Microsoft will officially end extended support for all versions of Windows 2000 and for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) on July 13, meaning that they will no longer release security patches for those operating systems. Note that:
- XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3) will continue to be supported beyond that date, so XP SP2 users can simply upgrade to XP SP3.
- Windows 2000 users, however, will need to upgrade to a different operating system before July 13 or disconnect their computer from the campus network. This includes both server and workstation versions of Windows 2000.
Since there is no way to ensure the security of a system that is not receiving security updates, they would represent a threat to the entire campus network if allowed to connect. Therefore, starting July 13, any Windows operating system older than Windows XP SP2 will not be allowed on the K-State network. This includes the wired and wireless networks on campus, the residence halls, and dial-up and VPN connections to the campus network from off-campus.
Prohibited operating systems include Windows XP SP2, Windows 2000, Windows ME, and Windows 98. Allowed versions are Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, Server 2003 and Server 2008.
Extended support for Windows XP SP3 could come as early as the end of 2011, since that will mark the end of its 10-year life cycle. Microsoft will likely extend this, but they have not made an official announcement yet. Plan your computer-upgrade cycles accordingly.
See Microsoft’s Windows 2000 End-of-Support Solution Center for help on migrating to newer versions of Windows.
