The Windows XP operating system will no longer receive updates after April 8th of this year. No one knows with complete certainty what  effect this will have on those users who continue utilizing an XP driven machine. However, we do know that “black-hat” hackers can use system insecurities to wreak havoc on users. Do you have a plan for your machines that are still running this operating system?

If I am your “computer guy” then please work with me to tread safely through this transitional period. We can look at upgrading your current machines to Windows 7, though keep in mind not all machines will be  candidates for an upgrade. If you are wanting to upgrade a machine from Windows XP to Windows 7 then you will want to run the Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft to see if a particular machine is upgradable. When you run the software make sure any peripherals that will still need to operate are connected and powered on (i.e. printers and scanners).  Keep in mind that even if a machine is up to snuff according to the advising tool, it doesn’t mean that the user experience will be ideal.

If you plan to upgrade memory I can get you a quote from Crucial for RAM that will work in your specific machine. If you planning on purchasing a Windows 7 upgrade for a patron computer, then you should deal directly with TechSoup. If you are upgrading a staff machine, especially if it resides on separate network than your patron machines, then you may want to have me get a quote from SHI, our software vendor.

Many of you will be looking at replacing computers in the next few months, please make sure you are using this opportunity to replace any Windows XP machines.

There have been many articles and blogs written concerning this subject, here are a few you might find enlightening: