Microsoft discontinuing support for Windows XP operating system
Microsoft dropped support for Windows XP on Tuesday.
While users can still run XP, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, issue fixes to non-security related problems or offer online technical content updates.
The Washington-based company says it will provide anti-malware-related updates through July 14, 2015, but warns that the tweaks could be limited on the outdated operating system.
According to Microsoft, the move is in an effort to provide support for more recent technologies, such as later versions of Windows.
"Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But now the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great, new experiences," read a statement on Microsoft's website.
Microsoft said to remain protected, consumers have two options: upgrade their PC, since very few older computers will be able to run Windows 8.1, Microsoft's latest operating system.
The other option is to get a new PC running a more recent version of Windows, such as Windows 7 or 8.
Windows XP was released for general retail sale on Oct. 25, 2001.
