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Tuesday 15 March 2016

Google Chrome no longer Supported on Windows XP or Vista


A number of customers with older systems have been getting in touch about the above message.

Google has decided to stop releasing updates for it's Chrome web browser for users of Windows XP and Vista.

Whilst this won't stop Chrome from working on these systems immediately, it will become less secure and eventually unusable.

Using an unsupported browser makes the computer more vulnerable to viruses and other technical problems, so it is advisable to take action before the end of support on the 1st of April 2016.

There are three main courses of action worth considering:

  • Stop using Google Chrome and start using a good alternative such as Mozilla Firefox. Firefox makes it really simple to transfer across any bookmarks and passwords saved in Chrome. Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/new/
  • Upgrade the computer to Windows 10 and continue to use Google Chrome. This is often quite a costly option because there is no direct upgrade path from Windows XP or Vista and the free upgrade offer only applies to Windows 7 and 8. In addition, most computers of this vintage will need upgrading to make Windows 10 work smoothly. A typical total cost might be around £200 with a Windows 10 Home license, more RAM memory and a fast SSD hard drive.
  • Replace the computer and continue to use Google Chrome. This would be more expensive but might be the best option if the computer is nearing the end of it's useful life. If it performs poorly in other areas then this would probably be the best way forward. A new computer with a reasonable specification can be purchased for £3-400.