Microsoft won't support next gen CPUs in older Windows versions

[HEXUS]

Kaby Lake and Bristol Ridge will only be officially supported by Windows 10 platform.

Read more.

[impossible]

I'm sure this would only affect optimisation of cache and extended features of new CPU's and thus mean that the OS wouldn't be optimized for them?

Is there a typo in the article

"As a reminder, Windows 7 will continue to receive extended support updates security, reliability, and compatibility until 14th January 2010" 2010?

[DanceswithUnix]

If a hardware vendor wants to support Windows 7 and provides drivers to do so then I don't see what that has to do with Microsoft.

So even their usual bent version of "open platform" where the platform is closed and proprietary but those willing to fork out for development kits may write drivers to integrate with it, even that is now no longer true?

I know they are getting desperate with the free upgrade uptake slowing right down, but this is rubbish. It's like they want to drive people over to Linux.

[outwar6010]

Doesn't this just scream to everyone that they haven't got anywhere near the advertised win 10 adopters they claim.....

[Corky34]

Can anyone confirm what extended support covers?
I was under the impression that it was only security related updates but this article seem to question that by including reliability and compatibility updates in that.

If a hardware vendor wants to support Windows 7 and provides drivers to do so then I don't see what that has to do with Microsoft.

If my understanding is correct this recent announcement means if changes needed to be made to the OS to support a feature of newer CPUs Microsoft isn't going to bother.

Similar to how Microsoft issued an update for Prescott's to view Hyper-Threaded cores differently, an update that marked half of the cores in Bulldozer's in similar way as Hyper-Threaded cores, or more recently an update that was back-ported to Windows 7, 8 ,8.1 to better support Skylake, none of that is going to happen anymore for older version of Windows

EDIT: What makes me laugh about this is that people are trusting their personal data with Microsoft yet they've now gone back on their word twice (to my recollection), first they ended support for an integral part of an older OS 4 years before they said they would and now their ending support for newer CPU's six months before the end of mainstream support for Windows 8.1

[Saracen]

Doesn't this just scream to everyone that they haven't got anywhere near the advertised win 10 adopters they claim.....

Or at least the level they want.

I've no idea (or, to be honest, interest in) whether their claims are accurate or not, but as new machines are going to be W10 by default, there's obviously going to be substantial takeup.

It might be interesting to see a detailed breakdown of how many Win7 users have used a free upgrade to 10, and how many have (so far) refused even a free upgrade. It's no secret that latter group includes me and this current announcement on processor support won't affect that decision. My machines are either staying W7 for largely legacy reasons or, where upgrading hardware, going to Linux.

[DanceswithUnix]

If my understanding is correct this recent announcement means if changes needed to be made to the OS to support a feature of newer CPUs Microsoft isn't going to bother.

Similar to how Microsoft issued an update for Prescott's to view Hyper-Threaded cores differently, an update that marked half of the cores in Bulldozer's in similar way as Hyper-Threaded cores, or more recently an update that was back-ported to Windows 7, 8 ,8.1 to better support Skylake, none of that is going to happen anymore for older version of Windows

But they are blaming system on chip integration as making drivers harder to do and so causing instability in older versions of Windows. That doesn't really wash, integration just means more stuff that was packed over lots of silicon is now put on a single bit of silicon, from a software point of view it should all look much the same and it is the job of the device driver to make that work. Microsoft don't write the device drivers, hardware vendors do.

Trusting they will abuse your data and trusting they will abandon you at the first sight of trouble aren't necessarily related. I will agree that neither is pretty in a vendor you really need to trust, but then I always contended that the idea that you would get support out of MS simply because you paid money for the product is laughable (and don't get me started on the "If something goes wrong we have a company to sue" idea).

[Corky34]

But they are blaming system on chip integration....

Wouldn't be the first time Microsoft have laid the blame on something to cover up their real intentions, i think most people see this is nothing more than an another attempt to tighten the screws on those pesky people that don't see how amazing, superb, and wonderful Windows 10 is.

(and don't get me started on the "If something goes wrong we have a company to sue" idea).

The idea that people could sue Microsoft ended with Windows 7, since then every version of the Windows license says you can't bring class action law suites so you would need very deep pockets if you wanted to sue them nowadays.

[azrael-]

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE WINDOWS 10 whether you want to or not!

