Microsoft To Continue Support Of Windows 7 And Windows 8.1 On Specific New Skylake Devices

We already know that Windows 10 fully supports the latest Intel 6th gen processors. But not everyone will upgrade their hardware and software at once. Enterprise customers who rely on Windows 7 will continue on the OS even after the hardware upgrade. For Windows 7 to run on any modern silicon, device drivers and firmware need to emulate Windows 7’s expectations for interrupt processing, bus support, and power states- which is challenging for WiFi, graphics, security, and more. To help them, Microsoft will deliver a list of specific new Skylake devices we will support to run Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

This approach ensures our customers can upgrade now to new devices their employees will love while preparing for a Windows 10 upgrade. We will post this list next week and it will continue to be updated as we work closely with our partners. For the listed systems, along with our OEM partners, we will perform special testing to help future proof customers’ investments, ensure regular validation of Windows Updates with the intent of reducing potential regressions including security concerns, and ensure all drivers will be on Windows Update with published BIOS/UEFI upgrading tools, which will help unlock the security and power management benefits of Windows 10 once the systems are upgraded.