WILL MICROSOFT STOP SUPPORTING YOUR PC?
What are Microsoft’s Windows Update policies?
Windows PCS face an obvious threat to their longevity. As it has already shown, Microsoft may suddenly decide your PC or its components are ineligible for support – and cut you off from future updates. Previously, Microsoft’s policy was to support an operating system (OS) for a ‘fixed period’ (usually five years from launch) for ‘mainstream’ support, and around 10 years for ‘extended’ support.
At the end of the extended-support period, the OS would stop receiving important security updates and would no longer be safe to use. This was the fate of both Windows XP and Vista in recent years. Users would need to pay to upgrade to a new version of the OS (assuming their hardware met the new version’s minimum requirements), or buy a new PC.
With Windows 10 it would seem things are different. Microsoft still lists it alongside other versions of the OS in its lifecycle fact sheet ( www.snipca.com/ 25145) as having five-year mainstream and 10-year extended support. But look at the small print next to the double asterisk below, and you’ll notice some exceptions, including the following: “A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Update availability may vary, for example by country, region, network connectivity, mobile operator (e.g., for cellular-capable devices), or hardware capabilities” (see screenshot above)
To translate: your PC’S eligibility for future Windows 10 support no longer relies on just the operating system’s own life cycle. It now also depends heavily on other factors, including for how long the manufacturers of the components inside your PC continue to support their hardware.
The recent example we mentioned is a case in point. Microsoft essentially chose to stop supporting updates on PCS running Intel’s Atom ‘Clover Trail’ processors (specifically the Z2760, Z2520, Z2560 and Z2580 models – see image right) because the manufacturer moved these processors to its own ‘End of Interactive Support’ phase. Microsoft’s argument is that the lack of updated hardware drivers for these chips have compromised performance in Computers running the W10 Creators Update (CU). PCS affected include many models sold between 2012 and 2014 from a wide range of popular manufacturers, such as Acer, Asus and HP.
Where does that leave you?
If your PC runs one of the unsupported processors (click Start, type processor and press Enter to find out) you won’t be able to install the Creators Update at all. The upgrade fails and you’ll be reverted to the previous version of the OS. No help is offered beyond a confusing error message that states ‘Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC. Uninstall this app now because it isn’t compatible with Windows 10’ (even though there’s no ‘app’ to uninstall). You might as well buy a new PC rather than replace the processor (see page 56), so users of affected PCS are effectively stuck with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (AU).
It might seem outrageous that Microsoft would stop supporting PCS that are only three years old, but at least users won’t be left entirely without provision. Until now, Microsoft’s policy has been to stop releasing security updates for older versions of Windows 10 around two years after their initial release. For example, support for the original 2015 version (1507) ended in May this year, and support for 2015’s November Update (version 1511) is due to end on 10 October.
In the wake of the Intel outcry, however, Microsoft has pledged to extend security updates for PCS running the Anniversary Update (version 1607) until January 2023 – five years longer than initially planned. So, PCS that aren’t able to install the CU will still be safe to use – they just won’t get all the latest features. If you’re not interested in the CU’S Paint 3D app or augmented-reality support, and you’re happy with your PC as it is, it may actually be a relief to know that you won’t have to put up with any more potentially disruptive feature updates.
But there’s still cause for concern. Just how widespread will this type of problem become? Will Microsoft extend its security updates for future versions of the OS when other hardware becomes unsupported? Will it use this as means to effectively force Windows users to buy a new PC? Only time will tell. In the meantime it’s hard not to feel resentful that, after working so hard to persuade us all to upgrade to W10, Microsoft has now put the longevity of our PCS in jeopardy.