Windows XP kaput come April '14

[Alan L.]

While our work computers and the laptops my wife and I use at home are Windows 7 I have the need to set up a mother in law computer using my older Dell Latitude D830 which is really an nice and workable laptop but it has Windows XP on it. It developed sticking touchpad buttons and I retired it about a year ago when I upgraded to a newer Dell laptop. Yesterday I pulled it out from under the bed and fired it up. Had to change the date and time to make anything work, but got it cleaned up and working nicely, which microsoft security essentials fully updated and windows xp also fully updated.

Now I learned that come April microsoft will no longer provide security updates for XP although they will provide MSE virus updates for XP until 7/15.

I really hate to spend the $90 or so to update to Windows 7. Microsoft is an evil empire, purposely making their products expire and requiring upgrades at ridiculous prices or the purchase of a new computer (which will of course have a microsoft OS).

To you computer gurus out there, how long could I expect this XP computer to chug along (it really works great - I am on it right now) before it folds due to security breaches, for a home computer?

I hate to trash it for it for a new computer and really also hate to spend money on Windows 7 Too, especially since I have purchased microsoft operating systems over and over for years and enough is enough. Nobody will convince me that the security holes in Windows are not designed by Microsoft deliberately so that we are forced to purchase a new OS for a perfectly good computer.

Had Vista not been such a dog this computer would have it instead of XP and there would not be a problem. The laptop was top of the line $3500 just 6 years ago and frankly the display is better than the one on my new one. This computer is NOT 12 years old and so it is a lot of very serviceable computers that will now be forced to go to Windows 7 or the DOG Windows 8.

I wonder if Linux would be the way to go but I am not an IT type person and I have no desire to learn code to get something to work right. Last time I tried Linux (years ago) I gave up on it. Just could not figure it out.

 

[DarkBlack]

While I can understand your position, you have to understand it's a consumer world. You can buy whatever computer operating system you want , and you can mix/match the internet browser software you want. No evil empire here, just no serious competition.

 

[deepNdirt]

as far as I know Sp-3 is as far as went with updates and is what I'm hearing MS will no longer have available,including sp-1& 2 so if you have sp3 it should be fine, just be sure to backed it up on a media disc if ever need to reload the OS,
worst case is would have to get it through a 2nd party provider, ( which I hate doing ) but have done and simply deleted their attached programs later,

 

[MikePA]

While our work computers and the laptops my wife and I use at home are Windows 7 I have the need to set up a mother in law computer using my older Dell Latitude D830 which is really an nice and workable laptop but it has Windows XP on it. It developed sticking touchpad buttons and I retired it about a year ago when I upgraded to a newer Dell laptop. Yesterday I pulled it out from under the bed and fired it up. Had to change the date and time to make anything work, but got it cleaned up and working nicely, which microsoft security essentials fully updated and windows xp also fully updated.

Now I learned that come April microsoft will no longer provide security updates for XP although they will provide MSE virus updates for XP until 7/15.

I hate to trash it for it for a new computer and really also hate to spend money on Windows 7 Too, especially since I have purchased microsoft operating systems over and over for years and enough is enough. Nobody will convince me that the security holes in Windows are not designed by Microsoft deliberately so that we are forced to purchase a new OS for a perfectly good computer.

Had Vista not been such a dog this computer would have it instead of XP and there would not be a problem. The laptop was top of the line $3500 just 6 years ago and frankly the display is better than the one on my new one. This computer is NOT 12 years old and so it is a lot of very serviceable computers that will now be forced to go to Windows 7 or the DOG Windows 8.

I wonder if Linux would be the way to go but I am not an IT type person and I have no desire to learn code to get something to work right. Last time I tried Linux (years ago) I gave up on it. Just could not figure it out.

