Windows XP Operating System Killed

From Tuesday, customers will no longer receive new security updates, hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates for their XP OS.

Windows XP, which was launched in October 2001, is three generations behind the latest operating system Windows 8 that hit markets in October 2012. The current XP version is called Windows XP Service Pack 3.

Microsoft will also stop automatic updates and Microsoft Security Essentials for XP from April 8. “There is a sense of urgency because after April 8, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) customers will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates,” Microsoft director (Trustworthy Computing division) Tim Rains had said earlier in a blog post. This means that running Windows XP when the product is obsolete (after support ends) will increase the risk of technology being affected by cybercriminals attempting to do harm, he had said.

In February this year, the US-based firm had said its PC install base for large enterprises in India is about 4 million units, of which around 84 per cent migrated from Windows XP.

The tech giant had indicated that a number of ATMs are yet to upgraded and such cash vending machines may face security risk. The number of ATMs using Windows XP is higher as compared to 16 per cent PCs which need upgradation.

There are roughly about 1 lakh ATMs in India and many of them are running Windows XP. They have the same support policy and will be out of support, something which the RBI guidelines also said.