--- description: China has decided that the software meant to replace XP, Windows 8, is to be banned from government computers. title: China Bans Windows 8 on Government Computers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # China Bans Windows 8 on Government Computers by [Doug Aamoth](/author/doug-aamoth/) ## Doug Aamoth Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 20, 2014 1:00 PM CUT by [Doug Aamoth](/author/doug-aamoth/) ## Doug Aamoth Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 20, 2014 1:00 PM CUT A little over a month after Microsoft [officially ended support](http://time.com/54138/windows-xp-support-ends-what-users-need-to-know/ "undefined") for its 13-year-old Windows XP operating system, China has decided that the software meant to replace XP, Windows 8, is to be banned from government computers. [Reuters reports](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/20/us-microsoft-china-idUSBREA4J07Q20140520 "undefined") that China’s official Xinhua news agency vaguely cited security measures and energy-saving efforts as the rationale behind the ban, though “neither the government nor Xinhua elaborated,” says Reuters. Former CEO Steve Ballmer [reportedly told employees in 2011](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303654804576347190248544826 "undefined") that Microsoft’s Windows sales were roughly 5% in China compared to what they were the U.S. — even though PC sales were about the same. Despite widespread software piracy in China, however, this Windows 8 ban could have a lasting effect on Microsoft’s bottom line there: As [the Associated Press points out](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS%5FCHINA%5FWINDOWS%5F8?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-05-20-04-10-48 "undefined"), the Chinese government is Microsoft’s largest paying client. \[[Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/20/us-microsoft-china-idUSBREA4J07Q20140520 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/105944/china-bans-windows-8/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/105944/china-bans-windows-8/"},"headline":"China Bans Windows 8 on Government Computers","datePublished":"2014-05-20T13:00:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:02:16.586Z","description":"China has decided that the software meant to replace XP, Windows 8, is to be banned from government computers.","url":"https://time.com/105944/china-bans-windows-8/","keywords":["Tech","China","Microsoft","Software","Windows"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Doug Aamoth","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/doug-aamoth/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/105944/china-bans-windows-8/","name":"China Bans Windows 8 on Government Computers"}}]}] ```