Microsoft plans to install a new version of its Windows operating system called “Windows 8.1,” which will replace the entire OS, as well as the Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.
The move comes as Microsoft is under pressure from a variety of sources over its Windows 8 launch and the potential disruption it could cause to its core business.
In a statement, Microsoft said it has “reassured the people who have purchased Windows 7” that it is working on “a new version” of the operating system “as soon as we can,” and that it has made “no changes” to the current version.
The company did not provide details about the new version.
Microsoft also said that it will soon release an “ultimate upgrade” for Windows 7.
However, it will not offer any “re-engagement” for those who are still on Windows 7, and will instead offer a “free upgrade” to Windows 8.
1 / 3 Microsoft also noted that it intends to continue “support for older operating systems through future releases.”
It also noted the “future availability” of Windows 7 for Windows 8 users.
The news comes after Microsoft was hit with a barrage of negative media attention following its failure to deliver on its promises to users of Windows 8 and Windows 7 to “recover their lost data and apps” by the end of the year.
The tech giant has been under pressure for weeks over a failure to make such a promise.
At the time of the Windows 8 announcement, Microsoft told the media that “as of this month, Windows 8 will be available for free to consumers and businesses.”
In fact, it had said as recently as October that “Windows 7 is available for customers to upgrade to.”
Microsoft’s Windows 8 “recovery” plan also included a promise that it would be “the only operating system available for Windows and Windows Phone devices for at least the next three years.”
That statement, however, is no longer on the company’s website.
A spokesperson for Microsoft told New York magazine that the company has “made no changes to the operating systems” that are still available to customers, and that the “reboot plan” for “Windows” “will be available to all customers in the next few months.”
Windows 8 is not the only OS that is being replaced by Windows 8 in the future.
Apple also plans to “revamp” its operating system, which it will do by merging several versions of iOS into one.
It’s unclear if Apple plans to do the same for Windows.