Aged OS shuffles off clutching P45

Windows XP will pass another milestone on the road to retirement next week when Microsoft withdraws mainstream support for the operating system..

As Vista and Windows 7 share the same core code, Microsoft has decided to merely nudge up the version number (Windows Vista was 6) so that applications are tricked into thinking it's Vista they're dealing with

Keen to forget the PR nightmare that was Vista, Microsoft may have committed yet another blunder: Windows XP users will not be able to upgrade to Windows 7 without a totally clean install.

News that Microsoft won't budge on the June 30 cut-off for Windows XP sales isn't all bad - system builders might still be offering the old-faithful till 2009.

Windows 7 RC arrives along with beta of XP application compatibility tool.

Microsoft is rolling down the shutters on Windows XP, although low cost flash-based laptop vendors get a reprieve from being forced onto Vista.

With the cut-off for XP sales fast approaching, what do you do if you're opposed to switching to Vista? Alex explains why you'd be best off with the "downgrade" option., and what it all means.

The hot little seller makes the big leap from Linux to XP, with a small price jump.

Dell, HP and Lenovo use loophole to allow XP to live on, but only for certain machines. Good news if you're wedded to XP.

The company promises that Windows 7 will be the best version of its operating system yet, critical acclaim has often eluded Redmond. We've decided to count down the ten best products ever to come out of Redmond, from DOS 5 to Flight Simulator and NT 4.0

Microsoft has published a release candidate of XP Mode for Windows 7

Deciding to stay in the "save-XP" camp? This month's Service Pack could be the last, so lets hope it's a good one.

XP is proving to be a golden oldie.

Microsoft is planning to further extend the retail life of Windows XP, adding another six months to the time in which vendors can offer the legacy operating system as an option with new computers..

Microsoft has told its system builder partners that they will be allowed to continue to sell XP after the January 31, 2009 cut-off date.

Have you ever sat back and thought to yourself "Self -- why doesn't Microsoft accuse me of being a thief more often?". You may think this is a thought pattern that's never crossed your mind, but according to Microsoft, you're wrong.

Virtualisation tool will help small firms migrate to next-gen Microsoft OS.

Microsoft has granted Hewlett Packard yet another extension on its long-in-the-tooth licence to supply new computers with the ability to 'downgrade' to Windows XP Pro, according to an Apple Insider report.

Parallels is preparing a new virtualisation tool that will let users continue to run Windows XP applications on Windows 7 systems. The move will make the software a direct competitor for Microsoft's recently announced Windows XP Mode.