Posted on 04/15/2014 10:53:03 AM PDT by Utilizer
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. Call this the "let them eat cake" approach to support for Microsoft's flagship operating system.
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Yes, you read that right: With three weeks left until Windows 8.1 end of support -- until the next round of security patches appear with Windows 8.1 not included in the party list -- Microsoft still hasn't figured out how to get Windows 8.1 Update out to the corporate update distribution channel.
There's been progress on one (rarely reported) error: Microsoft has a patch you can run if you're hitting error 80071A91 when installing Windows 8.1 Update. It's detailed in KB 2939087.
Tell me again Microsoft how you're cutting off Windows 8.1 updates so that "customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience"? Pshaw -- it sounds to me more like some customer-tone-deaf person in the organization has decided to minimize the patching budget by cutting off the company's most recent customers.
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(Excerpt) Read more at infoworld.com ...
Hey, go easy on Microsoft!
At least they care for the environment...gay marriage... Obamacare...
Not much time left to write coherent press releases, let alone a logical new GUI.
/s
The article was pointing that out as well as the fact that despite the announcement from MS the "Update" OS was not available on their main distribution node.
I reinstalled Win 8 on my new laptop last night and it automatically went out and installed 8.1 Update.
However now the damn thing thinks its installed on a new machine and won’t activate unless I call MS. I called MS three times and each time I was placed in the phone queue only to get hung up on after a few mins.
Grrrr.
Oh, like Win98, Win98SE?
Yes, that is one part they are attempting to gloss over. In effect, even though most of the coding remains the same, you have basically installed a new OS. It looks pretty much the same and works essentially the same... but you now need to re-do the same Verification That You Are Not A Software Thief with this action rather than proceeding with a regular Security Patch on a functional installation.
New installers simply need to be aware not to install any version previous to 8.1 Update so as not to have to do more than one install-then-verify on their machine(s).
Essentially, yes. Except for the whole having to contact MS to "verify" before you can use your new OS this time around.
Even worse, from what I’ve read, any purchases you made from the Microsoft App Store are tied to the original activation, so you won’t be able to reinstall them once you’ve upgraded.
This is based on comments I’ve read, not first-hand experience, so caveat emptor.
In other words, subsequent patches require the update.
This weekend, I tried Zorin 8.1 on a perfectly fine machine that was running XP Pro. Said it was the most Windows 7-like free Ubuntu distro. Still needs too many command line entries for the casual home computer user.
Went back and re-installed XP Pro, because that’s what it’s licensed to run. XP is still smoother to use than a Ubuntu-based distro but, of course, is chock full of holes that need security patching and will not be...unless.
Any other XP free replacement suggestions other than basic Ubuntu?
Bookmark
From Technet:
“Microsoft has been listening to customer feedback. Much of this feedback has been received and some of the results are being given back to our users of Windows 8.1 in the form of updates. Recently, a very big update for Windows 8.1 was released. Read all about it here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new
Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience and to coordinate and simplify servicing across both Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1, this update will be considered a new servicing/support baseline. What this means is those users who have elected to install updates manually will have 30 days to install Windows 8.1 Update on Windows 8.1 devices; after this 30-day window - and beginning with the May Patch Tuesday, Windows 8.1 user’s devices without the update installed will no longer receive security updates.
This means that Windows 8.1 users - starting patch Tuesday in May 2014 and beyond - will require this update to be installed. If the Windows 8.1 Update is not installed, those newer updates will be considered “not applicable.” “
So it’s not quite what was initially posited.
“Any other XP free replacement suggestions other than basic Ubuntu?”
Try Linux Mint running the Mate desktop. Mint takes a few rough edges off Ubuntu. I am curious though, what command line entries you had to enter - I never had to unless making some major changes from the default Ubuntu menu interface.
for later reading
I Googled BitDefender Free — it is a Windows anti-virus program. Why would you try to install that on a Linux system?
I have used Linux on multiple machines for at least 4 years, have never installed any kind a/v software on Linux, and never had the slightest hint of malware or viruses.
As long as you install approved Linux programs from the Linux Repositories, you should have no problem installing them - at least, I never have.
Is that satire?
If Microsoft has even a shred of decency, they would offer all of the Win 8x users a free copy of Windows 7 Professional, and bury that pile of shit once and for all.
Win 8x is the 0bamacare of the computer world.(well maybe not THAT bad, but close)
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