Many of you may have heard of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief. She named them as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. She was talking about catastrophic personal loss, but as the end of Microsoft support for Windows XP nears, I’ve observed the same reaction in XP users.
1. Denial – Microsoft will change their mind. Someone else might step in and take over. – After 12 years, Microsoft feels XP’s time has come and gone. The operating system has security issues and just can’t keep up with some of the latest technology. The company is determined to shift towards being a devices and services business and supporting a 12-year-old operating system is just not part of that plan.
2. Anger – We’ve seen plenty of that in comments, e-mails and questions. Readers have called Microsoft, greedy, lazy, short-sighted, stupid and a lot thing that we can’t post on a family-friendly website.
3. Bargaining – Readers have asked if they run up-to-date security software, won’t that take care of the problem? What if they are very careful about where they go online or just use it for e-mail. Security providers like Norton and AVG have made it clear that without Microsoft offering the security support – they cannot guarantee the safety of XP systems.
4. Depression – According to experts, it’s not a good idea to attempt to cheer up the grieving person at this point. So I won’t try to tell you that you may be able to upgrade your current computer to Windows 7 or 8 or that you might enjoy a newer, faster computer. And I won’t even touch the fact that Windows 8 really is a pretty good operating system.
5. Acceptance – Once you’ve reached that stage, we can help you out. My first suggestion would be to run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor or Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to see if your current computer can handle a new operating system. We’re going to have more articles and tips on making the change as the deadline for the end of support draws near.
Remember April 8, 2014 is the end date for Microsoft support for Windows XP.
~ Cynthia
i miss the XP system and i have had windows 8 since january. i bought a new computer and i also bought the “windows 8 for dummies” book. i have only skimmed it a few times. i am sure if i read it or your book about windows 8 i would be loving it. it is my fault i don’t understand it. i love your books but it wasn’t offered when i bought mine or else i didn’t see it before i bought mine or i would have bought yours. windows 8 is an awesome system. i will probably get m,y get my book out and read it now. i am doing things with it and don’t know how i did it like the multiple screens on the monitor. i really need to read about it. it is like anything else. i don’t like change either but this could have been so much worse. and it is touch screen too but you do have to have a compatible monitor for that.
I have used Windows XP for a good many years and I am stunned at Microsoft’s decision to stop updating older Operating systems. Business is just that, not personal.After much consideration and research, I am upgrading to a 1TB ( Terra-Btye ) tower computer. Not thrilled with the expense involved, but my system is almost a decade old. And if I want to stay current with the games and whatnot, I have to do it. Hopefully I’ll have by early next year.It’ll stay current for a long time ; just hope I can successfully swap drives over and not lose files.
Nice article Cynthia, thanks for the chuckles, it also gives those suffering some good advice.
After many years using win. 95 & win XP I have told that greedy Microsoft outfit to k$#@ my a@$%. I now have a Android tablet. I am very happy with it. The main thing is that greedy bunch will not cut my throat every so often forcing me to get get a new operating system. I hope all the other people who make other op systems drive Microsoft out of business.
D. Rexford: I wonder how you will be talking when the greedy bunch at Google, and what ever company made your tablet force you to buy something new because they won’t support you tablet anymore.
I can’t help to come to the conclusion that all IT specialist are overjoyed with the work they will receive. It’s one thing upgrading to a new OS but its another thing to stop supporting XP and force you to purchase a new computer. I expect that from the Government but not from a private company that needs to satisfy their costomers to stay in buisness and/or to incease their market share. This is nothing more than “Classic Coke” or other major errors from companies that fumble their marketing plans. There are those of us that will never be forced to purchase any other Microsoft products and I bet that other companies will find a way to take market share from Microsoft as a result.
I HAVE X P ON MY DESKTOP AND 7 ON MY WIRELESS. TO BE HONEST I LIKE THE X P
THE BEST AND HAVE HEARD FROM MANY THAT 8 IS HORRIBLE. IF PEOPLE ARE HAPPY
WITH THE X P THEN LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. SUPPORT X P AND SEVEN AND ABOLISH 8. NO NASTY COMMENTS BUT PUTTING IT AS I SEE IT, MORT.
I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT WINDOWS 8. I THINK ITS GRATE WHEN YOU FIGEROUT HOW TO USE IT?I ALSO ORDERED WINDOWS 8.1 FROME YOU AND I DONT SEE HOW YOU CANT GET ANY BETTER.
I will just keep useing my XP until it quits.
Love it 🙂 Like your humour Cynthia