Unofficial Patch Removes Windows 7, 8.1 Update Block On Newer Processors

Microsoft has gone ahead with its plan to disable updates on pre-Windows 10 operating systems running on newer AMD and Intel processors. While your machine won’t suddenly stop working, it does mean your Windows 7 or 8.1 install won’t benefit from the latest updates. Fortunately, a simple workaround is now available.

As predicted, an enterprising coder by the handle “zeffy” dived into Windows’ internals and discovered where and how Microsoft performs the check. He or she explored a number of avenues and came up with two options to “fix” the problem.

Both involved edits to a file called “wuaueng.dll”, with one appearing to be an “internal testing feature used by Microsoft” and “could be removed in future updates”, ruling it out in zeffy’s mind. The second choice requires a “simple 1-byte change” and is the path the coder went with.

The result is a patch anyone can apply to their Windows 7 or 8.1 installation. Of course, the patch comes with some caveats:

  • You have to apply a new patch whenever wuaueng.dll gets updated.
  • SFC scan errors will most likely occur as it will believe the integrity of the system has been compromised.

If you can live with these, the patch is available from zeffy’s GitHub repository.

[GitHub, via DSO Gaming]


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