Microsoft has revealed via a blog post that it will end extended support for its aging operating system, Windows XP, on April 8, 2014.
Even though newer OSes like Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 have hit the market, several PCs still run on Windows XP. The operating system is still the software of choice for many users.
Microsoft released Windows XP in 2002 and has continued support for the OS longer than it usually does, owing to the popularity of the software. A staggering 40 percent of PCs currently deploy the 11-year-old OS.
However, all good things must come to an end, as the adage goes, and Microsoft will pull the support plug from the OS in 2014.
The one-year countdown to Microsoft stopping support for Windows XP began on Monday, April 8 , 2013.
"This natural evolution of technology is what is at the heart of our product lifecycle policy. A year from now will mark the final milestone for Windows XP - that of its end of support date. Starting April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide support for Windows XP users. This means that customers and partners will no longer receive security updates to the operating system or be able to leverage tech support from Microsoft after this time," notes Erwin Visser, Microsoft's senior director at Windows Commercial in an official blog post.
After April 8, 2014, users will no longer be able to pay for extended support and Microsoft will not push out any additional software patches. Users who continue to use the software after the deadline will do so at their own risk.
"On April 8, 2014, we will end the extended support for our commercial customers and we will no longer provide security updates for commercial or consumer customers," notes Microsoft.
Users who want to migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8 will need to do a clean install. This basically means that users will need to migrate data and "reinstall or repackage all their applications for the new OS."
This process, says Microsoft, "will take some time to test all of the hardware, peripherals and applications to ensure they will work with Windows 7 or Windows 8."
If you're on Windows XP, start the migration process while you still have time.
