In This Article Overview Components FAQ Notes Windows operating system components (e.g. Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player) also conform to the Product Life-Cycle Guidelines. Operating system components that run on Windows operating systems that have already entered into the Extended phase of the Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle Guidelines (namely Windows 98/98 SE and Windows NT 4.xx) in addition to Windows Millennium Edition will follow the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle Guidelines. Operating system components that shipped with Windows desktop operating systems that are still in the Mainstream phase of the Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle Guidelines (namely Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Windows XP Home Edition) will follow the current Microsoft Life-Cycle Support Policies. Internet Explorer

Operating system components that shipped as part of a Windows desktop operating system (namely Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition, Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows Millennium Edition1 and Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 20002) will be supported through the Extended phase of the Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle Guidelines. Support for the current and immediately preceding service packs will be provided for Windows XP and Windows 2000 only, beginning with Windows XP Service Pack 1 (for Internet Explorer 6) and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (for Internet Explorer 5.01). Security hotfixes will be available to all customers at no charge through both the Mainstream and Extended phases (up to seven years for Windows XP and Windows 2000) and fee-based Extended hotfix support will be available to customers with an Extended Support Contract (between years five and seven). Operating system components that are made available as no-charge downloads from the web for "downstream" Windows desktop operating systems (namely Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 98/98 SE; Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 98/98 SE; and Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98/98 SE) will follow the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle Guidelines. Support for one Service Pack will be provided for all versions of Internet Explorer for "downstream" operating systems, and customers will be able to request Extended hotfixes and Security hotfixes for the immediately preceding Service Pack for up to 90 days from the date of release of the most current Service Pack. Fee-based Extended hotfix support and fee-based Security hotfix support will be available to customers with an Extended Support Contract in the Extended phase of the Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle3 if you sign the agreement within the first 90 days following the end of the Mainstream support phase (see table below for specific dates). All security hotfixes (no-charge and fee-based, including General Distribution Releases or GDR's) are no longer available at the end of the Extended support phase. Applying these guidelines (both the previous Windows Desktop Product Life-Cycle and the current Microsoft Life-Cycle Support Policies) to currently available versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (see diagram below), Microsoft plans to make assisted support offerings and online self-help support available as set forth in the table below. Product Life Cycle for most current versions of Internet Explorer and versions of Internet Explorer that shipped as part of the Windows desktop operating system

The chart above shows that Internet Explorer 6 SP1 will be supported on all Windows desktop operating systems and the length of time support is provided depends on the underlying operating system and whether the operating system follows the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines (Feb 01-Oct 02) or the current Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policies (Oct 02 onwards). Applying these guidelines to currently available Windows desktop operating systems, the following versions of Internet Explorer are scheduled to enter the Extended phase or exit the Extended phase on the following dates. Desktop Operating System Microsoft Internet Explorer Entering Extended Support phase (effective date) Exiting Extended Support phase

(effective date) These products follow the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines Windows 98 SE4 Internet Explorer 6 SP1 June 30, 20035 January 16, 2004 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' September 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes May 9, 20036 Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 December 31, 2002 December 31, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.01 SP2 June 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes June 30, 2003 Windows NT Workstation 4.xx SP6a7 Internet Explorer 6 SP1 June 30, 2003

Fee-based security hotfixes December 31, 2003 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' September 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes May 9, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 December 31, 2002 December 31, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.01 SP2 June 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes June 30, 2003 Windows NT Server 4.xx SP6a Internet Explorer 6 SP1 June 30, 2003

Fee-based security hotfixes December 31, 2004 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' September 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes May 9, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 December 31, 2002 December 31, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.01 SP2 June 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes June 30, 2003 Windows Millennium Edition Internet Explorer 6 SP1 December 31, 2003

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2003 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' September 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes May 9, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 December 31, 2003

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2003

Desktop Operating System Microsoft Internet Explorer Entering Extended phase (effective date) Exiting Extended phase

(effective date) These products follow the current Microsoft Lifecycle Support Policies Windows 2000 Professional SP4 Internet Explorer 6 SP18 March 31, 2005 March 31, 2007 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' September 30, 2002

Fee-based security hotfixes May 9, 2003 Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 December 31, 2002 December 31, 2003 Windows 2000 SP3 (with Internet Explorer 5.01)9 March 31, 2005 March 31, 2007 Windows XP Professional Internet Explorer 6 SP110 December 31, 2006 December 31, 2008 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' Windows XP SP211 Windows XP SP2 Windows XP Home Edition Internet Explorer 6 SP1 December 31, 2006

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2006 Internet Explorer 6 'Gold' Windows XP SP2 Windows XP SP2 Windows Media

