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Yesterday, Brad Anderson announced that App Assure now includes Windows 10 on ARM64 personal computers (PCs). App Assure launched two years ago to provide customers with the confidence that your apps will work on Windows 10 and Office 365 (now Microsoft 365 Apps). If customers run into issues, our App Assure engineers help you to fix those issues. This is part of the FastTrack benefit, which comes at no additional cost with your eligible Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 plans of 150+ licenses.
Last year, App Assure expanded to include Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Edge, and now, we’re excited to provide application compatibility assistance for Windows 10 on ARM64 PCs. Originally, the desktop version of Windows 10 only ran on PCs powered by processors developed by Intel and AMD (x86 or x64) because they were optimized for performance. In contrast, ARM processors are often used in mobile devices where size, power consumption, and speed matter. In addition to Microsoft’s Surface Pro X, other manufacturers have started releasing ARM-based PCs, often built with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips. These devices have beneficial[i] features including all day battery life and support for mobile data networks.
An emulation layer built into Windows 10 on ARM enables the rich ecosystem of x86 Win32 applications to run unmodified. This means most 32-bit apps will install and run on ARM64 PCs without issue. However, we know that some of you may still have concerns about software compatibility, especially for those applications with kernel mode drivers (such as some third-party antivirus software) since they interact with core operating system components, which cannot be emulated.
For Windows 10 on ARM64 devices running version 1709 and later, App Assure is here to help. Our application compatibility promise is that Microsoft is committed to helping you ensure your apps work on the latest versions of our software. If you encounter issues, we’ll help you resolve them at no additional cost. Please note that there are a few instances where we have limitations: apps that rely on software drivers that aren’t compatible with ARM64 devices, use OpenGL or OpenCL, or are only available in 64-bit (x64) [1].
How do we keep this promise?
If you do encounter an app compat issue on an ARM64 PC, App Assure engineers will work with you to help you resolve the issue. Our experts will:
- Help you troubleshoot and identify a root cause
- Provide guidance to help you remediate the application compatibility issue
- Engage with third-party independent software vendors (ISVs) on your behalf to remediate some part of their app, so that it’s functional on the most modern version of our products
- Work with Microsoft product engineering teams to fix product bugs
We’re committed to not only helping you find a remediation for your app compat issue, but also going the extra mile by working with our engineering teams to find and fix the root cause, thus continuing to improve our products.
Do I have an ARM PC?
The following are some of the available or announced ARM64 PCs (as of September 2020):
- Surface Pro X
- Samsung Galaxy Book S
- Samsung Galaxy Book2
- Asus NovaGo
- HP Envy x2
- Lenovo Flex 5G
- Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS
- Lenovo Miix 630
- Acer Spin 7
- Huawei Matebook E (2019); only available in China
How do I get started with App Assure?
App Assure is available at no additional cost for eligible Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 plans of 150+ licenses. Visit aka.ms/AppAssureRequest to submit your request for assistance which will be assigned to your dedicated App Assure Manager. To learn more about App Assure compatibility assistance visit here. You can also watch the 2020 Microsoft Ignite Skilling Session on App Assure here.
[i] https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/porting/apps-on-arm
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
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