As a part of our Windows device life cycle, Microsoft Store will soon stop accepting new apps with Windows Phone 8.x or earlier or Windows 8/8.1 packages (XAP and APPX). Soon after that date, we will stop distributing app updates to Windows Phone 8.x or earlier and Windows 8/8.1 devices; at that time, updates will only be made available to customers using Windows 10 devices.
Application distribution to Windows 8/8.1 will cease 31 July, 2023.
The fact that they think anyone will care by then is funny, in a sad sort of way.
Would anyone even care if they stopped distributing them for Windows 10?
I care… People get stuck on windows versions due to software or hardware requirements. Then you want to distribute your app, in a nice easy way via store, and they’re forced to either make costly upgrades for hardware or you have to figure out another way to get them software updates.
If everything was via store, no issues and then who cares what version you have. But we’re not there and probably never will be.
I understand what Microsoft is doing, and its hard to complain about it, but there are a lot of people really good at complaining.
I should also note that it does not affect me in anyway, I’ve just been in similar situations where the “solution” is to convince customers to buy tens of thousands of dollars of new equipment that will work just as efficiently as their existing equipment… or we spend r&d working around the problematic OS or other software/hardware.
It would be one thing if microsoft just decided to stop updating *it’s own* software for the platform. however it’s downright unethical that they are going to block 3rd parties from supporting windows 8 customers. This shouldn’t happen and is a result of a company with too much power for the good of society.
This is an excellent reason to avoid becoming dependent upon microsoft to distribute your software in the first place.
Edited 2018-08-20 22:03 UTC
They’re blocking third parties from supporting customers *through the store*. I don’t know about phone timelines, but for desktop 8, 2023-07-01 is more than 5 1/2 months after support ends for Windows itself (and only ten days before end of support even for Embedded 8/8.1). I think it’s reasonable for MS to avoid any implication *they’re* still supporting an expired platform.
gld59,
Yes, which is why “This is an excellent reason to avoid becoming dependent upon microsoft to distribute your software in the first place.” Of course most software companies already abide by this, it’s just a warning to those who would have us embrace the software gatekeeper model on the PC.
And what happens to users who for whatever reason have to maintain legacy equipment?
Or how about those who simply want to play old games, or use historical software for personal or educational reasons?
Nothing worth a dime was ever distributed on the Microsoft Store exclusively. Unless you count a million flash game rip-offs as somehow “historically significant”
bert64,
About half my income is working on & supporting legacy systems. Obviously we’ll avoid lock in as best we can, but this is a big reason I’m extremely wary of big companies having too much control. They’ll gladly take any control we collectively let them have, but they’re not benevolent and they’re not looking out for society’s best interests.
Google and Apple do similar things in their app stores for moblie devices. Same kind of pain for business users.
Bill Shooter of Bul,
Yeah I agree. Some people only like to point fingers when it’s a competitor, but the reality is many in the industry are moving in this direction. Obviously, apple’s been one of the primary architects for this model. They’ve made so much money that it’s no mystery that other companies are seeking to replicate this with their platforms. Google makes chromebook users wipe their devices and forced to use dev mode if they want to download from non-google channels, which is clearly a competitive barrier.
https://www.howtogeek.com/260075/how-to-sideload-an-android-app-from…
The young generations who use these devices are growing up with a norm of owners not being in control, which I find disturbing. For it’s part, microsoft keeps experimenting with restricted devices, but they have a unique marketing problem in that any time they add restrictions it breaks existing “windows software” that consumers expect to be able to run on “windows”. I think this is the main thing hold back more draconian restrictions on windows PCs right now, but for how much longer? It would be folly for microsoft to mess too much with enterprise customers, but I’m counting the days until the right to install 3rd software from 3rd party sources becomes a pro/enterprise privilege.
For years I’ve strongly promoted a message of digital freedoms and not allowing others to control our data & devices. Alas, I do realize that I’m outnumbered by a population that doesn’t really give a damn.
Edited 2018-08-21 19:09 UTC
It’s not that bad, with free upgrade to Win10 for Win8 users…
zima,
Is there a newer way for users to upgrade to windows 10 without paying any more? Not that I wanted windows 10, but it was my understanding was that users would need to buy windows 10 after the deadline, so I’d like to know if I’m wrong about this.
