Microsoft extends support of Windows 10 version 1607 to 2023
Microsoft confirmed to Zdnet yesterday that it will support PCs with Intel's Clover Trail processor with security updates until 2023.
We revealed on Tuesday that devices with Intel Clover Trail processors cannot be upgraded from an earlier version of Windows 10 to the Creators Update version of the operating system (or any future update like the Fall Creators Update).
The error message Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC is displayed during the upgrade process, and there does not seem to be a way around this.
This is the first time that devices are blocked from receiving new Windows 10 feature upgrades, and it could not come at a worse point in time.
Clover Trail is not a particularly old technology, as it came on the market powering Windows 8 devices. These devices were upgraded to Windows 8.1 when it was released. We are talking about devices that are three to five years old, not something ancient.
Microsoft ran the Get Windows 10 campaign, and many of the devices were upgraded to Windows 10 for free during that time period.
The main issue for users of these devices is that the device would have been supported until 2023 if Windows 8.1 was still the operating system of choice. With Windows 10's Anniversary Update and the inability to upgrade to a newer feature update, support would run out in 2018.
That is bad, especially if you were a victim of the Get Windows 10 campaign that at times was quite aggressive in moving users from the older operating system to the newer one.
Microsoft extends support
Microsoft confirmed to ZDnet that Windows 10 systems running Intel Clover Trail cpus are stuck on the Anniversary Update version of Windows 10, and that there won't be a fix for that which allows these devices to be upgraded to newer feature update versions of Windows 10.
In a surprise turn of events, Microsoft has a solution for affected devices. While feature updates won't be offered to these devices anymore, Microsoft will provide them with security patches until 2023.
To keep our customers secure, we will provide security updates to these specific devices running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update until January of 2023, which aligns with the original Windows 8.1 extended support period.
Basically, what that means is that Microsoft breaks the Windows as a Service model which has feature updates supported for 18 months only before they are no longer supported (with the exception of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB devices).
The reason why Microsoft plans to provide patches until 2023 is simple: this is the year in which support for Windows 8.1 runs out.
Microsoft blames Intel for the support snafu:
This is the case with devices utilizing Intel Clover Trail Atom Processors1 today: they require additional hardware support to provide the best possible experience when updating to the latest Windows 10 feature update, the Windows 10 Creators Update. However, these systems are no longer supported by Intel (End of Interactive Support), and without the necessary driver support, they may be incapable of moving to the Windows 10 Creators Update without a potential performance impact.
Closing Words
This incident is important because of two things. First, and that is probably the important one, that the support period of Windows 10 and a device running the operating system may not overlap. If a hardware partner decides to end support for a particular component, users may be stuck on a version of Windows 10 that they cannot upgrade anymore.
The only recourse then is to either hope that Microsoft will provide security updates for these devices as well, or to install another operating system on the device.
Microsoft stepped in this time, but will the company do so for future incidents as well? This would torpedo the company's Windows as a Service model, as it would have to produce security updates for then unsupported versions of Windows 10.
Microsoft breaks its own Windows as a Service model when it starts to support versions of Windows that are at the end of their support cycle.
I think Microsoft does the right thing here. While it could have put the blame solely on Intel ignoring the situation that Clover Trail customers are in, it made the decision to break its own servicing model.
Now You:
Windows has really turned into one hell of a holy mess.
I agree – its a pain in the behind & everywhere else. I don’t understand the need for SO MANY UPDATES!
Brilliant, thanks for this news.
Also, just in case this may help someone, somewhere out there, if you’re running windows 10 in a vm, if you give it under 2 gigs of ram, windows itself will choose not to install feature updates for you, so a hassle free windows productivity install until 2023!
Treating windows as a bare minimum appliance (no web, personal data etc) for programs and just a video game console for games is actually working well.
not sure what kind of games you can run with just 2 gigs of ram..
There are many other examples of 2013/2014/2015-released Intel processors with “End of Interactive Support or EOLâ€. = Win 10 cannot be upgraded also.? …
http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/76761/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z-Series
http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/77772/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G-Series
http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/90613/Intel-Celeron-Processor-G-Series
The first LTSB edition was Win 10 Ent E5 LTSB 2015 which was based on RTM Version 1507 and supported by M$ until 2025. The second Win 10 Ent E5 LTSB 2016, based on Version 1607/Anniversary Update, is supported by M$ until 2026.
