Once a Microsoft operating system (OS) reaches the end of support, customers will no longer receive security updates. The OS may still work with programs and hardware after the sale or support of the operating system has been discontinued. However, the possibility increases that new programs and hardware will not be performant on an older OS. This frequently occurs because the manufacturers of new hardware and software make product-design decisions that take advantage of the increased functionality and features in newer operating systems. These manufacturers may decide to discontinue support of their products on older operating systems as appropriate.