MS will give security updates for computers with "Clover Trail" processors

At least Atom will get Security Updates

Published on July 23, 2017 By DrJBHL In Personal Computing

When MS decided not to update W10 on computers having "Clover Trail" processors, I don't think they realized they were screwing (potentially) close to 10 million computer owners by rendering their computers insecure.

By anyone's thinking, that's a lot of angry people, especially when we're speaking of computers which are at most 4 years old...and hybrid 2 in 1 devices using the Atom chip starting roughly in 2012. These folks had W 8/8.1 and were assured continued service and compatibility if they updated to W10. Sounds like Marketing didn't ask Engineering about that assurance.

So, it was recently discovered that roughly 10 million computers didn't get the latest major update to W10, supposedly a "compatibility issue" which would have rendered icons and system text illegible.

"The lack of major update caused a panic over the future security updates to these models. Since deciding Windows 10 would be the last completely new edition of Windows, Microsoft has switched to a new policy for issuing updates. It plans to release major updates with new features twice a year, update once a month to fix and improve performance issues, and then issue security patches as and when they are needed.

However, the timeline only guaranteed to offer security patches for a computer 18 months after its last major update. In other words: any PC not updated to the Creators Update would not receive patches beyond February 2018, which effectively makes it unsafe to use. Given some of these computers are only four years old, this problem didn't go down well. Microsoft has now said it definitely won't be updating the affected machines to the recent Creators Update unless Intel produces new drivers, something Intel already says isn't happening. The machines will therefore receive the monthly improvement updates, but won't get any major new features. (Source: theverge.com)" - Infopackets

So, MS has decided that these machines will receive the Security Updates until 1/2023, when all support for them ends. That's according to ZDnet.

So, while the owners won't get what was promised, they'll at least get the Security Updates.

Somehow, I don't think this is the end of the story.

Sources:

https://www.infopackets.com/news/10147/microsoft-rethinks-windows-10-updates

https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/19/16001366/microsoft-windows-10-creators-update-atom-pcs

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-agrees-to-extend-support-deadline-for-clover-trail-pcs/

Comments

WOM

on Jul 23, 2017

Shame they have a monopoly.

DaveRI

on Jul 23, 2017

especially when we're speaking of computers which are at most 4 years old

Microsoft has now said it definitely won't be updating the affected machines to the recent Creators Update unless Intel produces new drivers, something Intel already says isn't happening.

Seems like Intel could try a little harder.

DMF

on Jul 25, 2017

I read something a bit more ominous here. For years, MS has increasingly insisted that its OS have "firmware" level control of the processor in order to enforce licensing etc. Coincidentally, this also allows low level real-time monitoring of the machine from the cloud. Intel has long made noises about resisting this, but apparently acquiesced to at least parts of it long ago.

One wonders if the "updated drivers" Intel is supposed to supply doesn't enable some of more advanced of these "features". MS is dedicated to cloud-based apps (and OS?) for the future. It would not surprise me at all if they're trying to strong-arm Intel to give them more control over what runs on the hardware.

alaknebs

on Jul 26, 2017

the problem is the gfx drivers. intel licensed vid tech from imagination technologies.

https://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2017/07/clover-trail-systems-wont-get-windows-10-creators-update-ever/

DMF

on Jul 27, 2017

The problem is the GPU drivers; Clover Trail Atoms use GPU technology licensed from Imagination Technologies. Imagination appears unwilling, and Intel appears unable, to update the GPU drivers to meet the demands of the Creators Update.

This in no way contradicts my speculation. What "demands" could the Creators Update have for the GPU? Sounds like MS is trying to extend control to the auxiliary processor and someone finally said, "No."

DaveRI

on Jul 27, 2017

Admittedly I don't know, but I'd imagine it's more a matter of software interpretation than actual demand. Many perfectly fine pieces of hardware have been rendered "stuck in time" over the decades because the hardware manufacturers didn't want to write drivers for a new Windows version.

It does however beg the question: "How long is my hardware really going to last with the "current" version of Windows that is Win10?"

Daiwa

on Jul 28, 2017

You should see a doctor about those sloped shoulders, Dave.

DaveRI

on Jul 28, 2017

Daiwa

reply 7

You should see a doctor about those sloped shoulders, Dave.

Ya I have no idea how that magically appeared. Thanks to whomever arranged that - I hope it wasn't purely out of frustration. Did a fine job of getting the hair right.

Zirka

on Oct 18, 2017

I have worked with Clovertrail tablets called Dell Latitude 10. Recently I did notice I can no longer update this model from 1607 to 1703 (creative update) and I cannot run the media creation tool or run setup.exe from a usb 1703 image without getting an error about "clovertrail not compatible". BUT, if I boot from the usb with 1703 image I can install the Creative Update Windows 10 on the tablet from scratch (everything is deleted) and voilà the Dell Latitude 10 runs great on creative update (1703), I don't see any of the wierd glitches or illegible icons or words, I got glitches on 1511 and probably 1607, yet 1703 seems the most stable and Microsoft is trying to block these tablets from getting this update?!

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