Windows XP Sunset Town Hall

Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft after 4/8/14. Consequently, all university-owned computers running Windows XP need to be upgraded to Windows 7 or else retired from duty as they will not be allowed on Pepperdine’s network after 4/8/14. 

Thanks to all our Pepperdine colleagues who attended Windows XP sunset town hall sessions on 11/11/13.  Thirty people participated in these town halls and learned that 367 computers at Pepperdine are running XP.  Of those, 238 need to be upgraded to Windows 7 while 129 computers need to be retired as they do not have the resources required to be upgraded.  Town hall attendees learned that e-mails will be sent on 11/12/13 to the owners of these computers (if they are able to be determined) informing them of the Windows XP sunset program.  If no definitive owner can be determined for a given computer, then technology support personnel will visit the computer and work with attendant staff in sunsetting XP.

Staying Secure with Restarts

The Device Management team would like to remind everyone that a key component of many software installations is restarting your computer (also known as a "reboot"). Not all software installations require a restart, but when and if your computer needs to the Device Management client will alert you. Though these messages can be "snoozed," we strongly encourage everyone to reboot as soon as possible after receiving these messages. Here are how the reboot messages look, please click "Yes" to keep your computer secure:

Mac dialog box prompting for a reboot

PC pop-up window prompting for a restart

We understand that a break in your workflow can be annoying. However, the slight interruption can also be a good reminder to take a break. There is growing consensus among researchers that taking breaks from a prolonged task actually increases productivity: see this article in the New York Times. This is your Device Management team reminding you to reboot and worker smarter, not harder.