Microsoft Windows 10, often offered as a free upgrade, will drop their support for 2-in-1 PCs that were sold throughout 2013 and 2014. The move will stop this generation of PCs from receiving security patches needed to run the operating system safely.
The PCs were able to receive the Anniversary edition of Windows 10, but when the Creators Update was pushed through in March 2017, the update failed.
The problem is a compatibility issue between the latest update and the 2-in-1 PCs. The issue keeps the user’s PC stuck in the Windows 10 version 1607 version until Microsoft offers a fix for the problem. The company’s compatibility check process doesn’t seem to flag any issues on the PCs, despite the installation failing.
ZDNet reports that the issue affects Intel’s Atom Clover Trail series of CPUs.
Microsoft’s service policy states that they will provide updates for each update for 18 months, meaning users will have 18 months of potential updates. If the time passes, Microsoft may not provide a fix to the problem, rendering the PCs a potential security risk.
Windows 10 Creators Update doesn’t work with the following processors at this time: Atom Z2760, Atom Z2520, Atom Z2560 and Atom Z2580.
Users that are experiencing issues with the Creators Update after installation can choose to restore their system to the previous update to correct the issue. Some drivers remain incompatible, with some users noting text not appearing, icons not showing up and other issues following installation.
The news comes as Microsoft announced the “Autumn Creators Update,” which will be rolled out in the UK. Microsoft also delayed its Timeline feature for their Fall Creators Update, which was highly anticipated.
Some features will be delayed until March 2018.
The company has yet to respond on the issues they’re facing with the Atom Clover Trail processors.
