Google Chrome has announced the end of support for Windows XP will come at the end of the year, one full year after Microsoft dropped extended support for the decade-old operating system.
Most programs still heavily used on Windows XP remain active through extended support, including Oracle’s Java program. Microsoft removed support due to some businesses not choosing a new system despite prior warnings, losing enterprise revenue on software sales.
“We know that not everyone can easily switch to a newer operating system,” Google Chrome Engineering Director Mark Larson wrote in a blog post Thursday. “Millions of people are still working on XP computers every day. We want those people to have the option to use a browser that’s up-to-date and as safe as possible on an unsupported operating system.”
Even with the assertion Google will be there, it is leaving by the end of the year and warns users about the incoming end of support. The Google Chrome program will still be available, but will not be updated any further, leading to potential security vulnerabilities from outdated software.
Users still on Windows XP are already running risks of massive security threats, due to Microsoft not updating the service to protect against viruses and vulnerabilities that arise after a new patch is released, normally detailing bug fixes.
McAfee, Norton and other anti-virus services still support Windows XP, given the large business demand for security programs. This will not be enough for some firmware and software package attacks though, that sweep through anti-virus scanners.
Windows XP has 16 percent market share, but that is dropping quicker with every passing month. Hopefully Windows 10 will push a lot of users to a new OS, but XP owners will have to pay for the platform update.
