Do you know that your Operating System can expire?

Everything has a lifecycle on this planet. Just like that, Every Windows operating system you are using has a lifecycle. The life cycle of an operating system starts when it is released and ends when the support is stopped. So far you have seen the most loved operating system, Windows XP getting expired on April 8th this year. Microsoft have ended support for Windows XP lately and made available the self-support guide for personal troubleshooting your XP.

It is important and necessary to know the expiry dates of an operating system that we are using which helps us to plan for the upgrade in right time. The following are the expiry dates of Microsoft’s operating systems for your reference.

Client operating systems Latest update or service pack End of mainstream support End of extended support
Windows XP
Service Pack 3
April 14, 2009
April 8, 2014
Windows Vista
Service Pack 2
April 10, 2012
April 11, 2017
Windows 7 *
Service Pack 1
January 13, 2015
January 14, 2020
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
January 9, 2018
January 10, 2023
To download the service packs for respective operating systems, go to windows.microsoft.com/en-in/windows/lifecycle and click on respective download link specified.

What is end of support means?

End of support means Microsoft no longer provides, service packs, patches and any other security updates or even online technical assistance regarding that particular operating system. When you are not receiving security updates and patches from Microsoft, there is an elevated scope of being attacked by new viruses, malware and hackers that can steal your personal and sensitive information from your computer.

How to know your operating system?

After reading the expiry dates of operating systems, your would have wanted to know your operating system on your computer. To know your operating system, Right Click on Computer > Properties.

Note: If you are still using Windows 7 RTM, its time to upgrade it with latest service pack as the support for RTM version of windows 7 was already expired an year ago.

What to do if your operating system is expired?

If your operating is expired or coming nearer to the end of support date, that means its time to upgrade your operating system with latest service pack or operating system of a whole. To get the updates for your OS, go to windows.microsoft.com/en-in/windows/service-packs-download#sptabs=win8 and download the respective update and install it.

Final words

The reason why companies end support for their older operating systems is because of the un-solvable critical issues raised regarding the security and usability of the operating system. So it is better updating our computers from time to time to keep our data secured.

Are your still using expired operating systems? what problems do you get using it? share your experiences with Windows operating systems with us.

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