Windows 7's Firefox lurking days from Microsoft's Graveyard are numbered — Mozilla to pull extended support for legacy operating systems on March 4, 2025

Windows 7 wallpaper
Firefox refuses to let Windows 7 die. (Image credit: Microsoft)

As you may know, Microsoft cut support for Windows 7 in 2020, forcing users to upgrade to a newer operating system for critical security updates and technical support. However, Windows 7 still lurks in Firefox.

Last year, Mozilla highlighted its plan to extend support for legacy versions of Windows and macOS until March 2025, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14. The company has been shipping important security updates via an Extended Support Release (ESR) version of its browser — Firefox 115.

After Mozilla cuts support for unsupported operating systems, it will move forward with its plans to clean up the code base, lessening the burden on Firefox to maintain newer libraries that aren't supported on pre-Windows 10 releases.

While the move to offer extended support for unsupported Windows versions might have give Mozilla a slight competitive edge in the browser market share against Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, it's now joining the fray.

Beyond March 4, 2025, users will be forced to upgrade to newer and supported operating systems to continue receiving important security updates and technical support, attempting to install Firefox 116 on these unsupported operating systems will be futile.

Microsoft has aggressively doubled down on its Windows 11 campaign as Windows 10's imminent death edges closer. Users have blatantly expressed their reluctance to upgrade to Windows 11, citing flawed design elements coupled with stringent minimum system requirements.

While Windows 11's market share is subtly on the rise, it remains to be seen whether it will gain broad adoption beyond Windows 10's end of support slated for October 14, 2025.

Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.

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