[LSG501]

It all does seem a little like MS are trying to 'force' everyone onto windows 10 one way or another...
First we get the annoying 'pop ups' on windows 7 with 'no opt out' and even hidden 'no I don't want to install'
Then there's the downloads in the background to catch people out
The 'bug' which turned on all the tracking settings again.
Now it's a case of basically saying you've got to use the newer version.

On one level I can understand the desire to reduce coding requirements but at the same time there are plenty of companies that don't upgrade their pc's due to certain requirements etc that often so there needs to be some sort of legacy support.

Then there's the second motive which I think this is about just as much as the above. People are getting fed up with tracking on websites, lots of people are using adblockers and the likes, some sites are even turning to blocking adblock users (stupid as we just won't go there) so where better to 'track people' than to put it in the OS.
Then there's the potential change to a subscription based os, yeah I know it's confirmed but still possible.

Basically once people are on windows 10 with the auto updates etc there's literally nothing a non tech savvy user can do to stop these things.

The weird thing is I kind of see this as Nadella pushing this direction because even though the direction was started with Balmer I honestly can't see him going down this route, he's even being vocal about 'metro apps' being a bad idea at the moment.

[lumireleon]

OKAY....running windows 7 on a skylake i5 uses more cores thus eating up more electricity than windows 10?

[excalibur2]

Or at least the level they want.

I've no idea (or, to be honest, interest in) whether their claims are accurate or not, but as new machines are going to be W10 by default, there's obviously going to be substantial takeup.

It might be interesting to see a detailed breakdown of how many Win7 users have used a free upgrade to 10, and how many have (so far) refused even a free upgrade. It's no secret that latter group includes me and this current announcement on processor support won't affect that decision. My machines are either staying W7 for largely legacy reasons or, where upgrading hardware, going to Linux.

....and the number of people who have tried to upgrade from win 7 to win 10.....but the install fails.

[3dcandy]

Or at least the level they want.

I've no idea (or, to be honest, interest in) whether their claims are accurate or not, but as new machines are going to be W10 by default, there's obviously going to be substantial takeup.

It might be interesting to see a detailed breakdown of how many Win7 users have used a free upgrade to 10, and how many have (so far) refused even a free upgrade. It's no secret that latter group includes me and this current announcement on processor support won't affect that decision. My machines are either staying W7 for largely legacy reasons or, where upgrading hardware, going to Linux.

....and the number of people who have tried to upgrade from win 7 to win 10.....but the install fails.

Has always been a hardware problem stopping any installs I've done. Unless you count old AV software from Mcaffee or Norton which is also notorious for stopping installs

[Gunbuster]

It all just shrieks of desparation and hard sell to me.

A company or person trying to sell this hard to me, just makes me want to run a mile. Something has to be up.

It's like a politician asking me to think of the children.

[AlSomething]

This is only going to affect a few companies and those people who bought Windows 7 retail. Most companies will move over to Windows 10 before this becomes a problem. Although it could affect companies more if they don't take up Windows 10, which is unlikely as XP caused to much trouble to get into that situation again.

I don't have a problem with this really, my laptop will stay Win 7 for as long as I see fit, which will properly be till it dies.

I trust Microsoft with my data more than any other company, but I will only give it data I want it to have. Same with Google, it has some of my data but only what I give it.

What is so hard with that? The average Joe Bloggs who doesn't know and it has already uploaded most of their data to the internet anyway.

[Corky34]

This is only going to affect a few companies and those people who bought Windows 7 retail. Most companies will move over to Windows 10 before this becomes a problem. Although it could affect companies more if they don't take up Windows 10, which is unlikely as XP caused to much trouble to get into that situation again.

Does Windows 8.1 not exist then?
And i can't see most companies moving over to Windows 10 seeing as they just spent a great deal of money migrating everything from XP to 7, added to that is the fact that most companies are typically very conservative and are unlikely to migrate to an OS that's only been out for 6 months.

I trust Microsoft with my data more than any other company, but I will only give it data I want it to have. Same with Google, it has some of my data but only what I give it.

Not sure why when they have demonstrated their perfectly happy to go back on their word, I'm also unsure how you know what data you're sharing with Microsoft when its been shown that even when told to Windows 10 can't stop talking to Microsoft.