Windows XP FAQ

1. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
Windows XP end of life: key information

2. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
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

3. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
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.

4. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
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.

5. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
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.

6. Dell - Internal Use - Confidential
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.