According to Microsoft's technical support policy before the amendment, the end dates for technical support for Windows Vista and Windows 7 will be April 11, 2017, and January 14, 2020, respectively. Previously, mainstream technical support for consumer versions of Windows was only provided for five years, while enterprise versions of Windows could receive an additional five years of extended support. According to the previous policy, mainstream technical support from Microsoft for consumer versions of Windows Vista will end in less than two months, specifically on April 10, 2012.
Sina Tech reported that on the evening of February 21 Beijing time, the U.S. tech news website ZDNet reported that Microsoft (Weibo) recently revised its technical support policy for long-term editions of Windows. General consumers using Windows Vista and Windows 7 will now receive full technical support for a period of ten years.
Microsoft announced this information on its Japanese website. Microsoft stated that by revising its lifecycle policy and providing extended technical support, it aims to make it easier for users to use the Windows system. This policy revision applies to Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Additionally, technical support for Windows XP will end on April 8, 2014.
It is expected that Microsoft will release Windows 8 later this year. Therefore, after April 2014, Microsoft will simultaneously provide technical support for four versions of Windows.
A Microsoft spokesperson also confirmed this news. The spokesperson added that Microsoft requires users to install the latest SP service pack to continue receiving updates released by Microsoft.
This month, Microsoft made revisions to the technical support policy for consumer versions of Windows, extending the period during which technical support is provided. Through Microsoft's Technical Support Lifecycle webpage, it can be seen that the technical support periods for consumer versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 have been extended.