If you are still using Windows XP (1 in 4 people still are!) you are: #1 brave for not heeding the warnings from Microsoft to upgrade, and #2 lucky because Microsoft is giving you a pass. Microsoft was set to cease all support for Windows XP as of April 8, and was warning XP users of the dangers they would face while using an unsupported operating system. Well, XP users are in luck because Microsoft has flipped a 180 and decided to not abandon 25% of their system users. But, what may be beneficial for XP users could be detrimental to Microsoft as a company.
Let’s face it, Windows XP is old. Introduced in 2001, the 13-year-old operating system is still the most commonly used operating system for companies. Upgrading is expensive, so resistance to upgrading to newer Microsoft operating systems is to be expected. But it is time companies think about the safety of their digital information.
Windows XP is still an unsupported system, but Microsoft chose to provide another security update in response to a massive security risk found in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. This is not to say that Microsoft will continuously support Windows XP, but it does show that they are not going to abandon their XP users to massive security threats.
If you are still using XP, the update should have automatically installed through Windows Update. If you are concerned you may not have received the update, here are the easy steps to start the update:
- Open your Control Panle
- Open Windows Update
- Click the “Check for Updates” button
The continued support from Windows is a sincere act of altruism on Microsoft’s part, but it is definitely not helping their bottom line. Microsoft has spent years trying to push people away from Windows XP, warning users that “the end is near,” and you need to jump ship. Microsoft needs to help their customers evolve past a 13-year-old operating system. The problem lies in the fact that Windows XP was just too good, and users don’t like the newer Windows operating systems as much as XP.
Microsoft is sending mixed messages to their users by telling everyone to get off of Windows XP,“or else,” but then continuing to provide support to those who do not heed the warning. It’s like Mom telling you to clean your room, but when you don’t, she cleans it for you. Why would XP users spend the time and money to switch operating systems when Windows is going to keep saving them?
Windows is doing a good deed by helping to protect their XP users, and considering we are still so close to the date that XP went unsupported, we are in a “grace period.” But if Microsoft continues to support XP users, Microsoft will be essentially shooting themselves in the foot. They cannot be held accountable for leaving XP users to their own devices when Microsoft has been warning people away from the operating system for years. The best practice for Microsoft at this point is to tell everyone that they are absolutely abandoning Windows XP, and the last update was a one-time deal. Then they need to stick to what they say!
