There are many users of Shotcut running Windows 7 & 8. Today (10th January 2023) Microsoft terminated support for these operating systems. This means that if there are any security problems with them these faults will not be fixed (support for the Edge and Chrome browsers on these systems has also been terminated). Also, you will not be able to make any new app store purchases or any in-app purchases after today. See here for more information: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-support
The 2022 and previous versions of Shotcut will in all likelyhood continue to work on those systems, but newer versions of Shotcut may well not work and I believe that you will no longer be able to get Shotcut from the Microsoft app store unless you are running Windows 10 or above.
Running an operating system which will not receive security patch updates and which is connected to the internet is not a good idea as it leaves yourself open to malware and ransomware that exploits any faults in that system.
Although microsoft states that there is no free upgrade from these systems to Windows 10, apparently it is still possible to upgrade Windows 7 & 8 systems that have a valid licence to Windows 10.
If you want to go down this route see below.
To see if your PC is compatible with Windows 10 see:
I did this with an old Windows 8 system some years ago, however some people have experienced difficulties doing this and have had to revert back to their old system using the system CDs, so IT IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO RISK TRYING THIS.
We are in the process of upgrading one of our main libraries to the next major version, and it has dropped support for Windows 7 & 8, which means so will Shotcut: https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/supported-platforms.html
Maybe it will work, but I am not yet far enough along to test that. Sorry, but we are not going to delay this for you. If it does not work on Windows 7 you can continue to get and use the current version.
Thanks for sharing this valuable information about Shortcut and Windows 7 & 8. It is always good to be aware of security risks when it comes to unsupported operating systems. You’re right that running an unsupported system puts you at risk of malware and ransomware, which is not a good idea, especially if you’re connected to the internet.
For those who have a computer too old to support Windows 10 (or 11), I came across this video a few minutes ago.
I’m not promoting this by the way. Use your own judgment. But aside from upgrading to a new computer, this could possibly be a solution for many people.
I have one or two (hmmm… maybe six) very old laptops collecting dust in a closet somewhere. I might give it a try some day.
As you mentioned, Microsoft no longer offers support for Windows 7 & 8, but there is still a way to upgrade to Windows 10 if you have a valid license.
If anyone is interested in upgrading to Windows 10, it’s worth looking into the upgrade process and ensuring that your system meets the minimum requirements. And if you need a windows 10 key cheap, you can find them online from reputable sellers.
