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antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

3 recommendations

antdude

Premium Member

Microsoft Confirms It Is Dropping Windows 8.1 Support

»tech.slashdot.org/story/ ··· -support

"Microsoft TechNet blog makes clear that Windows 8.1 will not be patched, and that users must get Windows 8.1 Update if they want security patches, InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard reports. 'In what is surely the most customer-antagonistic move of the new Windows regime, Steve Thomas at Microsoft posted a TechNet article on Saturday stating categorically that Microsoft will no longer issue security patches for Windows 8.1, starting in May,' Leonhard writes. 'Never mind that Windows 8.1 customers are still having multiple problems with errors when trying to install the Update..."

Now, this is dumb and confusing.

Dustyn
Premium Member
join:2003-02-26
Ontario, CAN

8 recommendations

Dustyn

Premium Member

Keep it simple with Windows 7.

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

1 recommendation

siljaline to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
It appears so via:
Microsoft confirms it's dropping Windows 8.1 support
»www.infoworld.com/t/micr ··· t-240407
»blogs.technet.com/b/glad ··· 8-1.aspx

VikingBob
Go Jets Go!
Premium Member
join:2004-06-05
MB Canada

8 recommendations

VikingBob to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
I'm gonna dust off my Commodore VIC 20 and look for all those great programs I have on cassette somewhere...

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
Premium Member
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

3 recommendations

DownTheShore to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
It's all semantics.

Was Windows 8.1 really Windows 8 SP1? Was Windows 8.1 Update really Windows 8 SP2? Or was Windows 8.1 Update really Windows 8.1.1? By eliminating updates for plain vanilla 8.1, Microsoft is stating that 8.1.1 is the new baseline for 8.1 and future updates - which makes a certain degree of sense because 8.1.1 made the functioning of Windows a little more familiar to previous users, which should have been included right from the start. Microsoft decided to get cute with its naming conventions with Win 8 and all they've done with that is cause confusion instead of clarity.

I'm one of those people who had no problem updating from 8.0 to 8.1 (did it on a brand new machine) and from 8.1 to 8.1.1 (removed Classic Shell, shut down my AV and MBAM before installation), so for me it doesn't matter if they drop that support. I do realize, though, that not everyone has had a similar good experience. Then again, major Windows updates never go smoothly for all its customers, but because they have such a large market share the problems are all the more noticeable because of the greater number involved.

Dustyn
Premium Member
join:2003-02-26
Ontario, CAN

1 recommendation

Dustyn to VikingBob

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to VikingBob
..."cassette" lol

tscotty
Premium Member
join:2005-07-04
Ridgeway, MO

1 recommendation

tscotty

Premium Member

The cassette drive I had for my atari 400 only took 25 minutes to load space invaders. Really speedy.

sivran
Vive Vivaldi
Premium Member
join:2003-09-15
Irving, TX

1 recommendation

sivran to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
Now wait a minute here.

I'm still on 8.0!
quote:
For those users who are still using Windows 8 and Windows 2012 (and not Windows 8.1 and Windows 2012 R2) you are unaffected and will continue to receive updates as normal.
Oh, well alright then.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

4 recommendations

dave to DownTheShore

Premium Member

to DownTheShore
Agreed, but I wish they'd adopt a simple naming scheme and stick to it.

Release 2
Service Pack 3
Update 4

Forget all that, just increment the 3rd number in version X.X.X. Then we can all understand it.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

1 recommendation

Mele20 to sivran

Premium Member

to sivran
I'm on 8.0 also. We have until Oct 2015 before patches are stopped for 8.0.

It's all quite confusing. I download the Windows Defender definitions daily from Microsoft Malware Protection Center. They used to say for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 but now Windows 8 has been dropped so I am downloading the definitions for 8.1. They work ok.

There is a lot of Microsoft software that states it is for Windows 8.1 and nothing for Windows 8 anymore but the 8.1 stuff all works on 8.0. Will the 8.1 Update software work on 8.0? Talk about confusing your customers! Geez...

Microsoft says 8.1 is NOT a service pack. If that is true, then how come 8.0 users get patches for two years after the release of 8.1? That two year rule applies to the previous version when a service pack has been released. Well, there has never been a service pack released for 8.0 so talk about confusing!

I don't want 8.1. 8.0 is better than 8.1 so, I don't know what I will do when patches stop for 8.0.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

1 recommendation

Davesnothere to dave

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to dave
said by dave:

Agreed, but I wish they'd adopt a simple naming scheme and stick to it.

Release 2
Service Pack 3
Update 4

Forget all that, just increment the 3rd number in version X.X.X. Then we can all understand it.

