oh noes.. Skylake dropping Win7 completely?!

[planckepoch]

Can anyone confirm?

http://wccftech.com/intel-skylake-re...latform-specs/

If intel is not supporting usb 2.0 anymore in skylake chipset then it only makes sense that they wono't make any chipset drivers for Windows 7 for the new Skylake which means that no matter what the motherboard manufacturers want to do (even if they want to include a usb 2.0 controller, etc) those on Windows 7 will be out of luck because of intel doesn't offer win7 chipset drivers on skylake there is nothing the motherboard manufacturers can do about that, and if so, then windows 7 can't be effectively used on skylake stuff...

If intel already drop usb2.0 on skylake, knowing that windows 7 install requires usb 2.0; then perhaps they are intent on not producing any chipset drivers for windows 7?

All but a foregone conclusion? Any one confirm?

 

[Cerb]

There is no mention in any of these Chicken Little articles about whether slipstreamed XHCI drivers will work, or not.

If intel already drop usb2.0 on skylake, knowing that windows 7 install requires usb 2.0; then perhaps they are intent on not producing any chipset drivers for windows 7?

Logically leap, much? Intel has consistently supported MS OSes until MS' support ends. I see no reason why that would change with Skylake. When was the last time a vendor provided Windows 7 in any form other than a recovery partition, or DVD?

 

[escrow4]

Win 7 is going on 6yrs old. Its time is over. Move on. The fact that it doesn't natively support USB 3 is a stupid irritant.

 

[Cerb]

Win 7 is going on 6yrs old. Its time is over.

Now: 2015.
Time Windows 7 is over: 2020.

Unless Intel doesn't want businesses to buy Skylake, they won't do anything so stupid.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Intel has consistently supported MS OSes until MS' support ends.

That's not quite true. I still don't know if there are any "official" Intel drivers for their AC wireless cards in Win7. Last I heard, you had to install a laptop vendor's driver, for support in Win7.

 

[Burpo]

Get Windows 10 :sneaky:

 

[escrow4]

Now: 2015.
Time Windows 7 is over: 2020.

Unless Intel doesn't want businesses to buy Skylake, they won't do anything so stupid.

It came out end of 2009, its now the middle of 2015. Its extended support only, no more mainstream. Security updates only. MS couldn't care less. The focus is on 10.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

That's not quite true. I still don't know if there are any "official" Intel drivers for their AC wireless cards in Win7. Last I heard, you had to install a laptop vendor's driver, for support in Win7.

I've been installing drivers off Intel's site for my 7260AC cards (now totalling 5 machines) for awhile now. I've never *had* to use a vendor's drivers, since they've all just been identical copies of the drivers you get off Intel's site anyway.

Gigabyte doesn't even stick a wrapper or put their name anywhere, it's just the standard Intel installer.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I've been installing drivers off Intel's site for my 7260AC cards (now totalling 5 machines) for awhile now. I've never *had* to use a vendor's drivers, since they've all just been identical copies of the drivers you get off Intel's site anyway.

You must not have gotten them when they first came out. Intel had 8/8.1 drivers, but not Win7 drivers, for the longest time.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

You must not have gotten them when they first came out. Intel had 8/8.1 drivers, but not Win7 drivers, for the longest time.

Oh, I did. That was a nightmare since their ProSET crap was the only download option available with the OEMs and for some reason it made all the connections unstable as hell.

I assumed you were referring to the present. I've been using Intel's drivers for about a year now.

 

[MongGrel]

Get Windows 10 :sneaky:

+1

Why the hell would you want Skylake and an old OS to begin with.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

+1

Why the hell would you want Skylake and an old OS to begin with.

I went through this confusion only once before. I had acquired a retail VISTA Ultimate and needed an OS for my Sandy Bridge build. At least one of my colleagues here shook me by the shoulders and told me it didn't make sense. Since we had to upgrade other LGA-775 systems from XP anyway, I broke down and ordered the 4-box bundle of Win 7 OEM white-boxes.

It's a perfectly good decision to choose not to upgrade systems through socket-1155 if they have Win 7 on them. If you're going to build a new system, I may be reluctant to say it, but it's time to let Win 7 go. Let it go!

There's always a little dance going on between MS and the hardware makers. For Haswell or later, Win 10 is probably the optimal choice. In other threads, I and some of us in the HTPC forum are having fits of anger about Win 10 because there's no Media Center option, and the alternatives leave you high and dry for cable-tv premium or encrypted channels. That's probably going to shake out in some reasonable way without disrupting lifestyles and habits. I just wouldn't jump for the free Win 10 upgrade to a machine you rely upon for HTPC/Media-Center.

