Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Locks Ryzen, Kaby Lake Users Out of Updates On Windows 7, 8.1 (kitguru.net)
Artem Tashkinov writes: In a move that will shock a lot of people, someone at Microsoft decided to deny Windows 7/8.1 updates to the users of the following CPU architectures: Intel seventh (7th)-generation processors (Kaby Lake); AMD "Bristol Ridge" (Zen/Ryzen); Qualcomm "8996." It's impossible to find any justification for this decision to halt support for the x86 architectures listed above because you can perfectly run MS-DOS on them. Perhaps, Microsoft has decided that the process of foisting Windows 10 isn't running at full steam, so the company created this purely artificial limitation. I expect it to be cancelled soon after a wide backlash from corporate customers. KitGuru notes that users may encounter the following error message when they attempt to update their OS: "Your PC uses a processor that isn't supported on this version of Windows." The only resolution is to upgrade to Windows 10.
It also "just" applies to Microsoft(tm) WindowsUpdate(tm), not any 3rd-party-solution. So use wsus-offline on anonther PC. Also, fuck microsoft. We still not gonna use Whindos10.
OS support isn't the issue here. Some laptop manufacturers actually put checks in the BIOS to only boot if a preapproved wifi adapter is installed. Try to use an unapproved wifi adapter and the system refuses to run at all.
Pssst....WSUS Offline or Autopatcher and Bob's your uncle, no need to do any hacking...oh and you're welcome ;-)
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
IMO, using a cpuid hack doesn't seem all that desperate. Assuming one gets created, it seems like it'd easily be the path of least resistance.
* install cpuid hack once, and keep running what you've got with no other issues (until they block that or add some other awful thing)
* use wsus-offline or autopatcher (I've never used either, but it seems like something that'd be an ongoing thing, you'd have to change some existing settings and expectations, and it'd take some initial setup)
* install a different OS (GNU Linux / Mac OS X / etc). This would be difficult for a most people, and there's a large number of people that aren't willing to give up some programs (especially games), and there's a large number of people that would still require use of some of those programs for work / client-specific purposes.
* upgrade to windows 10 - which has even more malware/adware/DRM/reboots/etc.
If I were running windows, I'd be pissed about this. If there was a cpuid hack and I still wanted to keep windows, I'd probably use it rather than the alternatives.
Lenovo does it on some machines, as do HP and Dell. It depends on the model and the part of the world where the machine is sold.
It's because in some places they have to do it for regulatory reasons. If they install a high gain antenna than the maximum output power of the card has to be limited to prevent it exceeding the legal maximum. If you replace the card with a random one it might be too high power.
At least in the case of Thinkpads it is fairly easy to patch the BIOS.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC