News MS has removed Intel 8, 9 and 10 series CPUs from 24H2 support list

mikeymikec · Feb 25, 2025

Microsoft trims more CPUs from Windows 11 compatibility list

OEMs blowing dust from the processor stock cupboard, beware

www.theregister.com

Windows processor requirements Windows 11, version 22H2 & 23H2 supported Intel processors

This specification details the Intel processors that can be used with Windows 11, version 22H2 & 23H2 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

learn.microsoft.com

Windows processor requirements Windows 11, version 24H2 supported Intel processors

This specification details the Intel processors that can be used with Windows 11, version 24H2 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

learn.microsoft.com

Which is kind of interesting because they've allowed customers' computers that I built upgrade to 24H2 then not be officially supported on 24H2 apparently (e.g. the entry-level i3, 10100-10105). Computers that were built in 2022 and had Win11 installed from day one.

Are they trying to destroy Windows's userbase?

I'm not aware of any removals from the AMD support list:

Windows processor requirements Windows 11, version 22H2 & 23H2 supported AMD processors

This specification details the AMD processors that can be used with Windows 11, version 22H2 & 23H2 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

learn.microsoft.com

Windows processor requirements Windows 11, version 24H2 supported AMD processors

This specification details the AMD processors that can be used with Windows 11, version 24H2 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

learn.microsoft.com

I did a quick search for the 3200G (the lowest-end Ryzen-G CPU on the Win11 RTM support list) and it's on the 24H2 list.

tcsenter · Feb 25, 2025

It means OEMs cannot bind or use any digital certificates, keys or license for systems using those older CPUs.

After years of advertising requirements of Windows 11, Microsoft would be exposing itself to legal actions if it suddenly pulled/changed them. It would need to do a 'new' OS release. e.g. Windows 12

mikeymikec · Feb 25, 2025

tcsenter said:
It means OEMs cannot bind or use any digital certificates, keys or license for systems using those older CPUs.

I'm not sure what you base this on.

Shmee · Feb 25, 2025

Hmm, weird stuff. I am thinking a lot of people will just stay on Windows 10 for a while. Still on it myself for Windows, and I dread moving to Windows 11, though I understand recent Ryzen CPUs perform a bit better in it.

tcsenter · Feb 25, 2025

mikeymikec said:
I'm not sure what you base this on.

Your first link "We should reiterate that this warning is to OEMs only, not end users or corporations."

mikeymikec · Feb 25, 2025

tcsenter said:
Your first link "We should reiterate that this warning is to OEMs only, not end users or corporations."

IMO that line from the article was largely nonsense as far as the big picture is likely concerned. Yes, it makes a small amount of sense but only insofar as logically - kinda - only OEMs are system builders, except of course they're not.

It also doesn't address the elephant in the room being that what happens to a new computer that met the specs of Windows 11 when it was built, then the CPU gets removed from a later CPU compatibility list, does that mean that say a 10-series Intel CPU only gets maybe six years of Windows security updates at the very most?

Logically, if a CPU was deemed no longer compatible with the latest version of Windows 11, then it wouldn't get the option to upgrade to it. The PCs in question have all auto-updated to 24H2, so what does that mean going forward, are they suddenly going to stop receiving 24H2 updates, or be blocked from whatever Microsoft calls the 2025 update?

This is what the CPU support lists say:

Microsoft said:
The processors listed represent the processor models which meet the minimum floor for the supported processor generations and up through the latest processors at the time of publication.

And the way that Microsoft up until this latest news has enforced that list is by stopping machines with processors not on the list from installing/upgrading Windows 11. Logically, removing processors from that list that are in machines already running Windows 11 will have some kind of effect on those machines.

DAPUNISHER · Feb 26, 2025

I will add to the speculation. MS is allowing unsupported hardware https://www.tomshardware.com/softwa...ments-for-full-compatibility-remain-unchanged
But their position is basically, you are on your own, good luck. We recommend you upgrade to fully supported hardware. This should benefit Intel, as more consumers will feel forced to upgrade.

