Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs Running Latest Chips to Get Blocked from Updates

Back in January of 2016 we talked a bit about plans that Microsoft had for ending new CPU support for Windows 7 and 8.1 computers. A recently revised service document has now surfaced that seems to indicate Microsoft may be getting ready to enforce that policy that was originally announced last year.

According to that updated support document, Microsoft will block any Windows 7 or 8.1 machine that is running the latest processors from AMD, Intel , or Qualcomm from getting security updates for the OS. Computerworld states that one potential message to users of Windows 7 or 8.1 systems that have newer processors inside might see reads, “Your PC uses a processor that isn’t supported on this version of Windows and you won’t receive updates.”

A possible error code that computers running new processors on these older OS versions might see is 80240037. That error code will be seen when Windows 7 or 8.1 machines running a 7th gen processor from Intel, Qualcomm or AMD try and download security updates. This would include processors like Kaby Lake, Bristol Ridge, and the Snapdragon 820 series. Presumably this would include AMD Ryzen processors as well.

As for why these machines will be blocked from getting security updates, Microsoft has stated that getting Windows 7 and 8.1 to run on these processors is “challenging.” This led Microsoft to decide only Windows 10 would support these newer processors and to shorten Windows 7 support. Windows 7 will be supported on 6th gen processors like Intel Skylake processors until July 17, 2017.