Microsoft set July 13, 2010 as the end-of-support milestone for Windows 2000 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). It did not end support for every Windows XP installation that day: XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) remained supported until April 2014. For anyone using unsupported Windows today, Microsoft’s current guidance is to move to a supported Windows release.
Which Windows versions were affected?
The July 2010 milestone applied to Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server, along with Windows XP editions running SP2. Microsoft described Windows 2000 as reaching the end of its support lifecycle and XP SP2 as reaching end of support. Microsoft’s January 2010 notice identifies the affected products.
Windows Server 2003 was also part of the July 2010 lifecycle news, but its status changed in the opposite direction: it entered Extended Support on July 13 rather than ending support. Microsoft’s 2009–2010 Security Intelligence Report distinguishes that transition from the end-of-support milestones.
Did Windows XP support end for everyone?
No. The date concerned XP editions running SP2, not all Windows XP installations. Microsoft advised XP SP2 customers to install SP3 to continue receiving support and updates. The Windows XP lifecycle page lists April 9, 2014 as the end date for XP SP3 and for XP’s extended support overall.
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The same lifecycle page displays July 14, 2010 as the XP SP2 end date and notes that its dates are shown in Pacific Time. Microsoft’s contemporaneous announcements and its security report give July 13, 2010. The two records differ by a day in their displayed date; the announcement date commonly cited for the milestone is July 13.
What did “end of support” mean?
Microsoft said affected customers would no longer receive regular support and free access to security updates. This was a change to Microsoft’s support and update service, not a date on which the operating system would stop running. The cited lifecycle materials establish the support change; they do not quantify how many computers were affected or document a specific security incident resulting from it.
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What did Microsoft recommend in 2010?
For XP SP2, Microsoft’s stated route to continued support was installing SP3. For customers moving to another operating system, its June 2010 Windows Experience post named Windows 7 as a migration option and said XP SP3 support would continue through April 2014. That was advice for the choices available at the time, not a current recommendation to install Windows 7.
The same post reported that 81% of netbook units sold at US retail by April 2010 came with Windows 7 pre-installed, citing the NPD Retail Tracking Service. That figure describes US retail netbook sales; it is not a measure of XP SP2 or Windows 2000 installations affected by the support change. Read Microsoft’s June 9, 2010 post.
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What should you do with an unsupported Windows PC now?
Microsoft’s current general guidance is to upgrade unsupported Windows to a current, supported release. Before choosing a destination or assuming an upgrade will work, check Microsoft’s live lifecycle information for the exact Windows edition and verify compatibility for the device and software you rely on. The 2010 Windows 7 recommendation should not be treated as current support guidance. Microsoft’s Windows help and support page provides current general guidance.
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