April 23rd, 2014 6:12 pm

Rest in Peace Windows XP

Below is a statement from Microsoft about the end of support for Windows XP. If you have any computers running Windows XP Bailey Systems recommends that you upgrade or replace them at your earliest convenience. Now that Microsoft has stopped issuing patches and vulnerability fixes for computers running Windows XP these computers will become more and more vulnerable to attacks. Using a vulnerable Windows XP machine attackers could gain access to your network and other servers and computers on it.

While you can upgrade your existing computers from windows XP to Windows 7 (or Windows 8), in most cases the cost of the upgrade is more than the cost of a new computer. Bailey Systems can help you with these decisions.
If you have a computer running Windows XP and using special software that does not run on a newer operating system you should consider taking the computer off of your network.

If you have questions please contact the helpdesk at support@joeb1.sg-host.com or (703) 581-7319.

Statement from Microsoft:
Microsoft provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But the time came for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences.

As a result, technical assistance for Windows XP is no longer available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft has also stopped providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP. (If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates for a limited time, but this does not mean that your PC is secure because Microsoft is no longer providing security updates to help protect your PC.)
If you continue to use Windows XP now that support has ended, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Internet Explorer 8 is also no longer supported, so if your Windows XP PC is connected to the Internet and you use Internet Explorer 8 to surf the web, you might be exposing your PC to additional threats. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter more apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.