 
Which would mean that this latest update brings us to 8.1.1, right ?

I suggested the same in another thread, a day or two ago.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

dave

Premium Member

said by Davesnothere:

I suggested the same in another thread, a day or two ago.

I wasn't there.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere

Premium Member

 
Ya, and I made a reference to that being how Apple does it.

beerbum
Premium Member
join:2000-05-06
behind you..
Motorola MB8600
ARRIS TG862
Asus RT-AC5300

1 recommendation

beerbum to siljaline

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to siljaline
said by siljaline:

It appears so via:
Microsoft confirms it's dropping Windows 8.1 support
»www.infoworld.com/t/micr ··· t-240407
»blogs.technet.com/b/glad ··· 8-1.aspx

ok.. from what I can gather from the blog link.. for future updates to work, one needs KB2919355 to be installed.. and maybe KB2919442. I'm not sure, the blog post says "this update" but then lists two update KBs.. maybe the second KB was added later and they forgot to change "this update" to "these updates"..?

anyway, my understanding is that without that/those update(s) installed, future updates will not work. I didn't read anything that says that MS is going to outright stop doing any future updates for Windows 8.1.

I don't know what world that InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard lives in, but being that he calls himself a "self-described "Windows victim"" gives me the impression he's got an anti-MS bias going and his declaration that MS is "dropping support" is simply a product of his imagination.

I read the same blog post he did, and I came out with a different conclusion - that in order for future updates to work, one must have a certain update installed. Again, I did not see anything in that blog post stating that as of May there will be no more patches made for Win 8.1, as claimed in the Infoworld article.

MS has done this in the past. I recall as far back as Windows 98 there have been occasional patches that were mandatory if you wanted to continue receiving updates via Windows Update. No big deal, nothing to see here folks.


Phoenix22
Death From Above
Premium Member
join:2001-12-11
SOG C&C Nrth

Phoenix22 to dave

Premium Member

to dave
roger that........whatz yer vector victor

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

1 recommendation

NOYB to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
The Windows Update more information KB article.

»support.microsoft.com/kb ··· 55/en-us

therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD

1 recommendation

therube to antdude

Member

to antdude
quote:
this is dumb and confusing
Agreed.
I know "little" of Windows 8.

I know enough that there was Window 8.
And then an "update" to it, Windows 8.1.

But I had no clue, no idea that there was an "update" to Windows 8.1, seemingly called "Windows 8.1 Update".

And to me, that is simply crazy (name-ology) on MS's part.

Someone who only "hears", hears, "8 sucks", then oh, a new "8.1", & they say, "OK, an update to 8", then then hear "Microsoft Confirms It Is Dropping Windows 8.1 Support" ... ?

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

1 recommendation

siljaline to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
Too add more to the confusion:
Why the Windows 8.1 Update probably means no more Service Packs for Windows
»arstechnica.com/informat ··· windows/

Elite
Kiss My Ass
join:2002-10-03
New Haven, CT
Synology RT2600ac
TP-Link TC-7650
ARRIS SB8200

2 recommendations

Elite to antdude

Member

to antdude
It's really a shame MS has pretty much given up on the service packs idea all together now. Vista saw an SP2 and nothing further. Win7 saw an SP1, and nothing more. "8" technically saw nothing and was replaced by 8.1, with Microsoft claiming it was an entirely new version of Windows entirely (why not call it 9?). And now 8.1 is to be differentiated between "Update 1" and "Non-Update 1". Really confuses the hell out of people. At least they've been decent about uploading new ISOs to MSDN. You can currently download an ISO with 8.1 Update 1 fully integrated, which is really nice when you're doing lots of fresh installs. I couldn't fathom installing 8, then updating to 8.1, then updating to 8.1 Update 1. That would take years. Not to mention that currently, a fresh install of 8.1 Update 1 (from the new MSDN iso) probably requires little to no patching, as it hasn't been out even a month yet. That is quite nice.

But I think the move away from service packs is really more in line with Apple's yearly (and now free) "major" OS updates. ML to Mavericks comes to mind. I think I'll be content as long as MS keeps pushing out new ISOs. They're such a timesaver. Why should you have to install 100+ patches after a fresh install of the OS? Apple is rather diligent about releasing a new ISO (technically DMG) for every large update they release. The less patching post-install, the better.
IamGimli (banned)
join:2004-02-28
Canada

IamGimli (banned) to antdude

Member

to antdude
So on the Server side is it now Windows Server 2012 R2.1U1?

