Windows 8.1 now displays notifications (in full screen) that inform users that the operating system is reaching end of support in January 2023.This means that it will no longer receive security updates, so using it after that time may put devices at risk.
The notifications started appearing recently, as part of the Windows 8.1 cumulative update, KB5015874, which includes a new EOSnotify.exe to display a warning that the operating system will soon be unsupported by Microsoft.
See also: Microsoft fixes dozens of Azure privilege escalation bugs
“January 10, 2023 is the last day that Microsoft will offer security updates and technical support for Windows 8.1 computers. We’re reaching out now to thank you for your dedication and to help you prepare for what’s coming,” the Windows 8.1 notification states.
When the notification appears, users can click “Remind me later,” which will cause the notification to appear again in 35 days. Users also have the option to click “Remind me after end of support date,” which means they will only see this notification again when Windows 8.1 reaches end of support in January 2023.
There is also a “Learn more” link, which takes users to a Microsoft.com webpage explaining that Windows 8.1 will soon reach end of support.
See also: Phishing attacks manage to bypass Microsoft Office MFA!
Microsoft states that the notification will not appear on managed devices , as well as Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise and Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro devices.
EOSnotify.exe
Just as Windows 7 's full-screen notifications warned users to upgrade to Windows 10, the new Windows 8.1 notifications use Microsoft's EOSnotify program.
EOSNotify.exe is located in the C:\Windows\System32 and is launched via two scheduled tasks called EOSNotify and EOSNotify2.
The EOSNotify task is launched every time a user logs on to Windows and EOSNotify2 runs once a day.
When the EOSNotify.exe program is run, it will check the LastRunTimestamp value under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\EOSNotify key and if it has already been run that day, it will not display the notification.
When a user clicks the “Remind Me Later” link, EOSNotify.exe will create the 'RemindMeLater' value and set it to 1 to indicate that Windows will not display the notification again for another 35 days.
See also: Play Store: Android malware with over 3 million installations
If a user clicks the “Remind Me After End Of Support” link, EOSNotify will create the value “RemindMeAfterEndOfSupport” and set it to 1, causing the notification to only appear again after Windows 8.1 reaches end of support on January 10, 2023.
Finally, there is the option to not show the notification again, by configuring the 'DiscontinueEOS' value, as shown below.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\EOSNotify]
“DiscontinueEOS”=dword:00000001
Although these notifications are considered annoying by many, they are necessary to remind users that they need to upgrade to a newer version of Windows to keep devices secure and running smoothly.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
