Gartner offers advice on companies struggling to leave Windows XP

Millions of users will remain on Microsoft Windows XP following the OS end of support deadline on April 8, with security experts providing input to try and keep users safe from increased security threats.

Research firm Gartner offers several steps for companies still running XP, though recommends having a plan to migrate to Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 as the most pressing step. Furthermore, user rights on XP machines should be restricted and only a select few applications should be available, with critical applications migrated to a newer platform.

"Even in organizations without Windows XP, a user that puts an unpatched Windows XP machine on the network can introduce problems," noted Michael Silver, Gartner VP and distinguished analyst, in a recent blog post.

Ideally, Microsoft and security vendors want to see users leave XP behind, as malware and coordinated attacks are expected to begin after end of support is lifted.