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While researching Group Policy settings for Windows Update on this TechNet library page, I ran across this worrisome statement describing what OSes the settings are supported on:

Supported on: Starting with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (Windows 7), Windows operating systems that are still within their Microsoft Products Support Lifecycle.

Does Microsoft plan to disable Group Policy when an OS becomes unsupported?

Two possible interpretations for this "supported on" statement have entered my mind:

  1. Microsoft won't help (support) you if the GP setting doesn't work correctly on an unsupported OS. But when an OS is unsupported, wouldn't it be redundant to point this out?
  2. This GP setting won't work on an unsupported OS. Yikes!

Googling this question unfortunately results in plenty of help for those who don't know how to get GP to work as it should, not an answer to my question.

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    I don't recall Microsoft disabling any functionality, or announcing such, so I expect it will work, but Microsoft will tell you to go pound sand if you ask them about it. In any case, you really need to get rid of XP, years ago.
    – Michael Hampton
    Jan 4, 2015 at 19:22
  • get rid of XP ....completely agreed, but here almost one year after XP's support has ended, a handful of clients have a few unretired XP machines. When Vista suffers its fate, I don't want to suddenly find my tightly managed environments unraveling because Microsoft "turns off" Group Policy.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Jan 4, 2015 at 19:41

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No, when support ends for a product from Microsoft, it simply means that if you tried to call to get something working (like a group policy setting) the answer is going to be "upgrade then call back if it's still not working".

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  • I agree with your reasoning having hoped it myself...but why suddenly change the documentation to state the obvious? Since when has Microsoft needed to clear up confusion that problems with Group Policy are among those not supported in retired OSes?
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Jan 4, 2015 at 21:38
  • I suspect it boilerplate to clear up confusion (or at least make an attempt). Not all settings are available on all OSes, and there may bet settings that are not available until you are at a certain service pack (remember that it's not JUST the OS but the service pack level required to be supported)
    – Jim B
    Jan 4, 2015 at 22:15

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