If you are still running your business or home PC on Windows XP, then it's vital that you upgrade to a newer OS. Yes, your decade-old Windows XP system may be working just fine, and therefore, you may not feel the urgency to upgrade, but you will feel the heat next year when Microsoft stops supporting its popular operating system.

The "death date" for Windows XP is April 8, 2014. If you have put off upgrading this long, then you may be the type of person to hold out until April and upgrade last minute; and you are in good company, seeing that 500 million users were still running Windows XP just a few months ago.

To be clear, the death date doesn't mean your Windows XP computer will display the blue screen of death on April 9th, rendering the machine unusable; instead, it means that Microsoft will stop issuing security patches. Technically, you can still run your Windows XP-enabled machine just fine without support, but if your Windows XP computer is connected to the Internet, then you will not want to go anywhere on the web without the support of Microsoft. This is especially true for Windows XP because it's the world's most popular OS, which makes it the biggest target for hackers.

When it comes to upgrading, you have options. Microsoft will provide security support for Windows 7 and 8 for years to come, with Windows 7 being supported up to 2020. Both Windows 7 and 8 are solid-yet-different operating systems. Windows 7 has the classic Windows OS layout and Windows 8 has gone through a makeover with a new mobile-friendly "metro" interface.

Aside from security precautions, there are also performance reasons why you will want to upgrade from a decade old operating system. As you have likely noticed, there have been some pretty dramatic advancements of computer technology in the past twelve years, and Windows XP was designed before many of these advancements were even released. If you're used to running new solutions with Windows XP, then you may be pleasantly surprised with the performance boost that will accompany an OS upgrade.

While upgrading the OS on your home PC is a fairly easy task, it can get complicated when you are dealing with multiple workstations on your company's network. If you would like assistance in upgrading your company's computers to a more secure and efficient operating system, then give Network Synergy a call at (203) 261-2201.