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Microsoft Extends Again Support For Windows 7, 8.1 Skylake-based Devices (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the buy-more-time dept.

Microsoft says it is giving more time to users on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices running sixth generation Intel Skylake chips. Earlier the company had said that it would end support for such systems on July 17, 2018 (before that the end date was July 17, 2017). Today's announcement further pushes the deadline, giving Windows 7 users till January 14, 2020, and Windows 8.1 users till January 2023. ZDNet adds: Today's latest change to the Skylake support cut-off dates also applies to Windows Embedded 7, 8 and 8.1 devices. As of this latest change, supported devices running Skylake -- here's the list of PCs that qualify, along with embedded devices -- will get all applicable security updates for Windows 7 and 8.1 until the end of support dates for each product. What we don't really know is why Microsoft made this latest change. Did Intel "fix" Skylake? Did customers, especially those wanting to downgrade to Windows 7, complain a lot? The official word is "This change is designed to help our customers purchase modern hardware with confidence, while continuing to manage their migrations to Windows 10."

14 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by danbob999 · · Score: 2

    coincidence?

    1. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Of course not. The intent for the free Windows 10 upgrade was to get everyone onto one codebase so they could repurpose half the maintenance and debugging efforts, ideally by focusing all of those efforts on three UIs of what is basically the same OS.

      Since much of the userbase refused to upgrade, Microsoft is conceding to user demand and extending support. No surprise at all. This same dance will probably keep going until 2030, when 7 finally goes out of extended, extended, extended, long-term support.

    2. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by donaldm · · Score: 3

      coincidence?

      You have a point there. I have the Skylake chipset with a GA-Z170M-D3H motherboard and it's latest BIOS is "f7". Just to be sure I checked the update site and it is still the same. I guess they have not got the memo yet.

      My motherboard only supports Windows 8, 10 and "other OS, which means it supports Linux. Since I run Fedora 24 I can even use secure boot if I wish although by default it was not enabled.

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    3. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by The+Real+Dr+John · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, considering that MS made their OS into a service as a way to push ads for the app store, which really has nothing to do with desktop computers, and took away lots of control from users, it is not surprising that half the user base stayed with Windows 7 despite Microsoft's underhanded tactics in trying to force the "service" onto people's computers. I still think they might be able to get more people to switch if they made a Windows 10 Ultimate version that people could buy that was based on the Enterprise version, just like they did with Windows 7 Ultimate. But turning the OS into an app store ad interface while taking lots of control away from users is never going to fly with the remaining Windows 7 user base. MS could not have screwed up much worse.

      --
      A brain is a terrible thing to waste... Mind? That's debatable.
    4. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2

      ...The intent for the free Windows 10 upgrade was to get everyone onto one codebase...

      To me, it appeared that the main intent of the free Windows 10 upgrade was to rain massive data harvesting down upon the users of Windows. The unification of the codebase was a nice side benefit.

      ...Since much of the userbase refused to upgrade, Microsoft is conceding to user demand and extending support....

      Or Microsoft has found a way to back-port the data harvesting to Windows 7.

      "Conceding to user demand" - oh, that is so cute when you say it.

    5. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Windows 10 interrupts workflow by doing updates (wasting bandwidth, CPU time and RAM) and rebooting when it wants. Windows 10 wastes bandwidth by constantly sending personal information back to M$. Windows 10 wastes system resources by constantly running a lot of unneeded and unwanted background services, like Cortana, Xbox and the entire Metrosexual mobile phone subsystem. Windows 10 reverts all user changes, defaults or hacks with every single forced update resulting in lost time by making the user have to set everything back to their preferences every single time. The user has zero control over any of this.

      Sorry but I would rather use my computer, not engage in a perpetual battle with it as Windows 10 requires.

