In April, Microsoft ended support for Windows XP. This means that if your computer is still running Windows XP, you are no longer receiving security updates.
Several tech news sources have recently reported a change that you can make to your Windows registry (known as a “registry hack”) that tells your Windows XP computer that it’s running Windows Embedded or Windows Server 2003.
Although this hack might allow your Windows XP computer to receive automatic updates, these updates will not fully protect your Windows XP computer. And because these updates are not intended for Windows XP, they might also cause your computer to stop working correctly.
If you are running Windows XP, the best way to protect your computer is to upgrade to a modern operating system, like Windows 8.1.