The end is approaching for Windows XP… in 2014. The already decade-old operating system is still the main base for much of the world’s PCs, despite Microsoft’s efforts to hold those users away from Internet Explorer 9 (though the latest Firefox and Chrome work just fine) and the other latest Microsoft software.

In its latest push, Microsoft has made and published “Windows XP End of Support Countdown Gadget” – essentially a desktop gadget with a countdown clock until the classic OS is no longer supported.

Microsoft gives it the following overview: “Looking to get off Windows XP? Use this handy gadget to count down the number of days until Windows XP End of Support (EOS) in 2014.”

The desktop gadget, however, is only supported by Windows Vista and Windows 7, which makes it somewhat puzzling as such users have obviously eradicated Windows XP from that particular system.

Sure XP will work after April 8th 2014, but with out any security updates, it will be open season for malicious code writers. Not that it isn’t already, but without the patches from Microsoft any XP machine connected to the internet will be a huge target.

So if you were lucky enough to skip the Vista debacle, it might be time to consider getting familiar with Windows 7…The clock is ticking.