March 18, 2014

Microsoft Announces Windows XP End of Support

By Mike Holliday

Microsoft has announced the end of their support for Windows XP on April 8th.  For those that still use it, you should be aware that your system will no longer receive:

• Security patches to help protect against viruses and malware
• Software and content updates
• Technical assistant from Microsoft.

If you choose to keep using Windows XP after April 8th, your system and data are at a greater risk of attack or data theft/loss. Your system will not be compatible with newer software, as well.

Internet Explorer version development for Windows XP ceased a long time ago, and future updates/patches for those older versions will cease. It has been recommended to use other browsers for Windows XP, to help mitigate risk.  Please note: due to the lack of future support for Windows XP, software developers (including browsers) will likely abandon further development and patches for their XP products.

Your best course of action, to protect your system and maintain performance, is to upgrade to a newer operating system. For university-owned equipment, there is an action plan coming forth and you should look for that communication coming soon. 

This advisory is really intended for the campus community and their personal home computer systems.