The company reminds users that Windows XP support is coming to an end

Jul 27, 2013 06:51 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft will no longer release updates for Windows XP as of April 8, 2014, so the company is urging everyone to make the move to a newer operating system as soon as possible.

In a blog post announcing the 20th birthday of Windows NT, Microsoft says that users should get ready for the Windows XP “full panic mode,” as staying with the ancient XP beyond the retirement date is very risky.

“Also a quick reminder, Windows XP will reach end of support on April 8th 2014 which is just a little over 8 months away so if you haven’t started your migration I can’t think of a better time to start. Full panic mode should be just over the horizon. If you are a premier support customer contact your TAM to get any help you need,” the company said.

Still, Windows XP remains incredibly popular, with figures provided by third-party researcher Net Applications claiming that it's still installed on more than 37 percent of computers worldwide.