AU is ending support and connectivity for all computers running Windows XP in May 2014, according to a Nov. 6 email to the AU community.
The decision came after Microsoft announced that they are ending support for Windows XP, including security updates and software patches, on April 8, 2014.
Computers running Windows XP, including those owned by students and faculty, will not be able to connect to the AU network after the end of the spring semester, according to the Office of Information Technology website.
AU recommends that students and faculty upgrade their computers to Windows 7, David Swartz, AU’s chief information officer, said.
Very few students are using XP so the termination’s effect on the student body will be minimal, according to Swartz.
Swartz said computers running XP would pose a security risk to the AU network after May 2014 due to the lack of future security updates. OIT is willing to advise users on how to upgrade their computers.
Roughly 400 University-owned computers that run on Windows XP will be upgraded or replaced, but the upgrades and replacements were previously budgeted for so future costs will be minimal, according to Swartz.
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