Conflict between Win7/8.1 patches and Carrizo DDR4 machines

woody

In today’s Security TechCenter release notes, there’s a sobering entry that looks like this:

Symptom

If the PC uses an AMD Carrizo DDR4 processor, installing this update (KB 4015549 (the Win7 Monthly Rollup), KB 4015546 (the Win7 Security-Only patch), KB 4015550 (the Win8.1 Monthly Rollup), KB 4015547 (the Win8.1 Security-Only patch) will block downloading and installing future Windows updates.

Workaround / Resolution

Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

Sound familiar? On March 22 I wrote about Microsoft’s reprehensible approach to forcing Win7 and 8.1 off the newer 7th generation Kaby Lake/Ryzen processors.

Two days later I pointed folks to companies that are maintaining lists of supported PCs — ones that wouldn’t run afoul of the blocked updating. At the time I said:

I don’t know what Microsoft intends to do with AMD chips. The way the announcements stand, AMD Bristol Ridge PCs won’t have Win7 or 8.1 support, and there’s no magic list of manufacturers or machines that are exempt from the ruling.

Now it appears we have a real-world example of a supposedly-protected 6th generation chip, AMD’s Carrizo, which got zapped by the 7th generation police.

Microsoft’s own Lifecycle Policy FAQ says:

What is the support policy for prior generations of processors and chipsets on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1? Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will continue to be supported for security, reliability, and compatibility on prior generations of processors and chipsets under the standard lifecycle for Windows. This includes most devices available for purchase today by consumers or enterprises and includes generations of silicon such as AMD’s Carrizo [emphasis added] and Intel’s Broadwell and Haswell silicon generations.

(Thx @radosuaf)

Even more distressing: It looks like this obnoxious behavior extends to both the Monthly Rollup patches (which I expected) and to the Security-only patches (which I did not).

What a massive screw-up.

(Can anybody point me to a commercial machine that uses Carrizo with DDR4?)