    6. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by The+Real+Dr+John · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Agreed, but Windows updates can still be managed if you do due diligence in checking into each of them before installing. That's the beauty of having control over your updates in Windows 7. You are still in control. Woody on Windows over at InfoWorld does a great job of keeping track of the bad vs. the good patches. Of course we shouldn't have to think twice about installing updates to our OS, and shouldn't have to spend one minute checking if they are adware or spyware, but that is the deal with the devil that MS made. We will see if they change their minds when their market share slips more and more. They assumed everyone would capitulate and just allow the "upgrade" because it was "free" (except for the forced ads). They assumed wrong. They are probably in for more pain in the future as the lawsuits work their way through the courts. They have pretty much squandered any good will from their customers, and now they will have to live with the blow-back from their poor decisions. They deserve everything bad that ensues.

      --
      A brain is a terrible thing to waste... Mind? That's debatable.
    7. Re:Right after the end of the free Win10 upgrade by simplypeachy · · Score: 2
      "...considering that MS made their OS into a service as a way to push ads for the app store..."

      That's not a fair statement. Come now.

      They also push ads for Office upgrades and replace your specifically-chosen default programs with their own. So let's not sell them short.

  2. Re:Let it go by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I use win7 for windows based things. I almost never have it access a public network, if I can help it.

    I have turned off updates a year ago or more; when the ftdi-gate first happened, I gave up trusting any MS updates. with win10 madness, I was reassured my decision was still valid.

    win7 is fine and if you avoid the bad patches and ignore updates, PLUS you stay the full off the internet and use linux or some other safer os to do online stuff, 'support' from MS is now meaningless.

    I won't ever take another MS update. that ship has sailed. but again, I am careful not to put my machine online; which really was always the smart way to deal with windows.

    --

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  3. Re:What changes by darkain · · Score: 2

    CPU "Support" by an OS is primarily revolved around the CPU microcode support: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... - The OS contains updates to the microcode instructions where issues have been discovered and corrected after the manufacturing of the chip.

  4. Re:what's wrong with skylake? by NotAPK · · Score: 3, Interesting

    VPro is one example of side-band exploits. I'm happy for someone to provide a more accurate term, if one exists.

    The general idea is that the CPU contains a side-band CPU running its own code, access to all peripherals, and the ability to access RAM and storage at its discretion. It's a three-letter-agency's wet-dream, and while there are many benefits to corporate users (reboot/cold-boot systems and re-image HDDs even with a non-functional primary OS) the lack of clear documentation and questions over a user's ability to disable these subsystems, certainly raises red flags for many.

    The timing was about right, and the sudden need for "extensive support" in SkyLake has not been adequately explained. Happy to see some solid links or citations to the contrary, but to date, it just doesn't pass the wiff test.

  5. Re:What changes by Ingenium13 · · Score: 2

    Not necessarily. For example, proper IOMMU isolation for PCH root ports was broken on Skylake Xeon E3 series CPUs on Linux prior to version 4.7. This affects basically every linux distro other than Arch currently. It basically lumped everything together into a single IOMMU, which is a problem if you're trying to do PCI passthrough or SR-IOV for virtual machines. Skylake has a change in the way ACS needs to be enabled. See http://www.serverphorums.com/r...

    I ended up having to backport the patch to the 4.4 kernel in Ubuntu https://ubuntuforums.org/showt...

    So basically, yeah, there are things other than microcode support that an OS would need for newer CPUs.

  6. Re:What changes by angryargus · · Score: 2

    You're talking theory, but the reality is that BIOS/UEFI updates aren't made very often (especially on consumer desktops). Hence OSes have their own microcode update mechanisms. MSFT rarely updates the Windows OS microcode (only for big issues) hence there can be a need for other ways to update like this driver.

  7. Re:Manage migration to win10 as in "never do it" by rrohbeck · · Score: 2

    > Enterprise customers are moving to Windows 10 faster than any version of Windows.

    LOL. At work the word is still "hell no." And as we move away from old crufty SW we make sure that all updates or replacements are open enough so they work with Linux.

    --
    thegodmovie.com - watch it