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Microsoft has quietly killed off Windows 7 support for older Intel PCs.
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.
Here's how it happened. Back in March, the Win7 Monthly Rollup, KB 4088875, included a warning about SSE2 problems:
A Stop error occurs on computers that don't support Streaming Single Instructions Multiple Data (SIMD) Extensions 2 (SSE2).
I talked about the bugs in KB 4088875 — one of the buggiest Win7 patches in recent memory — shortly after it was released. At the time, the KB article said:
Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
[...] To recap: Up until June 15, Microsoft was promising that it would fix the bug that prevented Win7 Monthly Rollups and Security-only updates from installing on older pre-SSE2 machines. After June 15, Microsoft wrote off the pre-SSE2 population, without notice or fanfare, and retroactively changed the documentation to cover its tracks.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:48AM (5 children)
Already a couple of years ago Microsoft deliberately changed the default SDK compiler settings to always include SSE2 instructions.
That pretty much killed most apllication updates for any system still running AthlonXP+ or Pentium III processors. Including Firefox.
These programs compiled has no startup code checking for SSE2 support, no meningful error just the programs crash at launch.
So let me being skeptical about Microsoft promises to fix the "bug"
(Score: 2, Offtopic) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday July 03 2018, @02:58PM
My son told me what default is, in the world of cyber. It's cyber you haven't changed. Cyber the way it comes from the store. But, you can change it VERY EASILY.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by epitaxial on Tuesday July 03 2018, @07:56PM (3 children)
Throw away that antique hardware already. We're approaching two decades of support now. Does Apple's compiler still output PowerPC code?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:18PM (2 children)
Some people just can't spend the +180 euros that the lowest end replacement CPU, MB, RAM, HD would cost new.
The current hardware AthonXP+2600, 3GB, 320GB is more that powerful enough for many people's normal use (including 720p video playback) but the software artificially doesn't follow.
There are tons of AthlonXP+ computers now being trashed for this reason, and so a 2nd hand alternative is not much cheaper either.
Microsoft SDK compiler is perfectly capable of generating SSE2 free code. When configured to do so, but most developers didn't even know/care.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @05:24AM (1 child)
Drive around on trash day, anything you find is guaranteed to be newer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @08:35AM
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:54AM (8 children)
I am no fan of Microsoft, but I think many can agree that the boat anchor of legacy hardware and software support has held Microsoft back.
We can't blame backwards compatibility for Microsoft's shitty business practices, disastrous mergers/acquisitions and horrible design decisions. But it certainly has hurt the quality of its software products.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:21AM
We are talking about Windows 7, the most stable, least broken OS Microsoft has ever released. It's not like they need to make it even better in a time where they would really like people to give up on Windows 7 and upgrade to the POS that is Windows 10.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:24AM
Embrace, extend, extinguish... can you imagine how fast Microsoft could have moved on this innovation path if only it haven't had to support legacy hardware and software?
(Bold as it may be, one possible outcome could be global extinction - imagine a Microsoft dropping support for XP and forcing the transition to Vista for submarines [mspoweruser.com]. Maybe even submarines in the cloud?)
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:48AM (3 children)
Yeah, backward compatibility has truly held back the recent development of... Windows 7?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @03:35PM (2 children)
Who said "recent development"? It certainly has had in impact on every version of Windows since '98. Would 7 have been even better, more stable, or had a longer support life if Microsoft had not had to look all the way back to supporting some parts of what '95 had to support? Would 10 have come out when it did if 7 wasn't dragging all of the ghosts of OSs, protocols and hardware past?
Apple, with all its failings, has been much better about freeing themselves from the chains of the past. And if/when they abandon Intel chips in their laptop or iMac lines, they will do it with a planned sunset of older hardware support in their OS.
As far as Linux goes, there are flavors that want to support stone age hardware, and some that that don't want to. And there is nothing wrong with that. Freeing the kernel maintainers from some of the past is good for the future of Linux.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @05:06PM
> Who said "recent development"?
