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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.

28 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."
    1. Re:Surely not the only solution. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From now on I'll be running Windows in a virtual CPU I think.

      The tipping point where it's worth getting everything I need working on Linux has arrived. I'm off to look for ScanSnap drivers.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:Surely not the only solution. by alzoron · · Score: 5, Funny

      One way you could get around it with Kaby Lake processors is to pop in a Skylake processor when you want to update.

    3. Re:Surely not the only solution. by hairyfeet · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.
    4. Re:Surely not the only solution. by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From now on I'll be running Windows in a virtual CPU I think.

      I switched to Linux Mint a while back and have no complaints. I'm also looking at Chapeau (chapeaulinux.org) but so far Mint works great.

      Microsoft just can't help fucking people over and then bragging about it. Incredible.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  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.

    1. Re:Shouldn't shock anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, they said they would not support new cpus - thats fine, if they dont want to supply new drivers for new hardware, but thats not what they doing now, they block access to ALL windows updates if you have installed (and obviously got it to work) windows 10 on a new cpu. how is this not simply blackmail?!

    2. Re:Shouldn't shock anyone by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So what exactly did you think "support" was?

      Up until now, nobody thought that "support" was the logical inverse of "sabotage".

    3. Re:Shouldn't shock anyone by gweihir · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "No support" means: "You are running on unsupported hardware. Do you want to continue anyways? y/n".
      What they are doing is "Your hardware is unsupported. Be fucked." That one is called "sabotage".

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  3. Re:Testing costs money by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's one thing to put up a disclaimer saying the chip is not supported and any trouble/bugs/crashes you run into are at your own risk, it's quite another to block the install completely.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  4. Re:Well, butt then by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you have to move to W10 one day, so why not to-day?

    No, that's the thing you see. You don't have to move to W10. Microsoft wants to FORCE you to move.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  5. A Question of Proportion by Chrontius · · Score: 5, Interesting

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

  6. 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.
  7. Re:I tried to move to Ubuntu, Lenovo wouldn't let by alzoron · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  8. So I can avoid uncontrolled reboots? by Tinsoldier314 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait, so I if switch to Win 7 I won't have to deal with windows unilaterally deciding to reboot on me to install updates? Sign me up!

  9. 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...

  10. 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.

  11. "The only resolution" by Chas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, that's NOT the only resolution.

    Anyone who's the least bit tech-savvy can use WSUSOffline to draw down all the updates.

    The only issue you have there is that Microsoft's update servers are randomly peppered with corrupted manifest files which prevent fresh WSUSOffline setups from downloading anything. So you have to do multiple attempts on multiple networks (sometimes) before getting a pristine manifest.

    Once you have it, it's fine from there on out.

    But yeah, this is major bullshit on Microsoft's part. And Nadella and his crew need to be drawn and quartered for this.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  12. 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

  13. Re:so go use linux? by sexconker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How about until the agreed upon 1/14/2020 or whatever date in our fucking contracts?

    They're blocking newer CPUs from accessing Windows Update and preventing them from downloading critical security patches. These patches do not require additional testing or development to work on PCs with the newer CPUs, and the newer CPUs do not magically make the gaping security holes go away.

  14. Re:Microsoft made this announcement a while back by sexconker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're one of several shills posting that bullshit here.
    Windows 7 extended support (security patches) is guaranteed until January of 2020. They're pulling the plug on that early for anyone with a Ryzen or Kaby Lake CPU. This isn't about those CPUs not being supported - Windows 7 runs on them just fine. This isn't about the patches needing more testing or development - the patches don't care what CPU you're running and MS hasn't tested a patch before deploying it in 3 fucking years.

    FUCK SATYA NADELLA!

  15. 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.

  16. Re:Well, butt then by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > you have to move to W10 one day

    I'm also going to die someday too, but that doesn't mean I want it today.

    So, BZZZT, no, but thanks for playing! I _already_ have multiple boxes with Windows 7 that work perfectly fine thank-you-very-much. There is no software that runs "only" on Windows 10 that "I need."

    I've already migrated my personal dev work to OSX and Linux, so no, Microshaft can go fuck themselves, because I don't want nor need their Spyware they mis-label as Windows 10.

    Hell, even at my day job we've been using OSX for the past 5 years and we're a Fortune 50 company. I also know many devs who use Linux. Seriously, there are WAY more OSX and Linux machines then I would have thought possible.

    The harder Microsoft tries to force customers to Windows 10, the harder the pushback will be. In Microsoft's quest to force everyone to use Windows 10 -- they forgot the most important thing:

    Customers don't NEED it.

    There is only 1 name for people who run Windows 10.

    Idiots.

    Because they sold themselves out. M$ has no respect for you. All they care about is exploiting you. For some of us, MS has stepped over the line.

  17. Re:so go use linux? by omnichad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Blocking Ryzen qualifies as a new feature update.

    As it was, the OS had no knowledge of that architecture. Adding code to explicitly reject it, despite sharing a common instruction set is a "new feature." XP would probably run on it (with legacy boot enabled).

  18. Re:MS-DOS? by omnichad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    fully supported != updates blocked. Ignoring the CPU and just assuming it will work would be better than this. They don't actually need to add support for anything that isn't already in there.

  19. Re:Microsoft made this announcement a while back by omnichad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ryzen is a new feature

    Ryzen has new features. It doesn't require ANY for it to work on Windows 7. Windows added a new feature to detect and block the architecture from updates - that's the only "new feature" that's relevant here.

  20. Re:Well, butt then by myrdos2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you DON'T stay current, then you have as little choice as to what happens to your linux kernel and distro as any Windows user has over their OS.

    Not quite true. I don't care about kernel release notes and distro package changes until they matter. That is, it either breaks something I care about, or adds something I care about. When it comes to things I care about, I have complete control over my own computer.

    And that's all that matters to me. (By definition) If I can't configure one distro to suit my needs, there has always been another one available.

    No one has time to go through every single fucking line of code for every driver, utility, application, etc. So you end up "trusting" the open source community.

    Open source doesn't mean the code is perfect. I don't think anyone believes that. There will always be security holes, whether added maliciously or accidentally, in virtually every operating system I am aware of. But that's not the same as having the vendor introduce unwanted features, or deliberately degrade user experience, or preventing the user from modifying their own settings, or preventing them from running software that didn't come from an approved app store. ...all of which have been done in recent years. It's gotten to the point where it's debatable who actually owns the computer, you or the OS vendor.

    I have not seen this to the same extent in open source OSes, even including Android.

    Some of us would rather skip the illusion of safety and open-ness and get on with our lives without kidding ourselves.

    Safety is never guaranteed with code of any significant complexity. Openness can be.

  21. 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.