Get Ready for the End of Windows XP Support

XP was our trusty and faithful workhorse for many years, so it grieves me to declare it, but it's time for it to retire. On April 8, 2014 Microsoft will stop issuing patches and security updates for Windows XP and Office 2003.

Prepare for the 'XPocalypse'

According to Microsoft, the end of XP support could mean a world of trouble for those who don't upgrade:

"Without critical Windows XP security updates, your PC may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported."

While it’s true that Windows XP and Office 2003 won't stop working on zero day (April 8^th), PCs using XP will face greatly increased exposure to malware attacks. Computerworld declared that "XP's retirement will be hacker heaven" as soon as Microsoft ceases guarding the XP fortress.

The risk will of course increase over time. PC World is calling this the ‘XPocalypse’. (I'm not sure how to pronounce that, but it sounds scary).

Millions Still Using XP

The end of XP support is a big deal because so many organizations are still using it. According to Net Marketshare, just under a third of PCs are still using Windows XP.

Among charities and libraries, who tend to hang on to their PCs longer than other organizations, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still over half of the PC install base.

Good Reasons to Upgrade Now

While April 2014 may seem far away, there's good reason to upgrade now.

XP is already the least secure operating system out there, and Microsoft Office 2003 isn't in great shape either:

• The number of vulnerabilities has steadily increased over the last few years until Windows XP is now six times more likely to be infected by malware than Windows 8, even though XP is attacked at about the same rate.
• Within the last year there have been 10 security bulletins affecting Office 2003, five of which are rated critical. After April 8^th, we can expect a flood of malware-laden MS Office documents designed to exploit Office 2003 vulnerabilities to come our way.

Newer Versions of Windows and Office Work Well on Older PCs

The good news is that Windows 7, Windows 8, and more recent versions of Microsoft Office run well on older PCs.

We satisfied our curiosity on that by installing Windows 8 and Office 2010 Standard on a classic Windows XP computer, a Dell Optiplex GX 280 from 2005. Find out more on that at my “Windows 8 on Older PCs?” piece.

How to Upgrade Your PCs

If you haven’t heard about all this yet, I hope this is a wake up call. I know it takes some time to get the money budgeted, get your TechSoup Windows 7, or Windows 8.1, or Office 2013 donations, and do the upgrades on your computers.

You can upgrade to Windows 8.1 through TechSoup's Microsoft donation program. See our Microsoft page for more details. For info on the quantity of products you can request, special rules for software donations to public libraries, and specific procedures to follow for returns, see the Microsoft Software Donation Program – Eligibility, Allotments, and Returns page.

TechSoup Resources

• Microsoft Windows and Office Donations (use the pull-down menu under 'Browse Products' to find specific products)
• Should You Upgrade to Windows 8? Questions to Consider
• Windows 8.1: Bridging the Gap Between Keyboard and Touchscreen
• How To Request Microsoft Donations (Webinar)

Microsoft Resources

• Update to Windows 8.1: FAQ - Microsoft Windows Help
• Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7
• Download the free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

From Around The Web

• How to Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 - For Dummies
• How to upgrade to Windows 8 | How To - CNET
• Yes, you can still upgrade to Windows 7 (PC World)

Image: courtesy of Kit_Hartford via Flickr Creative Commons