14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft officially pulled the plug on Windows XP last week, but 28 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still running it, despite Redmond’s efforts to convince everyone to upgrade as soon as possible.
According to a new survey conducted by security vendor Avast, 21 percent of the Windows XP didn’t even know that end of support is coming for their operating system, even though Microsoft issued tens of warnings and even started displaying upgrade notifications on computers still running the old OS.
Only 15 percent of those using Windows XP were actually planning to upgrade, while only 5 percent were ready to purchase a new PC and thus switch to modern Windows versions, such as Windows 8.1.
“The second option Microsoft suggests is for XP users to purchase a new PC, as many of the newer operating systems aren’t compatible with older devices. This does not seem like a popular option for many XP users, which is understandable considering the costs that come with purchasing a new PC. Only 5% of Windows XP users plan on purchasing a new PC. The majority of AVAST customers running Windows XP said they will rely on AVAST to protect them,” the research reads.
What’s worse is that 27 percent of the users who participated to the survey explained that they weren’t planning to anything new to protect themselves, even though it’s pretty clear that without support, their computers could easily become vulnerable.
AVAST says that in addition to a powerful third-party security tool, users should also replace Internet Explorer with a browser that still receives update, such as Google Chrome, in order to make sure that the computer is as protected as possible.
“We recommend users stop using Internet Explorer, as the browser poses an even larger threat when used on Windows XP. The latest version of Internet Explorer for Windows XP is 8, which is outdated and lacks many security improvements available in later versions of the browser. We recommend XP users switch to a safer browser that updates itself, like Google Chrome,” AVAST said.
According to the latest statistics provided by Net Applications, Windows XP is still installed on 28 percent of computers worldwide, even though Microsoft has already stopped releasing updates and security patches. Things could change dramatically in the coming months though, especially if hackers find an unpatched vulnerability in the operating system.