According to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy and the End of Support page at Microsoft, this comes as a reminder to all the users of Windows 2000, XP SP2 and Vista RTM that the software giant is going to end its support for the aging OSes. Back in 2008, Microsoft declared the exact dates when the above mentioned operating systems will enter the ‘End of Support’ phase.

Important Dates:

April 13, 2010 – Windows Vista RTM reaches ‘End of Support’ phase. Microsoft ends support for Windows Vista RTM (also known as Windows Vista SP0).

July 13, 2010 – Windows 2000 (all versions) and Windows XP SP2 reaches ‘End of Support’ phase. Microsoft ends support for Windows 2000 (all versions) and Windows XP SP2.

What should I do?

If you are running Windows Vista RTM then you should install Vista Service Pack 1, followed by Vista Service Pack 2. [Download Vista Service Packs]

If you are running Windows XP SP2 then you should install XP Service Pack 3. [Download Windows XP SP3]

If you are running Windows 2000 then you should upgrade your OS to a more stable and advanced one like Windows 7.

In any case, the best option is to upgrade your OS to Windows 7. At TechExplorer, we highly recommend using Windows 7 because it is more secure, highly advanced and exceptionally stable than all its predecessors.

For more on how to upgrade to Windows 7, click here.