In a landscape where many tech giants have moved on, the enduring legacy of Windows 7 continues to resonate with a dedicated user base. Despite Microsoft officially discontinuing support for this once-ubiquitous operating system, a significant number of users remain steadfast in their loyalty.
Mozilla’s Commitment to Legacy Systems
Among the few that still cater to this demographic is Mozilla, which has chosen to maintain its support for Firefox 115 ESR on unsupported versions of Windows. This decision reflects a commitment to users who, for various reasons, have yet to transition to newer operating systems.
Initially, Mozilla had set a timeline to cease support for Windows 7 by September 2024. However, as that date approached, the company reassessed the situation and recognized the continued presence of Firefox users on Windows 7. This led to an extension of support for an additional six months, underscoring Mozilla’s responsiveness to its community’s needs.
As it stands, Firefox will now receive security updates for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 until March 2025. This extension is part of Mozilla’s broader strategy to ensure that users on these older platforms can continue to browse the web securely. The official update schedule indicates that support for ESR 115 will persist for these operating systems, as well as for macOS versions 10.12 through 10.14.
Looking ahead, Mozilla has indicated that it will reassess its support strategy in August of this year, leaving the door open for further extensions if warranted. This flexibility highlights Mozilla’s dedication to its user base, particularly those who may not yet be ready to upgrade.
For users on newer operating systems, Mozilla continues to roll out the latest versions of Firefox, with version 135 currently available on the Release Channel and version 128 on the Extended Support Release Channel. Those interested in the ESR version can easily download it from Mozilla’s official website.