Most of our enterprise clients are only now deciding to upgrade to windows 10, and their upgrades are creating more support incidents than usual, it turns out some of microsoft’s updates are kind of buggy. Oh well, on the plus side it’s more billable work for me I suppose.
If you had downloaded the Windows 10 Upgrade executable via the “Windows 10 for Assistive Technologies” extension before that window closed, you can still use that file to upgrade a licensed copy of Windows 7 or 8.1. I have no idea when Microsoft will discover and close this loophole; perhaps it’s their way of further insuring Windows 10 propagates as far as possible even outside of retail channels.
Morgan,
I suppose it might still work if you grab them off a warez site or something, but it seems microsoft has officially ended this upgrade program.
Edited 2018-08-22 13:41 UTC
In my own testing as late as last month, as long as you kept the executable upgrade file from when the program was still in effect, it will work to upgrade to and activate Windows 10.
As I said, I have no idea if this is by design or a loophole they haven’t closed yet. I’ve only used it in testing as I actually prefer to keep a Windows 7 machine available, but it does indeed activate successfully as 10 as long as the original OS is legally activated.
Morgan,
That might work for you, but I’m really referring to those who never got the upgrade software originally since the average user would not have done that. I don’t even have it for that matter.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a windows 7/8 key that was previously associated with a windows 10 upgrade is supposed to activate on windows 10 even after the deadline by design.
Anyways thanks for the information, upgrading might be possible for those who have the old installers even though the program is officially ended.
Edited 2018-08-22 14:54 UTC
Hm, I wonder if it works when one downloads the file now by some… other means
(is the upgrade executable locked to machine on which it was downloaded?)
I have no idea; I’m certainly not going to distribute my copy of the file and risk the wrath of Redmond.
I do know that it works on a Windows 7 license that has never been upgraded to 10 in the past, so if you do get your hands on the executable it might be worth attempting if you have a spare legit Windows 7 key or installation laying around.
I also have no idea if it works on Windows 8.1 as I don’t have any machines with that OS nor a license for it, and I don’t care enough to spend money to find out.
Well as I understand you did check the installer on some other machine than the one used to download it, no?
(anyways, there are other ways, to which I link in a nearby reply to Alfman)
Correct, and the test machine was a Windows 7 system that had never gotten the Win10 update during the free window nor the accessibility upgrade option during its free window.
I would assume that now, the machine can take a pure Windows 10 installation and be recognized as valid and genuine, but I’m purposely keeping that machine at 7 for compatibility reasons.
The websites claim it has ended, but apparently MS activation servers still happily dispense upgrade licenses.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-win… (last update to this article less than a month ago)
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/upgrade-to-windows-10-free
https://www.howtogeek.com/272201/all-the-ways-you-can-still-get-wind…
I suppose MS does it to increase usage share of Win10 vs Win7 (10 finally overtook 7 around the last New Year http://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worl… …but 7 still has a lot of marketshare while only 1.5 year of official life left https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StatCounter_Monthly_Windows_map.p… ) without irritating OEMs (who prefer focus on getting Win10 with new computers) with official MS website.
And you better upgrade too …what else will you do? (at least you need to be familiar with Win10 because most of your clients will use it)
PS. And as Morgen pointed out there was also longer than ~official https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade …supposedly only if you use assisitive technologies, but it was sort of on a honour system…
(though I truly qualify 
– because of my disability, I relatively often use the on-screen keyboard)
This is only one reason why the Store model for apps is so wrong. Microsoft is not the app developers and has no interest in apps for such a small platform. Microsoft is essentially saying here that you cannot use this platform which exposes the lie of an OS with a Store as anything other than a toll gate to exact a fee. Toll gates don’t exist to serve the masses, they exist to charge the masses. Now that the toll gate is being dismantled, the artificial bridge connecting users and developers is being dismantled too. Obviously this all applies to Apple, Google, Amazon and any other OS that gets developed this way. Even the pebble watch suffers from the same problem.