and be quiet until Autumn 2024
2- If Win7/8 are still supported when FF 115 ESR is released, stick on to 115 and keep updating until support for Win7/8 ends, but if it ends before Autumn 2024 what do i do ; revert to 115 ESR with profiles/settings/extensions set for 115+ ?
Given support for Win7/8 is most likely to end before 3Q 2024 I guess I’ll shift to FF 115 ESR when available. I’ve never liked ESRs because of the sum of work required when updating after 15 releases … but after 15 releases Win7 here will have become the Boeing 707 of browsers, if not already for some of us. 707 was gorgeous but no longer in commercial service…. or hardly a few ones (yeah!).
I’d rather accept the sum of the changes at once, fix my CSS code, and have things stay the same for thirteen months. I like stability and constancy.
Updates for Server 2012 (which I use for Windows 8), end in October. As for the end of ESR 115 support, I’ll then just finish out Windows 8 and Firefox ESR 115 for the final quarter of 2024, being really careful where I browse. Then I have a twin HP machine with Windows 10 LTSC 2019 waiting to be implemented.
Looks like I’m good until January 2029 all around.
Firefox ESR is the last good option to survive in a world full of fast changes. :S
@Jody,
> “I’d rather accept the sum of the changes at once, fix my CSS code, and have things stay the same for thirteen months. I like stability and constancy.”
Indeed, but how do you manage the sum of modifications within an updated ESR which includes all that has been added, removed, modified with 15 stable releases? That’s why I never went for ESRs, when I see the sum of work a simple release may bring after 4 weeks. Perhaps also that heavily tweaked browsers are more concerned by modifications. Anyway if i stick with Win7 it’ll be FF115 ESR …
Well, I’ll take some well deserved credit for this. This is all in an answer to my question on the Bugzilla post. So think about it, if I never pestered them today, we’d still be waiting for this news.
Thanks, Jody! As much as people might have suspected this would be the result they had said nothing either way before this. So it’s nice to get an answer. Much appreciated.
Jody, they just told us what “anyone with half a brain (cell)” could see. I pointed this out to you in January that “the 115ESR continues up to December 2023, and since the 102ESR had a 14month timeline, the 115 should have its last update on September 2024. This will be the EARLIEST mozilla drops support for Win7……………………………Not even Google would try to pull off a cockamamie shenanigan like that. 115ESR is the earliest they can use as EOL.”.
I think that the main thing one has to understand is that Mozilla will eventually HAVE to drop support for the legacy OSes, if win7 users continue their massive “migration” to windows10, as they’ve (obviously) been doing since January……
All I’m saying is – we aren’t waiting for an official answer. I was tiring of the speculation and non-decisiveness of Mozilla
I agree. That’s true.
Indeed Jody. be thanked :=)
That’s great. Maybe by the time that happens, everyone who is currently ruining Windows will be fired, and we’ll have a functioning operating system with Windows 12?
This is great news.
At least something good from Mozilla for a change.
Cause without 7 and 8 their market share will drop to 1%.
Seems contradictory. Rejoicing that a company we consider to deliver bad things continues support for Windows 7 and 8 systems is somewhat odd. But I do rejoice as well.