Kaby Lake and Zen Won’t Support Windows 7 and 8.1

The push for Windows 10 exclusivity is set to continue, with Intel and AMD revealing that its next generation of processors will not include support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 – not even temporarily. While Microsoft backtracked on Windows 7 and 8.1 support for its Skylake chips – the hardware will support the two operating systems until 2020 – Intel’s Kaby Lake and AMD’s Zen will only have official support for Microsoft’s latest operating system, a policy endorsed by the two chipmakers.

“We are committed to working with Microsoft and our ecosystem partners to help ensure a smooth transition given these changes to Microsoft’s support policy,” an Intel spokesperson told Computer World, adding, “No, Intel will not be updating Win 7/8 drivers for 7^th Gen Intel Core per Microsoft’s support policy change.”

While this does not necessarily mean that Windows 7 and 8.1 will not work with next gen processors – after all, they’ll probably still be x86, which both operating systems are designed for – it does mean that, should either operating system successfully install on such a system, any problems or bugs that crop up will not be fixed.

Microsoft justified the policy to PC World:

“As new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support. This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon.”

Effectively, if you want a Windows operating system running with a next gen processor, it has to be Windows 10. Microsoft doesn’t care if 7 or 8.1 are your favourite: like it or Linux it.