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Windows 10 Creators Update fails to install on Intel’s Atom Clover Trail

Microsoft: Intel Clover Trail systems will never get Windows 10 Creators Update

Mark Coppock
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Windows 10 Creators Update
Aaron Cassara/Digital Trends
Microsoft has been aggressive in pushing its users to Windows 10, and that makes good sense. Older Windows versions are losing support and Windows 10 offers a solid upgrade path that brings enhanced performance, features, and security. Now, there is another reason for some users to upgrade, as devices based on the relatively recent Intel Atom Clover Trail processors cannot update to Windows 10 Creators Update.

The news came via ZDNet, which reported on a number of cases where Atom Clover Trail systems failed to update and the Creators Update setup app generated the following error dialog:

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“Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC. Uninstall this app now because it isn’t compatible with Windows 10.”

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As ZDNet notes, the error is a bit confusing. There is no app that actually needs to be uninstalled, of course, and the installation just fails at that point even though the pre-installation compatibility report does not catch the error and the update downloads without issue.

Interestingly, Acer had already indicated that its systems do not support Creators Update. From the company’s support site:

“The following Intel Clover Trail processors are currently not supported on Windows 10 Creators Update:

  • Atom Z2760
  • Atom Z2520
  • Atom Z2560
  • Atom Z2580

Microsoft is working with us to help provide compatible drivers to address this incompatibility. If you install the Windows 10 Creators Update, icons and text may not appear at all or may show up as solid color blocks or bars. If you have already installed Creators Update and are experiencing problems, you can use Windows 10 recovery options to restore your system to the previous build.”

That note, which also shows up in a Microsoft TechNet support thread, implies that a fix could be coming that would allow Creators Update to be installed. However, as The Verge reports, Microsoft has since confirmed via an emailed statement that the Intel Atom Clover Leaf systems will be stuck on Windows 10 Anniversary Update:

“They require additional hardware support to provide the best possible experience when updating to the latest Windows 10 feature update, the Windows 10 Creators Update. However, these systems are no longer supported by Intel (End of Interactive Support), and without the necessary driver support, they may be incapable of moving to the Windows 10 Creators Update without a potential performance impact.”

Microsoft also stated that the systems will receive security updates through January 2023 as long as they are running Anniversary Update. That is a departure from Microsoft’s usual support policy that would have seen this particular Windows 10 version losing support sooner. If you are the owner of one of these systems, that is at least a little bit of extra security to make up for the lack of support for all of the Creators Update’s extra features.

Updated: Added Microsoft’s confirmation that the systems will not be receiving the Windows 10 Creators Update.

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