No Enterprise Support for Older Windows Versions on the Latest Processors: Microsoft

[btarunr]

Microsoft, in a tactfully-worded blog post by Exec VP for its Windows and Devices Group, Terry Myerson, announced that it won't support older versions of Windows (eg: Windows 7 and Windows 8.1) on the latest/upcoming processors. The software might run on the new hardware, but the company won't provide enterprise support for such platforms. This could include software updates, as the platform won't technically meet the software's requirements.

In the post, Microsoft named upcoming platforms from the big three CPU makers - Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, to which the company will provide enterprise support only for Windows 10. These include the 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors from Intel, "Bristol Ridge" processors from AMD, and the "8996" SoC from Qualcomm. Machines running a select few models of Core "Skylake" processors will receive enterprise support, but only till 17th July, 2017. After this date, only the most critical security updates will be released for the OS running on those platforms.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[P4-630]

"After the grace period, only "the most critical Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 security updates will be addressed for these configurations, and will be released if the update does not risk the reliability or compatibility of the Windows 7/8.1 platform on other devices."

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake

 

[Ferrum Master]

Skylake rendered EOL. Multi kill from M$.

 

[bug]

A rotten move from Microsoft, but I bet you can find enterprises still running Pentium4s, so they won't be severely impacted.
Large companies don't deploy stuff until their "internal departments" deem them safe and usable. That usually means about the time stuff becomes deprecated/obsolete.

 

[bogami]

Another way of supervision. Forcing to purchase newer software. Notwithstanding the obligations to buyers of older OS.
The last major update is definitely ; Destroy Windows 10 Spying . hehehehe

 

[Batou1986]

I guess all the sites are just going to reiterate the same shitty headline.
Because clearly MS writes all the drivers for Intel products

 

[newtekie1]

I don't really see a problem with this. If you are buying new hardware, the latest hardware, you should be buying and using the latest OS too.

I guess all the sites are just going to reiterate the same shitty headline.
Because clearly MS writes all the drivers for Intel products

I guess people aren't going to bother reading the actual article. It says the OSes will probably install on new processor, but Microsoft will not provide enterprise level support to machines running the new processors, and will only release the most important security patches to systems running the latest hardware. No Enterprise level support is not the same as saying the OS won't run on the hardware. What Enterprise level support means is that Microsoft will not provide tech support to the enterprise if there are problems. They'll basically just say you're running the software in an unsupported situation, so they can't help fix your problem. For example, when you have enterprise level support, normally, if you have an application that won't function for some reason, Microsoft will help troubleshoot and find the solution to why the application won't function. They won't do this now with old OSes on new hardware.

 

[john_]

MS still sees nightmares because of XP.

 

[D.Crepit]

I've been in Windows Upgrade mode
for about 2 months now.

Windows --->>> Linux

It just gets more obvious with each
passing day.

 

[chaosmassive]

This is happen if you let solo player in a market

 

[R-T-B]

This is no kind of news. How many security issues are actually related to the processor? Those type of on die issues are extremely rare, and most of the time microcode updates don't do the consumer much good.

You'll still get standard OS updates like always, where the real potential for security issues lie.

The Sky(lake) isn't falling.

 

[remixedcat]

How can they say this when server 16 is delayed.. Again!!! Ugh ms...

 

[R-T-B]

How can they say this when server 16 is delayed.. Again!!! Ugh ms...

I doubt it applies to Xeons / server chips? Maybe not even Server 2012 r2 at all?

 

[PP Mguire]

Yea server variants get a longer support than consumer Windows.

 

[Caring1]

Another thinly veiled attempt at pushing commercial enterprise to hasten the upgrade cycle.

 

[looniam]

i'll just leave this here:
Intel's Skylake vPro chips will support Windows 7 after all