Breaking up is hard to do: Windows XP – The end of a long OS relationship

What does Windows XP end of life mean?

Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But now the time has come for Microsoft, along with their hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies.

As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date.

If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP

So, what are my options?

To stay protected after support ends, you have two options:

Upgrade your current PC

Very few older computers will be able to run Windows 8.1, which is the latest version of Windows. We recommend that you download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant to check if your PC meets the systems requirements for Windows 8.1. Microsoft has also created a Tutorial: Upgrade to Windows 8.1 from Windows XP to see upgrade your PC if it is able.

Get a new PC

If your current PC can’t run Windows 8.1, it might be time to consider shopping for a new one. There are many great PCs available for $600 or less, many that have touch screen capability to really take advantage of the Windows 8.1 features.

Windows 8.1 is significantly different that Windows XP. You should really familiarize yourself with the new features of Windows 8.1 so you can feel comfortable with the new operating system. Take a tour of the new operating system to get a feel for these new features.

Summary

What does this mean for you and your business? An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more.

If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.

Even though we have known about this for some time, Microsoft has not backed down as of the date of this posting. Don’t wait till it’s too late. We can help you with the proper technology planning an migration of your computers to Windows 8.1.  Contact us to see how we can help.