Windows Media technologies (e.g. Windows Media Player) also conform to the Product Lifecycle Guidelines. Windows Media technologies that shipped as part of a Windows desktop operating system (namely Windows Media Player for Windows XP and Windows Media Player 6.4 for Windows 2000 Professional) will be supported through the Extended phase of the Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle guidelines. Windows Media technologies that run on Windows operating systems that have already entered into the Extended phase of the Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines (namely Windows 98/98 SE and Windows NT 4.xx) in addition to Windows Millennium Edition will follow the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle guidelines. Windows Media technologies that are made available as no-charge downloads from the web for 'downstream' Windows desktop operating systems (namely Windows Media Player 9, Windows Media Player 7.1 and Windows Media Player 6.4 for Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 98/98 SE; Windows Media Player 7.1 for Windows 2000; and Windows Media Player 6.4 for Windows NT 4.0) will also follow the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines. Applying these guidelines to currently available Windows desktop operating systems, the following Windows Media technologies are scheduled to enter the Extended phase or exit the Extended phase on the following dates. Desktop Operating System Microsoft Windows Media Entering Extended phase (effective date) Exiting Extended phase (effective date) Windows 98 SE Windows Media Player 9 January 7, 2003 June 30, 2003 Windows Media Player 7.1 June 30, 2002 June 30, 2003 Windows Media Encoder 7.1 June 30, 2002 June 30, 2003 WMF SDK 7.1 June 30, 2002 June 30, 2003 Windows Media Player 6.4 June 30, 2002 June 30, 2003 Windows NT 4.xx Windows Media Player 6.4 June 30, 2002 June 30, 2003 Windows Millennium Edition Windows Media Player 9 January 7, 2003 December 31, 2003 Windows Media Player 7.1 December 31, 2003 December 31, 2003 Windows Media Encoder 7.1 December 31, 2003 December 31, 2003 WMF SDK 7.1 December 31, 2003 December 31, 2003 Windows Media Player 6.4

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2003 December 31, 2003 Windows 2000 Professional Windows Media Player 9 March 31, 2005 March 31, 2007 Windows Media Player 7.1 March 31, 2003 March 31, 2004 Windows Media Encoder 9 March 31, 2005 March 31, 2007 Windows Media Encoder 7.1 March 31, 2003 March 31, 2004 WMF SDK 7.1 March 31, 2003 March 31, 2004 Windows Media Player 6.4

Security hotfixes only March 31, 2005 March 31, 2007 Windows XP Professional Windows Media Player 9 December 31, 2006 December 31, 2008 Windows Media Encoder 9 December 31, 2006 December 31, 2008 Windows Media Player for Windows XP December 31, 2006 December 31, 2008 Windows Media Player 6.4

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2003 December 31, 2004 Windows XP Home Edition Windows Media Player 9 December 31, 2006 December 31, 2006 Windows Media Encoder 9 December 31, 2006 December 31, 2006 Windows Media Player for Windows XP December 31, 2006 December 31, 2006 Windows Media Player 6.4

Security hotfixes only December 31, 2003 December 31, 2003 The table above shows that Windows Media Player 9 will be supported on all Windows desktop operating systems (except for Windows NT) and the length of time support is provided depends on the underlying operating system and whether the operating system follows the previously announced Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines (Feb 01-Oct 02) or the current Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policies (Oct 02 onwards). Windows Millenium Edition shipped with Internet Explorer 5.5 and therefore will be supported through the mainstream support phase of Windows Millennium Edition (31st December 2003). Under the current Microsoft Life-Cycle Support Policies, operating systems designed for consumers do not have an Extended phase (because consumers do not submit requests for extended hotfixes). Therefore, no extended hotfix support is available for Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 on Windows Millennium Edition. In addition security hotfixes only are available between December 31st 2002 and December 31st 2003. Internet Explorer 5.01 is updated through Windows 2000 service packs. From December 31, 2002, Microsoft will no longer accept hotfix requests for versions of Internet Explorer on desktop operating systems designed for home users--i.e., Windows Millennium Edition. Support for all versions of Internet Explorer on Windows 98 'Gold' ended June 30, 2002. Additional 12 months added to Mainstream phase to ease migration to Internet Explorer 6 SP1. 90 days of Extended support added beyond standard service pack policy to ease migration to Internet Explorer 6 SP1. For more information on Windows NT Server 4.0 support policy go to the FAQ at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;%5bln%5d;lifewinntsbs. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is supported on both Windows 2000 Professional SP3 and SP4. Windows 2000 SP4 with Internet Explorer 5.01 may be superceded by future Windows 2000 service packs (which will include updates for Internet Explorer). Internet Explorer 5.01 on Windows 2000 Professional will be supported for the same length of time as the underlying operating system--i.e., until March 31, 2007. Support will only be provided for the current and immediately preceding service pack for security fixes and non-security hotfixes during this life cycle. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 will be superceded by future Windows XP service packs (which will include updates for Internet Explorer). Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP Professional will be supported for the same length of time as the underlying operating system--i.e., until December 31, 2008. Support will only be provided for the current and immediately preceding service pack for security fixes and non-security hotfixes during this life cycle. Support for IE 6 Gold on Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition will cease when Windows XP Service Pack 2 ships. The roadmap for Windows Client Service Packs is detailed at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx For More Information Windows Desktop Support Life-Cycle Wizard Windows Service Pack Road Map Continued 2 of 4



