Whether you like Windows 8.1 or not, Windows XP is officially dying soon. But the over a decade-old operating system is still in use by a good number of people, so Microsoft is now asking savvy Windows users to help get some of the stragglers off the ancient operating system.

For anyone paying attention to Microsoft, they already know that Windows XP has less than two months of life left in it, counting down to the "official" date of Apr. 8, when Microsoft no longer supports the legacy operating system which first came into general use in 2001.

Well, "no longer supporting" Windows XP is not exactly the right term: Microsoft will continue to provide antimalware updates for some Windows XP security programs, which should hopefully help avoid some of the the semi-apocalyptic scenarios recently talked about, like suddenly having 95 percent of ATMs in the U.S. (which still run XP) suddenly vulnerable to malicious software.

But technicalities aside, Windows XP's final installation -- six feet underground -- is long overdue, and coming up soon. But as of October 2013, according to our previous reporting of NetMarketShare's research, over 30 percent of Windows users were running the ancient, bug-prone Windows XP. That's a significant chunk of users Microsoft is scrambling to persuade to upgrade.

While it doesn't help that Windows 8's tablet-friendly redesign is unpopular with a large number of Microsoft fanboys, but the other thing keeping XP on many PCs is that lots of users simply don't know how to upgrade, or even if they can. We're talking about Grandma and her 500 Series she picked up from the Gateway Country a decade ago (remember those cow-themed stores?).

For those Windows XP users, Microsoft is now (indirectly) reaching out to help them in the transition -- through the more tech savvy Windows users that they may know (i.e., the grandkids). In a blog post written by Microsoft senior marketing communications manager Brandon LeBlanc, the company asked for help, and announced a new Windows.com page designed to explain what "end of support" for XP means and to help explain users' options going forward:

"Today marks 60 days until the end of support for Windows XP," wrote LeBlanc in the blog post released on Friday. "And we need your help spreading the word to ensure people are safe and secure on modern up-to-date PCs. As a reader of this blog, it's unlikely you are running Windows XP on your PC. However, you may know someone who is and have even served as their tech support."

Unofficial "tech support" grandchildren of America, you have your marching orders.

The rest of the post explains the where one can access the system requirements for Windows 8.1, while also telling XP users that they will not be able to keep any files, settings, or applications when they upgrade, and thus backing up your system (or locating installation discs) prior to the upgrade is important.

Finally, for those users whose computers running XP are far too ancient to run the new Windows 8.1, Leblanc and Microsoft recommends them to simply "Get a new PC."

I've heard there's a whole bunch of cheap, next-generation Chromeboxes coming out this Spring.