Don’t Leave Windows XP Too Late
By Windows Talk
On the 8th of April 2014, Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP. Does this mean that it will stop working? Does it mean you’ll be forced to upgrade? Does it mean that you’ll find yourself at the mercy of both malware and viruses?
On the 9th of April XP will not stop working; it will continue to start up and run as it always has. The withdrawal of support will mean that Microsoft will no longer provide security patches, hotfixes or services packs. This is the most powerful push factor to move away from XP and adopt a more modern alternative, but remember that even a fully patched and AV protected installation of Windows 7 or 8 is still vulnerable to attack. Upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows
8 is no guarantee that you will prevent problems although you will be reducing your exposure. Still, the best defence against the most common viruses and malware is the person sat behind the keyboard.
If you’re still using Windows XP with SP3 then there’s a good chance that the machine you’re using is also due for replacement. If you’re intending to run Windows 7 or Windows 8 on the same hardware platform that you were using for XP then do not expect great things from your new operating system because you’ll most likely be starving it of resources. As always there’s a clear difference between Microsoft’s minimum requirements and what would be required to achieve an acceptable level of performance in the real world. The likelihood is that, at the very least, a RAM upgrade will be required, but the best performance will be realized by purchasing a new machine.
Shared with permission from Windows Talk.
