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Microsoft Locks Ryzen, Kaby Lake Users Out of Updates On Windows 7, 8.1 (kitguru.net)

Posted by BeauHD on from the limited-options dept.

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.

9 of 419 comments (clear)

  1. Surely not the only solution. by Rockoon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm sure someone will release a CPUID hack to pretend to be a lower end cpu, much like Agner Fog used when proving that Intel's compiler and the code it produced would shit on both AMD and VIA on purpose.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."
  2. Shouldn't shock anyone by SlayerOfKings · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why the hell are people shocked? Microsoft first said it was going to do this 14 months ago, way back in January 2016.

  3. A Question of Proportion by Chrontius · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Does anybody really think that everyone will "upgrade" to windows 10 because of this?

  4. Re:so go use linux? by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I will gladly run it unsupported. Just because Microsoft pulls support doesn't mean the OS suddenly stops working. In fact, I've been running with windows updates off for well over a year now so "support" for win 7 is irrelevant to me.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  5. Re:Testing costs money by scdeimos · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It's probably due to the DRM push Microsoft named "PlayReady 3.0". Don't know about the Ryzen line, but the only difference in the newest Intel line up is the support for hardware-based DRM which is something required for PlayReady 3.0:

    In an effort to placate the studios, Microsoft introduced "PlayReady 3.0" with the Windows 10 Anniversary update. PlayReady 3.0 is a hardware-based DRM (digital rights management) system that requires dedicated decoding hardware, either on the CPU or on the graphics card, preventing the video stream from being captured in software or via an external capture device.

    REF: https://arstechnica.com/gadget...

  6. Re:Well, butt then by sgage · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No, I do not have to move to W10, ever. From this day, I am locking MS out. I realize some people can not do this for various reasons, but I can, and I will. MS has completely lost it, and I don't think they have as much power as they think. We will see. But I will never run Windows 10 on any machine of mine. I was an original 'Insider' from 10/14, and gave it every benefit of the doubt for two years, but it was never going to work for me. No, as far as I'm concerned, MS has just lost it.

  7. Microsoft's Actual Logic by Jaborandy · · Score: 4, Interesting
    • Step 1: New CPU comes out
    • Step 2: "Looks like we've got to make a new driver for this new CPU version."
    • Step 3: "Done. The Windows 10 driver is great and we can release it. Yay!"
    • Step 4: "Do we have to make Win 7 version of this driver now?"
    • Step 5: "We told them we wouldn't support all the new stuff. Most of the people running old OSes are also running it on older hardware, so this won't affect that many people. Let's not do the extra work."
    • Step 5: Internet freaks out.

    In all seriousness, I believe these chipsets were sold in machines that originally came with Windows 10 (or not with Windows). This only affects people who bought new PCs, then manually installed an old OS because they liked it more. That's low volume stuff that is only overrepresented here on Slashdot. Most of the world doesn't even notice moves like this, because their PC came with Windows, whatever version, and it still works and updates.

    --Jaborandy

  8. The issue is .265/HEVC decoding. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding

    "HEVC is restricted by patents owned by various parties. Use of HEVC technologies requires the payment of royalties to licensors of HEVC patents, such as MPEG LA, HEVC Advance, and Technicolor SA."

    All 3 of those working groups stated have strong ties to the MPAA, who doesn't like older Operating Systems used by pirates. The entire push for TPM modules on computers and Secureboot was primarily from the MPAA and RIAA effectively telling Microsoft "Either keep your users from pirating our stuff or we will revoke your Coded Licensing for Windows Media Player and ensure nobody can play DVD's on computers" in the late 00's. It wasn't until after those technologies were deployed that software companies began using them for security, e.g. using TPM modules to lock down disks or Secure Boot to lock down boot-code.

    This is the same story replaying itself, but this time Intel is the victim. Pretty much all of the mid-sized and large web media companies are grouping together to build competing, free standards e.g. VP9. I expect HEVC to end up the same way many proprietary standards on video capture equipment ended up; obsolete in 3 years.

    If you're looking to skip a processor generation, right now is the time.

  9. Microsoft is EXTRAORDINARILY abusive! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I agree. Incredible!

    Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. From that article: "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

    My opinion: There should be far stronger protests, including legal action and laws against that kind of abuse.