Microsoft has withdrawn support for Windows XP you might be thinking “what should I do now?”
The problem is when Microsoft stops supporting an OS, it doesn’t only withdraw its technical-support services – it also stops updating the software. Among other things, this means no more monthly fixes to protect against new viruses and malware. Anybody still using XP will be stuck with the OS as it stands on that final day, and you can expect any security vulnerabilities subsequently discovered to be ruthlessly targeted. If your system isn’t too ancient, you can upgrade it to a more recent edition of Windows and carry on with minimal disruption. Microsoft lists the core requirements for Windows 8 as a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 20GB hard disk. That means all but the oldest PCs should be able to cope, perhaps with some extra system RAM or storage. If you plan to upgrade your hardware, make sure you buy the right parts for the sockets on your motherboard, which may predate modern standards.