Windows XP – Support ending 4-2014

Still running Windows XP?

So, you’re still running Windows XP because it works, right? Well, you may be in for a big surprise come next spring. As of April 2014, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP. After a good run of 13 years, they’re moving on and so should you. It was, no doubt, their most popular operating system. It certainly stuck around after Windows Vista was released but with the subsequent releases of Windows 7 and Windows 8, Microsoft is finally saying farewell and telling everyone that it’s time to upgrade after all these years.

So what does the end of support really mean to me? Well, on the surface, it means that no more patches and/or updates will be released for the platform. You may be thinking “So what? It works great for me”. Don’t fall into that trap because here’s where it may end up costing you by waiting. When Microsoft releases a patch for a security hole or exploit, the nefarious types out there download the patch, try very hard to reverse engineer the fix, and then write new code to attack the very hole the patch is meant to close. Now, if you download the patch, you’re generally safe. But now, as of April 2014, there won’t be a patch for Windows XP. The folks out there will be having a field day working on new software to take advantage of the newly vulnerable systems out there and they should have a field day. Additionally, as the number of users starts to finally decline, software vendors will stop supporting it as well. As of now, the antivirus vendors I checked are still releasing updates that include Windows XP but there’s no guarantee of future support.

So, what should you do? April is a lot closer than you think. It’s just over 100 days away as I write this so you may need a new sense of urgency. The biggest obstacle you may face will be some of the software you are running. If you haven’t updated it in years, it’s time to make that investment. You really need to get yourself moved to Windows 8 – and with Windows 8.1, we can give you the familiar desktop environment you know and love. Most hardware sold in the last few years is capable
of running it and if not, then it’s time for new hardware as well.

Because of this change from Microsoft, if you are currently on a CCaRe Service Plan and are running Windows XP, CCR will no longer be able to patch these systems. We will still provide routine maintenance, antivirus software, remote control, and other aspects of our managed services but there will an additional per machine fee of $25/mo. added for each Windows XP machine still under the plan as of April 1, 2014.

Now, Windows XP will still function after April. It won’t suddenly stop working but do you really want a system that everyone knows will not be patched? Are you willing to risk your business on it? If not, please contact us today to arrange a network assessment so we can work with you to plan your upgrades.