Microsoft Reveals List Of Windows 7/8.1 Skylake PCs Receiving 18-Month Reprieve From Inevitable Windows 10 Upgrade

Microsoft caused a lot of confusion and anger in the enthusiast community when it was announced that customers running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on Skylake hardware would no longer be officially supported after July 17^th, 2017. That means critical security updates will no longer be delivered to these systems, and even if they are provided, Microsoft will do so only “if the update does not risk the reliability or compatibility of the Windows 7/8.1 platform on other devices.”

Although it wasn’t entirely clear at the time (because we couldn’t fathom that Microsoft would take this drastic of an action mid-stream), if you’re running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 with on a Skylake-based computer, you’ve already been targeted for excommunication by Microsoft. Critical security updates are off the table for you unless you decide to upgrade to the free Windows 10 operating system.

Microsoft's endgame is to get everyone on Windows 10 at all costs

The only way to receive support from Microsoft is if you have an OEM system on the approved list, and even then, that support is only guaranteed through July 17^th, 2017. Microsoft provided the list of compliant Skylake-based PCs today, and dozens of computers from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and NEC are “safe” for the next year and a half. After that point, consumers and businesses will practically be forced to upgrade to Windows 10 or lose critical security updates from Microsoft.

Microsoft writes:

For each of the supported systems listed on the OEM pages, the OEM has committed to additional testing, regular validation of Windows Updates, and publishing drivers and firmware for Windows 10 on Windows Update which will help unlock the security and power management benefits of Windows 10 once the systems are upgraded.

Microsoft goes on to say that OEMs will “periodically update their list of supported systems as new supported models are released” and that it will “provide regular updates to this page as additional OEMs provide links to their supported systems pages.”

This is an unprecedented move by Microsoft and one that we aren’t quite sure what to think of at this point. While we understand that Microsoft wants as many computers upgraded to Windows 10 as soon as possible, cutting off support for customers mid-stream when extended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 isn’t scheduled to end until January 14^th, 2020 and January 20^th, 2023 respectively just seems downright shady.