Windows 10 support ends October 14 — and What It Means for Your RIP

Back in 2019 I wrote a blog post about Microsoft ending support for their Windows 7 operating system. It was important at the time because Xitron had thousands of customers running their RIP and workflow software under this operating system, and all were going to be affected in one way or another. The time has come to talk about operating system upgrades again, although this time the issue is Windows 10.

Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14 of this year. As with Windows 7, this means there will be no more free software updates, technical assistance, or most importantly, security fixes. Your IT gurus have probably already started going through your computer infrastructure, developing plans for migration and protecting critical systems. To that end, it’s highly likely your prepress department is going to need some upgrades.

This isn’t entirely a bad thing. As we’ve mentioned before, software often gets neglected in these environments, and a forced operating system change means you might have to bite the bullet with regard to updates. So, as in the past, let’s cover two FAQs so you know what to expect.

What RIP versions will be affected by this change?

We’ll ignore versions 7, 8, and 9, because they weren’t able to make the transition to Windows 10. Therefore, our focus will be on Harlequin RIP versions 10, 11, 12, and 13. (This applies to ALL Harlequin RIPs, by the way. It doesn’t matter if they are Xitron, ECRM, Compose, Screen, Polka Dots, Fusion, or the one your cousin cracked in his mother’s basement.) None of these versions are supported under Windows 11. If you still run one of these versions and your IT guys are coming in hot, contact us for an upgrade. One other important note, version 13 is the only one of this bunch for which technical support is available. If you are running version 14 of the Harlequin RIP, breathe easy. You’re all set.

How much is an upgrade going to cost?

As I mentioned back in 2019, every installation is different. Here are the variables:

• Which version of software do you have now?

• Will you need a new computer, or will the IT folks be trying to upgrade the Windows 10 OS to 11 on the same machine?

• Do you need assistance with the installation and migration of your RIP settings?

• Do you need to add options or functionality?

What should you do next? Contact Xitron or an authorized dealer. A quick phone call or email will help get you on the right track as economically as possible.