Systems operating under the Windows XP OS are no longer receiving support and critical security-related updates through Microsoft, and as such, are no longer viable for support under ETTE.  

 

The security updates that are passed along through Windows Updates are critical pieces of maintaining the security of your organization's network as a whole.  Because these systems are not receiving those updates, there could be a hole in your network's security that could expose your entire network to malware and other threats.  In rare cases, such holes could also allow certain types of malware to find important data within your network and send it to outside entities who could use it to harm your organization.  

 

There are a few options on how to proceed from here.  If there are plans for your staff to use this system in the future, it is our strong recommendation that you consider updating this system to the newest version of Operating System, Windows 10. 

 

In order to determine whether such systems can be upgraded, ETTE will need to review their hardware capabilities to determine whether they will require additional memory or other hardware components.  In addition, because Windows XP is not included as an Operating System that is capable of being upgraded directly to Windows 10, you will need to purchase a license to an OS that is.   Additionally, please be aware that there may be additional charges from ETTE in order to complete all work associated to preparing the new Operating System. 

 

If the system is unlikely to be used in the near future, and/or the upgrade to Windows 10 is not an option, another option would be to retire this system entirely.  To complete this, we would recommend that any critical data on the Hard drive should be removed.  We can assist you with the proper destruction of the hard drive free of charge. 

 

Until retirement occurs, all XP systems should be disconnected from your network by disconnecting the Ethernet cable from the back port.  Additionally, any wireless capabilities should also be turned off.  This will ensure that this system is no longer capable of connecting to your organization's network.  Disallowing this capability will isolate any infections of malware that may be present from your network. 

 

Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions about how to proceed from this point.  We will be happy to assist you in your decision-making process.