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Microsoft Kills Support For XP SP2
Trailrunner7 writes "Microsoft's announcement this week that it is preparing to end support for machines running Windows XP SP2 not only represents a challenge for the thousands of businesses still running SP2, but also is the end of an era for both Microsoft and its customers. It wasn't until 2004 that the final release of XP SP2 hit the streets, but when it did, it represented a huge step forward in security for Windows users. It wasn't necessarily the feature set that mattered as much as the fact that the protections were enabled by default and taken out of the users' hands."
What's wrong with SP3?
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
I ended support for Microsoft products a few years ago.
Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
NooooooooooO OOOOOOOOOOOoooooo
~Mekkah
I know this is a nerd site, but still. Is it really that hard to write Windows XP SP2? Or at the very least, put a fucking space between XP and SP2?
Why not say "Murders"? Or is that a little too over the top for /.?
No excuse to be running XP SP2 still.
Upgrade to Windows 7 or install SP3.
Thousands of business still running SP2? Your kidding right, what do they login to their NT 4 Server and connect to the network using token ring?
The summary appears to be a bunch of random, disjoint sentences from the article. Which is OK, since the article itself appears to be just a bunch of sentence fragments cut and pasted together from more reputable news sources.
Was this really the best article and submission Slashdot received on this topic?
Can somebody tell if this covers 64bit version which only has SP2 ??
Microsoft has had their end of life policy available on the web for ages now. Sp2 has been well known to be going EOL. If this threw any sysadmins off-guard...then wow.
The only reason I can see sticking with SP2 is that SP3 hasn't gotten an EAL rating.
said that, is also necessary to state that the millions of XP desktops and ATMs and botnets will not stop working today nor anytime soon.
I bought my copy of XP in 2002 for $150. My cost per day is down to about 5 cents, and since it's only a VM now, there's no compelling reason to upgrade to 7. All of the apps work just fine.
I used to wonder why all of these huge businesses were still on Windows NT in the early naughties. It's because it worked, and the smartest CIOs know the real truth about IT: if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. There will be unforeseen costs and bugs, and if there's not a "killer app" you're gaining for some competitive edge, you're just wasting time and money.
if you call microsoft asking for support for something that they have EOL'd, they will be very happy to point you towards a microsoft-trained and microsoft-certified consultant tech in your area who has the expertise to help you.
Trust me, MS is still getting their money, one way or another.
The reason why this is a bad thing is because certain companies may have app compatibility issues with SP3 which is why they didn't install the upgrade in the first place if they were smart and discovered the incompatibilities during a beta phase of testing in their environment. Although I doubt there a many like that, they shouldn't be ignored and cut off simply because they have reasons to not upgrade their SP, especially when you consider the cost of MS corp licensing. This is the same reason why a LARGE majority of companies did not move to Vista and even now Win07 due to their 3rd party apps not working on those OS's. I've seen it first hand with financial software that costs literally millions of dollars to obtain corp licensing for. The developers of this software simply aren't ready on their end and there is no reason why a company should HAVE to upgrade just because MS wants more money or compliance (read slavery) from their customers.
Dear former Windows XP SP2 user:
Please choose one of the following Linux Alternatives, since we will no longer be supporting Windows XP SP2:
1) Linux Menu (Offers several effective Alternatives)
2) Shut off computer, unplug and install you well tested door stop on the door of your choice.
Thank You,
Microsoft
"..the Library of Congress yesterday approved six exemptions to US copyright. The one most pertinent to gamers is that, for archival purposes, copy protection on software no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder can be cracked.."
- http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/23/us-copyright-office-grants-abandonware-rights/
if not, why not? Seriously, interested..
BAM!.. shot through the heart
OS Market Share
Windows XP 63%
Vista 16%
Win 7 12%
OSX 10.6 2%
OSX 10.5 2%
Linux 1%
Windows ME 0.03%
iPad 0.03%
OS Share Trends
Jun 2009 Win 7 1%. Linux 1%.
Apr 2009 Win 7 12% Linux 1%
I was in a meeting yesterday where I was told that we didn't have to go to sp3 because we got extended support for sp2 till 2012 so we just wait for win7....
When you are not in an office environment things work differently.
Hell we are still running NT4! but not for long hopefully...
Next thing you know, they'll be dropping support for my MSDOS systems too!
It's merely a flesh wound!
Microsoft and Intel created a distinct competitive advantage by keeping so much software "backward compatible." I can still run DOS on my computer, but of course the only reason I do is to brag about it on /. Now, they are stuck with the monster they created, a giant albatross on their businesses, slowing every step and darkening every decision. Such is life.
Do you know how God created the universe in six days? He did not have an installed base.
A lot of Microsoft fan sites have been omitting the SP2 part from their headlines so it looks like support for XP is ending. The ever fanatical HardOCP used such a headline to try and generate sales for the beloved Microsoft
http://www.hardocp.com/news/2010/05/10/microsoft_to_end_support_for_windows_2000_xp/
Anyone who looks at HardOCP occasionally will know this is about par for the course.
More like, why would you need support for SP2?
If you need to reinstall XP, and your XP disc didn't have SP3 slipstreamed, then you might need support for getting Windows XP pre-SP3 working in order to install SP3.
My girlfriend had a cheap DELL Inspiron from around the 2003 or 2004 timeframe. When she upgraded to XP SP2 suddenly her performance became just terrible. She told me and I investigated, assuming a virus, or aggressive virus scanning software or something like that.. but nothing out of the ordinary was going on at all. The machine just lacked the horsepower it seemed. Google searches led me to find out that tons of other folks who bought cheap Dells were finding them crawling once they upgraded to XP2 because they could not handle all the additional services that XP2 added. So one reason not to jump to XP3 may be that you are running on very old slow hardware.
