There aren’t many Windows users still running Windows 8.1 these days. But those who are may (or may not) know that support for the 8.1 release is going to end on January 10, 2023.
Just to make sure Windows 8.1 users do know, Microsoft is going to start notifying them starting in July about the looming end-of-support date. When they see notifications, users will be able to click “Learn more,” “Remind me later,” or “Remind me after the end-of-support date” leading up to January 2023, Microsoft said. Microsoft has used these kinds of notifications in the past when trying to get users on older versions of Windows to upgrade to more recent/still-supported versions. (For what it’s worth: Those running domain-joined PCs, in the past, haven’t gotten nagged.)
Do we have anyone here opting to run Windows 8? It seems like an odd choice, but nothing surprises me anymore.
It’ll be another 20 years until it’s ‘retro’ and people will want to run it again.
ME is 20 years old, and i don’t see people clamouring to run that.
Windows 8 is dead and has been for a long time Thom. Rounding down 8.1 to 8 is a bit like referring to and stating that “gnome” is no good!
Windows 8.1 is not the same product as Windows 8, Windows 8 was a nightmare but I found 8.1 to be surprisingly better, and Windows 10 has been a further step in the right direction, I can’t comment on 11 yet.
In this regard I would say the demise of Windows 8 was overdue at any stage, but the demise of Windows 8.1 is bit premature.
Agreed, Please don’t conflate the two, especially seeing as this is a site ostensibly catering to OS enthusiasts. I’d say it’s most like conflating Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE back in the day – anyone who knew something about computers knew that SE was the only “one true” version.
I recall SE added RPC2 for DVD, So for region free DVD you needed the first edition.
I’m running 8.1. After installing ClassicShell it’s quite a nice product. Personally I think it’s nice to have control over when updates install, a choice about Defender, configurable window borders that are larger than a pixel, etc.
malxau,
I can understand that. The lack of border definition bothers me too! Sometimes I can’t tell where one window ends and the other starts. It’s kind of unfortunate that you have to go back to older versions of windows to retain control. I still prefer win7 over 8 and 10, but the end of support eventually renders old versions non-viable.
Alfman,
There are other small “touches” that make running older versions a chore. Certain APIs like modern DirectX will not be back ported. Some options like Linux VMs won’t get upgrades, and user software from Google, Adobe or even Microsoft will drop support.
If it was possible, I would want to go back to “Win2xx Workstation” (using the Server edition with modifications): https://www.windowsworkstation.com/win2016-2019/. But many software stopped working on it. Even nvidia drivers were a hassle:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PleX/comments/jfkop8/nvidia_geforce_drivers_for_server_2019/
(They basically ask you to upgrade to “enterprise” editions of software and hardware).
Windows 8.1 is actually the snappiest version of Windows I’ve used in recent years, way faster than 10 on old hardware but surprisingly also faster than 7, at least in terms of boot-up time. With Classic Shell and corner gestures etc turned off, it’s really a quite nice and one could even say logical choice for older hardware.
The same for me. While I have 8.1 only on 1 PC (my daily driver is Ubuntu on my own notebook and Win 10 on my business notebook) I still find it more stable and faster than Windows 10 or 7.
Just like with any Windows version i do believe there are still users out there using it. Similar to GNU/Linux distributions. Where each user runs his own custom version of GNU/Linux distribution. As it should be.
The main difference here is that there are many reasons to not run the latest version of windows. The only reasons you would choose to run an outdated Linux (outdated meaning a version no longer getting updates, not a 4 year old LTS distro that has 5-10 year support), is if you A) enjoy pain. B) are determined to stay with Gnome 2.x or KDE 3.x and don’t belive in any of the forks/remakes. C) found some weird binary you can’t live without that somehow doesn’t work with the compat libraries, or linking to newer libraries.
https://www.trinitydesktop.org/ trinity desktop is still around and updated and its a fork off KDE 3.5. https://mate-desktop.org/ The mate-desktop is a fork off Gnome 2.0 that currently maintained.
