Windows XP

IT managers are finally releasing their grip on Windows XP and warming up to Windows 7, a new survey shows.

Microsoft's new browser, Internet Explorer 9, will not run on Windows XP, now or when the software eventually ships, the company confirmed.

Microsoft on Sunday confirmed it's investigating an unpatched bug in VBScript that hackers could exploit to plant malware on Windows XP machines running IE.

Microsoft confirmed that a rootkit caused Windows PCs to crash after users applied a security patch issued last week.

Microsoft tried to appease Windows 7 users griping about poor battery readings. Meanwhile, the Blue Screen of Death showed up on XP machines. Good news is that a sneak peek of Windows Mobile 7 is set for Monday and Bing gained market share.

Just days after warning Windows 7 users of an impending shutdown of the free release candidate, Microsoft reminded customers running Windows 2000, XP and Vista of approaching support deadlines for those editions.

Windows XP, still strong after eight years, may die sooner than you think in the enterprise, Forrester says. From support concerns to deployment flexibility, here are some factors speeding XP's demise.

On Tuesday, Michael Silver of Gartner took Microsoft to the woodshed over the company's decision to let computer makers sell PCs with Windows XP for only six months after Windows 7 debuts. Hours later, Microsoft backed off the six-month limit, and confirmed a new policy.

A Chinese company showed what it calls the world's first mobile phone to run Windows XP at the Computex exhibition in Taipei on Friday.

Microsoft Corp. touts that Windows 7 is nimble enough to run on underpowered netbooks. But it also admits that its enticing new XP Mode may not work on netbooks, or many other computers of recent vintage.

Microsoft plans to continue offering Windows XP on netbooks after the release of its next-generation operating system, Windows 7.

Netbooks, the small, cheap laptops that are gaining popularity, hurt Microsoft Corp.'s Windows revenues for the second quarter in a row, company executives said Thursday.