Hello everyone,

Many of my clients have been using Windows XP forever and they don’t want to buy a new computer or install a new operating system. When Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows XP support last April, I was besieged by client calls asking me what to do.

Most of these clients do simple things on the computer like search the web, send and receive emails, and use some social media. Many are elderly and they really don’t need to buy a new computer nor learn to use windows 8.1.

You can by all means continue to use Windows XP. The XP operating system is  more vulnerable now sans support, but you can eliminate 90% of any threat by doing the following:

1) Don’t use Internet Explorer Browser (the most recent XP Version IE 8 is way outdated, and incredibly vulnerable to all kinds of attacks).

2) Install and only use Google Chrome Browser (much more secure, updated regularly for XP, has Flash built in).

3) Install a good antivirus. I like the free AVAST 2014 but there are several that are good.

4) The absolute number 1 thing that you must do: Don’t run your machine as the Computer Administrator (you’ll give any malware the same “no holds barred” rights that you have). Change your user account to a Limited Account.

Here is how to do it:

a) Start>User Accounts

b) Create a new user account (make it an Administrator account, name it anything you want but different from the original Administrator account, give it a decent password that you’ll remember). You will only use this new account to change your old Administrator account.

c) Log out of your existing (old) Administrator account and log in to the new Administrator account (the one you just created). Change the old (original) Administrator account  to a Limited Account. This is the account that you will now use on a daily basis. Malware can’t install nor execute in this Limited Account.

Enjoy using Windows XP!!

Randy The Tech Professor