Microsoft To Kill OneDrive for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 in Early 2022 (thurrott.com) 86
joshuark writes: Microsoft plans on killing OneDrive support for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 starting on March 1, 2022. "In order to focus resources on new technologies and operating systems, and to provide users with the most up-to-date and secure experience, beginning January 1, 2022, updates will no longer be provided for the OneDrive desktop application on your personal Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 devices," Microsoft's Ankita Kirti writes in the announcement post. "Personal OneDrive desktop applications running on these operating systems will stop syncing to the cloud on March 1, 2022. [And] after March 1, 2022, your personal files will no longer sync."
What about in 10 and 11? (Score:5, Funny)
Can they kill it in 10 and 11 too?
Re: (Score:3)
re: OneDrive issues (Score:2)
I've never really felt OneDrive was "well executed"?
Everyplace I've been that used it extensively -- we had issues including the app crashing/terminating itself in the middle of users using the machine. That led to confusing errors when they tried to make changes to open Office documents that lost their connection to the share.
Re: OneDrive issues (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Aside from a complete inability to have speedy access to large numbers of files like literally any other sharing utility, sure, it's great. I won't even get into Sharepoint. They just as well have named that shit "failpoint."
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It's interesting to hear other people's experiences. Again, I'm talking about OneDrive Personal, the one most home users use. I use it exclusively for my "cloud backup" and to sync my documents and such amongst my different computers. The extent that I even have to interact with it is when I want to add/remove a subset of my folders on a device. 99.9% of the time it's just there and it works. The only real bitch I have about it is I'd love to pull down a periodic "offline" backup to my Linux server, an
Re: (Score:2)
Well, there you go. We're on the business plan. It sucks.
Re: (Score:2)
My biggest issue with OneDrive is that they largely seemed to have abandoned adding features to it early to midway in the last decade.
At one point they were testing having it auto-classify photos (flower, dog, etc), automatically identify duplicates, automatically tag people. All features were what I'd call beta quality, with often terrible results. None of them was ever improved. The various OneDrive clients on Windows remain clunky and confusing to use. Just changing where your OneDrive folder lives requi
Re: (Score:2)
[T]hey largely seemed to have abandoned adding features to it early to midway in the last decade...auto-classify photos (flower, dog, etc), automatically identify duplicates, automatically tag people.
Excellent. I hope they continue to not develop those features. I don't want ANY of that crap. I want my documents safe and synced between computers, and I don't want to have to think about it. That's it.
prices stabilized, development resources were shifted to other priorities, and they stopped adding new features
Perfect!
My biggest issue with OneDrive
I realize my reply doesn't address the fact that different users have different expectations. I appreciate your perspective. I'm going to have to go home now and see if I can figure out how to change the folder location without googling it, just out of curiosity. Literally the only change I have
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Is this the version of OneDrive that sits and spins the CPU at 100% for long periods of time, randomly won't let you delete files through Windows Explorer, and sometimes crashes for no apparent reason?
Re: (Score:3)
Microsoft management uses abuse to make money. (Score:1)
One of Microsoft management's methods of making money:
Kill older versions so that people are forced to buy newer versions.
Re: (Score:2)
In? Remove "in". ;)
Oh no! (Score:4, Funny)
I need to get all my important stuff out of the cloud immediately!
Oh, wait - I don't put important things in the cloud, so never mind!
Re: (Score:1)
I need to get all my important stuff out of the cloud immediately!
Oh, wait - I don't put important things in the cloud, so never mind!
cloud2butt extension both confuses and entertains me again and again
Re: (Score:2)
I put important stuff in the cloud, but:
a) it's either backups, or otherwise non-exclusive data
b) I pay for it myself
Storing stuff exclusively in the cloud is just as stupid as storing it exclusively on your own hard drive without backups. But it's really a perfect solution for non-exclusive storage, like backups or data shared across devices.
In other news ... (Score:4)
Re: (Score:1)
Good. We shouldn't have anti-vaxxers on the internet running their unsecured bug ridden disease machines. You want to keep your woefully outdated system, fine, just don't let it anywhere near mine.
Re: (Score:3)
Good. We shouldn't have anti-vaxxers on the internet running their unsecured bug ridden disease machines.
That's an amazing comparison to the vaccine debate that I wouldn't have expected.
You want to keep your woefully outdated system, fine, just don't let it anywhere near mine.
And you used the very same broken logic the pro-vaccine people use. I assume you weren't serious, or do you actually not understand why that makes no sense?
