Windows XP is considered deprecated. The term “deprecated” means that a software or technology is no longer recommended or supported by its developer. In the case of Windows XP, Microsoft has officially ended its support for this operating system.
Mainstream support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009. This means that Microsoft stopped providing non-security updates, new features, warranty claims, and design changes for Windows XP. However, security updates were still being released until April 8, 2014, during the extended support phase.
After the extended support phase ended, Windows XP was no longer receiving any updates, including security patches, from Microsoft. This left the operating system vulnerable to new security threats and made it increasingly risky to use.
It’s important to note that while Windows XP itself is deprecated, a variant called Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 continued to receive security updates until April 2019. This version was based on Windows XP Professional and was primarily used in point-of-sale systems. However, it is worth mentioning that using this variant on regular desktops or laptops is not officially supported by Microsoft.
Despite the official end of support, some unofficial methods were developed to apply the security updates from POSReady 2009 to other editions of Windows XP. These methods involved modifying the system registry to make it appear as if the system was running POSReady 2009, thus tricking Windows Update into providing the updates. However, these methods are not recommended, as they may introduce compatibility issues or other unforeseen problems.
In my personal experience, I have encountered situations where businesses or individuals continued to use Windows XP even after its deprecation. This was often due to compatibility issues with certain software or hardware that was specifically designed for Windows XP. However, as time passed and newer software and hardware became available, the need to upgrade to a more modern operating system became increasingly apparent.
It is highly recommended to upgrade from Windows XP to a more recent and supported operating system. Using an unsupported operating system exposes users to security vulnerabilities and may lead to compatibility issues with newer software and hardware.