Each Windows product has its own life cycle - “support time”. The beginning of the cycle is the release of the product (for example, the release operating system) and making it available to the public. End – Cessation of sales or support.

It is important for users to know the “lifetime” of software in order to safely use the software, update it or make changes in a timely manner.

IMPORTANT! When support ends, the company does not release any more updates for security systems, as well as updates for other components of the operating system, and ceases to advise customers within technical support(even for a fee).

Two stages of Windows support

Microsoft offers users 2 phases of support. Immediately after the release of any operating system,

1. the main support phase, and after it ends
2. extended support.

At the main stage, support is provided for the entire complex of the operating system, and at the extended stage, mainly only security updates are released.

1) Main

As part of the main phase, the company actively supports the system for 5 years from the date of product availability.

Note: Those Windows users 8, who have been working on this system since its release, remember well that a system update to new version 8.1. And there already appeared, for example, a Start button, which for some reason was not there in Windows 8. This is a clear example of the fact that with basic support you can receive not only security updates, but also system functionality updates.

For example, you bought Windows 7 and are using it. After 5 years a new version comes out. There is no need to worry: as part of basic support, the company will send updates for security and other systems for at least another 2 years. But most often this period is a little longer, and besides, after the main phase, the second, extended phase begins immediately.

2) Extended

Support is provided for a minimum of 5 years. The specific period is indicated by the manufacturer (Microsoft).

The differences between the 2 phases of support lie in the number of options provided and the capabilities:

Support type	Main	Extended
Security updates (antiviruses, defender and others)	Present	Present
Support, answers to questions, access to the database	Present	Present
Opportunity to receive support for a fee	Present	Present
Updates for other systems that NOT security related	Present	Available at special conditions. For home Windows options unavailable
Free telephone support, when accessing via the Internet or through special programs	Present	Optional (but in the majority cases - no)
Change request type of software product or its specific functions	Present	Absent
Related Requirements with warranty service	Present	None

The support period policy at Microsoft was created long and carefully so that customers could be confident in the stability of the product and its service life. The rules were developed with the participation of well-known specialists: company partners, investors, independent analysts and clients. Microsoft is committed to ensuring that support policy requirements are consistent and applied equally throughout the world.

Windows 10 support period

The Windows 10 operating system became universally available on July 29, 2015 (this date marks the beginning of the software life cycle).

On October 13, 2020, the main support phase will end, but users who are “sitting on ten” will still receive updates as part of extended support.

It turns out that the manufacturer, in general, guarantees users 10 years of support from the release of the operating system (or from the start date of its life cycle).

Windows 8 support

For the Windows 8 (8.1) operating system, released on October 18, 2013, the support period is also 10 years.

• Updates for security systems and other systems are available to users;
• users can receive paid or free support from Microsoft representatives;
• They also have access to non-security updates.

As with other operating systems from Microsoft, the main phase of support for Windows 8.1 ends after 5 years from the date of release. The manufacturer indicated this date - January 9, 2018.

A feature of the operating system is the cumulative effect of updates.

This means that you will only be able to access the new update if you have the previous one installed. For constant support, you need to install Last update(which corrects/makes additions to the operation of security systems and other systems). Representatives of the corporation indicate that some may not work correctly.

About Windows 7 support

Microsoft representatives explained that they had been supporting the system for too long, but the time had come to invest money and time in new products.

Let's summarize the results in the table:

Support dates for Windows 10, 8.1, 7 and XP

operating system (OS)	OS release date	Termination date basic support	Termination date expanded support
Windows 10	July 29, 2015	October 13, 2020	October 14, 2025
Windows 8.1	October 18, 2013	January 9, 2018	January 10, 2023
Windows 7	October 22, 2009	January 13, 2015	January 14, 2020
Windows XP	December 31, 2001	April 14, 2009	April 8, 2014

It is useful for Windows operating system users to know the support periods of their installed operating systems, as these systems may become vulnerable after support periods have expired.

Microsoft continues to strive to delight, surprise and shock its users. Just the other day, a colleague approached me with the following problem: he purchased and assembled a new PC based on a new processor Intel Core i3 7100. On assembled computer was installed successfully Windows image 7. But after some time, after Windows 7 downloaded and installed all the updates via Windows Update, the system stopped receiving new updates with the following error:

Unsupported hardware
Your PC uses a processor that is designed for the latest version of Windows. Because the processor is not supported together with the Windows version that you are currently using, your system will miss important security updates.