The article is about them dropping support now, nine years after release.
> Apple, with all its failings, has been much better about freeing themselves from the chains of the past.
Personally, those "chains of the past" are literally the only thing keeping me on Windows (7, of course). From what i hear, Microsoft is breaking compatibility more and more with every major patch for Win10. Even putting aside the telemetry and loss of control of my own machine, that will be enough for me to completely abandon Windows in a few year's time. If I'm going to have to stop using the software I'm used to anyway, why wouldn't I switch to a superior OS (and I'm not talking just about technical superiority)?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @04:26PM
I disagree. Instead of holding them back, legacy support is what saved them from better, competing solutions. For example, O/S2.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:40PM (1 child)
>I am no fan of Microsoft, but
I am no fan of mafias, but.............
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday July 03 2018, @07:44PM
Have realized the Truth?
There is no fan . . .
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1) by sonamchauhan on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:01AM (7 children)
I am a Windows user exclusively now, after using Linux extensively in the early 2000s. Win10 isn't on any of my devices, except the work PC (which isn't mine anyway).
Since Windows now insists on phoning home, so I've told it to stay there and cease trying to Wintern my devices.
(Score: 3, Informative) by choose another one on Tuesday July 03 2018, @11:43AM (6 children)
You know 7 phones home too right ?
(Score: 4, Informative) by ilsa on Tuesday July 03 2018, @02:46PM (4 children)
Specifically, Microsoft backported all their telemetry crap to all versions of windows down to 7.
And then people started specifically excluding the relevant KBs, so Microsoft switched to 'all in one' updates which the add it back. Don't like it? You don't get any updates at all then.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @05:12PM (1 child)
> Don't like it? You don't get any updates at all then.
Indeed. I haven't updated my Windows 7 box in years, and rely on third-party security software to keep myself somewhat protected :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @11:10AM
It's not working, and you have crap taste in pron.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:29PM
Then just install security only updates. poof, no telemetry
(Score: 1) by sonamchauhan on Thursday July 12 2018, @01:27PM
Yes, I do not.
(Score: 1) by sonamchauhan on Thursday July 12 2018, @01:29PM
Not mine 😁
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:34AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DRaCodgL9cvk [youtube.com]
Old, hard to fix? Unsupported!
Not much different to newer computers, just with less pretence!
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Insightful) by axsdenied on Tuesday July 03 2018, @11:39AM (3 children)
To put things in perspective the CPUs supporting SSE2 came out in 2000 (Intel) or 2003 (AMD).
That was 18/15 years ago.
Now compare that to the phone manufacturers nowadays...
(Score: 4, Interesting) by ilsa on Tuesday July 03 2018, @02:51PM
While that may be true, I don't see why Microsoft should get a special exception to Darth Vader their support agreements.
If the tables were turned and you unilaterally changed something that Microsoft had a vested interest in, then you can bet that Microsoft would go thermonuclear on you with their lawyers and rip you more new rectums than you know what to do with. They will use any legal twist they can think of to screw you over until you beg for mercy.
Live by the sword, die by the sword, I say.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @05:05PM (1 child)
When did they stop selling non-SSE2 processors?
(Score: 2) by toddestan on Thursday July 05 2018, @05:43AM
Intel was still selling Pentium III's (mostly for mobile) until 2003. AMD was still selling Socket A stuff as late as 2005-2006 as kind of their budget line. They then rebranded them as the Geode processors and kept selling them for a while after that.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Tuesday July 03 2018, @05:05PM (3 children)
So what is the benefit of not supporting pre-SSE2? Does it make our newer systems faster? Give us a better connection to the internet? Has more molecules? Does it make the software less expensive? Does it even make Statya richer? Does it actually do anything?
