Windows XP: April 8th - Almost Here!

For the past couple of years, Microsoft has been advising customers of the planned end of extended support date for Windows XP. We’ve even been using a countdown clock on the Windows XP page (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/end-of-support.aspx ) In fact, you’ve probably also been made aware of or have seen first-hand the end of notifications that are now popping up on Windows XP machines. You may have also recently read this as well:

https://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/03/03/new-windows-xp-data-transfer-tool-and-end-of-support-notifications.aspx

The update KB 2934207 (Information Here - https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2934207) also adds in a notification prompt (which some in the press have affectionately referred to it as the “Death Notice.”)

If you are not seeing this update, it is likely because your Windows XP machine is being managed by WSUS, or Configuration Manager, or through the cloud with Windows Intune. Only Windows XP machines (Windows XP Home and Professional editions) who receive updates via Windows\Microsoft Update will see these notifications.

If for some reason you are receiving these notices and you would like to disable them, you can do so in the registry under the one of the following keys:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

or

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Set the value of DisableEOSNotification (DWORD) to 1 to disable notifications. ) enables it.

Regardless of this change, the fact remains that end of all support except for custom support agreements is still April 8, 2014. If you are still running Windows XP in *ANY* form (physical desktops, VDI, MED-V, etc.) this affects you. Without a CSA, you will receive no further security updates and you run a risk of being vulnerable after that date. Also bear in mind that if you are virtualizing Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8 with any non-Microsoft application virtualization solution, you will be indirectly affected as well.

Consumers, and Small-to-Midsize customers looking to update, can receive special offers and discounts via out Get2Modern page here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/business/retiring-xp.aspx

A Custom Support Agreement (CSA) requires a Premier Services Agreement with Microsoft. If you are current an enterprise customer with a Premier contract, we have been making some changes to the Windows XP Custom Support Standard Program, which provides critical security updates, technical assistance and continued support for the product after April 8th. Please contact your Technical Account Manager (TAM) for more information.

Please note. This applies to Windows XP and NOT Windows XP Embedded. Windows XP Embedded is a different operating system designed for specialized OEM embedded devices and it has always ran on a different support lifecycle ending in 2016, which has been in place for a while in spite of what you may have read in articles out there on the Internet.