ESR or RR? Which verion should I use with Windows 7 Pro 64 Bit?
I've just been told by my Firefox Browser that there is an update available but it can't install it automatically, I need to manually download the file and install it. It took me to an Enterprise page which gave me the choice between a Rapid Response version or an ESR version. Firstly why an Enterprise page? Secondly which version do I need fora PC running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit please?
Chosen solution
Firefox 116.0 and later including the current Firefox 132.0 Release and Firefox 128.4.0 ESR requires Windows 10/11 and macOS 10.15+ to run.
For the eol Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 OS users the most current version you can run is Firefox 115 ESR which is currently at 115.17.0esr and they plan to update till at least 115.21.0esr in March 2025 unless Mozilla extends again.
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/115.17.0/releasenotes/
Firefox setup 115.17.0esr .exe is below. https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/115.17.0esr/win64/en-US/ other language locales at https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/115.17.0esr/win64/
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Chosen Solution
Firefox 116.0 and later including the current Firefox 132.0 Release and Firefox 128.4.0 ESR requires Windows 10/11 and macOS 10.15+ to run.
For the eol Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 OS users the most current version you can run is Firefox 115 ESR which is currently at 115.17.0esr and they plan to update till at least 115.21.0esr in March 2025 unless Mozilla extends again.
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/115.17.0/releasenotes/
Firefox setup 115.17.0esr .exe is below. https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/115.17.0esr/win64/en-US/ other language locales at https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/115.17.0esr/win64/
Modified
fixit9660 said
Firstly why an Enterprise page?
ESR is short for Extended Support Release and they focus on stability and security fixes as no new features are added.. Normally the ESR channel versions are meant more for Enterprise users in mind as they like long term stability.
However the Firefox 115 ESR is a option for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 OS users to get supported longer with security updates. Pretty much every other major web browser already dropped support of the eol Windows 7, 8, 8.1 back in Jan/Feb of 2023. Right now the Firefox 115 ESR is getting updates with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 OS users in mind as Windows 10/11 and macOS 10.15+ users would get update prompts to the current Firefox 128 ESR if they are using Firefox 115 ESR.
Not the first time Mozilla supported a eol OS for longer as they did so with macOS 10.9, 10.10, 10.11 with Firefox 78 ESR. Earlier on they supported the eol Windows XP/Vista with Firefox 52 ESR over two longer after other browsers dropped XP/Vista.
James you are an absolute Star. Thank you for your very fast, helpful, and well explained response. Excellent!! I understand that support for end-of-life and out-of-support products is not the most popular of subjects, but being closer to the end-of-life range myself, it's not worth going through the upgrade path. Not that I can even afford it either. Thank you again.
One way to give more life to older hardware is to perhaps dual boot with a light Linux distro. Since you have a 64-bit CPU you have plenty of options compared to the limited options if it was a old 32-bit CPU.
I do suggest using a lighter desktop window manager like XFCE and Mate over the heavy KDE and Gnome. And make sure packages like FFmpeg is installed to fully support the HTML5 players used for videos, audio and games by sites all around including Youtube.
Brilliant! Thank you very much again!!