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2001 - 2014
Windows XP
“A green hill and a blue sky, forever.”
- Birth year
- 2001
- Shutdown year
- 2014
- Lifespan
- 13 years
- Peak era
- 2002-2009
- Company
- Microsoft
- Category
- Operating Systems
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On Video
The "Yes You Can" Windows XP TV advert from 2001
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- Vista
- Added:
- April 26, 2022
- Length:
- 1:00
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
Windows XP is the version of Windows most people picture: a green Start button, a blue taskbar and a wallpaper of a green hill under a blue sky. Released in October 2001, it was the first consumer Windows built on the more stable Windows NT foundation.
It arrived just as broadband, MSN Messenger, MP3 players and digital cameras were spreading, and it stayed for an unusually long time. Windows Vista's troubled reception kept many people on XP for years, and Service Pack 2 in 2004 gave it a long second life.
Microsoft ended support on April 8, 2014, more than twelve years after release, while millions of computers were still running it.
Things You Probably Forgot
- The Bliss wallpaper
- "You have unused icons on your desktop"
- The green Start button
- Pinball in the Games folder
- Windows Messenger opening on its own
The Story
- 2001 Windows XP was released to manufacturing on August 24 and to retail on October 25.
- 2004 Service Pack 2 brought major security changes.
- 2007 Windows Vista was released, but many users stayed with XP.
- 2009 Mainstream support ended on April 14.
- 2014 Extended support ended on April 8.
How It Died
Microsoft ended extended support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014, after more than twelve years.
What Replaced It?
Memories
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