[accesscomp] Fw: Farewell to Windos-xp, Dan's tip April 17 2013

From: "Bob Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "tektalk discussion" <tektalkdiscussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:42:02 -0700
----- Original Message ----- 
From: dan 
To: dan 
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 7:52 AM
Subject: Farewell to Windos-xp, Dan's tip April 17 2013


Microsoft will be ending support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014 after 12 and a 
half years of supporting it. Microsoft has gone out of their way to extend 
support on several occasions, but the 2014 deadline looks like the final one.

We've already explained why you should leave Windows XP behind. It's still 
widely used, however - it's the second-most popular operating system after 
Windows 7, with around double the market share of all Macs combined, according 
to various statistics.

Windows XP's Current Support

"Mainstream support" for Windows XP ended in 2009, but "extended support" is 
still continuing. Microsoft is still creating security patches and hotfixes for 
Windows XP. Windows XP users may be using an operating system that's over 12 
years old, but Microsoft is still writing security patches for them and sending 
them out via Windows Update.

Microsoft also offers both free and paid technical support for Windows XP, 
which can be particularly useful for businesses.

At the moment, you can kind of get away with using Windows XP - as long as you 
don't want to use new hardware or software that doesn't support it.



What Happens on April 8, 2014

Starting on April 8, 2014, no new security patches for Windows XP will be 
produced. Windows XP will remain vulnerable as new patches are found, and 
Microsoft will advise you upgrade your operating system. Microsoft will also no 
longer offer any technical support for Windows XP.

Windows XP systems won't stop functioning. You can continue to use them and 
even download old security patches, but no new ones will be produced.

As Microsoft drops support for XP, the industry will follow. Much new software 
already isn't necessarily tested to work on Windows XP, and new hardware may 
not have drivers for Windows XP at all. As Microsoft drops support, the amount 
of software and hardware that doesn't support XP will grow.

How often do you see new hardware and software supporting Windows 98? XP will 
become the new Windows 98 - an orphaned, outdated operating system with no 
official or third-party support.

Security patches are crucially important, particularly in enterprises that 
still use XP. Migrating to Windows 7 (or Windows 8) is the smart move for 
people that are still clinging to XP.



If You Still Need XP

You shouldn't keep using XP. It will become more and more unsecure over time as 
more security vulnerabilities are found and not patched. Finding new hardware 
that supports XP will be difficult if your current hardware breaks down or 
needs to be upgraded. New software may stop supporting XP and you may be stuck 
with older, outdated, and also unsecure versions of software. Current versions 
of Mozilla Firefox no longer support Windows 98 - Firefox users on Windows 98 
are using an unsecure version of Firefox.

If you have old software that only works on XP, you should consider upgrading 
to a modern version of Windows and running Windows XP in a virtual machine. 
Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 include a "Windows 
XP Mode" feature for easily running a Windows XP virtual machine. This will 
help increase your security by allowing you to use a modern, supported, secure 
operating system on your computer while confining the unsecure, unsupported XP 
to a virtual machine.

You should already be using antivirus software on your Windows XP systems, but 
this will become even more important when Windows XP starts to become the 
security equivalent of swiss cheese. Some security companies may jump in with 
solutions to secure increasingly vulnerable legacy XP systems, but you're much 
better off upgrading.




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If your organization has a Windows XP deployment, you should already be working 
on migrating to a new version of Windows. If you're a home user, you should be 
looking at upgrading, too. Most longtime Windows XP users generally agree that 
Windows 7 is a worthy upgrade (Windows 8 is more controversial), and Microsoft 
will be supporting Windows 7 until 2020.

Let's be honest: You won't find an operating system vendor that supports their 
desktop operating system for as long as Microsoft supported XP. But, if you're 
really upset, you can always switch to Linux instead. Just leave XP behind!

 

 

"Lord Jesus Christ, your death brought life and hope where there was once only 
despair and defeat. Give me the unshakeable hope of everlasting life, the 
inexpressible joy of knowing your unfailing love, and the unwavering faith and 
obedience in doing the will of our Father in heaven." 

Psalm 66:1-7 
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! 
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your 
enemies cringe before you. 
4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your 
name." [Selah] 
5 Come and see what God has done: he is terrible in his deeds among men. 
6 He turned the sea into dry land; men passed through the river on foot.  There 
did we rejoice in him, 
7 who rules by his might for ever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations --  let 
not the rebellious exalt themselves. [Selah] 


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[accesscomp] Fw: Farewell to Windos-xp, Dan's tip April 17 2013

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