Deadline Day Is Here for XP Users

The millions of people still using Windows XP are on their own after today. After years of warnings, Microsoft will finally pull the plug on the popular but outdated operating system after nearly 13 years, reports the Los Angeles Times. After a final update today, the firm will no longer issue security updates and bug fixes for XP and while PCs using it will continue to function, Microsoft warns that those computers will no longer be secure, the BBC reports.

There have been three major Windows releases since XP came out in 2001, but analysts believe around 30% of PCs in the US were still using XP as recently as February—in businesses as well as homes. But despite the huge number of die-hards, Microsoft has shown no sign that it will extend consumer support for the operating system, reports PC World, though some large users are getting support for a price. The British government is among them, having paid a hefty $9 million to ensure another year of updates. (More Windows XP stories.)