winows xp faq

Dell - Internal Use - Confidential

Windows XP end of life: key information


April 2014 sees the end of support for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, Small Business Server 2003 and Office 2003.

The requirements for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are now:Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) Free hard drive space: 16GB (32-bit) or 20GB (64-bit) Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver


For Windows XP to Windows 7:

If you're used to XP, then upgrading to Windows 7 is probably less of a shock than going from XP to Windows 8.1. Here's how to get started.

• The Windows download links on Microsoft's website all link to Windows 8, so you'll probably need to track down a boxed version of Windows 7 from a site like Amazon Walmart or Newegg To see if you need 32-bit or 64-bit, go to Start, right click on My Computer, then select Properties. If you see "x64 Edition" then choose the 64-bit. If not, choose 32-bit.

• Your files and settings will not be saved during the upgrade, so you need to back everything up on an external hard drive. You can use Microsoft's Windows Easy Transfer to make the process a little smoother.

• Load the Windows 7 disc and follow the installation menu instructions. • For the visual learners out there, Microsoft has a video that might help you

through the process.


For Windows XP to Windows 8.1:"Windows 8.1 isn't designed for installation on PCs running Windows Vista or Windows XP," Microsoft warns on its upgrade page Basically, Redmond would much prefer you just buy a new Windows 8-based PC. That's not in the cards for everyone, though, so here's how you upgrade from XP to Windows 8 (hopefully).

• First things first, make sure your PC can indeed handle Windows 8 by clicking "Download Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant" on Microsoft's website That will tell you if you're good to go and whether or not you should bother buying the Windows 8 software.

• Like Windows 7, the upgrade won't save any of your data when you upgrade, so you need to transfer everything over to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or CD. Files could also be stored in the cloud via something like on Microsoft's One Drive.

• Microsoft says you'll need to install the OS from a Windows 8.1 DVD and perform a clean installation. Find it on the Microsoft Store

• To see if you need 32-bit or 64-bit, go to Start, right click on My Computer, then select Properties. If you see "x64 Edition" then choose the 64-bit. If not, choose 32-bit.

• Insert the Windows 8 installation disc and follow the installation menu instructions.


1. Is Windows XP going to stop working?Windows XP itself will keep on working after 8 April. The important change is that after this date, Windows Update will stop providing patches for the operating system — and that includes security updates.As time goes by you’ll be increasingly leaving yourself open to hacker attacks

2. Can I keep running without security updates?You can, but it’s extremely risky. Without updates, any future vulnerabilities discovered in the OS will remain forever unpatched — so as time goes by you’ll be increasingly leaving yourself open to hacker attacks. These could interfere with the programs you run, steal your email and banking details

3. Won’t my antivirus software protect me?To an extent, yes. Several third-party antivirus publishers have promised to carry on supporting Windows XP after the cut-off date, and Microsoft has said that its own Security Essentials product will continue to receive signature updates “for a limited time”. This can protect you against many types of attack, such as those that target your web browser or email client.However, if hackers can exploit low-level vulnerabilities in the operating system then in theory they could circumvent or disable your antivirus defenses. Some experts suspect that online criminals are already planning such an attack, and are simply waiting for XP updates to end before unleashing it.


4. What do I need to do?Your best course of action is to stop using Windows XP as soon as possible, and to upgrade to a more recent OS. If your current PC meets the hardware requirements it’s possible to download and install Windows 8.1 over the top of XP; alternatively, you can simply buy a new PC with Windows 8 preinstalled. Either way, you’ll have to reinstall all your applications: there’s no way to perform an “in-place” upgrade from XP to Microsoft’s latest OS.

5. Is upgrading to Windows 8 my only option?If you don’t get on with Windows 8, it’s still possible to buy Windows 7. Alternatively, you could migrate to a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint or buy a Mac and switch to OS X. The important thing is no longer to rely on Windows XP. If you have an application or piece of hardware that requires XP to run, you may be able to install XP in a virtual machine. If you really need to keep your old XP machine around, we strongly recommend you disconnect it permanently from the internet so as to minimize the danger of its being attacked.

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