 

[tenks]

I think you're jumping to conclusions.

It just means you cant install Windows 7 via a USB stick.

Also, reading wccfetch doesn't help.

 

[Cerb]

That's not quite true. I still don't know if there are any "official" Intel drivers for their AC wireless cards in Win7. Last I heard, you had to install a laptop vendor's driver, for support in Win7.

Are there PCIe cards without said drivers? Vendor-only mobile drivers have been an annoying thing for ages, and only a handful of companies, including AMD, categorically don't do it.

 

[Cerb]

It came out end of 2009, its now the middle of 2015. Its extended support only, no more mainstream. Security updates only. MS couldn't care less. The focus is on 10.

All of which doesn't matter.

It's still supported, new PCs are still being sold with it, and new PCs will still be sold with it for years. Either Intel can support those PCs, or they will have sales problems.

 

[Cerb]

Oh, I did. That was a nightmare since their ProSET crap was the only download option available with the OEMs and for some reason it made all the connections unstable as hell.

Always do a custom install. You can choose to only install the driver. ProSET can screw up domain trust and VPNs, too.

 

[Cerb]

+1

Why the hell would you want Skylake and an old OS to begin with.

Sklake: 2015-2016.

Windows 10: 2016-2018

Until the OS proves itself worthy of supporting for several years, which is likely going to be a year or more after release, if at all (FI, skipping 8.x), the older OS stays.

Consumer PCs, and all tablets, will get the new OS immediately, of course.

 

[nenforcer]

There are some business / industries who are just NOW upgrading to Windows 7 since Windows XP support ended a year ago.

 

[master_shake_]

yawn....

http://www.vercot.com/~serva/

i install windows over my network.

usb is so passe.

also, just because intel isn't putting usb 2 ports on their boards doesn't mean there won't be third party usb 2 controllers.

 

[WilliamM2]

I think you're jumping to conclusions.

It just means you cant install Windows 7 via a USB stick.

Also, reading wccfetch doesn't help.

It also means your USB keyboard and mouse won't work during the install process either. Not sure how you'll get it installed if you don't have PS/2 ports on your board.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I think you're jumping to conclusions.

I'd be inclined to agree with you...

Actually I think there is a far simpler explanation. Intel is just removing the EHCI controllers (USB2) from the PCH, leaving only the XHCI controller (USB3). Since USB3 is (for the most part anyway) backwards compatible, its a complete non-issue... :whiste:

There might be a few issues getting 3.0 transfer speeds, since 7 lacks a built-in XHCI driver, so 3rd party (Intel) will be required.

 

[CP5670]

I keep XP around for a few old things on my Z97/Haswell and everything works fine, even if it's not officially supported. The Intel inf installer works normally and the Realtek NIC and Asmedia USB3 chips have XP drivers. Even if the latter didn't exist, the ports are backward compatible and the system would recognize them as USB2.

Unlike XP, Vista/7/8 use a similar driver model and drivers for minor peripherals are often unofficially compatible with all of them. I'm guessing X will be the same.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Unlike XP, Vista/7/8 use a similar driver model and drivers for minor peripherals are often unofficially compatible with all of them. I'm guessing X will be the same.

One of the highlights of 8+ is it includes a huge catalogue of generic class drivers. If its plugged in via USB, you can pretty much be guaranteed it'll work at some level...

Even got an old Canon scanner working, despite it lacking official x64 drivers.

 

[escrow4]

All of which doesn't matter.

It's still supported, new PCs are still being sold with it, and new PCs will still be sold with it for years. Either Intel can support those PCs, or they will have sales problems.

What new PCs? Anything consumer is 8+ unless it comes with downgrade rights to a 6yr old OS.

 

[Cerb]

What new PCs? Anything consumer is 8+ unless it comes with downgrade rights to a 6yr old OS.

Every single one I put my hands on, almost (basically all but tablet/convertibles). I already noted consumers don't get that choice (unless they know an IT person, who will tell them, after they finish ranting about 8.x).

Optpliexes, Elites, Thinkcentres, Latitudes, Probooks, Elitebooks, Thinkpads...the downgrade rights are what they are utilizing, from the factory.

They're going to have Skylake in them soon, while the demand for 7 is not going to let up until 10 has been out for a little while.