Microsoft backing off support forum help for 7 and 8.1

[Trouble]

Microsoft has announced that starting next month it will no longer be participating in the technical support forums for Windows 7, 8.1, 8.1 RT and numerous other products

The support for the below products will be discontinued across different forums in the Community.

• Windows 7, 8.1, 8.1 RT
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Internet Explorer 10
• Office 2010, 2013
• Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface RT, Surface 2
• Microsoft Band -- this topic will be locked. Users are invited to participate in Microsoft Band 2 topic.
• Mobile devices forum -- Microsoft support will continue in "Other Windows mobile devices" topic
• Zune -- this topic will be locked, but will remain available for browsing

Thank you for being part of Microsoft Community!

Specific messages were also posted in some of the individual forums that are affected by the change.

SOURCE: https://betanews.com/2018/06/11/microsoft-to-stop-participating-in-some-support-forums/

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the heads up @Trouble. It's interesting to see that Windows 7 and 8.1 forum support is depreciated at the same time, even though they were released 4 years apart. Just shows how many people still used Windows 7 until recently!

 

[davehc]

Not such a startling comment as it seems. I was (still, to a very small extent) an active member of those forums, particularly in my ancient MVP days.
The support from Microsoft employees was minimal. Most of the help and advice came from third party sources such as, with modesty, myself.
Forums such as this, provide and, hopefully, will continue to provide, a much more superior and currently active help

 

[Trouble]

Not such a startling comment

No, I suppose it isn't.
I guess it was just that it seemed to be rather "official" and I found that odd as support for the two products (updates, patches, hot fixes, etc.) are scheduled to continue to 2020 and 2023 respectively.
AND
The comment

Some forums will be locked, preventing users from helping each other as well.

Seems counterproductive and unnecessary.

Nothing they do surprises me anymore.
I've been dealing with MS since I got my first MCP (for Windows98) MCSE (for NT4.0) MCSA (for Server 2000) MCSA (for Server 2003).
I realize that everyone needs to move on.
It just seems that sometimes it feels a little ruthless.

 

[ram1220]

Did MS ever provide any meaningful help in their forums anyway? All I saw were canned responses that never helped. I get more help in 3rd party forums like this one that we are in now.