Print this article | E-mail this article | Comment on this article

Windows XP SP1 Support Ends Today

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

October 10, 2006, 11:59 AM

Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and SP1a Tuesday, with users being recommended to install SP2 as soon as possible. The move means that no more security updates will be released for the now-obsolete version of Windows.

Windows XP SP2 was released on September 17, 2004, and Microsoft notes that it provided two years of support to SP1 customers since that time. The company traditionally offers only 12 months of support for previous service packs, but because SP2 was a major upgrade to Windows XP, Microsoft opted to give customers additional time for deployment.

Add a Comment (28 Comments)

BetaNews reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated.

By RingMaster

posted Oct 11, 2006 - 12:34 PM

Good riddance. Not once, not ever, did a Service Pack ever mess my computers up. Its all a hoax for those who said upgrading a service pack messed up their computers.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Oct 11, 2006 - 2:43 PM

No--there are many things that SP2 can mess up if your IT department is comprised of morons, and even one special case that involved in-house software incompatibilities with one company. Still, if you actually read the instructions before installing/deploying service packs, you will rarely have any issues (rareley meaning like 1 10,000th of a chance or less)

Score: 0

By DaveBG

posted Oct 11, 2006 - 8:07 AM

So what? Vista is almost here! :)

Score: 0

By 2hotel9

posted Oct 11, 2006 - 7:25 AM

Saint Alpha and Alphatrigon, thank you too!

Score: 0

By 2hotel9

posted Oct 11, 2006 - 7:22 AM

Welder4, thanks for the advice. Wifey checked out her desktop and all is cool. I did not really think BetaNews was my cupa, and it has turned out to be quite interesting, and now useful. A friend suggested I check it out when I whined about being techilliterate and it has helped me out a couple times now.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 6:57 PM

All my Wind0ws are broke!

pointing finger DAMN YOU BILL GATES

wait, nothings changed!

/sarcasm

Score: 0

By 2hotel9

edited Oct 10, 2006 - 5:46 PM

I have a stupid question. Being techilliterate, I have no idea how to find out if my Windows XP is service pack 1 or 2? How do I find out? To be clear, we have had no problems with our desktop or my laptop, both running XP. Desktop is HP Pavilon and my laptop is a Compaq Presario R3000. We have had virus and security issues, and ofcourse stupid operator syndrome, but none of the problems I have heard horror stories about. Just want to avoid things falling apart.

Score: 0

By saint.alpha

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 10:34 PM

a quick and easy way to tell what version of XP you have is this. Right click on My Computer, and then click on Properties.

Score: 0

By alphatrigon

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 6:40 PM

should tell you plainly under system...control panel -> system

Score: 0

By welder4

edited Oct 10, 2006 - 6:17 PM

You can request a free cd from Microsoft and that is the way to go to install sp2 ,it is a large download and it can get corrupt (or mis a file or two) same thing.But for a trouble free install of SP2 get the cd.you can also open control panel and check shoow updates and it will be listed in the window if it is installed

Score: 0

By pj111984

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:34 PM

i got SP2 the day it came out and had no probelm.

not sure why people are still with SP1

Score: 0

By skags442

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 4:44 PM

well they are either lazy, nieve... or a have a non ligit copy

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:14 PM

We deployed SP2 the day of release, ~300 desktops. Other than some conflicts with trend micro's firewall, no issues.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:02 PM

If anyone is still running XP SP1, they have bigger problems anyway.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:19 PM

Like having more than 10 TCP connections open at a time.

*gasp*

Poor bas****s....

Score: 0

By Joey Deacon

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 5:49 PM

Or every single executable on the system being compiled with lax overflow detection.

Anyone not running SP2 really has no clue how open they are to becoming a compromised system

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:31 PM

Simple solution: Patch it.

Score: 0

By toasale

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 3:24 PM

I echo Paul Skinner

DUH!!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 12:36 PM

lmao...

The example was to make a point, not to beg for a solution, but thanks.

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

edited Oct 10, 2006 - 1:06 PM

Ditto.

If you've got a problem with it, there's bound to be a fix somewhere.
There's no real reason why people should avoid it anymore.

Score: 0

By toasale

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 3:25 PM

To echo/ditto Paul Skinner

DUH!!

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 3:55 PM

I echo toasale

DUH!!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 10, 2006 - 1:46 PM

They should be more than happy to fix a "fix"?

Er....

You missed my point completely. Many people are tired of applying patches to "break" something Microsoft "fixed" with SP2. The TCP issue being only a minor example.

Score: 0

Dec 4 - 7:30 PM ET Comcast to offer bandwidth consumption monitor

Dec 4 - 5:37 PM ET Counterfeiters sing the 'Blue' as Microsoft lawyers up

Dec 4 - 4:40 PM ET Opera 10 alpha shows off new Presto rendering engine

Dec 4 - 2:29 PM ET Apple: Psystar clone-maker is working with unnamed collaborators

Dec 4 - 2:21 PM ET Windows Live rollout sketchy, team apologizes

Dec 4 - 2:20 PM ET Stinging from a revenue shortfall, Adobe to shed workers

Dec 4 - 11:47 AM ET The storm hits AT&T, with a five-digit headcount reduction

Dec 4 - 11:42 AM ET TV sports adopts Web coverage, plays with iPhones

Dec 4 - 11:24 AM ET Microsoft seeks 'community' help to make IE8 Standards Mode work out

Dec 4 - 10:43 AM ET Hitachi GST and Intel make a solid-state deal