There are now less than two months left until Microsoft will officially pull the plug on
Windows XP Service Pack 2. Come July 13th, 2010, the second service pack for XP will reach the end of support, a point after which Microsoft will no longer offer any updates for the operating system version, or any sort of assistance in resolving issues affecting the product. This doesn’t mean the end of Windows XP, however. Customers running XP SP3 will be able to continue running the platform until 2014, at which point Extended support for XP as a whole will expire.
“I want to remind you that support for Windows XP SP2 ends July 13, 2010. If you or your customers stay on Windows XP we will still provide updates for Windows XP SP3. Let’s check out our lifecycle support page to understand how long Microsoft will support SP3, and Windows XP as a whole,” Microsoft’s
Rob Waggoner noted.
Customers do have a few choices at their disposal. If they are keen on ridding XP for all it’s got, they will need to upgrade to SP3 as soon as possible. In the eventuality that they are considering software/hardware upgrades, they should opt for Windows 7, despite the fact that Windows Vista SP2 continues to remain an option. Windows 7 is simply a superior choice, no question about it.
“As you can see from this page, Extended Support will be retired for Windows XP on 4/8/2014. Microsoft will continue to deliver updates for Windows XP SP3 until 4/8/2014. We will continue to provide security updates for SP3 until 2014. If you are still using Windows XP, please move to SP3 to stay secure. If you’re using XP Mode for Windows 7, XP Mode already has SP3 installed for Windows XP so you will continue to receive updates for your XP mode solutions,” Waggoner added.
I also want to clarify an aspect related to the future evolution of XP, in the sense that there’s not going to be one. I recently received a question regarding a potential Service Pack 4 (SP4) release for XP. There isn’t going to be one. SP3 was the last service pack for 32-bit (x86) XP, and SP2 was the last upgrade for 64-bit (x64) XP.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Final is available for download here.
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone (KB948465) is available for download here.
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x64-based systems (KB948465) is available for download here.
Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD is available for download here.
Another Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.
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