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Windows XP SP2 Support Ends Tomorrow

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the better-get-patching dept.

Vectormatic writes "As can be seen on the product page for Windows XP, support for SP2 ends tomorrow, while the majority of Windows XP users still haven't upgraded to SP3. This could open up millions of users/businesses to exploitation, since security updates for SP2 will stop coming in while security fixes to SP3 may clue hackers in to vulnerabilities."

14 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Oh Noes!!! by B5_geek · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The sky is falling!!!

    If these people/companies don't care enough to have upgraded to SP3, they won't care that support for the OS has ended either.

    --
    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
    1. Re:Oh Noes!!! by drsmithy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Odd that I can get support for my 2002 automobile, and if there's a flaw found they'll issue a recall, but an OS from the same year gets no support.

      Yes it does. The support is called SP3.

      I could get parts for a classic car easily, but try getting a PC game from 1995 to run well.

      It's trivial - all you need to do is get an OS and hardware from that period, or replicas thereof - just like classic car parts.

      This is especially stupid since software has no moving parts to wear out, and is one reason I hate Windows and love Linux. When support stops for a Windows distro you're out of luck, but Linux support is always there.

      "Linux support" for a ca. 2002 - or 1995, for that matter - distro is no better than Windows, and in most cases significantly worse.

  2. Astonishing by jsnipy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is amazing that an service pack would even be supported up to 2 years after the next service pack.

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    -- if you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
    1. Re:Astonishing by Mad+Merlin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Decently designed XP applications store data in user's profile.

      So... none of them?

      --
      Game! - Where the stick is mightier than the sword!
  3. Huh? by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "while the majority of windows XP users still haven't upgraded to SP3"? Citation needed. SP3 is delivered via Windows Update. I had it before I switched to 7, my company it using it. It's been out for quite a while. I don't see why the majority of XP users would not be using it...

    1. Re:Huh? by malignant_minded · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While I can't vouch for the majority of windows xp users I know a bunch of companies that are still at SP2. Also I would guess that many home XP users have found their computer infected enough times to find that it was cheaper to buy a new one than it was to pay a shop three hours to clean it up, thus they ended up with Vista or 7 eliminating them from the statistic. This leaves companies that are making a decision to stay at XP and IE6 since it breaks their hack code Intranet, many of those may be for similar reasons at SP2.

  4. ten years by FuckingNickName · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wish Apple or Linux supported a base system for ten years.

    $1.20 says they'll continue releasing critical updates as they've done for a while for "retired" service packs in the past.

    while the majority of windows XP users still haven't upgraded to SP3

    Evidence?

  5. Re:Is SP3 the one with the bigger GBs? by phoenixwade · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is it 3G and does it have the wifis?

    yes, yes, you can still get your inter-webs. on a more serious note: SP2 can still be exploited? after 6 whole years in the wild? Who would have ever thought that could have happened?

    --
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
  6. Re:Heh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    See, the difference is, with Windows, you're the one getting his ass raped, with Ubuntu, you're the one getting the blowjob.

  7. Re:Citation on the 50% number by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    be nice if we could get a citation on the citation, since they just show a graph with no explanation of where they got the numbers they used for it.

  8. Re:Majority of users wont do it. by Mongoose+Disciple · · Score: 2, Insightful

    with the enormous hidden 'call back home' shit sp3 and on brings, majority of users and sysadmins will not upgrade to it. they are not stupid.

    Because the majority of users and sysadmins are aware of any of that? Get real.

    I'm sure a lot of people won't upgrade, but seriously, a majority of users probably can't even change their screen resolution without help.

  9. Re:xp and _win2k_! by PPalmgren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Liability. Its kind of hard to say "we tried to be as secure as possible but got owned anyway" when you're using an outdated OS out of its support cycle. Now they can shift the blame back on Microsoft's swiss-cheese.

    Could you imagine the damage done if said company makes headlines for losing tons of sensitive customer data, and then has a follow-up headline showing their security practices?

  10. Re:the 5billion inthe bank is not enough by Joe+U · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have to say, M$ decides to not support and leave all the sp2 users open to vulnerability because they choose to, not because they have to

    I can see why a company would not want to do regression testing on multiple service packs when the fix is to update to SP3 and it's been out since April 2008. There comes a time when you have to stop support, testing is expensive and there's still support for SP3 until 2014.

    You can buy a support contract if you want SP2 support.

  11. Re:xp and _win2k_! by compro01 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Financial responsibility, yes, but not PR responsibility. You can blame them even if you can't sue them over it.

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    upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time