Re: (Score:2)
Not at all. If you think that logic is broken then you're not paying attention to the externalities caused by anti-vaxxers. Examples:
Medical:
I don't care if you don't have a vaccine and come to my house and sneeze on me. I'm fine, I have a vaccination. What I care about is you ending up in hospital. No I don't care about *you* per se, I care about the fact that your stupid decision is taking up a hospital bed from those who need it for things they are not in control over. I care about the fact that elective
Re: (Score:2)
However, as for the vaccines, it's obvious they don't work. If they did, I wouldn't care what anyone else did. Since they don't, I don't care what anyone else does, and telling them to get a vaccine that doesn't protect against the spread is broken logic.
As for the botnet claims, that's valid, but you actually said, "keep your woefully outdated system, fine, just don't let it anywhere near mine" as if you're afraid in will infect
Re: (Score:2)
However, as for the vaccines, it's obvious they don't work.
What vaccines? Is there a specific one you're talking about right now?
and telling them to get a vaccine that doesn't protect against the spread is broken logic.
And yet if you re-read my post you'll see it says nothing about spread of the virus. My post was about affect on others. Hospitals here are once again delaying elective surgery due to overload with COVID patients, 4/5th of them unvaccinated. The trends are clear, we set a new high record last week for number of cases in a day and are about to set a new high for weekly average, yet we are incredibly far off our peak hospitalisation rate an
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why? Do you have a 5 year old unpatched kernel because you're desperate to masturbate over uptime figures?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I know its disgusting. I don't understand why people emphasise how little they reboot their machines instead of how secure their machines are. Those people absolutely belong in a hole, preferably disconnected from any other network.
This actually sounds reasonable (Score:4, Interesting)
Windows 7 is ancient; Windows 8 was DoA. Windows 10 is 6 years old and is a free upgrade to all the aforementioned users. The only real loss is classic theme from Windows 7. That doesn't sound too bad.
Re:This actually sounds reasonable (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, so? It's still far superior than 10 in a multitude of ways, not the least of which it doesn't get in your way when you're trying to do something.
This is like when Microsoft dumped Windows 2000 for XP. 2K was far superior in so many ways but . . . progress.
Here's a thing. Light switches are ancient (relatively speaking), but you know why we still use them? Because they work.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember 2000 being much slower than XP.
Light switches don't live in a world where building codes, light technology, wiring materials, and human hands all change yearly. Technology changes all the time. Though I think a lot of what Microsoft does with new releases is for the worse (usually UX related), the under-the-hood changes are usually for the the best. They have to test OneDrive on all those releases, and it's a lot of work.
Re: (Score:2)
Last I checked the current build of Netsurf still loads and runs on Win2k which is pretty impressive.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember my personal computer, a P3 600 maybe, got faster after installing XP. I preferred the interface of 2000 but the speed, compatibility, and reliability benefits of XP quickly overcame the UI preference. Classic theme got me back to mostly-2k like, which survived until Windows 7.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
This is true.
Year ago, I had an old XP machine I was getting rid of. But before giving it away, I formatted and did a fresh install of XP. The machine felt pretty snappy! Then I ran through the (many) Microsoft updates. By the end of that process, the machine once again felt like an old, slow machine. And this was doing absolutely nothing except for the sanctioned updates.
Not that I'm saying people shouldn't keep their machines patched. It was just eye-opening to me.
Re: (Score:1)
XP RTM will run on a 64MB machine with some swapping and light applications, but can become a dog with SP3 even with 512MB ram.
Some of the recent side channel attack patches for Windows 7-10 also slow things down severely if fully enabled.
Re: (Score:2)
One area where Windows XP was significantly faster than Windows 2000 was the boot up time, as Microsoft spent quite a bit of time optimizing that. Once booted up, they were pretty similar.
Windows XP did bloat up a lot over the years. A computer that was high end when Windows XP launched - say a 2GHz Pentium 4 with 512 MB of RAM, was pretty marginal by the time XP SP3 rolled out.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
And that is not even the biggest problem. A much bigger problem is that they, and not just them, are trying to tout "cloud" as essential infrastructure. You can't have lightswitches and water taps in your home need software updates every year or they stop working in two years. They just have to work without further ado.
By the by, building codes and such do see regular updates, but usually, once something is built to code
Re: (Score:2)
You make a very good point. Anything that lasts five minutes is not infrastructure, it is fashion and it is ephemeral. You can move your stuff between these fly by night businesses or you can take all the responsibility in house and manage it there.
By the way, how is that just in time supply system doing after the worlds supply chains collapsed after Covid? Is all that outsourcing to shave 3% off your costs working out?
Re: (Score:1)
By the way, how is that just in time supply system doing after the worlds supply chains collapsed after Covid? Is all that outsourcing to shave 3% off your costs working out?
