Microsoft warns of lapsing Windows support

[OhioChick]

Vista RTM's support expires in two months, XP SP2's and Windows 2000's in five

February 8, 2010 02:13 PM ET

Computerworld - Just days after Microsoft warned Windows 7 users of an impending shutdown of the free release candidate, the company reminded customers running Windows 2000, XP and Vista of approaching support deadlines for those editions.

The closest cutoff is April 13, when Microsoft will drop support for Vista RTM (release to manufacturing), the term used for the build the company launched at retail in January 2007. After that date -- it's also April's Patch Tuesday -- Microsoft will not provide security updates for Vista RTM, said Jerry Bryant, a senior manager with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC).

Instead, users should upgrade to Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), or preferably, Vista SP2, Bryant said. Microsoft shipped SP1 and SP2 in March 2008 and May 2009, respectively.

Microsoft's policy is to support a Windows RTM build for at least 24 months after the release of a first service pack, and to support any service pack for the same length of time when it's superseded by a follow-up.

More: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9153498/Microsoft_warns_of_lapsing_Windows_support

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1. Before anyone jumps in saying how awful M$ is, this is perfectly reasonable

[marmar]

13. Even if this is reasonable, Microsoft still sucks.....

IE8 is a horror.

[no limit]

14. My guess is you are using a windows machine. Right?

[meegbear]

2. I didn't think they still gave support for W2K ...

go figure.

[Recursion]

3. Lots (way too many) of gov't servers still run W2K

But then again, I haven't used a proprietary OS in about 10 years, so maybe I'm too blase about this.

[CreekDog]

4. Considering I brought a brand new netbook last July with Windows XP

I don't think making me pay for a new OS less than a year after buying one of their new products is fair. And these were brand new to the stores when I bought it.

[no limit]

6. Microsoft put out their support policy for XP years ago, 2005 if I recall correctly

If you bought a netbook with xp because you didn't want to pay extra for win 7 that's your right, M$ never tried to hide their support plicy from you. And actually you will have extended support until April 2014, that's 13 years after the release of XP. That support will include security patches as well as knowlegde base updates.

I don't know, all this sounds very fair. :shrug: In fact I think you would be hard pressed to find another company offering that kind of support life cycle.

And one more point, when you bought your netbook that netbook came with a OEM license. That means M$ is not responsible for the support, whoever made your netbook is.

[CreekDog]

7. Wow you lecture me on not buying Windows 7 and it wasn't even buyable then

Maybe I should have just stopped reading what you wrote at that point.

But I'm a glutton for punishment. :banghead:

But you are right, that's what I get for buying something.

Microsoft is teaching me not to buy things when they come out but months later.

[no limit]

8. It wasn't buyable then? Then what are you bitching about?

But if you bought it last summer you could have bought a installation that let you upgrade once win 7 came out, or you could have waited a month or 2 until that option became available.

You could have also bought a netbook with linux on it, would have saved you a bit of money too. Why didn't you? Linux would never make you buy a license, as long as you are willing to put up with constant headaches that the average computer user will never be able to overcome. You could have also went with a Mac, assuming you had 1 or 2 thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket.

And you are right, you could have stopped reading. A lot of people do that, they stick their fingers in their ears and scream I can't hear you!!!

The fact remains your XP installation has extended support until 2014, almost 13 years after XP came out. The fact remains that you will have a hard time finding any software company with a support life cycle that long. The fact also remains that microsoft did not load XP on this netbook, your computer manufacturer did and they are responsible for supporting this installation, not Microsoft.

So those are the facts, and I'm just saying your bitching is unwarranted. Because the support Microsoft offers for these products is in many ways unmatched. And there is nothing about this support policy that is unfair, it's beyond fair.

[teknomanzer]

10. You should try years later...

If its not obvious by my nom de plume, I am a computer technician by profession. My first rule of technology learned from years of experience in tech support is don't be the first to buy the new shiny thing. You will pay too much and experience all the bugs, and what for? So you can be cool. But I do love the trendy douches with cash in hand who have to be first in line to get the latest and greatest. They keep people like me employed - at least they used to until the jobs got shipped overseas. But I digress.

I deliberately chose to skip Vista... I know Microsoft's pattern of development. They throw some patchwork POS code together to generate some income and work on developing something more solid. Example: Windows ME. I knew Vista would be short lived. When Vista was released Windows 7 was waiting in the wings as the real heir to old man XP. Why blow 200+ dollars on an OS that will be obsolete in two years?

[roseBudd]

12. Last July? I bought 64 bit Vista November over a year ago & have had zero

problems. Glad I did not give into the fear mongering after someone in IT told me he liked Vista. But then I got sweet hardware too. 5 G RAM, 500 G SATA HD, all for $440

Vista laptop too

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Here come Ballmer and Gates!

[JPZenger]

9. Install the latest service pack and you are fine for now

It is reasonable that Microsoft expects their users to install service packs. If you don't, you lose your right to support. The real issue is: when does Microsoft stop provide support for updated software? The article says a minimum of 24 months.

[blue97keet]

11. thank God for Damn Small Linux

yes thats the real official name of it.