So, last Chrome update apparently came in bundled with some kind of warning bar that pops up every time you launch Chrome saying "To get future Google Chrome Updates, you'll need to update to Win10. Your Computer is using Win7.". Is there any way to get rid of that? I remember there was once such a bar in WinXP/Vista with the same function, but I don't remember how I disabled it.
The only solution I found was to ditch Chrome for Comodo Dragon. I haven't gotten Advanced Chrome or Ungoogled Chromium to install yet...a task for the next housecall from the computer tech. I tried two solutions that both failed:
1. Run
type 'msconfig'
enter
services
uncheck 'hide all microsoft services'
uncheck both google updates (gupdate & gupdatem)
apply
ok
restart computer
2.run
type 'services.msc'
ok
system and security
go to administrative tools
doubleclick services
doubleclick each gupdate & gupdatem
under 'general tab' choose disabled
click ok
restart
The next day, my freshly installed Chrome 107.0.5304 was 'upgraded' to the current version for Win 7, with the nag screen....every time. So the above methods don't work. I did not try the registry edit method as I consider that out of my league.
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Just a moment...
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I've got a bit more time to look at this now; what are the risks from having a non updated browser? Would your AV protect you?
I've had a look at Brave, which I may download and try but it seems pointless if all browsers are going to withdraw their support for W7 as I've read in some articles.
Until my recent move to Win 7, I had been using XP Pro for at least five years...the OS every security freak swore on a stack of programming bibles was soooo vulnerable, and always ever ready to quote cvedetails to 'prove' his point. Lost count of how many frantic ipse dixits I got promising impending doom. Same deal for the only browsers that would run on XP. Yeah,
never happened. Worse I ever got was a couple PUPs downloading from MajorGeeks or Softpedia. My theory is that if you have a good router with NAT & SPI hardware firewall properly set up by a pro, and any sort of software firewall (mine was the Agnitum Outpost Firewall 2009), you are pretty much bulletproof. FYI, I got rid of the AV early on, unless you count Malwarebytes Free and Superantispyware Free as AV. Needless to say, I view most of this EOL/EOS obsession much akin to the Y2K hysteria.
Will Win 7 and its browsers prove to be as invulnerable as XP Pro did? Time will tell, and the proof is in the pudding, but I'd bet yes, and I'm not a big gambler. I'd say focus more on your firstline defense (hardware/software firewalls), and less on the rest. As for browsers, I've now settled on Comodo Dragon, Comodo IceDragon, and Epic Privacy Browser. I had Ungoogled Chromium, but couldn't figure out how to get uBlock Origin on it, and without that the advert deluge is endless, so had to get rid of it. When the tech guy does the next housecall, I'll see about trying out Advanced Chrome.
LOL