Updated: July 14, 2020 (February 3, 2014)

Important Dates for Windows Client

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

Windows XP leaves Extended support on Apr. 8. 2014, and will not receive any updates after that date. OS service packs also have retirement dates. Once a service pack is retired, Microsoft will no longer make security patches available at that service pack level. In general, a Windows service pack is retired either 24 months after the next service pack is released or at the end of the Extended support phase, whichever comes first.

Customers must now have upgraded to Windows 7 SP1 in order to get support. Mainstream support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 will end in 2015 and 2018, respectively. As Windows Vista has entered the Extended support phase of its product support life cycle, customers still running Windows Vista should consider upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 at this time.

Windows 8.1 retains the same support life cycle as Windows 8, ending on Jan. 10, 2023. Two years after Windows 8.1 arrived, it will be required to receive support for the Windows client OS.

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