It's working for my employer. Haven't had any shut downs all through Covid. We actually expanded into new lines directly because of Covid. We also have crucial supplies from overseas but it is all working. Had to add significantly more people as a result of the business expansion.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm in the construction business (mechanical engineer myself, but my company also does electrical engineering), so I know that at least some codes do change yearly, though many are on a three-year cycle. And lighting technology is constantly changing, while wiring materials and human hands are a little slower to change. (If you don't think human hands change, you haven't gotte
Re: (Score:2)
Latest LED light bulb works with switches and wiring from early 1900's, no? Lighbulbs from early 1900's work with latest buildings and switches, no? Sure the building codes change but not ones pertaining to light switches and their functions - retroactive.
Re: (Score:2)
Only if the buildings aren't all fluorescent.
Re: (Score:1)
Here's a thing. Light switches are ancient (relatively speaking), but you know why we still use them? Because they work.
Not if it is a Microsoft[tm][r] Remote Light Operator[r][tm] 7.0, because by the time it's six years old it's ancient and go upgrade to Microsoft[tm][r] Advanced Remote Light Operator[r][tm] 10.0. That is the best Microsoft[tm][r] Remote Light Operator[r][tm] Edition ever! And better be quick about it, or your Microsoft[tm][r] Shine![r][tm] Experience will suffer. The cut-off date draws nearer, so get a move on, you. We will regretfully tell you we told you so, secretly smirking, if you fail.
I would just
Re: (Score:2)
Well, to be pedantic, ancient light switches (like the ones in my first house) no longer meet code so if you have a large enough remodeling project, you'll have to change them.
That said, I prefer Windows 7 to any other MS desktop operating system I've used.
Re: (Score:2)
Light switches are ancient (relatively speaking), but you know why we still use them?
You mean like these ones [zwaveoutlet.com] that are a relatively new phenomenon? Light switches have evolved just like every other technology. When Windows 95 came out people complained about replacing 3.11. (When ME came out, nobody paid attention.) When 2000 came out, people complained about replacing 95. When XP came out people complained about replacing 2k. When 7 came out people complained about replacing XP. There's a bit of a pattern there, because people don't like change. (and if I got the order wrong, sue me.)
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, I remember everyone rejoicing. W3.11 sucked donkey dong.
Re: (Score:2)
Nor how stopping syncing to the cloud, provides an "up-to-date and secure experience"
You can stop dick sucking Microsoft now.
Re: (Score:2)
That's probably all consumer speak for 'we are implementing a new security protocol, which is built into Windows 10 and after which we don't want to have to back port and then test on all the old systems (that our metrics show few use)'.
I'm not sucking anyone's dick ATM.
Re: (Score:1)
That's probably all consumer speak for 'we are implementing a new security protocol, which is built into Windows 10 and after which we don't want to have to back port and then test on all the old systems (that our metrics show few use)'.
Personally I think it is more: "We are changing our service to make your existing system obsolete so you have to replace it and we get more of your money and we will do it again in a few years cha-ching. It doesn't matter how perfectly it is working for your usage we NEED and DESERVE to take more of your money regardless of your needs."
Re:This actually sounds reasonable (Score:4, Informative)
Windows 7 is ancient; Windows 8 was DoA. Windows 10 is 6 years old and is a free upgrade to all the aforementioned users. The only real loss is classic theme from Windows 7. That doesn't sound too bad.
You don't really get, Windows 10/11 is the start of client-server OS, you no longer own your PC and your applications will soon not be local exe's they will have all sorts of drm and security around it. The last 23+ years Valve, Intel, AMD, Microsoft wanted to kill the infinitely copyable DOS/Win16/Win32 binaries that enables piracy. That is what TPM is for and certificates on EXE's and drivers. They are closing "loopholes" by which media like videos and game can escape on the down low.
The whole issue with windows 10 and 11 is to turn the internet into a giant mainframe and turn files into property they can control and cut off your access to the internet.
The long term goal is to be able to disable your machine and software remotely, the whole purpose is to build a "market" that enforces american copyright and software licenses and this requires the removal of everyones rights and freedoms.
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja1... [cam.ac.uk]
worn out software (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Windows 8.1 is still in extended support for a bit over year or so.
This is actually kind of nonsensical if Microsoft's goal is to get people off of old versions of Windows. Don't want to lose your files reinstalling Windows or buying a new computer? Well, first Back them up to your OneDri...oh....wait.... It's not a big deal for the Slashdot crowd - not that I'm guessing there's a lot of OneDrive users here anyway, but for the less technically inclined it might be another hurdle that'll keep them on that
One-Dive (Score:3)
That was quick. I'm assuming OneDrive is a proprietary protocol, but it looks like it has open APIs.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-... [microsoft.com]
So all your plugins and integrations w/ office or skype etc will all fail as the server evolves (without backwards compatibility), but you should still be able to manually access your files on older platforms, no?
New rug... (Score:4, Funny)
Ignore this rug we just pulled out from underneath you over there... there is a new rug to stand on over there.
Trust us. THIS time its for reals and safe. Not like before.
You don't buy beer/software (Score:2)
you just rent it.
