Computer Repair in Kalamazoo

Geek Easy Computers knows that many of our readers are Windows XP users.  In our mission to make your technology easier, we have prepared this article to help you understand what exactly is happening when Windows XP reaches “end of life”, and why you should prepare for it before the actual date.

This is a screenshot for what key elements of Windows XP look like. 

The primary reasons for moving away from Windows XP before the April 8th “End of Life” date, are:

• No mores security or feature updates

• No more bugfixes

• New hardware support will be limited and eventually cease

• Other major software vendors have vowed to stop releasing updates or software support for Windows XP platforms

• No more paid or free technical support direct from Microsoft

• Re-installations may not be possible in the near future if XP Activation processes are no longer supported

• Major standards compliance requires maintenance, patching, and regular security updates. This could cause compliance issues for PCI, SOX, and HIPAA.

• Microsoft releases patches and updates in a monthly cycle, usually fixing issues found across XP, Vista, Windows 7, and now Windows 8/8.1. Usually, these are the same bugs and security vulnerabilities. What this means is that when the next round of updates are released, Microsoft is essentially handing over the ‘blueprints’ for flaws in their software, and the malicious market can take those new patches, reverse engineer them, and develop attacks that will not be protected against going forward.

• Additionally, We’ve seen a huge decrease in Windows XP targeted attacks over the past few months. It’s been speculated that these malicious developers and attackers are ‘holding back’ and will let the floodgates loose once Microsoft stops supporting XP.

Microsoft will begin displaying prompts that look similar to these to inform you of the impending deadline:

You’ve got until April 8th, 2014  to completely avoid any of the mentioned issues, by moving to a supported platform, or putting additional restrictions and preventative measures in places on these systems. We’ve got a few solutions to help move these systems to a supported platform, and keep them safe! The crew at Geek Easy Computers is dedicated to making your technology easier!