Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry on a Surface Pro 4

Question

Hi, I used to install Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry on a Surface Pro 3 and use it as a dedicated device for my customer, letting him use only my own application and nothing else. 

Now Surface Pro 3 have been discontinued and I need to use Surface Pro 4 device which does not support Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry.

Any suggestions? I really need UWF feature and a way to "customize" the device removing the standard shell application.

Any hint is really appreciated!

Answer 1

When you say it is not supported, is it not booting, or the fact that there is no device drivers? Why not move up to Windows 10 IoT 2015 LTSB, which is the next OS after Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry?

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Sean Liming - Book Author: Starter Guide SIM (WEI), Pro Guide to WE8S & WES 7, Pro Guide to POS for .NET - www.annabooks.com / www.seanliming.com

Answer 2

Hi Sean,

thank you for your quick reply.

When I say "not supported" I mean this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2858199

I can move up to Windows 10 IoT 2015 LTSB, what I really need is:

- Shell substitution with my own application

- Run Win32 Applications

- UWF support (by embedded lockdown)

- Keyboard Filter feature (by embedded lockdown)

Does this version support these features? Where can I download a demo/full version for Surface Pro 4?

Answer 3

Windows 10 IoT 2015 LTSB supports all the features except Keyboard Filter, which was not put in. It is available in the Windows 10 Enterprise non-LTSB 10586 release, but not available for the LTSB until the next LTSB is release some time in the future.

You could create a keyboard trap program. In a MSDN Magazine 2002 article had an example of a keyboard trap. There are other solutions.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/320584

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/toub/2006/05/03/low-level-keyboard-hook-in-c/

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Sean Liming - Book Author: Starter Guide SIM (WEI), Pro Guide to WE8S & WES 7, Pro Guide to POS for .NET - www.annabooks.com / www.seanliming.com