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Security Windows Microsoft Operating Systems Software Hardware Technology

User-Made Patch Lets Owners of Next-Gen CPUs Install Updates On Windows 7 & 8.1 (bleepingcomputer.com) 218

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BleepingComputer: GitHub user Zeffy has created a patch that removes a limitation that Microsoft imposed on users of 7th generation processors, a limit that prevents users from receiving Windows updates if they still use Windows 7 and 8.1. This limitation was delivered through Windows Update KB4012218 (March 2017 Patch Tuesday) and has made many owners of Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Bristol Ridge CPUs very angry last week, as they weren't able to install any Windows updates. Microsoft's move was controversial, but the company did its due diligence, and warned customers of its intention since January 2016, giving users enough time to update to Windows 10, move to a new OS, or downgrade their CPU, if they needed to remain on Windows 7 or 8.1 for various reasons. When the April 2017 Patch Tuesday came around last week, GitHub user Zeffy finally had the chance to test four batch scripts he created in March, after the release of KB4012218. His scripts worked as intended by patching Windows DLL files, skipping the CPU version check, and delivering updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 computers running 7th generation CPUs.
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User-Made Patch Lets Owners of Next-Gen CPUs Install Updates On Windows 7 & 8.1

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  • by Luthair ( 847766 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @04:31PM (#54259703)
    I thought MS caved and said they wouldn't support new CPU features on old OSes?
    • I thought MS caved and said they wouldn't support new CPU features on old OSes?

      Everyone thought this because the alternative was just too stupid to comprehend even coming from a company like Microsoft. No they actually meant it when they said they won't support windows. Despite the version of windows being within the mainstream support period and running on compatible hardware. It wasn't a typo which every sane person in the world assumed.

      https://support.microsoft.com/... [microsoft.com]

  • by Bomarc ( 306716 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @04:33PM (#54259719) Homepage
    Taking bets; M$ will release a 'patch' that has one intent: to deliberately break this 'fix'; so M$ can say "told you it wouldn't work". The bigger problem is: We won't know which "patch" M$ will 'break' to induce this problem.

    BTW: It is no big effort for M$ to continue to test this as almost all testing by M$ is automated. There is an alter-motive behind this. Which I knew what it was.
    • There is an alter-motive behind this.

      The word you're looking for is, "ulterior."

    • by denis-The-menace ( 471988 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @04:44PM (#54259779)

      It would be deja-vu:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

      Since December 1991 a pre-release version of Windows 3.1 was designed to return a non-fatal error message if it detected a non-Microsoft DOS.[6] This check came to be known as the AARD code.[9] With the detection code disabled, Windows ran perfectly under DR DOS and its successor Novell DOS. The code was present but disabled in the released version of Windows 3.1.[10]

      • You probably get asked this a lot; but what do agencies created by Bush Jr and Truman have to do with Obama?

    • by Calydor ( 739835 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @04:45PM (#54259781)

      The motive is simple: Force Win10 on everyone so they can force the Windows Store on everyone so they can get everyone's money.

      • by Rick Schumann ( 4662797 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @04:53PM (#54259815) Journal
        I'm half convinced that money is only part of what they're after. Windows 10 gives them more or less complete control over the computer; they can use your computer for whatever they want, and you have no say about it unless you yank the plug out of the wall or wipe the drive and install something else.
        • by BlueStrat ( 756137 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @05:16PM (#54259933)

          I'm half convinced that money is only part of what they're after. Windows 10 gives them more or less complete control over the computer; they can use your computer for whatever they want, and you have no say about it unless you yank the plug out of the wall or wipe the drive and install something else.

          It also means they can put anything they want on your computer or remove anything, and they can sell this ability to the US government (and/or the highest bidder) in exchange for continuing to turn a blind eye to MS's shenanigans.

          With Win10, using parallel construction to discredit/destroy/imprison government whistle-blowers, political/ideological enemies, or other "inconvenient people" is as easy as point-and-click. Ah, progress!

          Strat

        • by mea2214 ( 935585 )

          you have no say about it unless you yank the plug out of the wall or wipe the drive and install something else.

          It doesn't have to be that drastic. Whitelist IP ranges you need on your Windows box at an external firewall. Do most all your browsing/networking in a VM. The Windows 10 side will never be able to phone home again. No telemetry, no forced updates, and you have reigned in the beast.

          • I've heard that, much like other malware, it's got umpteen ways to 'phone home', and it's like an endless game of whack-a-mole trying to keep it from doing so.

            No matter. Job forced (literally!) Win10 on my work computer, and I've 'sanitized' it as much as I possibly can, but I'm still on XP at home, and the Sandybridge system sitting on a phone book next to that has Linux Mint on it. Switch over as soon as I get the kinks worked out of it.
          • Yes, that's a solution until the day that Windows 10 updates with a new "always on" feature that requires windows to be able to open whatever ports and connect to any IP in the world in order to let you log in to your own damn PC. MS saw how successful Apple has been with the walled garden, the problem is they are building a damn prison, complete with the rubber hose and regular guard beatings...

            The other problem with your approach even now, is how many people using Windows will be able to set that up? Th

    • The bigger problem is: We won't know which "patch" M$ will 'break' to induce this problem.

      I thought we weren't going to be getting individual patches anymore anyway? They're rolled up into weekly or monthly packages now.

      A.K.A. riders A.K.A. how the legislature perverts the bill you wants to pass to force you to give them unrelated stuff they want

  • Why Update? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by rewardian ( 4469141 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @05:15PM (#54259931)
    Most Windows Updates involve rarely utilized components that are exploitable only if not protected through other measures (specifically firewalls). I haven't seen anything come down the pipe that increased performance.

    I hope to not require Windows in the future but Windows Update is disabled on my Win7 machine and everything's in its right place.
  • Thanks for thinking of people who won't run Windows > 7, but no thanks. I've got enough machine to run the Windows software I've got now, and except for very cheap games (of the sort which have already been released now, or older) I'm unlikely to ever give a crap again.

    The next machine I build with a more advanced architecture than this FX-8350 will just have to run Linux.

    • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

      Windows 10, M$'s 'a bridge to far'(or would that be a probe to far). What is mind boggling, they can see the reaction but the still emphatically push it (phone sales or the extreme lack there of), in a giant fuck you to their customers. When they push it that hard, it starts to look extremely nefarious, when establishment governments remain silent about those levels of consumer abuse, it looks even worse.

  • We'll see (Score:4, Funny)

    by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @08:10PM (#54260753)
    I'm not doing this unless it can screw up my windows 7 installs with the same Microsoft quality updates that bitch up my Windows 10 installs.
  • I bet FreeDOS and ReactOS will run just fine.

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