Normally, an unexpected popup is a reason to worry: is my PC infected with a virus? Is this an ad? In this case, yes, you’re supposed to worry—but the message is legit. In its ongoing bid to push users from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8, Microsoft will push a popup to their machines on March 8. But the company has also partnered with LapLink for a free migration tool to assist with the transition. By now, PCWorld readers and those who consistently keep up with tech news should be aware that the expiration date for Windows XP is April 8, 2014. On that date, support for Windows XP will end, meaning that any vulnerabilities that Microsoft hasn’t patched by then will remain open for malware writers to exploit. A few contingency plans will help mitigate that somewhat; Google will support Chrome for Windows XP through 2015, for example. And while Microsoft has ditched support for Internet Explorer 8 (the last browser for XP), Microsoft Security Essentials will support Windows XP until July 14, 2015. Still, that’s like wrapping duct tape around the Titanic