So Long, Internet Explorer 10

Microsoft have just announced that versions of Internet Explorer prior to Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported from January 2016. This means that if you are running an older version of Internet Explorer, you should upgrade to the newest version before then, or to an alternate browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

How can I tell whether my browser is up to date?

Visit whatismybrowser.com to find what browser version you are running and whether it's up to date.

Why should I update?

Keeping your software up to date is important to ensure that you are protected from viruses and hackers. Now that Microsoft is no longer providing updates for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10, any vulnerabilities in those versions that are found by hackers will provide an open entryway to your computer and data.

Windows support

Microsoft ended support for Windows XP in April 2014 and will be ending support for Windows Vista in April 2017 so if you're still using XP you should update immediately and if you're still using Vista you should be aware that you will need to update in a year and a half.

Even if you're using Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, it might be worth thinking about upgrading to Windows 10 as Microsoft has made upgrading to Windows 10 free for users of those operating systems .

If you're nervous about moving to a new (and quite different, in some ways) operating system like Windows 10, our Windows 10 manual will get you up and running.