Windows Vista, one of the most disliked versions of Microsoft's operating systems, is being killed off today. As reported last month, April 11 marks the End of Life day for the old OS, meaning it will no longer receive any new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft.
Vista is still the operating system of choice for 0.72 percent of all Windows users, meaning it's installed on around 10 - 11 million systems. By comparison, the Windows version that preceded Vista - XP - has a 7.44 percent share.
"Microsoft has provided support for Windows Vista for the past 10 years, but the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources towards more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences," Microsoft wrote in a blog post.
Mainstream support for Vista ended on April 10, 2012, but extended support for the second service pack was left open as an option for commercial clients.
Some say Windows Vista didn't deserve the reputation it gained, and that under-powered PCs were the cause of its performance issues. Moreover, the OS is fondly remembered as paving the way for the much-loved Windows 7.
Those who continue to use Vista after today may be vulnerable to security risks and viruses. With Internet Explorer 9 no longer supported by Vista, anyone using the browser will be at risk from additional threats. Other browsers, such as Chrome, ended Vista support long ago.
"As more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter more apps and devices that do not work with Windows Vista," added Microsoft.
Goodbye, Vista. In three more years, it'll be Windows 7's turn.