Is there a Windows XP Countdown?

Patty O Furniture

I read in another post that support for Win XP stops in a few months?

I assume there's a countdown for it? as i have an old HP Pavilion Desktop i dont how old it is but it has XP, i only use it for storage with an Ext HDD & not for browsing internet.

As i have a HP laptop with Win 7 to keep free for other things.

coxy123

Win. XP goes end of life Apr. 2014 - no updates/patches made available after this date by MS

FRiiZY

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

I read in another post that support for Win XP stops in a few months?

I assume there's a countdown for it? as i have an old HP Pavilion Desktop i dont how old it is but it has XP, i only use it for storage with an Ext HDD & not for browsing internet.

As i have a HP laptop with Win 7 to keep free for other things.

Not an official one from Microsoft, but there is a fan made one here:

http://mycountdown.org/fullpage.php?group=my%20countdown&countdown=My%20Countdown&widget_number=3015&text1=Windows%20XP%20End%20of%20Life&text2=If%20you%20need%20help%20with%20upgrading%20your%20hardware%20from%20Windows%20XP,%20give%20us%20a%20call!&timezone=GMT&event_time=1396310400&img=1&cp3_Hex=&cp2_Hex=FFFFFF&cp1_Hex=000000&hbg=0&fwdt=200

It`s sad to see xp going..

Patty O Furniture

FRiiZY wrote: »

Not an official one from Microsoft, but there is a fan made one here:

http://mycountdown.org/fullpage.php?group=my%20countdown&countdown=My%20Countdown&widget_number=3015&text1=Windows%20XP%20End%20of%20Life&text2=If%20you%20need%20help%20with%20upgrading%20your%20hardware%20from%20Windows%20XP,%20give%20us%20a%20call!&timezone=GMT&event_time=1396310400&img=1&cp3_Hex=&cp2_Hex=FFFFFF&cp1_Hex=000000&hbg=0&fwdt=200

It`s sad to see xp going..

I think i heard somewhere that Windows kept it going too long & that they were always putting it off, like it was their favourite.

If you need help with upgrading your hardware from Windows XP, give us a call! is on Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Maybe its me being suspicious, but what if you did ring them up, i'm half expecting them to say April Fools Day :eek::rolleyes:??

FRiiZY

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

I think i heard somewhere that Windows kept it going too long & that they were always putting it off, like it was their favourite.

Windows XP was expected to end its support from MS long ago, but because of (as you said) being a favorite and also the number of businesses using it, they kept it going, but it's come to the stage were MS can't keep it going..

Maidhci

I am happily running XP Pro as my OS and intend to continue doing so. Many others, including businesses have not upgraded either. I think I can be given for being sceptical - I survived without upgrading to Vista (when I purchased a Dell Latitude in September 2009, I opted to have the system downgraded to XP as an optional extra). Survived by not upgrading to Windows 7 and 8, thus far. Presumably, any issues related to XP would have shown their ugly heads by now! Given MS disastrous history with OS launches in the last number of years, I think a little scepticism is acceptable?

GarIT

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

Maybe its me being suspicious, but what if you did ring them up, i'm half expecting them to say April Fools Day :eek::rolleyes:??

I wouldn't accept IT help from anyone that doesn't know the difference between hardware and software.

Maidhci wrote: »

Presumably, any issues related to XP would have shown their ugly heads by now!

But you will be getting no security updates and will be vulnerable to malware.

Maidhci

GarIT wrote: »

But you will be getting no security updates and will be vulnerable to malware.

Is there any comfort in the fact that I have AV software on my PC?

GarIT

Maidhci wrote: »

Is there any comfort in the fact that I have AV software on my PC?

Somewhat, there are some exploits that need to be stopped at OS level though rather than by an AV and your AV will most likely stop doing updates for windows 8 sometime in 2014. Basically when the time hits no software will be updated at all. Google Chrome is the only software that is confirmed to be updated after the date. You have some time, but I wouldn't push it to 2015 at all and even that is going a bit far.

FRiiZY

GarIT wrote: »

Somewhat, there are some exploits that need to be stopped at OS level though rather than by an AV and your AV will most likely stop doing updates for windows 8 sometime in 2014. Basically when the time hits no software will be updated at all. Google Chrome is the only software that is confirmed to be updated after the date. You have some time, but I wouldn't push it to 2015 at all and even that is going a bit far.

True, most software may support XP after that, but will eventually move on to newer OSes, even some Games don't support XP due to its lack of DirectX 11+ support and many software is only 64bit (although there is a 64bit version of XP).

noodler

This is all news to me.

I'm not sure my laptop could handle a post-Vista OS!

Am I basically going to have to fork out for a new computer after April?

PropJoe10

Maidhci wrote: »

I am happily running XP Pro as my OS and intend to continue doing so. Many others, including businesses have not upgraded either. I think I can be given for being sceptical - I survived without upgrading to Vista (when I purchased a Dell Latitude in September 2009, I opted to have the system downgraded to XP as an optional extra). Survived by not upgrading to Windows 7 and 8, thus far. Presumably, any issues related to XP would have shown their ugly heads by now! Given MS disastrous history with OS launches in the last number of years, I think a little scepticism is acceptable?