People who want to use the old interface don’t have to stay with a old distribution with Linux. There is low cost updating Linux systems. Windows you want a new version of windows you have to pay for windows then normally do a full reinstall. I have run Linux systems on current versions of debian decades at a time doing in place upgrades.
The reality is majority of users on GNU/Linux are not running 100 percent custom version of Linux. Debian and Ubuntu popularity surveys show this as well. Windows is far more likely to find a user running a old version heck even a non updating one than a Linux Desktop Distribution. Update cost. Android phones run into the update cost problem as well.
Oh come on, are you still at 2006 year? Since Windows 7 you could do easy upgrade without hand reinstallation. It worked without bigger problems: Windows 7 –> 10 –> 11 and 8 –> 8.1 –> 10 –> 11 without additional cost. Maybe 7 –> 8 was possible, but I`ve never tried.
And no additional license cost. from 7 and 8 to 10 and then 11.
https://pureinfotech.com/upgrade-windows-7-windows-10-clean-install/
https://www.howtogeek.com/509087/how-to-upgrade-from-windows-7-to-windows-10-for-free/
7 to 10 is not no additional license cost. It conditional no additional cost.
Case of needing to perform a proper clean install of Windows 10 not to have legacy Windows 7 driver issues you have to pay. You are using enterprise licensing you have to pay. The free upgrade from 7 and 8 to 10 is conditional.
https://superuser.com/questions/946810/windows-7-product-key-does-not-work-on-windows-10
As noted here to move from 7 and 8 to 10 without a new license you have to perform upgrade.
There a horrible point that Microsoft only gives you one roll at the upgrade so if Windows 10 in place upgrade breaks on top of your Windows 7/8 build happens to at time basically have you Windows 7/8 key no longer function for the free upgrade..
Linux work package management controlling all software has some serous advantages here picking up when user has something installed that going to be a problem in a upgrade and you have unlimited retries at no license cost.
I should have been more clear I was writing the worst case not the best. Remember users still on Windows 8 and Windows 7 at this point a lot of them are in the camp that Windows free upgrade has failed on them.
Also 10 to 11 is fun you find out that windows update only offers you free upgrade to 11 if your pc is declared eligible. You find you are not eligible CPU is before 2017. When did OEM stop shipping computer with Windows 7 and 8 on it exactly before 2017. Yes even people who got windows 10 in 2015 cannot upgrade to windows 11 without new hardware and when you add new hardware you end up need new license in lot of cases.
I am a long term Linux user who is use to buying a PC and have it on the latest version of a Linux distribution for at-least a decade before buying the machine replacement.
Windows 7 –> 10 –> 11 and 8 –> 8.1 –> 10 –> 11 without additional cost. << This is not fact true for everyone. Realy if the machine was bought with windows 7 or 8 or 8.1 on it and there have been no hardware changes you are not getting to Windows 11 your CPU is too old. Yes you can find some 2017 hardware that you can install windows 7 and 8 and 8.1 on demo what you said that that not what end users will have normally.
Yes there hardware requirements as well that block moving from Windows 7 to windows 10.
@oiaohm
I don’t believe much of the above licensing criticism is accurate, in fact in my experience it seems absurd to claim users get a single roll of the dice!
The sky isn’t falling.
It’s never been a problem to do clean installs or re-installs as required, in fact when I was nervous about licensing in the early days I contacted MS about this very issue, a clean install of a previous upgrade, even with a hardware change, and the official MS advice was a clean install, at the time it was Win 8.1 and I’ve had that advise repeated under Win 10 as well. Of course under Win 10 you have that clean install option basically baked into the OS.
So I’m not sure where you got that licensing info, it seems a tad fanciful!
@cpcf –I don’t believe much of the above licensing criticism is accurate, in fact in my experience it seems absurd to claim users get a single roll of the dice!–
So you never had the Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 upgrade fail.
