Windows XP holdouts are even more danger than ever after Microsoft abandoned anti-malware support for the ancient platform.
Redmond overnight stopped providing XP support for new and existing installs of its Security Essentials package.
The run-as-needed Malicious Software Removal Tool has also been axed, while support for patching ended in April last year for those who aren't paying large wads of cash to stave off an upgrade.
"Please note that since the above real-time protection products have limited effectiveness on PCs that do not have the latest security updates, your PC will still be at risk for infection," Redmond says.
"We strongly recommend that you complete your migration to a supported operating system as soon as possible so that you can receive regular security updates to help protect your computer from malicious attacks."
Netmarketshare.com data shows XP is alive and kicking
Windows XP's market share still beats its loathed successor Windows Vista, MacOS and Linux on the desktop.
The operating has a 12 percent market share or 180 million users, according to netmarketshare.com , putting it in third spot just behind version 8.1 representing 13 percent of installs, and version 7 with a whopping 61 percent of installs.
Are you still running Windows XP? What about your company?
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday July 17 2015, @05:24AM
I am going to steal your computer and take it home, where it will never leave my side. Seriously, you hit on a lot of my gripes and reasons why XP will remain my everyday OS for the foreseeable future. Win 7/8 make me wish to do their UI devs great bodily harm.
Worth noting: security patches show hackers exactly where to look for security holes. Absent patches to reverse-engineer, those holes become far less roadmapped.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.