1. WindowsXP will run fine for as long as your hardware lasts. If you don't want to upgrade, then don't.
2. Odds are, the application software you'll want to run will send out updates and become incompatible with XP long before your hardware dies.
3. Windows 8.1, the current release, is not a dog, any more than Windows7 is. You can make Win8 look like Win7 if you so desire.
4. If your MIL is not somewhat technically inclined, forget Linux.
5. How does your MIL want to use the laptop?
6. Buy McAfee, or any other AV software, odds are it will be updated longer than the MS AV solution.

 

[rekees4300]

how long could I expect this XP computer to chug along (it really works great - I am on it right now) before it folds due to security breaches, for a home computer?

It will likely chug along for years if you avoid risky websites and email spam/attachments.

 

[Alan L.]

The computer will be used only for the internet and maybe email. Most websites I read basically say the security holes will quickly be taken advantage of and the anti virus software will not be able to protect it. I guess we'll deal with that when the time comes. I just believe the security vulnerabilities are purposely engineered into the OS, either that or the programmers are just incompetent. If Microsoft was a car manufacturer their cars would need fixing every 5 miles or so.

She will be using it for the forseeable future - maybe a year or so before getting something better.

 

[Fossil Farm]

If you have to continue to reset the time and date, the button battery on the motherboard will need to be replaced.
XP will run as long as the computer lasts. Win 98 still works fine as long as you can get drivers for the hardware.
If your main concern is anti-virus, there are plenty of free anti-virus programs just as good as Norton or McAfee and better than Microsoft AV.
The only software program you may want to consider is something like Acronis True Image to make a backup of your setup in case of hard drive failure so you have all XP updates. I use it every couple months so when the hard drive fails, I do not have to reinstall Win 8 and all software from scratch, which takes a day or more. Already have used it once.
Computer viruses are always developing via the internet. They were just as problematic in DOS (remember stoned virus ??) and it is not any software companies fault. I believe cars are recalled many times for things that should have been caught before production.
Good luck.

 

[3930dave]

Take your frustration with Windoze and the Evil Empire and re-direct it into playing with Ubuntu.

Ubuntu (operating system) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I wanted to do this recently, and had my BIL (IT wiz) recommend I start with Ubuntu.

Went with 12.04 LTS - meaning Long Term Support.

I can't guarantee your MIL will accept it, but as a graphical User Interface, it is pretty user friendly.

What I've been doing is running it from DVD, w/o doing a dual or exclusive HD installation. The only real trick to setting up the DVD (I'm not a burner guy) had nothing to do with Ubuntu - I had to learn the right command (Burn Image in the case of the free Nero burner software I was using) to correctly reproduce the .ISO image file I downloaded from the Ubuntu site, onto my target DVD.

Set your boot order on the machine to place the DVD drive higher than the HD, do a cold boot, and you're on your way. I believe you can also do the same thing with a Flash stick - ie. create a bootable Flash stick.

You choose Try from DVD, or HD install (can be done later too), your language and time zone, and that's pretty much it. It comes loaded with Firefox - add the Flash extensions on-line, and you're ready to browse.

Has an Office equivalent suite loaded. For generic home use, you are good to go. Start with hardwired LAN, or just remember that you have to re-connect to your Wifi, as this is a "new" OS.

When I said "playing", don't infer that this is still the pallid uber-geek focused Linux, it is very much (almost) boot and go.

I found very little learning curve needed, and the speed of operation on an older PC is lightning quick.

XP will remain useable for a while, but I'm pretty sure you won't regret checking out Ubuntu. (There are other popular/ friendly versions of Linux today, Ub happens to be the one I know).

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

ive been running xp on my shop plasma computer for about 4 years without any updates. i never...ever update anything. everytime io do i usually end up with some catastrophic system failure.

ill simply use xp until the computer dies.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

It will continue to work fine. I have a WIN 3.11 and win 95 machine running all day everyday. They simply won't be releasing updates. Kind of like your vehicle, after so long they quit addressing issues and let you have what you have.

You can buy a cheap chromebook for email and browsing. $189