windows XP support

[Paddynabs]

As of the 8th April Microsoft won't be supporting XP so they keep telling me via annoying pop-ups.

I have a PC and netbook both on XP. I've recently upgraded my pc with a bit more memory and a new hard drive but I think it's still too old for windows 7. Netbook no chance!

What if anything is anyone doing about this?

New pc is out of the question by the way!

 

[ChrisUK]

If you post the specs I can tell you if it would run Windows 7 ok.

Tbh it's not the end of the world on a home PC.

 

[Paddynabs]

It's a Pentium D 2.8GHz. 2.5GB Ram.

I have a 70GB hard drive which is about 50% full now I moved all my music and photos onto a new drive!

Cheers.

 

[ChrisUK]

It should run it "OK" if you do a clean install (save your stuff and format the hard disk) rather than an upgrade.

It will be usable for basic stuff like the internet, Microsoft office etc.

 

[colin79666]

The PC should run Windows 7 fine, as above. Just make sure you go for the 32 bit version.
It would actually run Windows 8.1 as well, which is often cheaper due to the upgrade deals going on just now (around £80).

The difficulty might be with drivers for old peripherals. You can download the Microsoft upgrade advisor here:
(Windows 7) http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor
(Windows 8) http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial

 

[portland_bill]

It is not just the processor and RAM specs, are motherboard drivers available?

I'm running XP on my desktop, motherboard is at least 8 years old and originally an Win98. Had to upgrade to XP when the antivirus suppliers all stopped supporting 98. There are no drivers for this motherboard for anything after XP, so I'd need a new motherboard, and processor, and RAM as that is different, then new hard drives as the new motherboard would be SATA not IDE, and a new DVD drive for the same reason, and the power supply is probably inadequate.

However, on the bright side, I've been looking forward to XP support ending. No more annoying updates, taking ever more drive space, no more failed .net updates. Now we can look forward to a stable system, with no more fiddling by Microsoft. Hooray!

With a bit of luck, Microsoft may issue one last update, encapsulating everything that has gone before, (service pack 4?), then we can download and save it, so any reinstall in the future can be easy. Antivirus support should continue, as Win Vista, 7 and I believe 8, are all XP core based.

So sit back, relax, no worries. Only need to upgrade when something mechanical breaks.

 

[ChrisUK]

Just a shame I'm scrapping gear running Windows 7 when theres people who could be using it.

 

[fingers99]

The other alternative -- for those not cringing in terror at the thought and who don't need some Windows specific piece of software -- is just to install Linux with an undemanding desktop (avoid Gnome, KDE) and it'll keep chugging on till the hardware suffers some terminal issue.

 

[colin79666]

till the hardware suffers some terminal issue.

When it does just give it a bash

 

[dave]

 

[fingers99]

They're doomed, me hearties, doomed!

 

[Ziggy122]

I ran xp, but it doesnt hurt to learn a new os again
Only on a quad 2.5ghz and 2gb ram and its coping fine with 7

That popup weren't vbad but annoying
Xp has been a really good system the longest lasting

Ziggy

 

[s and b]

ive just taken a pop up off a customers computer that kept saying xp updates had ended plus she had had her browser taken over and other rubbish
i used revo and then put avast on for her and mozilla,shes an oap so her xp will do her just fine
dont fix what aint broken i say
i havent used linux mint for ages either

 

[EvoStevo]

My dad asked the same question, I told him the same thing I have told others.

Dont worry about it, just keep on as you were and keep up the AV updates etc.

 

[ChrisUK]

Linux mint won't run properly on my HP laptop. Keeps freezing and graphics go all f***ed up

 

[dave]

my xp laptop was still updating yesterday

 

[fingers99]

Linux mint won't run properly on my HP laptop. Keeps freezing and graphics go all f***ed up

Try Knoppix. Sounds like a driver issue.

 

[ChrisUK]

Aye, I'll try Kubuntu also. Don't like Ubuntu it's slow

 

[The Beard]

There are quite a few government agencies still using XP, including several police forces.

 

[fingers99]

There was talk of the govt having a contract with Microsoft for extended support -- dunno what became of it.

Does rather raise the question of why we're buying an incompetent closed source OS off a bunch of muppets................