Windows XP SP2 Support Ends Tomorrow 251
Posted
by
CmdrTaco
from the better-get-patching dept.
from the better-get-patching dept.
Vectormatic writes "As can be seen on the product page for Windows XP, support for SP2 ends tomorrow, while the majority of Windows XP users still haven't upgraded to SP3. This could open up millions of users/businesses to exploitation, since security updates for SP2 will stop coming in while security fixes to SP3 may clue hackers in to vulnerabilities."
xp and _win2k_! (Score:5, Interesting)
so what? (Score:4, Interesting)
Business and private people have had years to evaluate SP3 and plan for its deployment, or in the alternative to switch to other operating systems. The summary seems to assume an implied responsibility of Microsoft to support SP2 simply because the public likes it.
It is true that had XP+SP2 been free software, there would be an option of obtaining patches and support from other vendors, but this is not a complaint against Microsoft but rather against those that chose to use Microsoft's software.
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:so what? (Score:5, Interesting)
submitter here,
I didnt mean to imply MS has any kind of responsability to keep support going for SP2 longer, i much more agree with cmdrTaco's stance "from the better-get-patching dept". My goal wasnt to start a whole new thread of MS bashing, more to just notify people about the end of SP2 support, which i think is significant for most nerds/geeks, even if they moved themselves to *nix ages ago, their parents/siblings/friends might still run SP2 somewhere.
Not to mention that SP2 made XP actually good, sp1 was OK as well, but SP2 was a pretty big thing.
Re:Note (Score:2, Interesting)
It should be noted that XP SP2 x64 has support until whenever XP SP3 x86 runs out. There is no XP SP3 x64
Despite the name, XP x64 is actually the same codebase as win2003 server x64.
No biggie, it still keeps running (Score:3, Interesting)
BTW, on a related note. Since the machine runs in a secure environment, it neither has nor needs AV. It's surprising how fast a 256MB P3 is without all that overhead.
Re:Huh? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:xp and _win2k_! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft base system release lifecycle (Score:1, Interesting)
And you have to remember that Windows Vista was never intended to be released so far removed from Windows XP. Project "Longhorn" was meant to be a minor revision of Windows XP, which was called project "Whistler", Longhorn being the name of a tavern near the Whistler ski resort. What happened was that all new Windows development was completely halted after a number of very public exploits and all efforts were focused on Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003 SP1 as well as a lot of internal process changes. This started the time delay which gave rise to the expectation that "Longhorn" would be more of a major upgrade. Because of this MS took a couple of technologies being developed and decided to try to ship them in that release, which slowed the progress even further.
Vista was a project management nightmare but I think that MS is smarter for the experience and honestly, despite the hiccup, I think that the Windows market is better off for it.
Re:Note (Score:4, Interesting)
I used it for years (from pretty much as soon as it was released) without driver trouble, so your assertion that device makers largely skipped XP x64 is incorrect. There were drivers for my Logitek USB microphone, creative "extreme" soundcard (just as stable as under x86, unfortunately), nVidia graphics, AMD cpu, all onboard motherboard devices (sound, raid, ethernet), Samsung printer, even my no-name Chinese webcam came with XP x64 drivers. Only one device I owned wouldn't work, and that was a Belkin bluetooth module whose drivers were never updated to support XP SP2, let alone XP x64.
I did have a game or two that needed cracking because its DRM wouldn't work, but as I cracked games anyway to remove the "find the cd" requirement I didn't consider that a massive problem. Those games probably don't work without cracking on Vista/7 x64 either.
Re:Astonishing (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Oh Noes!!! (Score:3, Interesting)
Ya, sympathy meter reads 0 for these folks. You cannot expect to never update an OS and have it stay safe, particularly a consumer OS where things are opened up and easy to use. I suppose if you really lock down and harden an OS (or use one that is hardened by default) and do not install new applications you can be somewhat secure with no updates, but for a desktop OS, updates are necessary.
Also I get tired of the idea that companies should have to support software forever. SP2 is OLD. STFU and upgrade to SP3. It isn't hard.
I feel no sympathy there either (Score:5, Interesting)
People need to stop with this bullshit of wanting to stay on an OS for ever. No company supports a product for all eternity. 2000 was supported when its replacement came out (XP) and when that's replacement came out (Vista) and even for a while when that's replacement came out (7). It was supported for over 10 years (despite the nae it came out in 1999). It isn't like an upgrade has been something you've had to do quick.
It is just laziness on the part of companies that do this. Also, I'd bet these very same companies would tell me to go away if I brought i one of their products from 10 years ago and wanted support on it. They'd say "That is out of warranty, buy a new one." Yet somehow they think MS should have to support their OSes forever.
Also I'll add you CAN get systems that are supported pretty much perpetually. Mainframes are like that. You can run those for decades and even after new version come out, the support continues. However you pay a ton to buy it, pay even more in maintenance (support isn't free, software or hardware, you have to pay yearly upkeep) and they are going to certify it for certain apps and you'll run those and no other, or lose support.
If that's not your cup of tea, if you want cheap OSes that let you do as you please, well then deal with the fact that you "only" get a decade of support (though sometimes more like with XP).
Re:I feel no sympathy there either (Score:3, Interesting)