Not at all. At the moment, if a security issue arises with XP, Microsoft will patch it. But this will stop after April next. You'll be running an insecure operating system - its also likely that antivirus vendors, and companies like Adobe, Google, Mozilla, will stop supporting XP as well. You'll be vulnerable to all kinds of malware. I would suggest either upgrading to Windows 7, or changing over to a lightweight Linux operating system. Running XP after next April will be foolish, to be perfectly honest.

FRiiZY

noodler wrote: »

This is all news to me.

I'm not sure my laptop could handle a post-Vista OS!

Am I basically going to have to fork out for a new computer after April?

I suggest you get Windows 7, damn I was able to run it smoothly on a P4 2Ghz and only 512mb ram, also Vista is *ok* if you have latest service packs.

And no, XP is only being abandoned by Microsoft, some Developers will still develop for it after that period.

PropJoe10

noodler wrote: »

This is all news to me.

I'm not sure my laptop could handle a post-Vista OS!

Am I basically going to have to fork out for a new computer after April?

Not at all. Windows 7 actually runs better on old hardware than Vista does, I've found. Plus, there's plenty of options in the Linux area. Lubuntu would be my suggestion for an XP user - very easy to get used to.

Maidhci

I wonder is it a big deal to upgrade to Windows 7, apart from the cost implication? To migrate to Linux , what are the implications for my MS Office files - Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, MS Outlook, Adobe Photoshop etc etc. Do these run smoothly with a Linux OS system? Forgive my ignorance here, but is Linux a free software? What is entailed in migrating from XP to Linux, for example. Thanks.

PropJoe10

Maidhci wrote: »

I wonder is it a big deal to upgrade to Windows 7, apart from the cost implication? To migrate to Linux , what are the implications for my MS Office files - Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, MS Outlook, Adobe Photoshop etc etc. Do these run smoothly with a Linux OS system? Forgive my ignorance here, but is Linux a free software? What is entailed in migrating from XP to Linux, for example. Thanks.

No problem at all. Microsoft Office does not run natively in Linux, but theres an emulator called Wine which you can use to run Windows programs on a Linux OS. Its pretty reliable. For your MS Office files, maybe try downloading OpenOffice on your XP machine and see if it opens your Office files. If it does, you can use OpenOffice in Linux, therefore problem solved. Theres a free Photoshop alternative called GIMP which is meant to be pretty good. Never used it though.

Regarding upgrading to Windows 7, no its not a big deal aside from the cost. Theres an upgrade advisor you can download from Microsoft which will tell you whether your machine is capable of running Windows 7.

Hope this helps

yoyo

Maidhci wrote: »

I am happily running XP Pro as my OS and intend to continue doing so. Many others, including businesses have not upgraded either. I think I can be given for being sceptical - I survived without upgrading to Vista (when I purchased a Dell Latitude in September 2009, I opted to have the system downgraded to XP as an optional extra). Survived by not upgrading to Windows 7 and 8, thus far. Presumably, any issues related to XP would have shown their ugly heads by now! Given MS disastrous history with OS launches in the last number of years, I think a little scepticism is acceptable?

Well in fairness, XP is still being patched. This will change in less than 5 months from now. Pretty stupid to run software after EOL date imo, particularly with viruses like this out there. And people will do it and then blame Microsoft when their system becomes infected/starts causing problems. XP is 10+ years old now, time to let it rest.

Nick

wil

The Chinese are trying to get MS to continue support as half pcs in China use xp.
I can see them moving en masse to another free OS instead of W8

Mint or Ubuntu are easy to install and plenty of alternatives to MS programs.
Just download and burn iso to dvd then boot to try out without installing.

PropJoe10

wil wrote: »

The Chinese are trying to get MS to continue support as half pcs in China use xp.
I can see them moving en masse to another free OS instead of W8

Mint or Ubuntu are easy to install and plenty of alternatives to MS programs.
Just download and burn iso to dvd then boot to try out without installing.

I was in China for a couple of months in summer 2013 and I didnt come across a single computer in two months running anything but XP. Hostels, hotels, restaurants. Its going to be disastrous after XP end of life.

MS will still provide custom support, and you will pay for it, it's for large organisations and will rise yearly in cost exponentially..

If you plan on using XP after 7th April, you really should unplug it from the internet or actually downgrade it to Win 98 / 95 as they will be actually be safer from zero day attacks...

Or be brave and use linux, lubuntu is light and quick, I am using it at present....

PropJoe10

NoDrama wrote: »

MS will still provide custom support, and you will pay for it, it's for large organisations and will rise yearly in cost exponentially..

If you plan on using XP after 7th April, you really should unplug it from the internet or actually downgrade it to Win 98 / 95 as they will be actually be safer from zero day attacks...

