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	Nome and Paul Van Middlesworth - owners - The Computer Factory Time to Take Care of Business. Whether it’s new operating systems, applications or components, we tend to hold back until somebody else finds all the problems. “You can always tell the pioneers by the arrows in their backsides” is our mantra. There does come a time, however, when adopting newer technology is the sensible option. Although Microsoft will continue support for Win XP SP3 (service pack 3) through mid 2014, Microsoft will end support for the SP2 version Win XP in July. That means that Microsoft will no longer issue security patches and bug fixes for XP SP2. While over 60% of PC users continue to use some version of Win XP, nearly half have not yet upgraded to SP3. Now is the time to check your PC to see if you need to upgrade to XP SP3. Here’s how to tell. Right click on “My Computer” then left click on “Properties.” The text box will tell you which XP version and SP you’re using. When Microsoft released SP3 in April 2008 there were good reasons to delay implementation. Now the old conflicts, incompatibilities and bugs are gone. It’s safe to upgrade. The SP2 to SP3 is a 300MB download. The post-SP3 critical updates add another 150MB. Dial-up users will need to set aside a weekend. The download will take many hours and the process is inter-active. DSL and Cable users should need only an hour or two. Even if users already have SP3 they need to be sure they have the latest critical updates. All SPs and updates are available from Microsoft’s web site. Part of the update process will be the option to upgrade to IE 8.0 (Internet Explorer). For the 50% of PC users who also use the IE browser this is an important security upgrade. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome users might as well accept the upgrade. For the 4% using Apples “Safari,” nobody cares what you do. Once users have the Win XP SP3 and critical updates in place there is still more to be done. Users need to visit the web sites of the third party Internet “apps” they use. Picasa, Real Player, Adobe flash and Acrobat reader, Java, Skype and Quick Time from Apple are some of the most popular. Security updates should be downloaded only from the “apps” web site. Never respond to “nagware” (programs that ask you to click for an update). It may be real, it may not be real. It’s nearly impossible to tell. Play it safe and update only by going to the known web site of the “app” you wish to update. Third party updates are important because 80% of “malware” attacks utilize third party “apps” as vectors to enter your PC. While most users can easily handle “app” updates, getting all the way from SP2 to SP3 with IE 8 and the latest critical updates is a bit more challenging. Bringing the operating system software current is part of our $90 to $120 PC “tune up.” The “tune up” also includes malware scans and removal and virus and spyware protection installation.