Not supported hardware

Your processor does not support this version Windows, you will not be able to receive updates.

Incompatible equipment
Your computer is equipped with a processor designed for the latest Windows versions, you will miss important security updates.

When trying to search for an update through Windows Update, the following error appears:

Unsupported processors for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

The fact is, Microsoft announced last year that all owners the latest processors must use only the latest version of the client platform - Windows 10. For older versions of Windows, restrictions will be created on the use of these processor models.

The restrictions apply to the following processor generations:

• 7th generation of processors IntelCore(microarchitecture Kaby Lake, production began in 2017)
• Seventh generation of processors AMD(microarchitecture Bristol Ridge, production began in the 3rd quarter of 2016)
• Qualcomm 8996(mainly used for mobile devices)

In April 2017, MSFT released special patches for previous versions of the OS

• KB4012218– for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• KB4012219– for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2

The description of the patches states the appearance of functionality for determining the generation of the processor and supported hardware when searching for updates through Windows Update.

Enabled detection of processor generation and hardware support when PC tries to scan or download updates through Windows Update.

Accordingly, after installing these updates, the system begins to block the download of new updates (including for MS Office) and drivers on older versions of the OS with an error 80240037 , thereby forcing users to switch to Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016. Thus, all old systems with new hardware stop receiving security updates and become vulnerable. Looks like blackmail...

In addition, the installation of drivers for video adapters based on GPUs Seventh generation Intel (Intel HD Graphics 610 - 650). In Windows 7 SP1 it is defined as a standard VGA graphics adapter.

When you try to install a signed video driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s driver, the error “This system does not satisfy minimum requirements to install software."

As you can see, the driver installer directly states that on equipment with seventh generation Intel processors, the driver can only be installed on Windows 10 x64.

Sad….

Wufuc – Windows Update recovery patch

There is an unofficial workaround to clear the "Hardware is not supported" message and restore the ability to receive and install security updates on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers with Intel processors Kaby Lake, AMD Ryzen, and other unsupported CPUs.

There is a version of Wufuc for both x86 and x64 systems.

According to information from Zeffy, the function for detecting the processor type and blocking updates is in the library wuaueng.dll. The Wufuc patch originally replaced this file, but because this decision unstable against updating the file with the next Windows Update; in subsequent releases of Wufuc, the logic of the patch was changed.

Now the actual replacement of the wuaueng.dll file is not performed. The wufuc_setup_x64.msi installer registers a new scheduler job that starts wufuc when the computer boots. wufuc then injects itself into the service host process or wuauserv service and intercepts the call to the IsDeviceServiceable and IsCPUSupported functions, modifying the response returned.

Thus, the wufuc patch disables the “Hardware is not supported” message in Windows Update, and allows you to continue installing updates on Windows 7 and 8.1 systems.

Today, the Windows operating system is installed on almost 90% of personal computers. The famous Windows XP was supported for more than 12 years, which was a record among other versions of this OS. But nothing lasts forever, and in April 2014, XP officially stopped being supported. Not much time has passed, and the guys from Microsoft announce the end of support for Windows 7 and 8.1. Let's look at this news in more detail.

End of support terms for Windows 7 and 8.1

Sales of devices running the above-mentioned systems will cease in November 2016. A Support for Windows 7 will be completely discontinued in 2020, Windows 8.1 – in 2023.

The complete disappearance of devices on the seven and eight from the shelves, of course, will not happen immediately - this is a gradual process. But prices will certainly rise due to shortages. Or maybe not, because Microsoft seems to promise that until the end of support for these OSes, those who purchase a computer on Windows 10 will still be able to replace it with one of the previous versions.

Why is this being done?

Windows 10 did not live up to the expectations of its comrades from Microsoft. They planned that today the “ten” will be used on more than a billion devices. But this OS could not gain such popularity. Heaps of errors, uncontrolled updates, inappropriate advertising - all this alienated users. Many people switched back to Windows 7 or 8, and some, having read the reviews, didn’t even try the “ten”. That is, in fact, previous versions of Windows compete with the new one. And instead of making Windows 10 more attractive to users, Microsoft simply decides to deprive people of versions 7 and 8.

