Microsoft Adds Windows 10 S Support to New Surface Pro

Microsoft Adds Windows 10 S Support to New Surface Pro

This week, Microsoft issued a major set of firmware updates for the new Surface Pro that add support for Windows 10 S and, I think, the Fall Creators Update.

As you may recall, when Microsoft announced Windows 10 S back in May, it noted that Surface Laptop would just be the first Microsoft device to come preloaded with this limited—sorry, streamlined—new Windows 10 product version. And at the new Surface Pro launch a few weeks later, it said that it would offer Windows 10 S on that device, too, sometime later in 2017.

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With this week’s firmware updates, that future gets a step closer, though I have been using Windows 10 S on a new Surface Pro for the past two and a half weeks or so without issue. (Well. Without hardware compatibility issues, anyway.) Three of the four firmware updates it issued directly address Windows 10 compatibility.

Here’s what’s new:

Intel driver update for Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Processor Participant.Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Processor Participant 8.2.11004.3973 enables support for Windows 10 S.

Intel driver update for Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Power Participant Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Power Participant 8.2.11004.3973 enables support for Windows 10 S.

Intel driver update for Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Generic Participant. Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Generic Participant 8.2.11004.3973 enables support for Windows 10 S.

Intel driver update for Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Processor Manager. Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Processor Manager 8.2.11004.3973 adds support for an upcoming product release.

I assume that last bit—“an upcoming product release”—refers to the Fall Creators Update.

 

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Conversation 12 comments

  • Waethorn

    16 August, 2017 - 10:22 am

    <p>I'm sorry – WHAT?! Why do they need specific drivers for this Windows SKU?</p><p><br></p><p>And they want OEM's to build systems with this thing? Are you kidding me??</p><p><br></p><p>This thing reeks of death since its inception.</p>

    • Darmok N Jalad

      16 August, 2017 - 10:40 am

      <blockquote><a href="#166937"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yeah, the firmware update process on Surface is a little baffling to me. I can't think of another device that sees so many. It looks like MS calls more things firmware that other vendors call drivers. </p>

      • Waethorn

        16 August, 2017 - 12:51 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#166942"><em>In reply to Darmok N Jalad:</em></a></blockquote><p>They call drivers in Windows "firmware" but UEFI add-on ROM BIOS's are called "drivers"….</p><p><br></p>

    • Narg

      16 August, 2017 - 10:42 am

      <blockquote><a href="#166937"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>Looks like updates, not adds. OEMs are very cautious to state specific OS compatibility no matter how obscure it may seem. Are you new to computers Waethorn?</p>

      • Waethorn

        16 August, 2017 - 12:53 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#166943"><em>In reply to Narg:</em></a></blockquote><p>Are you even paying attention? Windows 10 S still uses the same Windows 10 baseline and driver model. There are no other manufacturers that make different drivers for Windows 10 Pro than for Home. Not one.</p>

  • Narg

    16 August, 2017 - 10:43 am

    <p>Likely Intel just doing the normal thing and including "Windows 10 S" in the descriptions. They probably did nothing to the driver at all other than a normal update if anything.</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      16 August, 2017 - 4:52 pm

      <p><a href="#166944"><em>In reply to Narg:</em></a></p><p><em>Normal update.</em></p><p>I haven't had a firmware update on the 3 non-tablet PCs I have at home, and 2 of those PCs are less than 2 years old. Surface tablets need lots of firmware updates, do they? How do they compare to OEM tablets?</p>

      • MarkWibaux

        Premium Member
        18 August, 2017 - 12:38 am

        <blockquote><a href="#167032"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p>A "firmware" update in Microsoft talk is what every other vendor calls a driver update.</p>

        • hrlngrv

          Premium Member
          18 August, 2017 - 12:42 am

          <p><a href="#167276"><em>In reply to MarkWibaux:</em></a></p><p>Understood. Let me be more explicit: there haven's been any driver/firmware updates for my non-MSFT PCs. Again, I don't have any tablets, so I have no first-hand experience with how often or not any tablet needs new drivers.</p>

          • MarkWibaux

            Premium Member
            21 August, 2017 - 2:34 am

            <blockquote><a href="#167277"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p>Then I'd have to say you haven't gone looking on the vendor's site or used the vendor's system update app.</p><p>From what I've seen in the business side, none of the PC vendors make their drivers/firmware updates available through Windows update, they utilise their own update application. </p><p>In Microsoft's case their update app is "Windows Update" so you see them a lot more often on a Surface device as that's where your OS updates are coming from also (you are not having to run a separate update tool).</p><p>This is a list of the updates I've chosen (and i've not installed every bit of software Lenovo offers) to install to my work Lenovo laptop (W541) since the beginning of this year. </p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://1drv.ms/i/s!AkZlxdMee0xvgvYnBwJZjgffOSfkRg"><img src=""></p>

  • skane2600

    17 August, 2017 - 10:39 am

    <p>So the target audience is people who want a "pro" laptop with a non-pro OS?</p>

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