……. Win 10 Ent E5 Version 1511 and 1703 cannot be converted to LTSB. The next LTSB Version should be LTSB 2018 (EOL = 2028) which will be based on a 2018 Version of Win 10.
……. LTSB editions only receive security updates, ie no feature updates or Version upgrades.
So, it does not take much effort for M$ to extend security updates to the affected Intel Atom Clover Trail Win 10 Version 1607 tablets to 2023. It is miserly for M$ to not extend it to 2025, ie the EOL for Win 10, since that is one of the reasons users upgraded from Win 8 to Win 10.
……. Maybe, M$ should do this for all Versions of Win 10 that can be converted to LTSB(= 10 years of support), ie if the users choose not to upgrade, instead of an EOL of only 18 months.
A certain group of new OEM Win 10 computers that came with Version 1703 may also not be upgradeable to the coming Fall Creators Update. Version 1703 is not LTSB. In this rare case, M$ may not be willing to provide an extension as above.
.
P S – Many of these very-cheap OEM Win 10 Intel Atom(eg Bay Trail) 2-in-1 tablets came with only 32GB of eMMC Flash storage and already could not be upgraded because of limited free disk space.
……. After installation, bloated Win 10 occupies about 20+GB of disk space. Cumulative updates often reach 1.0+GB after only a few months.
… So, people should avoid such tablets like the plague.
……. more
http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/79666/Legacy-Intel-Core-Processors
.
http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/75025/4th-Generation-Intel-Core-i3-Processors
.
Many 2009-to-2013-released Intel processors are EOL, which is around the same period when Win 7/8 was released in 2009/2012. About 400 million Win 7/8/8.1 computers were upgraded to Win 10, either willingly or by hook or by crook. So, such computers with EOL’ed Intel processors running Win 10 should number in the millions.
……. This means such EOL’ed or non-supported-Intel processors may not be upgradeable, just like the Intel Atom Clover Trail tablets being un-upgradeable and stuck at Win 10 Version 1607.
The tablets were running fine under Win 8/8.1 and Win 10 Version 1507/1511/1607. The question is, did M$ purposely make the Intel Atom Clover Trail tablets un-upgradeable from Win 10 Version 1607 to 1703.? If the answer is yes, M$ will likely do the same for other Intel processors which have reached EOL, eg a few batches at a time.
Looking ahead, if we buy an OEM Wintel 10 computer today(= 2017), its Intel processor may reach EOL in 2021, ie after 4 years = may not be upgradeable wrt Win 10 Versions = EOL for Win 10 in early 2022. Whereas, the general EOL for Win 10 is 2025.
……. So, this is likely the coming business plan by M$ for ‘Windows 10 as a service’, ie Planned Obsolescence. IOW, M$ will be preventing consumers from using Win 10 Home or Pro for about 10 years, like they used to do with Win XP/Vista/7/8 Consumer editions. It will be 4 to 5 years from now on for Wintel computers running Win 10 Consumer editions before they are EOL’ed, just like what Apple purposely do to their customers’ iPhones and iPads running iOS, ie EOL’ed after 4 to 5 years through yearly iOS Version upgrades.
Hopefully, this is not so.
Please stop replacing a : for the words (semi colon), it makes following your links difficult and tiresome.
“So, people should avoid s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶a̶b̶l̶e̶t̶s̶ WINDOWS 10 like the plague”
@ AnorKnee Merce
I second Corky ! Will you PLEASE stop using words instead of punctuation when you typw a net address !!!!
It is ANNOYING to read.
EXAMPLE:
“http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/76761/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z-Series”
Please type this instead:
“http://ark.intel.com/products/series/76761/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z-Series”
@ AnorKnee Merce
I second Corky ! Will you PLEASE stop using words instead of punctuation when you type a net link !!!!
It is ANNOYING to read.
EXAMPLE:
“http(semi colon)//arkdotinteldotcom/products/series/76761/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z-Series”
Please type this instead:
“http://ark.intel.com/products/series/76761/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z-Series”
1607 is supported until 2026 because it’s LTSB.
@ Yuliya
For clarity, only corporations buying and using Win 10 Ent E5 Volume Licenses can convert to LTSB 2015 or LTSB 2016 which have EOL of 10 years. Of course, pirates who use KMS Emulators can also do so illegally.
Consumers using Win 10 Home & Pro Version 1607 cannot convert to LTSB 2016. So, EOL for them is still 2025 as long as they dutifully upgrade twice-a-year.
