End of Support for Windows XP and Office 2003 April 8th

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What will you do when Support ends for Windows XP and Office 2003 on April 8th?

And why you shouldn’t leave your computer exposed….

If you’re using a computer with Windows XP, we strongly suggest that you replace it by April 8th, 2014. Why? Because Microsoft will cease to support Windows XP starting April 9th. What does this mean? There will be no security updates for Windows XP.  There will be no bug fixes or enhancements. Most vendors have, or soon will stop providing support for XP.

Can I still use my Windows XP computer after April 8th? Yes, it will still work, but you are at a much greater risk of viruses and hackers. The biggest vulnerability is going to come from zero-day attacks. Those attacks are vulnerabilities exploited by hackers before your anti-virus software vendor has time to create protection for that attack. Other vulnerabilities that anti-virus software can’t protect against may be exploited and there won’t be any Microsoft updates created to block them.

Can I upgrade my Windows XP computer to Windows 7 or Windows 8? We do not recommend that you upgrade your computer. We suggest purchasing a new computer. Why? There is no direct upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you decide to upgrade, you have to upgrade to Windows Vista and then upgrade to Windows 7. Alternatively, you could clear all data and programs off your computer (wipe the hard drive) and install windows 7 or Windows 8—if your computer can support those operating systems. Upgrading is a bad idea because you’ll still end up with an older computer that will be more likely to suffer hardware failure as it ages. Most older computers don’t have the resources necessary to run Windows 7 and Windows 8 efficiently. Additionally, the cost to upgrade can cost as much or more than the cost of a new computer.

Support for Office 2003 is also ending on April 8th.  Office 2003 includes programs like Word 2003, Excel 2003, PowerPoint 2003, and Outlook 2003. If you are using Office 2003, we recommend that you upgrade to Office 2013, for the same reasons as above. Be aware that starting with Office 2007, the menus and icons are radically different and will require some time to learn.

We are offering some Windows XP migration specials to help you make the transition to a new computer. Please give us a call to discuss 925-283-5666.

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