Windows XP SP2 extended support ending July 13, 2010
February 20, 2010 by Phill Briscoe
Filed under Blog, Maintenance Plans, Microsoft, Network Assessment, Operating Systems, Windows 7
Several weeks ago I got a Microsoft OEM newsletter informing me that Support for Windows XP with SP2 is ending July 13, 2010: “Windows XP SP2 will no longer be the supported service pack level for Windows XP computers. Customers running Windows XP SP2 or a previous version of the OS will need to upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (or Windows 7).” In short, with the advent of Windows 7, Microsoft’s new OS, Windows XP is now two operating systems away from the current version Microsoft is working on. What does this mean for users? Microsoft has provided the following PDF. (https://partner.microsoft.com/download/global/40126194).
Although I know this document is aimed at the technology professional; I was really looking for a plain English explanation/answer to the questions: Do I need to change? Is it worth it? Officially, mainstream support for Windows XP Professional ended April 4, 2009, but what is the difference between Mainstream support and extended support. Like any legal document it is important to understand the language so you don’t misunderstand. I think the following chart is helpful in providing those definitions:
| Support provided | Mainstream Support phase | Extended Support phase |
| Paid support (per-incident, per hour, and others) | X | X |
| Security update support | X | X |
| Non-security hotfix support | X | Requires extended hotfix agreement, purchased within 90 days of mainstream support ending. |
| No-charge incident support | X | |
| Warranty claims | X | |
| Design changes and feature requests | X | |
| Product-specific information that is available by using the online Microsoft Knowledge Base | X | X |
| Product-specific information that is available by using the Support site at Microsoft Help and Support to find answers to technical questions. | X | X |
Note: A hotfix is a modification to the commercially available Microsoft product software code to address specific critical problems.
From my point of view there is no point using versions of Microsoft software that no longer have extended support because MS no longer provides product or security updates; not to mention paid telephone support. If you are past the extended support phase, it’s best to move to the newest version of Microsoft operating system if only to ensure that you have a stable system with full technical support.