……. Corporations buying and using the much cheaper Win 10 Ent E3 VL Version 1607 cannot convert to LTSB 2016 and they cannot avail themselves of free Version upgrades. So, EOL for them is early 2018 unless they have also bought the 3-year-term Software Assurance or Upgrade Insurance. This is not very cost-effective, ie cannot use Win 10 Ent for 10 years without paying extra.
Corporations or SMBs who lease or subscribe to Win 10 Ent VL or Win 10 Pro(= Microsoft Business 365) have a perpetual EOL, ie as long as their lease or subscription fees have been paid, similar to Office 365.
Can Win 10 subscriptions be pirated as well.?
I’ll never understand why someone want to use 10+ years same OS, especially after support has ended. That truly shows what is wrong with the internet.
Excuse me I’m gonna install Windows 3.11 to avoid ransomware. *chuckle*
ATMs worldwide still use Windows XP Pro, but then again who ever heard of a generous banker?
More than half of ATM’s here are still using OS/2 (and I mean the legacy OS/2, not something like eComStation). So that’s even worse.
If Microsoft had been a bona fide company that would have made this issue clear to users of Windows 7/8.1 when the campaign to force users to upgrade to Windows 10 without their consent was in full swing, Underhand tactics such as using the Close button to mean users had agreed to the upgrade were rife at the time and Microsoft’s Answers.com forum was full of complaints from thousands of users who suddenly found Windows 10 had been installed without their knowledge or consent when the system rebooted.
So now users with older processors running Windows 10 are going to be left by the wayside by the sound of it presumably to try and force them to buy a new machine if they wish to make use of new features.
My own laptop running 8.1 has a Haswell CPU and I guess that means that had I upgraded to W10, the system wouldn’t even qualify for security updates anymore by the sound of it. I hate to think what former Windows 7 users who upgraded are going to make of this latest fiasco. I’m glad I’m not one of them.
Not a Microsoft fan, but this is not entirely their fault. Microsoft don’t have time machines, so they probably didn’t know that Intel/PowerVR would drop support for the GPU so very quickly. This is why I usually go with NVidia GPUs, they support them for an extremely long time. Shame about that time they tricked customers with the memory in the GTX970 though, that makes me not want to ever support NVidia again.
Anyway, I guess Microsoft could have looked at the support dates for these Intel/PowerVR chips and refrained from pushing Windows 10 out to them, but realistically, Microsoft can’t be expected to do this for every piece of hardware. Its up to the manufacturers to support hardware, and its up to consumers to not support those manufacturers who only support hardware for five years, which is indeed an unacceptably short period today for anything other than gamers who demand to play the very latest games at high settings.
@ kevin
It is not confirmed that the PowerVR graphics chip caused the upgrade problem. The very proprietary PowerVR graphics chip caused Linux to be uninstallable on the tablet, ie no Linux drivers for it.
The affected Intel Atom Clover Trail tablets can run on Win 10 Version 1507, 1511 and 1607 fine but not on Version 1703. Something was changed in Version 1703 which crippled the tablet. So, the problem is likely the new Win 10 Version 1703 not supporting the Atom CT processor.
It’s possible that M$ used processor-blocking in Version 1703 against the tablets. This may be indicated by the error message, ” Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC
Uninstall this app now because it isn’t compatible with Windows 10.”
The error message when Intel Kabylake processor is being blocked from Win 7/8.1 is,
“â€Unsupported Hardware: Your PC uses a processor that isn’t supported on this version of Windows and you won’t receive updates.—, which is quite similar.
No offence Kevin, but I saying that Microsoft wasn’t aware that Intel would be dropping support for certain processors is a bit lame. After all, we’re not talking about some small business with a minimal number of staff, but rather the dominant player in the OS industry. Considering the fact that revenue for the 4th quarter of 2016 alone was $22.6 billion according to reports, if Microsoft doesn’t have enough staff to deal with changes taking place in the industry they should employ more.
@ M$ Parrot:
“Excuse me I’m gonna install Windows 3.11 to avoid ransomware. *chuckle*”
Oh, please. Don’t even try to be funny. Pretty much any OS apart from Windows is safe from ransomware.
Ed Bott forced Microsoft’s hand. He made it clear that the upgrade to Windows 10 on these systems was a big mistake and Microsoft needed to step up to the plate. Microsoft chose to be silent on this issue for several months while the OEMs misled users – drivers and firmware updates were being looked into – they never were. It was all a ruse.
