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  5. Microsoft Turns Up The Heat On Windows 2000 Users: Page 2 of 6
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Microsoft Turns Up The Heat On Windows 2000 Users: Page 2 of 6

Companies that rely on Windows 2000 face tough, end-of-lifecycle choices as Microsoft pushes upgrades to Windows Vista, 2003, and Longhorn Server.
December 15, 2006

To understand the concept of mainstream support, you need to understand that there are three lifecycle policies that affect Microsoft products:

Microsoft offers five years of
  • Consumer products, such as Windows XP and Service Pack 2, get five years of mainstream support. After that, support will only be provided by Knowledge Base articles online. The "consumer products" category includes Microsoft Dynamics, a line of offerings formerly known as Microsoft Business Solutions.
  • Annually updated products, such as Microsoft Money and Encarta, get an even shorter leash. They're supported for three years.
  • Business software, such as Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, enjoy five years of mainstream support plus an additional five years of "extended support," after which they drop into online-only support purgatory. It's this kind of software support that most affects IT organizations.

Extended support, according to Microsoft, includes the continued development of critical security patches and the availability of paid support. It doesn't include the Redmond company taking requests for new design features — a luxury that's reserved for products that are still in the mainstream-support phase.

Some nonsecurity hotfixes will also be provided by Microsoft outside of the initial five-year mainstream period. However, according to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ, companies must purchase an "extended hotfix agreement" within 90 days of the end of mainstream support. That leaves in the lurch a lot of companies that didn't immediately leap to buy such a contract.

Microsoft's policies can lead to some big frustrations for companies that have major investments in Windows 2000. One of the biggest headaches at the moment is the lack of a patch to update the meaning of Daylight Saving Time on Windows 2000.

The beginning and ending dates of DST in the United States will be significantly altered in 2007, thanks to an act of Congress. Various changes also affect other countries. Western Australia made an official switch to daylight time on Dec. 3, 2006. The last-minute action by a state parliament afforded IT admins in that country only 12 days to adjust their computers' time.

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