How businesses can cope with the looming Windows XP deadline

This is the sound of the alarm to be released on April 8, 2014 . On that date, Microsoft will release its latest security updates for Windows XP , which extended support period will come to an abrupt stop . The deadline is now less than six months, which means you should stop procrastinating and start planning how you are going to avoid being part of a relatively small population that looks to all parts of the universe evil garbage .

Exactly how many PCs will still be out there with Windows XP in April ? Good luck with that prediction . It is quite difficult to get current estimates , with the two most popular sources estimate that power XP machines account for 20.5 percent ( StatCounter ) and 31.42 percent  of the installed base of PCs and Macs worldwide.

If we assume that the 1-2 percent of the machines to update or die every month for the next six months , that still leaves more than 100 million computers still running Windows XP , when security updates fail to April. Will you be one of them? And if so , why?

Frankly , I can not imagine anyone deliberately choose to continue using an outdated operating system , and increasingly insecure that other options are available . But I can understand people who feel compelled to stay in a platform for the sake of compatibility.
Companies of all sizes are struggling with the question of how - to -upgrade - to- XP migration can be blocked for a number of reasons . (I have discussed this issue at length with Margaret Walsh of Dell in a recent Google+ Hangout is now available for playback. )

If the hardware is relatively recent period ( any system of more than five years has probably had its day ), you can upgrade to a supported version of Windows ideally Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. For desktop PCs , some hardware upgrades may be necessary , but that is much less than the cost of a new computer.

If your budget is so strong that the cost of an operating system upgrade is too much to bear , now might be the time to consider switching to a free alternative like Linux, together with applications of open source and free or low-cost complement them.

For the majority of mobile devices and desktop oldest , however, a replacement computer is usually a smart investment for a potentially costly combination of hardware and software upgrades plus the cost of labor to install them. The new hardware is generally easier and cheaper to operate, maintain and ensure that older PCs , which are more prone to fractures and replacement parts can be difficult to find and expensive .

But what if you do not have the luxury of changing ? Here are three strategies to adopt if you can not immediately XP cut ties .

Pull the (network) plug

A reader told me last week that the abandonment of Windows XP was not an option for him because of some type of audio mixing software that uses customized. There is no upgrade option available, no acceptable alternative program and software needs direct access to the audio hardware , so it runs in a virtual machine. In the past , I have heard similar stories from people using devices such as scanners and printers that require custom device drivers available for Windows XP only .

If there is really no possibility of upgrading or replacing software or hardware that you must have, then the best solution is to move the PC from the network, out of danger. Disconnect the Internet connection so you do not (and others ) can be used for e-mail or surf the web and therefore can not be exposed to potentially harmful software or network intrusion attempts .

You can use removable media (carefully ) to copy files between the PC isolated XP and other machines that have full Internet access . But if you really fulfill the XP box around for only one purpose , that is dedicated to this purpose.

Virtualize the problem apps

Some older applications do not work in Windows 7 , and in extreme cases incompatible applications install is blocked completely. For applications off-the -shelf , usually an update is available , or an adequate replacement program .

One problem much worse , especially in enterprise environments is with the applications custom business line that would cost a fortune to upgrade - or , worse, can not be updated by the author of the program is gone and no one has any idea how it works.

If the operating system version is the only obstacle , you should be able to solve the riddle of compatibility by running the problem implementing a virtual machine either sandboxed ( VM ) . Windows 8.x Pro and Enterprise have Hyper - V virtualization built in. Windows 7 Pro includes Windows XP Mode and Virtual PC , which has the advantage of eliminating the cost of a license for XP VM . You can use VMware or Virtual Box in Windows 7 or , for that matter, on a PC with Linux .

With its virtualization software Configuring a virtual machine with Windows XP , it is firmly seated so that it can be used for web browsing or email, and then install the XP - single application. You can use the physical machine , with its modern operating system fully patched , for everyday tasks and virtual machine use exclusively for a single application.

In enterprise networks , you can use application virtualization and session virtualization to package and allow older applications to run in an isolated environment on the client PC using the Microsoft App- V , Citrix XenApp , or other solutions like.

Ask for help

If your organization is large enough, you can call external resources for assistance with test application compatibility , application management , and implementation . And instead of thinking of this as a task it once was designed to solve a single problem , think of it as an opportunity to prepare their IT systems for the future.

Compatibility testing is a major problem for organizations , Strategic Consulting Practice Dell said last week. On average , he said , large organizations have about 700 applications installed for every 10,000 users . Very large companies can have 10,000 installed applications and various Web-based applications very much. To help organizations who are caught in a treadmill XP, Dell has created a new migration service Fast forward to Windows , which can make the transition to PC 5000 in five sites in 16 weeks.

" We are able to reach the end of April,", " but let's clean up the environment at the same time . " Taking a wide range of compatibility testing and the creation of automated deployment and management tools , external consultants capable of processing up to 500 applications per week , to decide what should go in the new environment as it is , what can be virtualized , and which must be removed . The key is to ensure that the infrastructure is built today will not only help with this migration , but with the next, and the next.