Microsoft made amends because they had to. This was going to get real ugly if they continued to do nothing. So under duress they offered a proposal that was palatable (to the users). I wanted to praise them for doing the right thing until I read their response. They blamed Intel. No remorse.
MS has set a precedent that breaks the underlying ideas behind W10. They have created a stinking mess without the help of Intel or anyone else. Woody at Askwoody.com noted that this problem was going to occur just the Sun will rise in the morning. Paul Thurrott noted that WaaS is now toast because of this precedent. All new devices have a support life and these are usually published for all. MS should have known this and planned accordingly.
What all this likely boils down to is that M$ have aggressively upgraded people on Win 7/8.1 to Win 10 with their GWX marketing campaign and then about 2 years later prematurely EOL’ed their “old” Wintel 10 computers by making them non-upgradeable to new Versions of Win 10. So, the affected ex-Win 7/8.1 users will likely have to buy new computers in 2018/2019(= EOL for Win 10 Version 1607/1703), instead of being able to use their computers until 2020/2023, ie the original EOL for Win 7/8.1. This is like bait-n-switch marketing tactics.
Those who have bought new Wintel 10 computers will likely be similarly affected about 4 years down the road, ie they will find their computers non-upgradeable to new Versions of Win 10 “because of unsupported Intel processors”.
Linked examples of 6 years old or older computers running on Win 7/8/10, …….
.
http(semi colon)//wwwdotcomputerworlddotcom/article/2526658/operating-systems/windows-7–how-low-can-you-go-.html
.
https(semi colon)//wwwdotyoutubedotcom/watch?v=CDBuhdHNiMs
.
http(semi colon)//wwwdotpcworlddotcom/article/2951112/hardware/can-your-old-pc-run-windows-10-the-answer-will-surprise-you.html
.
.
Hopefully, M$ will continue this tradition of backwards-compatibility with the last Version of Windows. If not, Win 10 may become the last version of Windows, … as in becoming extinct like the dinosaurs.
@AnorKnee Merce, is there something wrong with your computer or are you just stupid?
@Corky:
He’s not responding to you. He should just put the URL in, but maybe he has certain security ideals that he likes to adhere to. Remember when spam bots started getting big in the 2000s, websites would intentionally butcher up mailto:// links so they couldn’t be executed on the fly. Maybe same idea here.
@AnorKnee:
You should at least provide a response.
@Jody Thornton, I was sort of hoping the insult would have elicited a response.
The press properly will continue to have a field day with this information as it becomes more transparent over time.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3209705/windows/confirmed-windows-10-will-cut-off-devices-with-older-cpus.html
Bear in mind that Win 10 CU/1703 can run on Intel Atom Clover Tail Z2760, as per …….
.
https(semi colon)//forumsdotlenovodotcom/t5/ThinkPad-Tablets/Thinkpad-Tablet-2-Working-well-with-Windows-10-Creator-s-Update/td-p/3639855
A commenter at Zdnet/Ed Bott’s 19/07/2017 article has also stated that he/she could run Win 10 v1703 on an Atom Z2760.
So, M$ may be “misrepresenting facts”.
.
P S – A workaround for the above issue is to use Clonezilla to clone Win 10 CU/1703 from a similar spec unaffected computer to the affected Intel Atom Clover Trail computer, as mentioned at this link …
https(semi colon)//answersdotmicrosoftdotcom/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/windows-10-creators-update-1703-fails-sp/a8765e64-26e1-4160-8854-4f2ae4c40a99
This likely means processor-blocking by M$. Is M$ testing the waters by first trying to make 4 to 5 years old low-end computers obsolete?
@AnorKnee Merce:
OK I admit it – I am starting to develop a morbid curiosity as to why you write the word “Semi-colon” on URLs. I know you’re not obligated to explain, but throw me a bone – I gotta know why.
I suspect your concern is explained at http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-no-longer-supported-how-to-tell-if-your-pc-is-eligible-for-latest-version/ .
Why are you defeating the moderator function by incorrectly hiding your cited URL?
@ chesscanoe
This issue is not new, ie the Win 10 upgrade problem through Windows Update had already begun in 2015 for the owners of Intel Atom Clover Trail tablets, as per …
https(semi colon)//answersdotmicrosoftdotcom/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/intel-graphics-media-accelerator-not-compatible/78765fe5-5891-4191-85b0-aa4e0293b7eb?page=3
.
http(semi colon)//wwwdottransformerforumsdotcom/forum/asus-vivotab-smart/47662-windows-10-running-vivotab-smart-me400c.html
.
