Microsoft Confirms It Is Dropping Windows 8.1 Support 575
snydeq (1272828) writes "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. At this point, there are 300 posts on the Microsoft Answers forum thread 'Windows 8.1 Update 1 Failing to Install with errors 0x80070020, 80073712 and 800F081F.' The Answers forum is peppered with similar complaints and a wide range of errors, from 800F0092 to 80070003, for which there are no solutions from Microsoft. Never mind that Microsoft itself yanked Windows 8.1 Update from the corporate WSUS update server chute almost a week ago and still hasn't offered a replacement.'"
u wot m8 (Score:5, Informative)
Windows 8.1 is no longer supported, so users must update to Windows 8.1?
Re:u wot m8 (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Jeez (Score:5, Informative)
running 8.1 update 1 from wsus (Score:5, Informative)
if you have wsus without ssl, it works fine after importing the update from the catalog.
i don't see the need of ssl on an internal small server, anyway even with ssl you can enable tls 1.2 manually and it will work.
this article is also misleading, since the update itself is a regular update and not labeled "update 1" or even a service pack, but on every windows version out there there are updates that depend on other updates, especially service packs, so nothing new here.
Re:u wot m8 (Score:2, Informative)
You know what's even more user-friendly?
Just clicking the little update icon in the bottom right corner, entering your root password, and clicking OK.
I know how your type likes to hate on everything Linux without having any clue what you're talking about, but seriously, upgrading your distro isn't rocket science.
Update worked! (Score:4, Informative)
After four tries, the update finally worked. What does it do? I now have an App Store icon in the task bar. Only took some 880 Mbytes to do that.
Broke for me... (Score:5, Informative)
I installed the update at work - it worked. I installed the update on my old PC - it worked. Tried to install it on my current PC - failed, after taking something like 20 minutes. It then took another half-hour to revert the changes. (On those machines where it worked, it took only 5 minutes or so to install).
Digging around online showed that fiddling around on the command line with dism might help. The online image is corrupted but it's repairable... that is, until you try and use /restorehealth, at which point it moans that there are no sources. Of course there aren't, it was upgraded to 8.1 from 8.0 via the online store.
So, after faffing around and grabbing an install.wim from an old 8.1 iso I had saved at work (not the 8.1 update 1 iso currently on the MS website) I find that dism won't use the image, even after mounting it.
I couldn't then even attempt to reinstall the update, as it failed immediately. Dism was called upon again to remove the update package, then at least it would let me try again... only to fail. Another 45 minutes wasted.
It looks as though the only way to "fix" it is to nuke Windows entirely, then go through the painful 8.0 > 8.1 > 8.1 with Media Center route. Except, of course, to get Media Center reinstalled you have to buy it again - there's no option I can see to re-enter your Meda Center key again because, guess what, when you upgrade to Media Center your Windows product key is changed. And a Windows 8.1 with Media Center key isn't accepted by the 8.1 iso (or at least wasn't when I tried earlier)...
Looks like a long and boring Easter weekend coming up.
On the other hand, I might just reinstall Windows 7 instead.
Re:It's OK for Apple but not Microsoft? (Score:4, Informative)
I dare say it's a close call if you migrate from ME...
Re:Bullet, meet foot (Score:2, Informative)
I recently bought a Windows 7 for my old computer along with an SSD (which alone makes a massive difference). That should tide me over until Windows 9. Not going to bother with any Windows 8 version. I may not be a huge gamer, but until Linux is the default platform for developers, I do need a Windows somewhere.
RE: Broke for me... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Bullet, meet foot (Score:4, Informative)
Only because it checks for it. you can install a lot of the MS updates and add ons without SP3 if you break open their installers and get at the delicious gooey insides.
Re:u wot m8 (Score:4, Informative)
Or just paying attention and buying a laptop with AMD instead of Nvidia. I know it's unacceptable to make people actually look beyond the color of the laptop when they buy it, but it really needs to be done.
Re:Nope, not okay for either (Score:0, Informative)
Mostly because Most IT people are too stupid and uneducated to handle linux at the pay grade the typical IT moron is paid. Linux admins command 2X the MCSE morons.
If you had competent IT then linux would be adopted quicker. but competent means paying them what they are worth, and we cant have that, hire the MCSE morons, they are cheap.
Re:Now I Know... (Score:5, Informative)
Winows 8.1 update 1.
It's just an awkward versioning scheme. If this was the unix world, they'd be talking about no longer updating 8.1.0 and requiring customers update to 8.1.1.
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Bullet, meet foot (Score:4, Informative)
It's not a rumor, they showed a start menu + live tiles demo [arstechnica.com] at BUILD this year.