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Windows ends XP support

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11th Apr 2014
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Security updates and technical support for Windows XP ended this week, prompting AccountingWEB members to make the move to newer versions of Microsoft's operating system.

In addition, support for Office 2003 is also no longer being continued. 

Microsoft brought down the curtain on the software after 12 years, and advised those using it to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8.1. If people do not switch to another system, they will be susceptible to vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware, Microsoft warned. It added that anti-virus software will not be able to fully protect the computer once Windows XP is unsupported. 

While malware signatures have been extended until 2015, protecting against viruses, other vulnerabilities won't be patched.

Another reason to move to another operating system, according to Microsoft, is because many PC manufacturers will stop supporting XP on existing and new hardware.

Accounting software providers such as IRIS have also ended their support for Windows XP. 

AccountingWEB members have been considering what to do about this issue since the announcement was made to end support for the product back in November 2013. The demise of Excel 2003 was a particular concern, especially for those with heavily customised workbooks. 

Rboggon brought such a query to Any Answers in November last year. He ran XP on both a laptop and PC, in addition to IRIS and Office 2007 on his laptop, and Office 2003 on his PC. 

"Many years ago I developed an Excel 2003 cashbook that 80% of my clients use and email it to me once a year. With XP expiring in April 2014 what are my most hassle free options?" he asked. 

Merlyn advised opting for Windows 7 rather than the newer Windows 8. Otherwise, he said, upgrade to Windows 8 but run a virtual copy of XP with Office 2003 installed just for the cashbook. 

Paulwakefield agreed, adding, there was no reason why the Excel 2003 model will not run as well in later versions of Excel. 

"It can be run as an .xls file so you can still liaise seamlessly with your clients' copies," he said. 

Of course, the member could also simply opt to continue using XP, but Robjoy said back in November, that users were even then taking a risk by continuing to use it then. 

"You should bear in mind that it is not only your own security you risk, but anyone with whom you share files," he said. 

His suggestion to Rboggan, was to find out of his cashbook works on Office 2007, and if he had to modify it, that would be a good "interim stage" to getting it running on Office 2013. 

Another option would be to go for a complete upgrade to Excel 2010 or 2013 - both of which have received mixed reviews from the community members. 

Merlyn, for example, had been using Excel 2013 for more than six months at the time of the post, and said it rectified many of the bugs in Excel 2010. 

Some members still have not yet made the transition and are currently in the process of doing so - and are also wondering which version of Excel to migrate to. 

One member queried wither Excel 2002 was available on later versions of Windows, and some members reported using 1997 and 2003 on Windows Pro - so it may well do. 

An important element to consider when migrating data from XP to another operating system is that there is no direct upgrade. Some members have remedied this issue by buying brand new computers/laptops. But if you haven't got that budget to hand, using a tool such as Microsoft's free data transfer software PC Mover Express is one option.

Some popular hardware vendors such as Dell and HP also offer free XP migration support - meaning that unless you are very uncomfortable with technology, you shouldn't need a specialist. 

In the meantime, those still on XP should update their systems with the latest software updates and patches, and isolate their machines from the network to prevent any data breaches. 

AccountingWEB editor and Excel enthusiast John Stokdyk pondered how many more Windows migrations Microsoft could put users through. "Microsoft is now moving to Office 365, where your Excel version is mirrored on the PC and in the cloud," he said.

"However, Excel 365 doesn't yet match all the same PowerPivot, Power View and VBA capabilities as the desktop version. It’s possible we may have reached the peak of Excel’s sophistication and market dominance and that it will come under increasing pressure from Google spreadsheet as its capabilities mature to compete with Microsoft’s online version," he said. 

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