The Windows XP Embedded Lifecycle Support is defined by the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy and as such, the Redmond Company will deliver a minimum of 10 years of support. As Windows XPe is considered a Business and Developer product, at the Service Pack level, the Redmond Company will offer 5 years of mainstream support on top of which another 5 years of extended support will be added.

"Mainstream Support covers incident support. With XP Embedded we have paid incident support and OEMs and developers can call Microsoft for support. The current cost in the US is $245 per incident. Mainstream Support also covers Security Updates at no additional cost. This means that as Microsoft discovers fixes security issues, we make those fixes available at not cost. Finally, with mainstream support, Windows XP Embedded customers can request non-security bug fixes. Those are called hotfixes," revealed the Windows XP Embedded Team.

This means that, while Windows XP Embedded SP1 was released on January 30, 2002, mainstream support will end by February 2007, at which time the product will enter extended support. According to Microsoft, the extended support cannot pass over 2012. Moreover Microsoft added Windows XP SP2 to the equation in 2005. And the MS Support Policy states that Microsoft will deliver 12 months of support for the previous service pack once a new service pack is released. Support may be extended, but no longer than 24 months.

Mainstream support for Windows XP Embedded SP2 will be retired in 2009, at which point this too will enter extended support. Microsoft revealed that Windows XP Embedded SP2 and additional service pack will be supported until 2015.

"The release of Feature Pack 2007 does not reset or change this lifecycle policy in any way- Feature Pack 2007 is a supplement to XPe SP2, so the lifecycle will continue to map to that service pack moving forward," informed the Windows XPe Team.