Oct 15: The recent JDK 8 Update 25 release includes a fix that enables installation of JDK 8 on Windows XP. It remains an unsupported platform and all recommendations in this blog entry still apply.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced end of support for Windows XP. As a direct result, Oracle announced that we no longer provide official support for Java on Windows XP. The main implication of this is that a customer with a support contract may be required to reproduce an issue encountered on Windows XP on a later version of Windows, and if the issue is specific to Windows XP Oracle is not required to (and may be unable to) issue a patch or a workaround.

This end of support announcement has been misread as "Java no longer works on Windows XP" or "Oracle will stop Java updates from being applied on Windows XP". These statements are not correct.

We expect all versions of Java that were supported prior to the Microsoft de-support announcement to continue to work on Windows XP for the foreseeable future. In particular, we expect that JDK 7 will continue to work on Windows XP. Security updates issued by Oracle will continue to be pushed out to Windows XP desktops. Users that download JDK 7 from java.oracle.com or java.com will continue to be able to install on Windows XP.

JDK 8 is not supported on Windows XP. Early versions of JDK 8 had known issues with the installer on Windows XP that prevented it from installing without manual intervention. This was resolved in JDK 8 Update 25.

The important point here is that we can no longer provide complete guarantees for Java on Windows XP, since the OS is no longer being updated by Microsoft. We strongly recommend that users upgrade to a newer version of Windows that is still supported by Microsoft in order to maintain a stable and secure environment.

Q: I recently read on the Internet that Oracle’s upcoming security update for JDK 7 will not work on Windows XP. Is this correct?
A: No. Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

Q: I have a desktop/laptop with Windows XP. Will I continue to get automatic updates for JDK 7 when Oracle release a security update?
A: Yes, at least until the End of Public Updates for JDK 7 which is currently scheduled for April 2015 (Java Support Roadmap).

Q: What happens after the End of Public Updates for JDK 7?
A: We will continue monitor the uptake of Java 7 updates on Windows XP. If usage remains high when we get close to that milestone, we will take measures to keep Java users safe. There are several options available to us if that becomes necessary.

Q: Can I install JDK 8 on Windows XP? Will it work?
A: Yes, as long as you install JDK 8 Update 25 or later. Earlier updates of JDK 8 had an installer issue that prevented installation in Windows XP.

Q: My company is using Windows XP Embedded which is still supported by Microsoft. Will Oracle support this?
A: We have never officially supported Windows XP Embedded with any current Java version. However, as long as Microsoft provides support for Windows XP Embedded we could consider it. Contact Java sales in your region if you have a need for this.