# Supermium
**Supermium** is an up-to-date, open-source Chromium-based web browser backported to run on [Windows XP](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-xp), Windows Server 2003, Vista, 7, 8.x, and newer versions of Windows that official Chrome no longer supports.[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) It is developed by Shane "win32ss" Fournier, who previously created the Vista Extended Kernel, a compatibility layer that let some [Windows 7](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-7) applications run on Vista.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | A Chromium fork maintained for Windows XP/2003 and up, with source code on GitHub (about 4.8k stars, 178 forks)[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) |
| Supported systems | Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8.x, and newer; 32-bit and 64-bit builds[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) • [3](https://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Supermium.shtml) |
| Current stable release | 144.0.7559.256 R5, released 14 July, incorporating upstream fixes and security patches[4](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases) |
| Security model | Tracks an ESR branch of Chromium (144) and inherits applicable security fixes; major vulnerability patches generally land less than one week from upstream disclosure[5](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1975) • [1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) |
| Distinctive features | Google Sync, Manifest V2 extension support, Widevine DRM on Windows 7 and up, Aero Glass titlebars, trapezoidal tab options[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) |
| Legacy shim | Uses progwrp.dll (latest version 1.1.0.5024, included in Supermium 126 R7), a component aimed primarily at operating systems before Windows Vista[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) |
## Background
[Google Chrome](https://www.edgepedia.org/google-chrome) and [Microsoft Edge](https://www.edgepedia.org/microsoft-edge) stopped supporting Windows 7 at the start of 2023, and Chrome's last official build for XP-era systems was version 49.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a) • [15](https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2017/02/gmail-no-longer-supporting-chrome-v53.html) Microsoft itself ended extended support for Windows XP on 9 April 2014.[6](https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/products/windows-xp) Machines stuck on these systems, whether out of sentiment or because attached hardware such as an $18,000 X-ray machine requires them, lose the ability to load many modern websites with stock browsers.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a)
Supermium fills that gap. When [The Register](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-register) tested an early build based on the Chrome 121 codebase in March 2024, it ran well on a Core 2 Duo XP64 laptop and was described as surprisingly fast, with Gmail and Facebook perfectly usable; the reviewer called it the most current browser available for XP by a wide margin.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a)
## Features
The project readme lists the browser's distinguishing features:[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium)
- Aero Glass and Aero Glass-style titlebars instead of [Windows 10](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-10)-style ones, with a `#force-xp-theme` flag for the latter
- A functional sandbox for enhanced security
- Google Sync
- Widevine CDM support for DRM content on Windows 7 and up
- GDI font rendering (`#force-gdi`) and persistent dark mode (`#force-dark-mode`) via flags
- Custom tab options including trapezoidal, transparent, and outlined tabs
- Many flags from ungoogled-chromium, plus Manifest V2 extension support
The trapezoidal tabs and Aero Glass compatibility are restorations of the pre-2020 Chrome interface, and Softpedia's review notes the browser also supports up-to-date extensions and syncing with Google services out of the box.[3](https://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Supermium.shtml) Manifest V2 support matters because mainline Chromium has been dropping it; the developer has stated that Supermium will continue in order to maintain a valid option for an older UI, Manifest V2, and other capabilities removed from mainline Chromium.[7](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1067)
## Compatibility and technical approach
Getting a modern Chromium to run on NT 5.x kernels requires shimming APIs that no longer exist. Fournier's changes to the [Chromium](https://www.edgepedia.org/chromium-web-browser) code substitute older Windows APIs, which is what allows the browser to run on XP, Vista, and 8.x as well as 7.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a) A companion component, progwrp.dll, receives enhancements targeted primarily at operating systems prior to [Windows Vista](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-vista) and ships in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium)
Installation on XP is not straightforward: the installer crashes with an error, so users must manually unzip the package with 7-Zip, copy the files into `C:\Program Files\`, and run the binary directly.[2](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a) A Patreon-funded "Supermium Plus Package" was also offered for versions where the regular installer does not work on XP/2003.[8](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/discussions/177) Windows 2000 SP4 runs the browser only in a suboptimal state, with broken context menus, freezing when renderers use more than one thread, and no extension installation; the developer has not planned 9x support.[9](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/discussions/581)
