SPRING HILL TECHNOLOGY

If you have a Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 operating system, you may have noticed a new icon in the system tray of your computer.  Yes it is true Microsoft is allowing users with the above mentioned operating systems to download and upgrade your current operating system to the new Windows 10.

Is this a real update?  Yes it is.  Microsoft is trying  hard to get  Windows 7 users to give up on the operating system they are comfortable with and move up to Windows 10, also Windows 8 was not well received by the public and 8.1 was not much better so Microsoft developed Windows 10.  They are hoping by combining some of the familiar features of Windows 7 and the new features of Windows 8 users will find Windows 10 easy to use.

What should you do?  If you are happy with the operating system you have you do not have to do anything.  If you think you might like to try the new Windows 10 you can reserve your download which will not be available until July 29th.    Once the download is available you have time to decide if you want to install it.  For right now you can reserve your download by clicking on the Windows 10 icon located in your system tray.  Follow the instructions and that’s it for now.  

Rumor has it that the free upgrade may not actually be available to everyone.  It is still too early too tell.

We will bring you more information soon.  Happy Computing

Don’t panic!!  Your machine will not self destruct like everyone wants you to believe.  You do not need to run out and buy a new computer right now.  However it is time for you to evaluate your options.  We perform a free evaluation of your XP machine and provide you with  all the options to help you decide what is the best, most cost effective choice for you.  If your machine is running XP Pro and has service pack 3 you are in pretty good shape for now.  Internet Explorer 8 is always a concern when browsing the internet.  Most websites require at least IE9 and some IE10 or IE11.   However XP will only support IE8 but that is nothing new.  Windows XP has never supported anything higher than IE8.   So what can you do?

1.   You can run a different 3rd party browser like Firefox or Google Chrome.  Running one of these other browsers will give you a better, more secure internet experience .

2.  If you have an active antivirus subscription your computer will continue to be protected. If you do not have an antivirus you can download a free one such as  AVG or Avast.  Although Microsoft Security Essentials is our choice for a free antivirus it will no longer be available for down load after April 8th, 2014.

3.  If your machine is running well and not giving you any problems you need to check the service pack you have.  If you do not have Service Pack 3 you will need to upgrade to Service Pack 3 before April 8th, 2014.  After April 8th, 2014 Service Pack 3 will no longer be available for download.

4.  If you are having performance issues such as machine is slow, not performing, pop ups etc its a good time to bring it in and we will estimate and combine a repair with a upgrade if possible.  Keep in mind with the age of your machine and hardware limitations the ultimate choice would be to buy a new computer or a newer used computer with Windows 7 .  Keep in mind if you have an older printer and or older application software they may not work in the new operating system.  New laptops and desktops are very inexpensive now so the purchase of a new machine is less painful than when you purchased your old XP machine.

I hope that this information will help you with your decision making in regards to your XP computer.