Right, it means people have to throw out perfectly good machines and buy new latest and greatest with blue LEDs and shit. Of course these days the consumertards are all used to throwing out mobile electronics every year or two.
I have a system with an Athlon XP Mobile 3000 here, and there is nothing wrong with it. It is a decent machine. So I have to chunk it in to the river to appease our Microsoft overlords. Fuck them.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @05:32PM
Install the OS it came with. If you don't like it, install Linux or *BSD. Your PC did not come with futureproof warranty for 15 years. It's amazing that you still have use for it.
(Score: 3, Disagree) by epitaxial on Tuesday July 03 2018, @08:00PM
The added cost of supporting two decade old CPU registers is not worth it. No your Athlon XP Mobile 3000 is not a decent machine. A $150 Chromebook will blow it out of the water performance wise.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @10:07AM
I doubt it. If it did he'd be able to afford a nice suit like a proper CEO, instead of having to walk around in a grubby t-sirt and jeans looking like a sad hipster.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @06:15PM (1 child)
So now any machine that is SSE2 free will also be free of any nefarious Microsoft "updates" ? ;-)
Buy this (old) machine. Get Microsoft protection built-in!
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday July 03 2018, @08:07PM
I can pretty much protect any machine from Microsoft products. Insert Linux.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @10:06AM
Yasmin said on July 3, 2018 at 12:02 pm
@ ddk said on July 3, 2018 at 12:31 am
“Linux will NOT save you.”
You’re right – that’s for Jesus!
“It’s absolutely the worst computing experience imaginable.
Countless bugs, regressions, software breakage, erratic performance, constant crashes, terrible GUI/themes/designs etc. It was a migraine and emotionally draining experience using it.”
Wow, never been down that road.. Oh yes, I have! The entire time I used Windows starting all the way back with 3.x. People were so gracious for Windows XP (2000 & 7) because, in part, it wasn’t crashing all of the time, freezing, hard locks requiring a reboot, BSOD, sluggish behavior, etc. Still – the experience for me was at the least, included in what you said about Linux. I’ve had the opposite experience with Linux, actually.
“IMHO, consider switching to Mac OS as an alternative”
Yeah, no. Both are proprietary (closed source) Operating Systems loaded with proprietary software.
I recommend you read the following:
https://stallman.org/apple.html [stallman.org]
Please direct all disagreements to the author, which of course is not me.
“if not then Win 7 or 8. Win 8 is great, very stable & with classic shell, we got our start menu back.”
Yay! They gave us a start menu again! I’m so happy! Yeah, no. Try Linux with the ton of window managers and several desktop environments to choose from. For example, it’s a real treat to be able to load up old and new tech with something minimal like openbox, fluxbox, etc. whereas Windows does not give you this choice! Windows gives you what Windows gives you, and that includes M$ root access to all of the installs. I don’t eat from the dog scraps under the table.
“Win 10 LTSB is fantastic and even though a demo, probably can be “rearmed” for additional extended use. Mine says 2 rearms available. I might be good until March 2019 if that’s the case.”
Wow! How fantastic! Yeah, no. I can choose from tons of Linux distributions, each designed for a different purpose. I can choose FREELY, distribute freely, modify freely, upgrade freely, and so forth. I don’t need to worry about licenses, whether or not some or all are legit, call up M$ and beg for help should some license issue go haywire. Did you purchase new hardware and it tells you to call M$? Come on, it’s 2018, people should know better. Privacy/security issues are discussed widely across the net, I’ll let you search for those, but IMO you really sound like a M$ rep. of some sort.
So in closing, yes, Linux does save you from a lot, especially if you devoted a large portion of your life to using and/or supporting Windows boxes. I can load Grandma up with a Linux box and customize it within minutes and Grandma never experiences any trouble. But give her a box with Windows on it and she’ll never leave you the .. alone.
- https://www.ghacks.net/2018/07/02/windows-10-installing-unwanted-store-apps/#comment-4383537 [ghacks.net]