## Releases and security
The stable line in mid-2026 is version 144.0.7559.256 R5, which added default-browser registration regardless of operating system and incorporated upstream security patches; earlier 144 releases fixed audio issues after upstream 144 LTS patches and enabled monitor information caching by default to improve UI performance on some Intel integrated graphics.[4](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases) A pre-release of version 150.0.7871.255 is marked "Vista and above only" while additional IMM32 patches are compiled for full XP compatibility; the 150 series is also the first to present codebase changes as patches rather than a full repository for readability.[4](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases) Version 150 pre-releases lack [Google Account](https://www.edgepedia.org/google-account) sign-ins and Google Search AI overviews, and clean installations of MV2 extensions may need unpacked .crx files with developer mode enabled.[4](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases)
On the security question, the project states that major vulnerability patches generally arrive less than one week from upstream disclosure and that the browser keeps a functional sandbox.[1](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium) An issue response confirms Supermium uses an ESR branch of Chromium (144) and inherits applicable security fixes when updates are released.[5](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1975) An earlier project statement described using an ESR branch of Chromium 126 receiving continuous security and stability updates, showing the ESR-tracking approach predates the current version.[7](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1067)
## Performance and reception
Performance depends heavily on the host system.
The browser has become a standard tool in legacy-Windows communities. A Tom's Hardware-covered comparison of six Windows generations on ThinkPad X220 laptops used Supermium across all six systems for a tab-loading test, because Firefox and Chrome no longer load webpages properly on archaic Windows versions.[10](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/speed-test-pits-six-generations-of-windows-against-each-other-windows-11-placed-dead-last-across-most-benchmarks-8-1-emerges-as-unexpected-winner-in-this-unscientific-comparison) Reviewers and users commonly pair it with MyPal, a Firefox fork, as the two main browser choices for XP, and PortableApps.com distributes a portable edition listing system requirements from Windows XP through [Windows 11](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-11).[11](https://laptopjudge.com/best-windows-xp-web-browsers/) • [12](https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/supermium-portable) Related projects extend the approach: a Supermium-based Electron build is planned for running Electron applications on Vista/7/8.x, and a separate fork by Eric Chen maintains Chromium XP compatibility work.[13](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium-electron) • [14](https://github.com/EricChen01/supermium)
## References
1. [win32ss/supermium: Chromium fork for Windows XP/2003 and up, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium)
2. [Liam Proven, "Supermium drags Google Chrome back in time to Windows XP, Vista, and 7," The Register, 6 March 2024](https://www.theregister.com/software/2024/03/06/supermium-drags-google-chrome-back-in-time-to-windows-xp/450239?td=rt-3a)
3. [Supermium - Download - Softpedia](https://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Supermium.shtml)
4. [Releases · win32ss/supermium, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases)
5. [Is Supermium gonna be always on Chromium 144? · Issue #1975, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1975)
6. [Windows XP - Microsoft Lifecycle, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/products/windows-xp)
7. [A few points about Supremium · Issue #1067, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/issues/1067)
8. [Version 121.0.6167.81 · Discussion #177, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/discussions/177)
9. [9x support · Discussion #581, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium/discussions/581)
10. [Speed test pits six generations of Windows against each other, Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/speed-test-pits-six-generations-of-windows-against-each-other-windows-11-placed-dead-last-across-most-benchmarks-8-1-emerges-as-unexpected-winner-in-this-unscientific-comparison)
11. [Best Windows XP Web Browsers (Supermium & MyPal), LaptopJudge](https://laptopjudge.com/best-windows-xp-web-browsers/)
12. [Supermium Portable, PortableApps.com](https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/supermium-portable)
13. [win32ss/supermium-electron, GitHub](https://github.com/win32ss/supermium-electron)
14. [EricChen01/supermium, GitHub](https://github.com/EricChen01/supermium)
15. [Gmail No Longer Supporting Chrome V53, workspaceupdates.googleblog.com](https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2017/02/gmail-no-longer-supporting-chrome-v53.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Software and programming › Named software products and platforms › Web browsers, app stores, and mobile app platforms › Web browsers and extensions*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license