So why not keep both?

Windows 10 has one interesting feature, because of which at first many people felt terrified. It's about collecting personal information about the user down to his correspondence. It’s difficult to judge how serious everything is, but Microsoft does not hide the fact that statistics are still being collected. This is done ostensibly to improve the product and in order to slip us the “needed” advertising, which is slowly being integrated into Windows 10: either offers to download paid software appear in the Start menu, or they try to sell something on the lock screen... Loot, how they say rules the world. But the same one seven is more “free”, and users feel great without any advertising intrusions.

In short, the existence of Windows 7 and 8.1 is simply unprofitable for Microsoft, both in terms of maintaining these operating systems and in terms of promoting the top ten.

By the way, Windows 10, according to the developers, will become final version of this operating system.

Conclusion

Well, everyone is slowly forgetting about Windows XP, and we will also forget about the “seven” and “eight” over time. Let's hope that after gigabytes of updates, the tenth version of this OS will still become quite friendly and stable. Otherwise, we save money for

2018: There will be no new applications for Windows 8 after October 31

2016: End of support

Windows 8 support ends on January 12, 2016. As such, Microsoft promoted this operating system for only a little over three years, which is unusual for an American corporation.

Windows 8 was released in October 2012 and is ending support earlier than older ones Windows Vista And Windows 7, which Microsoft will support until April 2017 and January 2020, respectively.

Since support for each new version of Windows typically lasts 10 years from launch, the G8 was initially expected to remain on the market until at least 2022. However, Microsoft decided to remove this product earlier than usual and explains this as follows:

Mainstream support for Windows 8.1 will last until January 9, 2018, and extended support until January 10, 2023. Windows 10 will end its life cycle in October 2025.

2014: The FBI arrests a Russian employee for distributing Windows 8

According to the investigation, in July-August 2012, while an employee Microsoft , Alexey Kibkalo distributed through his own account SkyDrive code Windows 8 RT and the Microsoft Activation Server SDK, which the corporation uses for the activation system. In addition, Kibkalo handed over the code created by Microsoft for distribution to a certain French tech blogger. Read more about the incident.

2013: Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 received FSTEC certificates

In November 2013, about a year after the start of sales of Windows 8 in Russia, Microsoft announced that this OS has received a certificate of conformity FSTEC. It states that versions of Windows 8, Windows 8 Professional and Windows 8 Enterprise are software general purpose with built-in means of protection against unauthorized access to information that does not contain information constituting a state secret.

Products received similar certificates Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter, Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard, Windows Storage Server 2012 Workgroup, Windows Server Essentials 2012, and Windows Server Foundation 2012.

The received certificates show that this software can be used to create automated systems up to security class 1G inclusive and when ensuring in information systems for processing personal data the levels of security of personal data arising from internal regulations adopted by the customer on the basis of legal requirements.

Microsoft notes that the object of certification was not only the products themselves, but also the system for recording and distributing certified updates, organized for them by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Enterprise for the supply of products of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation" And "Certified information systems".

The latter means that customers will be able to receive any number of certified products they need during the entire validity period of the certificate. In addition, buyers of certified versions of products will receive certified updates, which will allow them to constantly comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.

“We recommend that users of legacy software such as Windows XP, upgrade to newer versions of Microsoft software solutions to ensure a high level of information security, confirmed by more than 50 certificates of conformity from FSTEC and FSB,” stated the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Enterprise for the Supply of Products of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.”

The Russian representative office of Microsoft did not comment on the question of the planned timing of obtaining certificates FSB for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. previous version Microsoft OS - Windows 7, sales of which began in Russia in the fall of 2009, was certified by the FSB in early 2012 along with Windows Server 2008.

2012

40 million OS licenses sold

In addition to SAP WorkDeck, five other new applications are:

• SAP Manager Insight for HR decision making
• Learning Assistant for conducting on-the-go trainings
• Interview Assistant for organizing the recruiting process, viewing data about applicants and recording interview results
• Customer Financial Fact Sheet for account access to financial data, invoices and orders in real time
• GRC Policy Survey for company employees who can use it to track significant changes in corporate rules

The price for the applications has not been announced.