My speculation as to why they have added 8-10th gen to the unsupported list is the Swiss cheese security of those CPUs. Intel is taking them to legacy status, MS probably deems that enough to stop wasting time on constantly trying to patch them as well. Board makers are also probably tired of supporting them. There are Z390 boards with firmware security updates barely a year old. That platforms is ancient by Intel cadence. 10th gen is 5 generation ago already. I know not that much time has past, but that is because aging like milk is a feature not a bug.

jpiniero · Feb 26, 2025

Corpo is forcing people to refresh their work machines because of this. Sounded like IT wants people to refresh by the time Windows 10 goes out of support in October.

mikeymikec · Feb 26, 2025

DAPUNISHER said:
I will add to the speculation. MS is allowing unsupported hardware https://www.tomshardware.com/softwa...ments-for-full-compatibility-remain-unchanged
But their position is basically, you are on your own, good luck. We recommend you upgrade to fully supported hardware. This should benefit Intel, as more consumers will feel forced to upgrade.

My speculation as to why they have added 8-10th gen to the unsupported list is the Swiss cheese security of those CPUs. Intel is taking them to legacy status, MS probably deems that enough to stop wasting time on constantly trying to patch them as well. Board makers are also probably tired of supporting them. There are Z390 boards with firmware security updates barely a year old. That platforms is ancient by Intel cadence. 10th gen is 5 generation ago already. I know not that much time has past, but that is because aging like milk is a feature not a bug.

Logically, if Microsoft wants Windows PCs to be as secure as possible, then they ought to be pushing hardware manufacturers to adopt more stringent security support policies to ensure that Microsoft can then offer a consistent support lifecycle (practically speaking) for their products.

Supporting an OS for ten years from its release date is fairly reasonable IMO. Even Android manufacturers are nearing that figure.

Arbitrarily yanking Windows support for PCs that hitherto have met the official Windows 11 requirements achieves absolutely nothing other than create uncertainty about what Microsoft will actually stay committed to.

"How long will Windows be supported for on my PC?"
"Dunno"
Great sales pitch, MS.

mikeymikec · Feb 26, 2025

jpiniero said:
Corpo is forcing people to refresh their work machines because of this. Sounded like IT wants people to refresh by the time Windows 10 goes out of support in October.

When you say "refresh" and "because of this", what do you mean exactly?

jpiniero · Feb 26, 2025

mikeymikec said:
When you say "refresh" and "because of this", what do you mean exactly?

New Machine and the topic of this thread.

Raptor Lake probably.

mikeymikec · Feb 26, 2025

jpiniero said:
New Machine and the topic of this thread.

So everyone at your work with a Win10 machine is being told it needs to be replaced, regardless of free upgrade compatibility?

jpiniero · Feb 26, 2025

mikeymikec said:
So everyone at your work with a Win10 machine is being told it needs to be replaced, regardless of free upgrade compatibility?

That has an 8/9/10th Gen machine, yeah.

mikeymikec · Mar 1, 2025

DAPUNISHER said:
My speculation as to why they have added 8-10th gen to the unsupported list is the Swiss cheese security of those CPUs.

Any more so than their predecessors (purely out of curiosity)?

PingSpike · Mar 1, 2025

Microsoft has actually changed the system requirements in the past before with Windows 10. Once they upped the minimum disk size after their bloated updates made it impossible to install new feature versions on the original drive size requirement. And once to dump support for some Atom processors. Neither were as egregious as this since they probably didn't effect many people at all but it isn't without precedent.

erwin1978 · Mar 1, 2025

Windows 11 required a DirectX12 videocard I was told so I got one. I swapped back my old DirectX 11 videocard after installing Windows 11 and Windows Update installed a driver for it. I felt tricked.

manly · Mar 2, 2025

The rug has been un-pulled.

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 24H2 works with older Intel CPUs, refutes rumours

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 24H2 works with older Intel CPUs and Intel 8, 9, and 10th gen aren't going anywhere.

www.windowslatest.com

News MS has removed Intel 8, 9 and 10 series CPUs from 24H2 support list

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