Welcome to the age of change on Steam! Goodbye to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, we welcome Windows 10 and 11 with the new year.
The Steam platform has officially ended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8, which were released in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Despite Valve of this decision, it officially went into effect yesterday.
For users still running these older operating systems, existing software will remain functional for some time. However, please note that Steam will no longer receive security updates for Windows 7 and 8, and technical support will not resolve issues related to these versions of Windows.
See also: Windows Hello: Serious vulnerability in laptops
The official end of support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 on the Steam is a significant step in the field of software security. While maintaining functionality for users still using these older operating systems, the lack of security updates from Steam opens the door to potential security risks. Urging users to immediately migrate to more modern versions of Windows, such as Windows 10 and 11, is crucial to ensuring the protection of personal data and the stability of the software, providing a safe and secure environment for Steam users.
Valve's decision is largely due to the official cessation of updates from Google Chrome. Steam uses a version of the browser that is integrated into the launcher. Google Chrome has been dropping updates for Windows 7 since early 2023. In addition, the lack of security support for older Windows was a key motivation for Steam's decision.
See also: Windows 10 22H2 Copilot: Version 19045.3757 released
We recommend that all Windows 7/8/8.1 users update immediately. Microsoft has stopped providing security updates for Windows 7 as of January 2020 and for Windows 8.1 as of January 2023. Computers running these operating systems, when connected to the internet, are vulnerable to new malware and other vulnerabilities that will not be patched. This malware can cause problems with your computer, Steam, and games, and can also be used to steal Steam account credentials or other services.
Steam encourages users to consider upgrading to newer versions of Windows, such as Windows 10 and 11. Alternatively, gamers can use a Linux version.
Source of information: https://videocardz.com
