New
#1
If this happens, this would be about time.
Microsoft has stated that future versions of Windows 10, starting with the May 2020 Update, will no longer be available as 32-bit builds on new OEM computers.
An update to the Windows 10 Minimum hardware requirements document, Microsoft states that starting with Windows 10 2004, new OEM computers will be required to use 64-bit builds of the operating system.
"Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required to use 64-bit builds and Microsoft will no longer release 32-bit builds for OEM distribution. This does not impact 32-bit customer systems that are manufactured with earlier versions of Windows 10; Microsoft remains committed to providing feature and security updates on these devices, including continued 32-bit media availability in non-OEM channels to support various upgrade installation scenarios."
Read more: Bleeping Computer.
2 blips from the article:
......new OEM computers will be required to use 64-bit builds of the operating system.
Microsoft states that they will are still committed to supporting users running older hardware and will continue to make 32-bit media available in non-OEM channels.
Furthermore, Microsoft will continue to offer feature updates and security updates for versions of Windows running on 32-bit hardware.
Might be time, but support will still be there. Looks to be focused on system builders and new machines.
Hi there
If people want to use old legacy hardware they can just keep running old versions of the OS -- people complaining about x86 support being dropped perhaps are still decrying that support for the old cpu's e.g 20186 and earlier were dropped.
Getting rid of x86 stuff makes the OS and its applications far easier to build, run, maintain and debug as you don't need a level of implied virtualisation.
In any case speaking of virtualisation - those that want to run legacy software (or even where possible legacy hardware) on modern gear can easily continue to do so until the end of the life of the Universe by simply running Virtual machines.
Ms should have dropped x86 support a long time ago -- the most obvious time was at the introduction of W10 -- I suspect the fact they didn't was rather more political than technological --especially with the hideous problems with Windows 8. Ms didn't want people to stop on W7 indefinitely so they had to make it as easy as possible to switch to W10 --even now I think the "Free upgrade" which should have expired years ago still works --haven't tried it recently but it was certainly woprking in January.
(Most Linux distros these days have stopped shipping with X86 support by default although you can still get versions with x86 support built in) -- There's been no outrcry from these users - especially as you can run Linux on incredibly ancient hardware.
IMHO if you've got modern hardware why would you want to hobble it by running software designed for hardware made 20 years earlier !!!!.
Cheers
jimbo
I think MS is doing the right thing. This decision is only for new devices and they stated they will continue support for devices still running the X86 version of Windows so it isn't really going to effect anyone. At least for now. The only thing I do miss from the old days is not being able to run my old games. I have found some of the old games on Steam. I started playing Escape From Monkey Island about 2 weeks ago. I'm still having trouble getting use to the joystick control.
I'm trying to recall back to what hardware I might have that is x86 only. I still have my old Athlon64 x2 4600+, which hasn't been powered on in about 10 years, and even that is 64 bit.
Go ahead and get rid of it.
A machine may be 64 bit capable, but if the maximum memory that can be installed is only 2GB then 32 bits is the only practical option. Many older CPUs cannot address more than 2GB, some Intel Atoms for example.
Intel Atom(R) Processor N2600 (1M Cache, 1.6 GHz) Product SpecificationsMax Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 2.44 GB
@eLPuSHeR
I'm sorry but your title Microsoft to kill support for x86 w10 is seriously misleading.
As others have indicated, the linked article refers to what a new hardware spec needs to be in order to qualify as "Windows 10 compatible". It has nothing to do with existing hardware or MS support for it.
The source document is Minimum hardware requirements - MSDocs [which, despite its 2017 date, has been updated at some stage in the past year]
See, in particular, section 3.1.
Denis