4 ms·

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20031224-00/?p=41363/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20031224-00/?p=... This may answer your query.

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20031224-00/?p=41363/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20031224-00/?p=... This may answer your query. Microsoft takes (took?) user-friendliness as the most sacrosanct thing. Breaking a user's apps is the biggest anti-user thing to do. In hindsight, it has maybe turned out that taken to extremes this approach is not sustainable. But I agree with the basic logic.

eequah9L 9y ago
Linux the kernel does something similar. I'm not sure about e.g. layout of what various /proc files produce (though it wouldn't surprise me if that were cast in stone as well), but syscalls in particular are compatible waaay back. glibc and a handful other libraries are also careful not to break binary compatibility, providing versioned symbols for old binaries. Beyond that it tends to suck, with some libraries not even bothering with sonames.
gspetr 9y ago
I think a solid argument can be made that Microsoft has abandoned this strategy. If they had not then the forced timed restarts of Win 10 (30 minutes and kiss your work goodbye), along with forced updates would not be a thing.