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Microsoft Quietly Cuts Off Windows 7 Support For Older Intel Computers (computerworld.com)

Posted by msmash on from the end-of-life dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: If your PC doesn't run Streaming Single Instructions Multiple Data (SIMD) Extensions 2, you apparently won't be getting any more Win7 patches. At least, that's what I infer from some clandestine Knowledge Base documentation changes made in the past few days. Even though Microsoft says it's supporting Win7 until January 14, 2020, if you have an older machine -- including any Pentium III -- you've been blocked, and there's nothing you can do about it.

6 of 383 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "And that most Pentium III systems are likely running in specific, non-Internet-connected applications." = You made that up from pure spun hubris. You're an idiot sometimes when you do this.

  2. Re:Good thing there is Linux... by gweihir · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You are forgetting about embedded systems. An MRI-machine, for example, has a lifetime of > 20 years.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  3. Re: Windows 7: The Best Windows by johnsie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    8.1 with the third party 'Class Start' installed is pretty damn fast. A lot faster than Windows 7, with all the same features. Most people who don't like Windows 8 are angry about the metro interface, which Classic Start effectively gets rid of.

  4. ReactOS by sydbarrett74 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm not a member of the ReactOS project, just shilling as an alpha user who's impressed with the progress so far.

    Yes, the project has been around for two decades, but it's made remarkable strides in the last couple of years. Give it two more—coincidentally when all support for Win7 ceases—and I think people will be pleasantly surprised by its usability. My only concern is that the Kremlin has dumped a bunch of money into the project, and I'd feel better if someone did an independent security audit of the code to see that Vlad didn't have some backdoor put in.

    --
    'He who has to break a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.' -- Gandalf to Saruman
  5. Re:Who cares? by Junta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Also with Windows 10, Windows 10 is 'eternal', but your device running Windows 10 can at any point have it's support yanked, but "windows 10" is still supported, it's just that your device can no longer get updates....

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  6. Microsoft is SCHOCKINGLY self-destructive. by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As long as windows 10 is spyware, changing to it is not "upgrading" or "modernizing". It's acceptance of abuse.

    Many, many people agree with what you said. Microsoft is shockingly self-destructive. A few of the many, many negative articles:

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

    7 ways Windows 10 pushes ads at you.

    Microsoft again forced upgrades on Win10 machines specifically set to block updates (March 12, 2018)