News
Emma’s Back!
Our very patient IT Trainer (Emma Reynolds) is back from her travels in Japan and ready to go again with 1 to 1 tuition for anyone wanting help to get the most out of their computer. Whether you’re a home user wanting to learn to do something that’s been really annoying you or a small business owner looking to train staff on a particular software package then IT Trainer – Emma can help – Here’s just a few of the things Emma can help you with but if what you’re looking for help with is not listed then just give us a call to discuss.
- Windows Basics – email, surfing, files & folders
- Basic Photo Editing & organising
- Attachments
- Burning data
- Backing up data
- Printing / Scanning
- MS Office 2007 / 2010 / 2013
- Chrome / Firefox / IE
- How to use ebay
- Buying stuff safely online
- How to use ereaders
- Folder & File Organisation
- Spreadsheets
- Word Processing
- Label Creation
- Voice over internet – skype
- Instant Messaging
- PC Housekeeping
- Presentations
- Accounts Software
- MAC OS
- Ipads / tablets
XP – the end is nigh…. well almost.
XP – the end is nigh…. well almost.
After 12 years, support for Windows XP will end on April 8, 2014. There will be no more security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system. It is very important that customers and partners migrate to a modern operating system such as Windows 7 or Windows 8. Customers moving to a modern operating system will benefit from dramatically enhanced security, broad device choice for a mobile workforce, higher user productivity, and a lower total cost of ownership through improved management capabilities.
Support for Office 2003 also ends on April 8, 2014.
What does this mean?
It means you need to take action. After April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for Windows XP. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware and help keep users and their data safer. PCs running Windows XP after April 8, 2014, should not be considered to be protected, and it is important that you migrate to a current supported operating system – such as Windows 7 or 8 – so you can receive regular security updates to protect your computer from attacks.
How do I migrate off Windows XP?
Home Users and Small Businesses:
Small businesses and home users should contact a Microsoft Partner such as Cotswold Computer Medic Ltd and seek advice to understand the best options to meet their home or business needs.
Cotswold Computer Medic Ltd can be contacted on 01452 223277 or 01242 500045
Potential risks of staying with Windows XP
Running Windows XP SP3 in your environment after April 8, 2104 may expose you to potential risks, such as:
Security:
Without critical Windows XP security updates, your PC may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported.
Compliance:
Businesses that are governed by regulatory obligations may find that they are no longer able to satisfy compliance requirements.
Lack of Independent Software Vendor Support:
Many software vendors will no longer support their products running on Windows XP as they are unable to receive Windows XP updates. See below for comments from SAGE, IRIS and Intuit.
SAGE – “We will cease to support issues arising from the use of XP in all practice suite software from the end of March 2014. We will also prevent annual updates from running on machines where Microsoft XP is detected from March 2014.”
IRIS – “Iris will ensure our products function in the Windows XP and Office 2003 environments in the April 2014 releases and continue to support our [current] products until October 2014. Beyond October 2014 customers will be required to upgrade to a supported platform (Windows 7 or 8) if they discover a problem with the software.”
Quickbooks – Intuit follows the same timescale with their QuickBooks products, “Microsoft will be ending support for the Windows XP Operating System. Intuit will support Windows XP until the official end of support date.”
Hardware Manufacturer support:
Most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on existing and new hardware. This will also mean that drivers required to run Windows XP on new hardware may not be available.
Should you be unsure as to what any of this means or are worried how this may impact your business or home computing then please call
Cotswold Computer Medic Ltd on 01452 223277 or 01242 500045
New Year Sale
From 4th January 2010 for 2 weeks only, Cotswold Computer Medic is having an amazing sale on all products in our store and repair centre opposite Gloucester Rugby Club. With up to 50% off on some of our most popular products there will surely be some great deals to be had.
Cotswold Computer Medic Ltd launches Website Design arm of business
Gloucester Website Designer is launched this month with some amazing deals on website design and graphics. From only £299 businesses can benefit from the increased amount of enquiries into their company generated by a functional, intuitive and customer focussed website designed by Gloucester Website Designer.
80 days until the end of the world….. well XP and Office 2003
April 8th 2014 Microsoft will no longer be supporting Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2003.
Microsoft will no longer be providing critical updates, patches, or technical assistance for Windows XP. Computers will be at higher risk of harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal personal information.
If you’ve still got a windows XP computer then now is the time to give us a call and have a chat about your plans. 01452 223277