Re: (Score:3)
you just rent it.
In Soviet Microsoft, software rents out you!
Re: (Score:2)
Remember, boys and girls: Windows 10 is the last version of Windows [theverge.com]!
Re: (Score:2)
Ignore this rug we just pulled out from underneath you
Microsoft has been warning for years that the rug is getting pulled multiple times, and has been pulled several times. If you're still on the rug running your outdated old bug ridden insecure system like an IT anti-vaxxer then you sort of deserve to fall over at this point.
Don't like Windows 10? Fine, use Linux, but I have little sympathy to anyone running Windows 7 being cut off from some internet facing service.
Workaround -- use a NAS (Score:1)
If someone is using an older OS where OneDrive is killed, and they only have one user to worry about, it can't hurt to buy a single drive (or even better a dual drive for RAID 1 redundancy) NAS from QNAP or Synology, and use that to sync OneDrive to a share on the device, then use that share for file storage on the LAN. This gives the benefit of not having to install software, allows OneDrive to be used on Linux and Macs, and one can use the NAS's built in backup utility as a hedge against ransomware, shou
Re: (Score:3)
Awesome. Now teach everyone's retired mother-in-law to be a NAS administrator, and how to switch out hard disks that have failed, and configure secure VPN access through their router to be able to access that storage from anywhere.
Here's a hint - if you've ever run Linux in your life which wasn't an embedded system (e.g. Android) then you are probably not the target audience for OneDrive or it's competition.
Lies I bet (Score:2)
They'll still support it on windows 8.1, it came preinstalled and it's under extended support until 2023.
They're just not going to give anyone the future updates they'll still be making anyway unless you pay for it.
Trust the cloud NOT! (Score:2)
I remember telling my users to not trust the cloud.
OneDrive is a drag (on the system) (Score:2)
The web page works fine. You can even use it in Linux
Re: (Score:1)
I use One-Drive on my Android phone.
I don't think they are not allowing Windows 7-8.1 to log on and use One-Drive over the web. You might have to manually update your stuff if that is what it takes. I don't have anything other than some pictures and a few PDF's up there and there is no "drag" on the systems.
Re: (Score:1)
The app the drag. You don't need it
Re: (Score:1)
*damn* The app is the drag..
Whim-o-matic (Score:1)
Cloud Giveth, Cloud Taketh. Obey The Cloud!
Isn't Windows 8.1 still supported? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
This is unfortunately quite correct. AMD kept releasing Windows 7 drivers a year after Microsoft stopped supporting it, but they dumped support for 8.1 some time ago.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm a bit surprised that the Windows 7 drivers wouldn't work in Windows 8.1, unless the manufacturers specifically check for Windows 8.1 and blocks the installation. Though I could certainly understand AMD and others not testing 8.1, and therefore not officially supporting it and telling people that they're on their own.
It is why I never relied on OneDrive... (Score:2)
A brilliant idea just came to me (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
But Dropbox sucks rocks. Always has and always did.
(Have to pay a fee to share your folder? FU)
TwoDrive? (Score:3)
OneDrive (Score:2)
Never used it.
Don't want apps on my machine just randomly synching whatever they feel like into the cloud, thanks.
If I want to upload something, I'll upload it.
You know, like in the old days, when the computer was just a tool that did what the fuck I told it to.
Re: (Score:2)
You know, like in the old days, when the computer was just a tool that did what the fuck I told it to.
For many users, the task "upload each file in this directory that is newer than the corresponding file on the remote server, download each remote file that is newer, and keep both files if both changed while this device was offline" happens to be "what the fuck I told it to."
Re: (Score:2)
Nope. That's "What the fuck I meant, but the computer had to second-guess because I didn't actually know what I meant when I said 'just keep a copy of my file somewhere safe'.
I want the computer to do what the fuck I TOLD IT TO and nothing more. If I want to cloud-something, I'll drop it into a cloud webpage upload window. Not have an auto-syncing versioning tool running against an external Internet account (probably one of many that I have) trying to guess which version is the one I actually want to kee
Workaround? (Score:2)
There are a couple of non-MS Onedrive clients for Linux. One that I use is abraunegg's [github.com] comprehensive fix of the old Skillion client. It just works.
Since it's open source, one could conceivably build it for older Windows and continue to sync to Onedrive. If you really want to. Otherwise, does Dropbox still work on those older, unsupported (7 and 8) Windows versions? If so, the fix is obvious if you're not willing to move to 10.
Finally, there's always the web client running in a browser, for emergencies. That
Yet Another Reason... (Score:2)
...why you don't do backups to the cloud. You do them to something you control. Like a local or local-network-located hard disk (or 2, or more). In the cloud, it can always be shut down, or else the internet goes down exactly when you need the backup (some corollary of Murphy's Law).