Lack of security updates and the end of support in web browsers are two pressure points on the obsolescence of any operating system, and Windows 7 is experiencing it firsthand. However, the community has decided to extend its life in two ways. On one hand, there are update packs that keep it up to date, and on the other, we have projects like Eclipse R3dfox, a fork of the modern version of Firefox that works perfectly.
The folks at Mozilla have done a more than decent job up to this point, but the end of their support for Windows 7 and 8.x has already been confirmed. As of September 2024, the legacy 115 edition of the Firefox browser (under the Extended Support Release or ESR) will stop receiving security updates. Mozilla's official recommendation is to jump to a newer version of Windows and install the standard build of Firefox.
Now, Mozilla's instructions are not incorrect, but we know well that they don't work in all cases. There are many people out there who need to extend the life of their hardware a bit longer, and even though Linux awaits with open arms, there are still some alternative actions (with all their associated risks, of course). The first is to use Simplix UpdatePack 7 to get hotfixes without suffering the torture of Windows Update, and the second is to install Eclipse R3dfox, a fork of the modern, "non-legacy" Firefox.
Eclipse R3dfox, a modern version of Firefox on Windows 7 and 8.x
There's no mystery here: All we have to do is visit its GitHub profile and download the appropriate version for our operating system, in 32 or 64 bits. It installs like Firefox, looks like Firefox, and even the same direct links are there. There aren't major changes in its configuration menu either, and when it comes to adding extensions, the Mozilla Add-ons portal works without restrictions. Internally, it's just Firefox 125, and there are no limits regarding access to about:config, meaning any user can modify the browser's advanced settings to their liking.
Judging by the number of releases, Eclipse R3dfox is a relatively young project that took its first steps in January of this year. There are no major bugs reported by users, and the only "warning" came from Supermium, informing that the download of the R3dfox installer "is not common". Apart from that, it works very well, and it's likely that many users will want to install it to replace the legacy edition once it throws in the towel.
Official site and downloads: Click here
How to download programs from GitHub: Click here
