Nvidia has a new graphics driver for those still using Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 despite their no-support state. Although Microsoft and other developers already abandoned these operating systems, Nvidia still releases periodic driver updates to improve security. Version 475.06 is one such driver.
Nvidia 475.06 is a non-WHQL driver because Microsoft no longer accepts driver submissions for WHQL certification for Windows 7 and 8/8.1. Also, the update does not contain any gaming or feature-related fixes, optimizations, and new features. Even if you have a supported Nvidia GPU, such as one from the GTX 10 Series, all the new stuff and improvements are now exclusive to Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Nvidia understands that some users cannot upgrade (Microsoft recently closed the upgrade door to Windows 10), so every now and then, it provides a security update to patch things up. According to Nvidia, critical security updates for its drivers on unsupported operating systems will be available through September 2024. After that, you are on your own.
For now, there is no information on what exactly the latest driver fixes. Most likely, Nvidia waits for more customers to update to 475.06 before disclosing the patched vulnerabilities. If you are curious about what was fixed in version 475.06, check out the official Nvidia Product Security page in a few days.
Compared to Windows 10 and 11, Windows 7 and its misfired successor have tiny market shares. Statcounter claims that Windows 7"s global market share is at 2.86%. On the gaming side, Windows 7 has only 0.38%. While those numbers look small, you should keep in mind that there are over 1.5 billion Windows PCs, so even less than 3% is quite a lot of devices.
If you have a PC powered by Windows 7 or 8/8.1 and an Nvidia graphics card, we are not judging you, but at least update the remaining bits of supported software by downloading the latest Nvidia driver here. Full release notes for 475.06 are available here.