Windows XP is an operating system introduced in 2001 from Microsoft’s Windows family of operating systems. The “XP” in Windows XP stands for eXPerience.
What is Windows XP end of support?Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date.
If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.
What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more.
If you’re one of the many Windows XP users out there, the big question is; what happens when support stops? There are plenty of articles warning of an incoming hacker storm, as cyber-criminals run riot through unpatched security holes in Windows XP, but how true is this scenario?
Going stronger…till to the end
With less than a week to go until Microsoft officially ends support for Windows XP the number of users sticking with the aging OS is still significant. The latest numbers show Windows XP is going strong, powering 27.69 percent of all worldwide PC usage during the month of March.

Big Boys Pay…
The UK government has signed a deal with Microsoft to provide Windows XP support and security updates across the whole UK public sector for 12 months after commercial support for the operating system ends on 8 April 2014.
The agreement is worth a whopping £5.548 million, and covers ‘critical’ and ‘important’ security updates for Windows XP, as well as Office 2003 and Exchange 2003, which also go out of support next Tuesday.
Microsoft isn’t the only company ditching XP
Not only can Microsoft wash its hands of Windows XP support, but so can all the companies that made software for XP.
Assuming those companies stopped actively developing for the OS years ago, they are likely still supporting the applications that run on it. After Windows XP end of life on April 8, 2014, they’ll have no reason to continue. The implications of this reality run far and wide. Line-of-business software is surely affected, as are any of the random applications you are using.
You’ll still be able to install old security updates, but no new patches will be released
This sounds bad, but before you get too worried about Microsoft no longer providing patches, it’s important to understand the other threats to your computer.

Install anti-virus
To stop flaws in Windows XP being exploited, you need to have proper security software installed on your computer. This will help negate the impact of no longer having security updates coming from Microsoft. You need to choose carefully, though, as your existing security might not be good enough.
Although Microsoft has said that Security Essentials, its free security package, will continue to get XP updates until July 2015, you shouldn’t rely on it, as it always comes near the bottom in our AV tests. Instead, you need to install decent security software to protect against threats.
How long will windows XP be secure for?
Unless there’s a massive vulnerability that security software can’t protect against, Windows XP should still have a long life in front of it. As long as security software, drivers and other applications have Windows XP updates for them, the operating system can continue to be used securely and reliably. At some point you’ll find that new hardware and software won’t support the OS, and updates stop coming, but until that day you don’t need to upgrade.
How do I stay protected?
To stay protected after support ends, you have two options:
Upgrade your current PC
Very few older computers will be able to run Windows 8.1, which is the latest version of Windows. I recommend that you download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant to check if your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 8.1 and then follow the steps in the tutorial to upgrade if your PC is able.
Get a new PC
If your current PC can’t run Windows 8.1, it might be time to consider shopping for a new one.
How do I move all my Windows XP stuff to a new PC?
You can move your Windows XP stuff with Lap-link, a free data migration solution that will walk you through all the steps to getting your files, settings, and user profiles from your Windows XP PC to your new Windows laptop, desktop, or tablet. (Note that you will need your Windows XP PC to migrate your data, and you can only migrate to a PC running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1.).
While nearly 30 percent of the world’s online computer users are still using XP, Microsoft is looking to the future. On Tuesday, the software maker is kicking off its BUILD 2014 developer conference where the talk is expected to be focused on Windows Phone, cloud services, and a new, desktop-friendly update for Windows 8.1.
So, the time has come for us to bid good bye to a long friend and welcome the new (strange looking) 8.1 and the most anticipated