A user has created an unofficial patch that bypasses Microsoft's security check when attempting to update a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 machine with a newer processor installed.
Microsoft had been saying for quite some time that it would stop supporting Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on machines running an Intel Kaby Lake or AMD Ryzen processor. The company made good on the promise a week ago when it actively started blocking updates. Users of such systems were met with an error message when attempting to fetch security patches through Windows Update.
"Your PC uses a processor that is designed for the latest version of Windows. Because the processor is not supported together with the Windows version you are currently using, your system will miss important security updates. Please select the 'Learn More' link to address the situation," the message reads.
A GitHub user who goes by "Zeffy" uploaded an open-source patch that gives users a workaround. The patch alters a pair of functions he discovered in the file wuaueng.dll that checks for compatibility. They are IsCPUSupported(void) and IsDeviceServiceable(void). The patch alters these two flags so that Windows skips over the entire CPU check.
"This is essentially a giant middle finger to anyone who dare not 'upgrade' to the steaming pile of garbage known as Windows 10. Especially considering the extended support periods for Windows 7 and 8.1 still have a few years left, and will be coming to a close in 2020 and 2024 respectively," Zeffy writes.
Tell us how you really feel, Zeffy!
There are few things to note here. One, we have not tested this ourselves, so we can't say how well it does or does not work. Secondly, it is very likely that Microsoft will render this patch ineffective. And finally, Zeffy says that users who apply this patch will need to do so each Microsoft's updates the wuaugen.dll file. He also warns that the patch could prompt Windows to run its System File Checker (SFC) tool.
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