–I contacted MS about this very issue, a clean install of a previous upgrade, even with a hardware change, and the official MS advice was a clean install, —
This is not the failure point. You attempt a windows 7/8/8.1 upgrade to Windows 10 it does not go though right the result is you windows 7/8/8.1 key is marked as upgraded and then you cannot upgrade again. Now if the upgrade goes though successfully and you license is now linked to your Microsoft account you can now clean install Windows 10 no problems but you have to get to that point.
–So I’m not sure where you got that licensing info, it seems a tad fanciful!–
Doing system repairs in business world. Were you do hundreds of systems.
There are reasons why some business computers are still running windows 7 and 8.1 not 10. Fun part is the upgrade failure from 7 to 10 also screws up doing a upgrade from 7 to 8.1. The failure of the free upgrade system has resulted in percentage of systems being stuck on old OS.
https://superuser.com/questions/946810/windows-7-product-key-does-not-work-on-windows-10
Its noted here cpcf. You have to have upgrade to windows 10 run successfully before you can do a clean install with Windows 10. Its also was noted in Microsoft documentation. What is not noted is if that upgrade fails in particular ways that you are basically scorched earth. Basically marks your Windows 7/8/8.1 license key as upgraded yet not associated Windows 10 upgrade license with a Microsoft account.
Those licensing claims just aren’t accurate. It’s really easy to upgrade from 7 to 10, no matter how you do it.
Reinstalls? Pop in a Win10 DVD and punch in your Win7 code. I do it very frequently with Windows 7 Pro for Refurbishers licenses, and for retail Windows 7 licenses.
Don’t have a code, because the key is embedded in the laptop firmware? Pop in a Windows10 DVD and it’ll still work.
Hell, on my 2015 Mac Book Pro I’m running Windows 10 with the Windows 7 license that originally came with my Dell laptop, with no CD key (Since having a Microsoft account keeps track of your licenses). All I had to do was promise that I wasn’t using that license on the Dell anymore.
I worked at computer service company, there was totally no problem with clean install. If somehow your key did not work, but it was legal, you could just install with other cdkey and it was legal. All you needed was legal license of first product.
On the small networks I manage I find that there is a small subset of older machines that perform better on Win 8.1 than Win 10, but in most cases for newer hardware Win 10 is by far the better option.
Win 8 was no good on any of them, just not enough driver support, and after many bad experiences I skipped right over from Win 7 to Win 10, mostly this was due to how hardware vendors managed driver support! The Win 8.1 machines I still have operating are upgrades from Win 8 in cases where the move to Win 10 was blocked for whatever reason.
In defense of Windows 8.1:
– Can be modded to look like Windows 7 with Classic Shell Start Menu
– Has the excellent typography (compared to Windows 10’s ugly fonts)
– Last Windows to have Windows Media Center (just buy a Windows 8.1 Pro Pack from eBay)
– Faster boot times than Windows 7 (and support until 2023 without ESU hacks)
I am gonna miss it when I move to Windows 10 LTSC.
I this a survey? 8.1 on a partition here virtually never used. Will prob never update to 10.
The whole OS Good / OS Bad debate basically hinges on experiences of various hardware configurations, driven by how well peripherals are supported by developers.
I often default to NUC as a basic device for the general users, and pretty much order the same basic model year after year, but of course with the vagaries of the chip supply chain, deprecation and supply chain bidding, the configuration changes year to year sometimes even month to month. Sometimes the hardware is very well supported by one OS and not another. I’ve toyed with the idea that I should standardise OS, but it doesn’t necessarily make my life easier because it can be as much effort to get a monolithic solution running on varied hardware as it can be to support a variety of OS. In fact, allowing each user to run what OS they like which in most cases will be the the one that runs best delivering the best experience can be liberating.
The best OS, is the OS that the end user makes full use of! I suspect if I had chosen a suitably supported hardware configuration, I would have found Win 8 functional, in much the same way some people find Vista functional.
My experience is my experience, based on my choices and my prejudice.