Bill Gates talks about Windows 8

“This is a very important product. He leads Windows into the world touch screens and low-power devices: the world of tablets and smartphones, he says. – In the new product the company combines various ways entry into the world of the PC."

According to him, another unique feature of Windows 8 is the fact that when working with documents, or photographs or other data, everything is automatically saved in a cloud environment, thanks to which the user can access his information not only from his mobile device, but also from any other device.

Speaking about entertainment, Bill Gates spoke about the already existing hundreds of thousands of applications that will help the user relax.

He also talked about the new tablet computer Microsoft Surface."Surface incredible product. It is made in the form factor of a tablet, but in terms of functionality it is full-fledged Personal Computer, with its performance and other parameters,” continued Bill Gates. - I have a black version Surface and I use it almost 24/7, wherever the opportunity arises."

Error: Pirated Windows 8 Pro can be licensed through Windows Media Center

Immediately on several Internet resources just a month after the official launch for sale Windows 8, information appeared about the possibility of a free transition from pirated copies of the operating system to the new Microsoft OS. ComputerWorld reported this on November 21, 2012.

According to the publication, users of pirated copies of Windows 8 Pro can upgrade to a licensed version of the program by installing free version Windows Media Center Get upgrades to Windows 8 Media Center offered by Microsoft.

This opportunity appeared thanks to the built-in function in Windows 8 Media Center to provide a key to licensed Windows 8. However, according to experts, access to a legitimate OS is temporary. The free upgrade to Windows 8 Media Center will continue until January 13, 2013.

According to ComputerWorld, to obtain a key to a licensed OS, you only need to have a working address Email and register to receive updates Microsoft. The point is that in the process Windows updates 8 Media Center system will not verify the authenticity of the installed OS on the user's computer.

The key provision process occurs through KMS - Key Management Service servers, which were designed specifically to allow corporate clients to receive updates to their products. This service is temporary and the activation code must be updated every 180 days. However, users of pirated copies of Windows8 Pro who took advantage of this loophole claim that when activating the OS, there is no indication that the key is temporary.

This is not the operator's first partnership and Microsoft. So in 2011 MTS started selling in its retail network mobile devices on the base Windows Phone 7. As of the end of the 3rd quarter of 2012, sales volume smartphones based on this OS was 5.1%.

Start of sales of Windows 8 in Russia

Windows 8 has been officially available since October 25, 2012. Russia, and technically from 12 noon on October 26, 2012 in the retail channel Microsoft, the President told reporters about this on October 25, 2012 Microsoft in Russia Nikolay Pryanishnikov.

He stated that by the end of 2012 in Russia More than 200 thousand devices will be shipped with the Windows 8 operating system pre-installed. “This is 10 times more than what was shipped at launch with Windows 7 in the same period,” he said Nikolay Pryanishnikov.

He also noted that one of the main advantages of the new OS is its personalization and portability.

"You can carry your Windows 8 with you on a flash drive and work under your account everywhere. In this case, all changes are automatically saved only on the flash drive. In the new OS, you can choose applications that only you need, so it will be a personal operating system," he said. Nikolay Pryanishnikov.

Several will operate in Russia special offers OS: until January 31, 2013, Russians can purchase a boxed version of Windows 8 Pro at a price of 2,190 rubles, and the key for this version can be downloaded by paying 1,290 rubles. For users with OS Windows 7 from July 1 until the end of 2013, an upgrade to Windows 8 will cost 469 rubles.

At the same time, the regular boxed version of Windows 8 will go on retail sale from February 1, 2013.

Start of sales: October 26, 2012

Windows 8 development was expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. According to the accepted version update cycle, new Windows was due to be presented in June 2012.

Only on July 18, 2012, Microsoft finally announced the official release date of its new Windows 8 operating system: its sales will start on Friday, October 26, 2012. This was announced by corporation representative Brandon LeBlanc on the official blog Microsoft.

The date did not come as a big surprise, since Windows 7 went on sale October 22, 2009. Industry analysts assumed that sales of Windows 8, following this logic, would begin on October 25, 2012.

It was announced that starting October 26th, users Windows XP , Windows Vista and Windows 7 will be able to update the version of their operating system to “eight”; the cost of the update relative to other company products is quite low and amounts to $39.99. For this amount, customers will receive Windows 8 Pro.

