Windows Update won't have drivers for Windows 7 anymore

Dell XPS 15 (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

Microsoft stopped publishing drivers through Windows Update for Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.
Organizations using the Extended Security Updates program will still be able to manage drivers through Windows Server Updates Servers.
The switch is due to SHA-1 Trusted Root Certificate Authority expiring for the operating systems.

Microsoft explains in a Tech Community post (via Bleeping Computer) that this change is being implemented to prevent degraded functionality of systems (emphasis added):

Due to the discontinuation and expiration of SHA-1 certificates, partners utilizing the Microsoft Trusted Root Program could publish incompatible SHA-2 signed drivers to unpatched Windows client and Windows Server devices. This, in turn, had the potential to cause degraded functionality or to cause devices to longer boot. This occurs because unpatched systems will have code integrity failures when presented with a SHA-2 signed driver.

The SHA-1 Trusted Root Certificate Authority expired for the affected operating systems on May 9, 2021.

To minimize any impact that could be caused by incompatibilities, Microsoft decided to stop publishing SHA-2 signed drivers to Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

This change won't affect many personal PC users, but there are still organizations that rely on Windows 7 with extended support.

Windows 7 support officially ended on January 14, 2020.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.