Microsoft is paying Windows XP users to jump ship

Windows 8.1
We know change is hard

The end of support for Windows XP is drawing ever closer, and Microsoft is sparing no expense making sure users move out of the outdated platform.

In the company's latest move, it's now offering Windows XP users $50 (about £30, AU$55) in credit towards any Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one desktop at the Microsoft Store.

Alongside the gift card, Microsoft is also giving away 90 days of premium support for no extra charge to help customers make the transition. The service includes 24/7 phone and chat support to help with getting set up on a new PC.

Finally, the Redmond firm is extending a free data transfer service through Laplink. The data migration service will help users move over everything on their hard drives to a new machine, including photos, videos, music and other files for free.

The offer is only valid from now to April 30, so act quickly.

Windows XP offer

But 50 big ones can ease the pain

The sun is setting on XP

Microsoft has slowly been bringing down the curtain on Windows XP. Along with a final patch coming April 8, Security Essentials on the old operating system will no longer be supported.

After losing the built-in firewall and security suite, the company has promised to continue providing anti-malware support through July 2015.

Third-party vendors have promised to continue protecting Windows XP with their own anti-malware solutions. However, without any more official security patches coming from Microsoft, it's clear the sun is setting on the old OS.

  • Check out how Microsoft's latest operating system stacks up in our review of Windows 8.1
Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.

Latest in Windows
Portrait of African-American teenage boy studying at home or in college dorm and using laptop, copy space
Windows 11’s Notepad gets AI-powered ‘Rewrite’ feature, but not everyone’s going to be happy about it
Copilot on a laptop
Microsoft quietly updates Copilot to cut down on unauthorized Windows activations
Windows fail
It looks like Microsoft might have broken Windows 11 24H2 again as performance plummets with Intel's latest CPUs
Windows 11 update with Task Manager menu
Microsoft is fixing Windows 11 Task Manager’s quirky reporting of CPU usage, and a much-wanted change for the lock screen is coming, too
Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed
Microsoft’s latest bit of nagging in Windows 11 might come from a good place, but it’s seriously annoying some people
A man at a desk using a laptop and holding his hands up, while having a confused look on his face
Windows 11 24H2 bug is confusing people by displaying half the interface in one language, and the remainder in another
Latest in News
A hand holding a phone showing the Android Find My Device network
Android's Find My Device can now let you track your friends – and I can't decide if that's cool or creepy
Insta360 X4 360 degree camera without lens protector
Leaked DJI Osmo 360 image suggests GoPro and Insta360 should be worried – here's why
A YouTube Premium promo on a laptop screen
A cheaper YouTube Premium Lite plan just rolled out in the US – but you’ll miss out on these 4 features
Viaim RecDot AI true wireless earbuds
These AI-powered earbuds can also act as a dictaphone with transcription when left in their case
The socket interface of the Intel Core Ultra processor
Intel unveils its most powerful AI PCs yet - new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors pack in vPro for lightweight laptops and high-performance workstations alike
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Nvidia confirms that an RTX 5070 Founders Edition is coming... just not on launch day