The last thing Windows 7 users would expect is to receive yet another update for their operating system. But it's true. Microsoft is offering Edge Chromium for Windows 7 and 8.1 as part of the release of its new web browser.
The new Chromium-based Edge, which was released earlier this year, is already available for Windows 7 via a manual download option. However, the browser is now available as an update, via the native Windows Update built into the operating system.
As revealed by German site WindowsArea with a screenshot it uploaded, the Windows Update user interface shows the new Edge update (KB4567409), which is around 80MB in size.
According to Microsoft, the new Edge Chromium will be pinned to the taskbar and added as a desktop shortcut in Windows 7. However, it will not replace Internet Explorer or change the default browser on the system.
For those who don't know, Windows 7 support ended in January 2020, when Microsoft stopped releasing new security updates and features for the operating system in order to push more users towards Windows 10.However, that same month it received an out-of-program update to fix a bug affecting the wallpaper.
Microsoft has managed to make its Edge browser compatible with its older operating systems by switching to the Chromium. The company previously confirmed that Edge support on Windows 7 will last until July 2021.
So, if you want to continue using the new browser and the older version of Windows, you have at least another year before you choose to switch to Windows 10 or some other alternative.
