Microsoft: The next generation of processors will only work with Windows 10

According to Microsoft, future processors from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm will not be compatible with Windows 7 or Windows 8 and will require Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 10.

This may not come as much surprise to some as Windows has been pushing its latest operating system on its older versions of Windows for a while, with the 'Get Windows 10' icon reminding you to upgrade. It now seems that Microsoft is taking new steps to prevent users from installing older versions of Windows on future machines. Microsoft updated it's support policy to highlight the upcoming changes to the latest silicon generations.

"Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support," says Microsoft. "For example, Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel's upcoming 'Kaby Lake' silicon, Qualcomm's upcoming '8996' silicon, and AMD's upcoming 'Bristol Ridge' silicon,".

The move has been proposed to allow Microsoft to focus on deeper integration between Windows and the latest innovative silicon technology to maintain reliability and compatibility in it's future systems.

This doesn't necessarily mean the death of Windows 7 or 8, and Microsoft will continue to support them for many years to come, but it does prevent them being installed on the next generation of computers. This could potentially cause problems or issues for individuals and businesses that rely on software that might not be compatible with Window 10 and industry experts has branded this move as the most aggressive Windows 10 push yet.