diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md index df3c265dcdb..6e4f390cbcc 100644 --- a/doc/release-notes.md +++ b/doc/release-notes.md @@ -16,6 +16,28 @@ To receive security and update notifications, please subscribe to: +Compatibility +============== + +Microsoft ended support for Windows XP on [April 8th, 2014](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/end-of-xp-support), +an OS initially released in 2001. This means that not even critical security +updates will be released anymore. Without security updates, using a bitcoin +wallet on a XP machine is irresponsible at least. + +In addition to that, with 0.12.x there have been varied reports of Bitcoin Core +randomly crashing on Windows XP. It is [not clear](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/7681#issuecomment-217439891) +what the source of these crashes is, but it is likely that upstream +libraries such as Qt are no longer being tested on XP. + +We do not have time nor resources to provide support for an OS that is +end-of-life. From 0.13.0 on, Windows XP is no longer supported. Users are +suggested to upgrade to a newer verion of Windows, or install an alternative OS +that is supported. + +No attempt is made to prevent installing or running the software on Windows XP, +you can still do so at your own risk, but do not expect it to work: do not +report issues about Windows XP to the issue tracker. + Notable changes ===============