First OS update before sales start

Overview of graphics, browser, text optimization and rendering

“I would say there are several companies, and Adobe is one of them, where this would be possible,” Kandek said. - There are only a few such vendors. These are reputable companies with well-tested updates.”

Two years ago, Secunia proposed an update standard, but did not receive any widespread support. Then Secunia released the PSI 2.0 utility, which scans a wide range of software on Windows machine, determines when and what software outdated, and directs users to the appropriate update sites where they can download the latest releases. But Microsoft's decision appears to be final.

Rejection of the OS interface for business tasks

The design features of Windows 8 indicate that it is more a product for private users than for businesses. Therefore, enterprises may not migrate to G8 at all and wait for the next version, experts say.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is urging PC users to sign a statement requiring OEMs using UEFI Secure Boot(Unified Extended Firmware Interface Secure Boot) for Windows installations 8, implemented the installation process so that users can disable UEFI. Or that PC manufacturers provide " reliable way» installation and launch of the operating system of the user's choice. The statement said that having such a choice will ensure the protection of user rights and security.

FSF also hinted at boycotting the purchase of computers running Windows 8. "We are committed to not purchasing or recommending the purchase of computers that deprive users of much-needed freedom, and we will actively encourage people in our communities to avoid purchasing such operating systems," FSF concluded.

The organization branded "Windows 8 Secure Boot" as "Restricted Boot" because "it could be a disastrous limitation for computer users and not a security feature at all." On Tuesday morning, as the foundation's message began to spread online, the FSF website suddenly became unavailable due to "technical problems."

Secure Boot was planned as a mechanism Windows protection 8, designed to prevent the types of hacks that primarily target operating system boot sectors. The idea is that only signed " good code" Ensure UEFI runs only in Windows system 8 will mean that any PC running Windows 8, supplied only by OEM partners and keys Microsoft, will not load a non-proprietary assembly Linux.

Operation of the UEFI Secure Boot mechanism

An employee raised the alarm Red Hat blogger Matthew Garrett and Professor Ross Anderson from the University of Cambridge. According to Anderson, the use of Secure Boot will lead to a violation of competition law in the European Union.

In his blog, Mangefeste states, however, "At the end of the day, the customer is in control of their PC." In response, Garrett called the company's denial "generally factually accurate" and added "but misleading" because PC makers and Microsoft will hold control of the keys needed to sign the code that will boot the PC.

“The truth is that Microsoft's move removes control from the end user and puts it in the hands of Microsoft and hardware vendors. The truth is that it makes everything more difficult to run except Windows. The truth is that UEFI Secure Boot is a valuable and worthwhile mechanism that Microsoft is abusing to gain greater control over the market. And the truth is that Microsoft didn’t even try to say otherwise,” Garrett wrote in response to a Microsoft employee.

UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is an interface between the operating system and firmware that controls low-level hardware functions; its main purpose is to correctly initialize the hardware when the system is turned on and transfer control to the operating system bootloader. EFI is intended to replace BIOS - an interface that is traditionally used by everyone IBM PC-compatible personal computers.

Applications for Windows 8: what to write on and what will work

In September 2011, it was announced that Metro UI applications were proposed to be written in XAML or HTML/CSS, native ones - in HTML/JavaScript, C, C++, C# and Visual Basic. All software created for Windows 7, will work in Windows 8 as new operating system uses the same frame. You can download programs from Windows Store, through which Microsoft plans to distribute not only programs for Metro UI, but also regular software. Unlike the store Apple for the Mac platform, the Windows Store will not be the only distribution channel - developers will be able to sell software directly to customers.

Application to reduce RAM usage to 280 MB

It was previously reported that Windows 7 will latest version, supporting 32 and 64-bit architecture. Moreover, Windows Server 2008 R2, the server version of Windows 7, will have only 64-bit architecture. It is not yet known whether Windows 8 will support 64 and 128 bits, but Microsoft is moving in this direction, and Windows 9 will most likely be released with support for 64 and 128-bit architectures.

Moreover, in the new version Windows changes Cluster support and support for one way replication will be affected. The changes will also affect the system core. Improvements will also be implemented in the file access mechanism.

Windows 8 is expected to be released no earlier than 2011. However, the most likely release date for a new version of the operating system is 2012.