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

1 recommendation

siljaline to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
Microsoft Abandons Windows 8.1: Take Immediate Action Or Be Cut Off Like Windows XP

chachazz
Premium Member
join:2003-12-14

chachazz to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
Windows 8.1 Update: WSUS Availability, Extended Deployment Timing
More from Brandon LeBlanc:
»blogs.windows.com/window ··· ine.aspx

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

10 recommendations

EGeezer to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
They could do like Android and intersperse release numbers with patch levels with cute li'l names like Eclair, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean ...

to avoid confusion with Android, use a different set of names in the category of body functions;

Windows 8: Crap
Windosw 8 SP1: Brain Fart
Windows 8.1: Screwed
Windows 8.1 Update: Diarrhea

I updated my Crap system to Brain Fart.

Then I got Screwed.

After the next upgrade I'll have Diarrhea.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to Elite

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to Elite
said by Elite:

You can currently download an ISO with 8.1 Update 1 fully integrated, which is really nice when you're doing lots of fresh installs. I couldn't fathom installing 8, then updating to 8.1, then updating to 8.1 Update 1. That would take years. Not to mention that currently, a fresh install of 8.1 Update 1 (from the new MSDN iso) probably requires little to no patching, as it hasn't been out even a month yet. That is quite nice.

I can't download that. Neither can anyone other than corporate users with MSDN accounts. I have Windows 8.0 Pro Media Center. I am stuck with it for the life of this expensive computer that I bought in November 2012. I think 8.0 is superior to 8.1 but I would likely upgrade (just to have access to the patches after Oct 2015) IF it didn't mean that if I ever have to reinstall Windows (and I have upgraded to 8.1.1), I will have to use my Dell Windows 8.0 Pro USB Reinstallation stick to do the original install, then get all the patches. Then go to the Microsoft store and download and install 8.1. Then get the patches. Then use what? where is Update 1 anyway? Anyhow, get 8.1 Update and then get any patches for it. Then go to Windows Components and install Media Center (assuming I have my key still).

I suppose that I can hope that instead of all that insanity that Windows 9 (which will be out before support ends for Windows 8.0) will be decent for DESKTOP NON TOUCH SCREEN users AND will not be expensive.

I think I am done with Microsoft after this computer gets old and probably done with computers. It used to be a lot fun and very interesting (as I didn't grow up with computers but got my first in 1999) but that all changed with Windows 8 even though the hardware I have now is great. What is the worst thing for OEM Windows 8 buyers is that Microsoft deliberately made 8.1 reject Windows 8 OEM Product keys so doing a clean install of 8.1 means that you cannot use even the retail ISO of 8.1 or use the OEM 8.1 media! There is a convoluted solution where you have to deliberately trick the Microsoft installer. The message one derives from this is that Microsoft deliberately screwed OEM users who have any flavor of Windows 8.

mmainprize
join:2001-12-06
Houghton Lake, MI

1 recommendation

mmainprize to antdude

Member

to antdude
This is not what we expect from a company as big as this. In the end you either upgrade or get left in limbo.

I can see it already the boards will be flooded with upgraders that reboot to a black screen, a common problem i found out after one of my systems had this issue.

The worst part about the upgrade is i had 5 systems to upgrade and each had to download around 2 GB of patches to get up to date. had to reactivate a few also for some reason.

If i knew then what i know now i may have stayed on windows 8.

nwrickert
Mod
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL

3 recommendations

nwrickert

Mod

said by mmainprize:

This is not what we expect from a company as big as this. In the end you either upgrade or get left in limbo.

It is all part of a diabolical scheme to have users switch to linux

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere

Premium Member

 
WHOSE scheme ?

Ours ?

mmainprize
join:2001-12-06
Houghton Lake, MI

mmainprize to nwrickert

Member

to nwrickert
said by nwrickert:

said by mmainprize:

This is not what we expect from a company as big as this. In the end you either upgrade or get left in limbo.

It is all part of a diabolical scheme to have users switch to linux

I have my System Admin cert in Unix from back in the 90's. I have installed Ubuntu to try out, and have to get a few linux releases and try them. The only reason i have not done it before is because i know windows so well, but lately windows keeps changing things so i find the learning curve about the same for new windows versions or linux.

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

onebadmofo to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
said by antdude:

Now, this is dumb and confusing.

Dumb and Confusing...the Microsoft way.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere to mmainprize

Premium Member

to mmainprize
said by mmainprize:

....lately windows keeps changing things, so I find the learning curve about the same for new windows versions or linux.

 
Interesting observation.

I have been playing with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Mint, on and off for the couple of years, during which time Windows 8 came along and scared SOME folks out of their wits.

That's exactly what people mostly worried that installing and using Linux would do in the past.