These links show the travails of some of the Intel Atom Clover Trail tablet owners since the launch of Win 10 on 29 July 2015, ie their Win 8.1 was blocked by M$ from upgrading to Win 10 RTM/1507 through Windows Update, which they worked-around with a Registry fix or a clean install of Win 10 and OEM SOC drivers.
Then recently, they were again blocked from the Win 10 Version 1703/CU upgrade through Windows Update which can also be similarly worked-around.
.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
The ghacks Moderator/s is blocking links from being auto-published in the Comments section mainly to prevent links that may have malware, ie the links have to be first checked and approved. Other tech sites do not block links in Comments, ie the visitors are expected to practice safe-browsing themselves or the links are post-approved, ie problematic links are deleted after being auto-published.
……. I prefer the latter method, hence …….
@AnorKnee Merce, The thing is you’re the only person who seems to have problems posting links, as can be seen every time someone else posts a link, just like chesscanoe just did.
For example i can translate the links you posted into…
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-Tablets/Thinkpad-Tablet-2-Working-well-with-Windows-10-Creator-s-Update/td-p/3639855
And
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/windows-10-creators-update-1703-fails-sp/a8765e64-26e1-4160-8854-4f2ae4c40a99
I can do that without any problems whatsoever and I’ve done it this time to prove a point, however I’m still undecided whether i should do you the courtesy of providing that service in the future or if I’m going to resort to childish behavior and insult you at every opportunity. :)
In the old days of Win XP computers(released in 2001-), consumers could expect to use Win XP for about 10 years until EOL. There was no real need to upgrade the old Win XP computers to Win 7/8 in 2009/2012 because most computers do not last more than 10 years.
……. Also, it was quite impossible to upgrade old Win XP computers to the 2012-released Win 8 mainly because of the modern hardware requirements of Win 8, eg Intel Pentium M processors could not run Win 8. The 2004-released Intel Pentium M processor could run Win 7. So, some old Win XP computers, if upgradeable to Win 7, could theoretically be used until 2020 = EOL for Win 7 = a total device-life of about 16 years.
Similarly, if left alone by M$, old Win 7/8.1 computer(released in 2009-/2013-) consumers could expect to use Win 7/8.1 for about 10 years until EOL in 2020/2023. If the Win 7/8.1 computers could be upgraded to Win 10, they were supposed to last longer for about 12 to 15 years, ie until EOL for Win 10 in 2025.
Also, new Win 10 computer consumers/buyers were expecting to be able to use their computers for about 10 years, ie until 2025.
Now with this likely new practice of M$ not “allowing” Win 10 computers with 4 to 5 years old Intel processors from being upgraded to the next Version of Win 10, thus prematurely EOL’ing the Win 10 computers, consumers will be prevented from using their computers for about 10 to 15 years, eg EOL for Win 10 v1607 is early 2018, for v1703 is late 2018 and for the Fall Creators Update/v1709? is early 2019.
……. In effect, M$ have cut down the life of Wintel 10 devices from 10-15 years to 4-5 years = Planned Obsolescence.
My 5 year old PC is running Windows 7 just fine, windows update disabled since Jan 2016. Malware I can deal with, Microsoft spying I won’t.
Who even want’s an upgrade. I just want to run my system the same as in 2004.
I boycott all this new stuff. I hesitated to even install win 7. Only ZOMBIES are embracing this BS now.
Instead of calling it a supported date they should just call it by what they actually mean “expiration date” how the hell do you even closet an OS?
Monopolysoft
19 January 2018
On a (10+ year old) machine running
Windows 10 PRo version 1607 OS Build 14393.2007
The web page
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/comprehensive-security?OCID=Security_inp_omc_win_sta_RS1
says:
Your version of Windows 10 is out of date
Your device is running an older version of Windows 10. To continue to receive security updates and enjoy the latest features Windows 10 has to offer, you need to update your device to a newer version of Windows 10.
with a link to executable file
https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/9/A/89A26D27-5642-469E-92EB-B065DB09AB1/Windows10Upgrade28099.exe
So it looks as if 1607 has reached EOL.
Andrew C Aitchison
I am attempting to find the .msu files for 1607….but many of them are not listed on microsoft catelog where on earth can i find these? KB3176929; KB3176495; KB3176934; KB3176938; KB3189866; KB3193494 and KB3194496?
So basically 14393.10 to 143393.222?