Or be brave and use linux, lubuntu is light and quick, I am using it at present....

Lubuntu is great for XP users. Simple interface, and none of the bloatware that comes along with the starting Ubuntu these days. Using at the moment as well. Really like it.

Patty O Furniture

GarIT wrote: »

I wouldn't accept IT help from anyone that doesn't know the difference between hardware and software.



But you will be getting no security updates and will be vulnerable to malware.

I got one of those calls from a guy from 'MS' telling me i had something wrong with my pc, i told him i didnt have time at the moment to take his call, but if i could get his no & call him back later at his house, funnily enough he declined

NoDrama wrote: »

MS will still provide custom support, and you will pay for it, it's for large organisations and will rise yearly in cost exponentially..

If you plan on using XP after 7th April, you really should unplug it from the internet or actually downgrade it to Win 98 / 95 as they will be actually be safer from zero day attacks...

Or be brave and use linux, lubuntu is light and quick, I am using it at present....

I use the internet on it very little especially since its only got 512MB RAM! so you can imagine how painfully slow it can be!

So in order of changing to lubuntu, do you have to uninstall xp beforehand?

FRiiZY

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

I use the internet on it very little especially since its only got 512MB RAM! so you can imagine how painfully slow it can be!

So in order of changing to lubuntu, do you have to uninstall xp beforehand?

I was able to run 7 on only 512mb ram, don't install anything except a web browser and end any non-essential stuff in Task Manager and it runs fine, obviously I don't use it anymore or even planned on using as a main PC. :P

Patty O Furniture

Yeah i found that Nero 7 was a big killer on it & even when you werent using it, it was just as bad i only install it when i need it for burning stuff to disc.
But its mainly used as storage for downloading & made a whole lot better to look at when i changed the CRT monitor to a 17'' monitor i got for half price in Aldi

yoyo

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

I use the internet on it very little especially since its only got 512MB RAM! so you can imagine how painfully slow it can be!

So in order of changing to lubuntu, do you have to uninstall xp beforehand?

I wouldn't recommend you pay to upgrade to Windows 7 on such a machine. Lubuntu can either be installed along side XP "dual-boot" or else installed over Windows XP. I would recommend the later, as if you dual boot you will have to partition the hard disk (the lubuntu installer will handle this for you) but it will mean each OS will only have a certain % of allocated storage space.

Nick

Maidhci

Have studied the helpful posts here regarding my questions etc. Still undecided, but leaning towards upgrading to Win 7 as I am not at all up-to-speed on Linux OS, dual-booting, emulators etc etc. Basically, simply running MS Office Pro (heavy use) - Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access and MS Outlook with Business Contact Manager. Also, running Adobe Photoshop and Elements etc. No games etc... Could someone suggest the best site from which to download or purchase Win7 Pro. I also need the back-up disk for a possible installation, should the need arise.

Incidentally, my laptop is a Dell Latitude D830. Thanks in advance.

Patty O Furniture

yoyo wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend you pay to upgrade to Windows 7 on such a machine. Lubuntu can either be installed along side XP "dual-boot" or else installed over Windows XP. I would recommend the later, as if you dual boot you will have to partition the hard disk (the lubuntu installer will handle this for you) but it will mean each OS will only have a certain % of allocated storage space.

Nick

I was gonna get more ram, but found out it would cost more, as i spend more time on the laptop, but if you were only using it as storage could you still use XP in that way?

bonzodog2

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

I was gonna get more ram, but found out it would cost more, as i spend more time on the laptop, but if you were only using it as storage could you still use XP in that way?

If you weren't connecting to the net you needn't worry about updates

riclad

IF you install mint linux 7, it,ll run fine on 512meg ram at least for browsing the web.
to install it, it needs about 5.5 gig free space on drive c.
the primary hardrive .
windows xp, will be vunerable to virus,es and malware,
so don,t use it for online banking,or any money transfer,
or credit card transactions .
if its just being using offline,
with no net connection ,its ok to use it,

eg music,video player.
no point in running win7 on 512meg ram laptop.


you could buy a genuine laptop or pc,with win7,2gig ram,
on adverts ie for sale,,170- 230 euros.
make sure it has a microsoft sticker on it,
windows 7, with the licence key, no on it.



or buy a new win8, pc or laptop, with ms office on it.
theres free programs, you can download, start menu,etc
That,ll make it look like windows 7.
NEW laptops go from 330 euro, hp,toshiba,
usually at least 3gig ram, installed,
250 gig plus hardrive.
When you install linux, it makes a menu,
dual boot,
press 1 for windows ,
2 to load linux mint.
i think theres still companys that,ll sell you a new pc with windows 7 on it.

riclad

Some companys sell windows 7, on pcs, or new laptops.
if you don,t like windows 8.

riclad

heres an ad win7 laptop,
http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/sony-vaio-great-condition/4414999

riclad

Theres no harm holding onto old laptop with xp,on it ,
you would not get much for it if you sold it.