On April 8th 2014, Microsoft will cease to support Windows XP. No more patches will be released on Patch Tuesdays (2nd Tuesday of every month) for Windows XP.
What does this mean?
If you have a computer that is running Windows XP, the attackers out there will have the advantage over you. Any security holes they find in Windows XP will be taken advantage of, and your computer will be wide open to attack.
Additionally, since Microsoft will cease to support Windows XP, so will the anti virus providers, such as Norton, Kaspersky, ESET, Trend, etc. Your anti-virus software will still run, but quickly the anti-virus companies will stop releasing virus definition updates.
Bottom line, you will be a sitting duck for a nasty virus attack if you use Windows XP after April 8th, 2014.
What should I do?
If you have a computer that is running Windows XP, it means that your Computer is most likely at least 6 year old, and more than likely 7-12 years old. Advances in computer technology have marched on rather quickly in terms of processor speed, memory requirements, etc.
Before I tell you what you should do, I will tell you what you SHOULD NOT do. Do not even consider upgrading the operating system on your Windows XP computer to a newer flavor (Windows 7 or 8). Even if you could, you would find that your computer would run slow. You would have a very unhappy experience.
You should begin to plan for the replacement of your computer. What does that entail?
Make a list of what you use your computer for. For instance, surfing the web, reading email, writing documents, or keeping spreadsheets.
Make a list of the software you use. Once you have the usage list done, then write down next to each item the software that you use for that particular task. For instance, to read email, do you use Internet Explorer to go to the email website, or do you use Outlook or Outlook Express?
Gather all of your software CD’s. If you use Microsoft Office, make sure you have the CD’s. If you use geneology software, or cookbook software, make sure you have the CD’s.
Back up your data. I find that most individuals do not back up the data on their computer. Or they may have a backup routine in place, but they have no idea if it is working or not. If you are in this category, call us. We can quickly determine if your data is backed up, and guide you to what you need to do.
Plan your purchase of a new computer. Set a date for when you want to make the purchase. Decide if you want a laptop or a tower PC. Put together a budget for what you want to spend. This last step can easily be an article in and of itself. Look for that article in the coming weeks.
Remember, we are here to help you along every step of the way.