...until IPv4 runs out, that is. :(
>Microsoft Kills Support
I've often thought that death was the appropriate punishment for MS Support. I'm glad that they took care of it for us.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
The only flaw in your plan, is that you can still buy Microsoft Windows 1.1 from Microsoft. You just can't get support for it.
Windows XP is still sold, just no support is offered, just like all the other previously expired Microsoft OS products.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Along with the fact the article makes no mention of SP3, Windows XP was NOT a replacement for Win2K. Windows had (and is continuing to preserve) 2 separate tracks:
3 -> 95 -> 98 -> Me -> XP -> Vista -> 7
NT -> 2000 -> 2003 -> 2008 -> 2008R2
The fact they have consolidated the core (as of Vista/2008 as I recall) aside, the repeated mention of the 2000->XP lineage in the article is extremely poor reporting.
Google searches led me to find out that tons of other folks who bought cheap Dells were finding them crawling once they upgraded to XP2 because they could not handle all the additional services that XP2 added. So one reason not to jump to XP3 may be that you are running on very old slow hardware.
Or to not buy cheap Dells in the first place.
LOL. That was a helpful comment. She was a poor student. MS did add a lot of new services and processes between SP1 and SP2, and did the same between SP2 and SP3, so I felt I should point this out.
More like "Murders" support!!!!
I think we have a warranty act that would precede that. Maybe it's time it was tested in court.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
SP3 did NOT add "a lot of new services and processes" as compared to SP2. SP3 was merely a roll-up of all the existing patches and fixes since SP2.
And seriously, a 2004 PC that can't hack running XP SP2? Whatever she paid for it, she paid too damn much for it. That's pathetic.
- Spryguy
There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
I know I'm not the only one who thinks Win2K was the peak of MS OS. All my computers... I even build a raid server recently with Win2K server.
I doubt anything will happen since you're purchasing these licenses under the condition you understand it's not an supported product anymore.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
We can still call the Psychic Hotline, though, right?
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
That would depend upon where you were purchasing it from and whether or not the shop informed you of such at the time of purchase, I'd think. There is some degree of culpability that lies upon the retailer of a product.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
XP Pro SP1 was the last of their junk I will ever buy. It actually was pretty good for me until SP2 came along and even that wasn't too bad at first, but eventually, because I couldn't keep up with the updates on my 56K line, it got beyond fixing. Even fresh installs didn't work unless I left the update cycle behind (what a concept!). I have never been able to get it up to SP3 level. It amazes me how folks keep clamoring for more of this junkware from u$oft, crapple and others that forces the customer to follow the manufacturer's business plan, OR ELSE! Thankfully I can still say effum! and build my own box with what I want running on it. I have to accommodate my customer's business plans and needs or die...how do these guys get away with reversing the relationship and make billions?
BZZZZT but thanks for playing, XP was not part of the DOS track, it was part of the NT track. The correct Windows lineage is:
DOS: 1 -> 2 -> 3 (3.1 -> 3.11 -> 3.2 (it exists, check Technet) -> 4 (95 -> 98 -> 98 SE -> ME) -> Death (RIP).
NT: NT3 -> NT4 -> NT5 (2000 Server, 2000 Workstation) -> NT5.1 (XP, 2003 Server) -> NT6 (Vista, 2008 Server) -> NT7 (Win7).
XP was a replacement for Windows 2000 Workstation, which was a replacement for Windows NT4 Workstation. It's part of the NT stream and just because it replaced 98 on home machines does not make it part of the DOS/9x stream,
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
I must be doing something right to get a troll rating for a innocuous post that was only slightly critical of MS. My first post in several years even. I guess I'm behind the times, there once was a time when you could be critical of MS without being marginalized. Don't get me wrong, I've been a sysadmin in hybrid network environments for a few years now and I DO have a soft spot for Windows, regardless of what anybody around here thinks, but I also retain the capacity of having the ability to be critical of an OS and corporation that NEEDS to learn how to change with the times and give users credit for their loyalty even if they aren't buying the new hotness being served up at a price. I see this dumping of SP2 into the bit bucket as an inevitable trend of dumping the entire XP platform which I think is a grave mistake upon the part of MicroSoft and could have a extremely detrimental consequences for the EU as well as the provider. I would just like to see MS be a little less money grubbing and a lot more cognizant of their customers in the long term. Trends being what they are, MS days could very well be numbered in the big picture.
Eventually XP may be replaced with ReactOS.
Or better, simply Linux with Wine.
There's less and less reason to use Windows for
each passing day. Wine runs more and more
previously Windows-only software. Every day
new Linux-native applications replace those
running in Wine.
Reality is catching up with Microsoft, fast.
Some day Vista/7/8/9 will be replaced too.
OK, so can I have my money back? I paid for the license and now you're taking it away from me. I gave you money for the license, so I'm taking THAT away. PS you've had plenty of use of my money, invested etc, so you've had use of it and made profit from my money. So we're even on that score.
Its 2010 - Move to windows 7
Uh, that was in 2006 - that exemption is now off the books. Unless you have proof that they renewed it.
Anyone?
XP was only available for so long due to the credible threat posed by the oncoming Year of Linux on the Desktop
I very much doubt that you can buy Win 3.1 in a shop today.
The only flaw in your plan, is that you can still buy Microsoft Windows 1.1 from Microsoft. You just can't get support for it.
No, you can't buy it, period. That's actually the third stage of support lifecycle for most MS products, of which most people aren't even aware:
1. General support.
2. Extended support.
3. No support, but still available (this is only for products for which there's sufficient demand, so far as I know).
4. Not available. No, really. Please dig out the body of the programmer who wrote your original app 30 years ago, and make him rewrite the code to work on something that's still supported.
For example, Windows 3.11 went from #3 to #4 in 2008.