How many of us are holding on to that computer we bought many years ago, hoping that it will serve our purposes in the future?  How many of us know what Operating System we are using, and, if we need an upgrade?

♦ The Operating System is the most important program that runs on a computer.
♦ Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs.
♦ Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. via Operating System – A Definition From the Webopedia Computer Dictionary.

¿ What Operating System Are You Using?  Windows XP originally released in October of 2001. Almost 11 years ago.

1. Today you may want to check which O/S you have on your computer.
2.  Go to your Control Panel.
3.  Click Help.
4. Click About Windows.  A screen will pop up with the ‘version’ of your operating system.

¿Is your Operating System Windows XP? If the answer is Yes, then you may want to consider an Upgrade because in the near future the XP Operating System will no longer be supported, and this will put  the information stored on your computer with an outdated XP O/S at risk.  Look at the chart below, and check  today if you need to upgrade.

Click the diagram to see a larger image

XP Operating System Users:
Below is an explanation of the things you should know. Click on the link for the fact sheet if you want a more detailed explanation.

SUPPORT

♦ Extended support—(Commercial Customers Only) Microsoft will offer extended support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the second successor product (two versions later) is released, whichever is longer.

♦ End of Mainstream support …if you buy a new version of Windows and five years later another version is released, you will still have two years of support left for the previous version.

♦ End of support refers to the date when Microsoft no longer provides automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance. This is the time to make sure you have the latest available service pack installed.

♦ Without Microsoft support, you will no longer receive security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal your personal information. via Windows lifecycle fact sheet – Microsoft Windows.

♦ Don’t delay, check your Operating System today!
In the next post we will talk about upgrading your Personal Computer.

I hope this is helpful 🙂