The news keeps getting worse for users still clinging to the aging Windows XP operating system. First, Microsoft itself stopped supporting the platform, no longer providing the millions of users still working with the OS with critical security patches to minimize the danger from the hacking community. Then Google followed suit, nixing support. Now Dropbox is the latest company to officially divorce itself from the platform.
In the announcement on their site, found here (https://www.dropbox.com/help/9227 ), they explain that as of August 29, 2016, it will no longer be possible to download or install a Windows XP version of the Dropbox app. Existing users who have the app already installed will no longer be able to log into their existing accounts until and unless they update their OS.
The company stressed that the files of any impacted users will not be affected in any way. They’ll still be there, on the Dropbox servers, but you’ll be unable to access them via your Windows XP device.
Of course, in a pinch, you could still access your Dropbox account via some other device with a more up to date OS, then transfer what you need to the XP machine, but this is the latest in a growing number of announcements that’s making it harder and harder to justify sticking with Windows XP.
If you haven’t yet made plans to upgrade, the time is now. Whatever your reasons for delaying, the longer you put off the upgrade, the greater the chance that a member of the hacking community will take advantage of one or more of the security flaws in the OS and breach your network.
If you’ve got some special challenges due to legacy software issues, we can help. Contact us today and a member of our team will be in touch to help you navigate those tricky waters and get you onto something that’s both more modern and more secure.
