While other security companies want to give you software to help try and give you a sense of still being protected on Windows XP when support ends this April Microsoft is choosing to not give false hope that their security program is protecting the aging system.
In an updated note on the Windows XP End of Support page Microsoft recently announced this change without a lot of fanfare.
Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 11 years. But now the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences. As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date. If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.
This is the right move for Microsoft as Windows XP’s lifecycle ends. I have stated before that I think these security companies who are trying to offer software to protect Windows XP are setting up a false sense of, well, security to users.
Smartest move when April comes around for current Windows XP users is to upgrade to a supported operating system.
