Microsoft extends XP Downgrade rights until 2020

[Dark Nova Gamer]

In an unusual move from Microsoft, the software giant announced that it will allow downgrade rights from Windows 7 to Windows XP Professional right up until 2020.

Microsoft originally stated that users could downgrade to Windows XP 18 months after the debut of Windows 7, or until Windows 7 SP1, which is just around the corner. However, the company changed its mind once again, offering customers the chance to downgrade from Windows 7 to Windows XP Professional until 2020, the entire lifecycle of Windows 7.

Read the full article here.


I thought the goal was to KILL XP

 

[Everlong]

I think that's way too long to extend it until. Extending it to 2 years, or possibly 3 years then fair enough, but an extra 10 years just goes against, like you said, phasing XP out altogether.

 

[noobvious]

Ridiculous!

 

[marsmimar]

If I remember correctly, Microsoft also said that the extended support life cycle for XP w/SP3 would end in 2014. Doesn't that usually mean no more updates, patches, etc? And by 2020 Microsoft will probably be rolling out Windows 10 or 11.

 

[pparks1]

This is the real reason why Vista was so crappy. MS ensured that nobody would want to use it after anything else came out. With XP, they had something that works and lots of businesses and such would rather just stay with it.

Friend of mine works for a company with over 50,000+ worldwide employees and they just gave him a new laptop last week with XP on it. They are still evaluating Windows 7 for future use.

 

[Win7User512]

Friend of mine works for a company with over 50,000+ worldwide employees and they just gave him a new laptop last week with XP on it. They are still evaluating Windows 7 for future use.

That isn't out of the ordinary. Many or most companies and government won't touch a new Windows before SP1.

 

[Klaw117]

This makes no sense. Support for XP ends in 2014 yet people can still downgrade to it until 2020. Is Microsoft actually promoting using an outdated OS?

 

[JonM33]

That's funny because doesn't Windows XP SP3 support end in 2014?

 

[pparks1]

I'd be almost willing to bet that if MS allows you to downgrade until 2020...they will extend support until 2020 for the OS as well.

 

[Wii Master 64]

By 2020, XP will be 19 years old!!! That would be even worse than still using Windows 95 today! Just end XP in 2014....

 

[smarteyeball]

Microsoft + XP Extension = Meet gun + foot and subsequent shooting themselves with it.


I can understand that not all businesses can afford to upgrade etc and there are valid reasons to stick with XP, but come on this is a bit much

 

[JonM33]

By 2020, XP will be 19 years old!!! That would be even worse than still using Windows 95 today! Just end XP in 2014....

Most Linux distros don't even have support that long.

 

[FerchogtX]

It sounds like a really wise move... reverse psycology... look what you people are typing here... I guess that is the real goal here... extended time so you end unhappy with XP because it doesn't support "X" or "Y" after a while... then you finally are "pushed" to migrate to a newer os than 7...

At least is my opinnion... sounds weird from them that you can downgrade to XP until 2020... is there anything about windows 7 they are not telling us?

See ya!!!

 

[pasquanel]

so what?

So what is the problem here exactly? Microsoft will support Xp until 2020 so what? At the present rate of development (Vista and 7 already) no software we have now will be compatible with the OS's of 3 to 5 years from now! Microsoft will be beyond blame! Resistance is futile assimilate or be ignored!

 

[BCXtreme]

I agree, this is beyond insanity. To support an OS that is already vastly outdated, now for ANOTHER ten years?! Do they actually WANT people to never ever leave XP?!

 

[noobvious]

Would this be considered good new by the hackers? After all, aren't many businesses also making their employees stick with IE6?

 

[CarlTR6]

I'd be almost willing to bet that if MS allows you to downgrade until 2020...they will extend support until 2020 for the OS as well.

I think you are right.

By 2020, XP will be 19 years old!!! That would be even worse than still using Windows 95 today! Just end XP in 2014....

Interesting analogy. I do know a few souls who are still using 95. I think as older hardware wears out and folks by new computers, XP will die out. It does not make sense to buy a new machine with Win 7 loaded and migrate back to XP - unless it is a business that is dependent upon legacy software that will not run on Win 7.

I am running Win 7 32 bit because I have an old machine. When I replace it, I will run Win 7 64 bit; my new hardware will support it.

I still have a netbook running XP and it does just fine. For what my bride does, email and downloading photos from her Nikon, it is really all she needs. It works and she is happy with it. When we replace that netbook, we certainly won't downgrade back to XP.

 

[JonM33]

I agree, this is beyond insanity. To support an OS that is already vastly outdated, now for ANOTHER ten years?! Do they actually WANT people to never ever leave XP?!

Do you really want an OS that runs on these specs?

https://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sysreqs/pro.mspx

• 233MHz Pentium
• 64MB RAM
• 1.5GB disk space

That's disturbingly slow. You couldn't even browse today's internet with those specs.

 

[CarlTR6]

Do you really want an OS that runs on these specs?

https://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sysreqs/pro.mspx

• 233MHz Pentium
• 64MB RAM
• 1.5GB disk space

That's disturbingly slow. You couldn't even browse today's internet with those specs.

For a person on dialup or slow ADSL, it doesn't make much difference. And there are still lots of folks on dialup and slow ADSL connections.

 

[BCXtreme]

Do you really want an OS that runs on these specs?

https://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sysreqs/pro.mspx

• 233MHz Pentium
• 64MB RAM
• 1.5GB disk space

That's disturbingly slow. You couldn't even browse today's internet with those specs.

For a person on dialup or slow ADSL, it doesn't make much difference. And there are still lots of folks on dialup and slow ADSL connections.

"Lots" might be too strong a word. Either way, you can't dispute that dialup and slow ADSL is not "today's internet". That's yesterday's Internet, which of course would run just fine on yesterday's computers and OS.