Why does Windows XP refuse to die? - Page 9

[Palebushman]

If you want Win 7 or 8 to look like XP, why not just try this:-

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57496506-292/how-to-get-the-start-menu-back-in-windows-8/

[ggeoff]

@Palebushman

Yes that's the chap :)

[JenniferArden]

Its easy, just use Windows XP if you want the Windows XP look, thats what I do. Only need Vista and newer for games. For work, internet, chatting, films etc XP is adequate

[Ancient Dragon]

I read the other day M$ might be supporting XP beyond the cut-off date they said which is next year.

[Wil 0' Wisp]

Has this post got a birthday it's three years old!

Windows Hate (sorry 8) Windows 7 is OK, now I am advising people to stick toXP just to avoid the latest double whammy malware, See previous posts it will be OK to cary on provided you have
1) an activated image or the disk to recover it
2) have the sneakware tool to getaround the activation problem
3) Or use a virtual machine

4) use linux (ha ha) and an emulation
5) go to the big bad apple (you can look that article up)(bent UNIX)

But it is going to die, leaves on a tree fall off, O/s fall off if they didn't we would be using C/PM still (and you can look that up as well) The hardware will fail before XP and then?

Peter was warned not to go into the meadow and got lucky when big bad wolf turned up. (aka Microsoft?)

[Wil 0' Wisp]

She is right you know, yes you can make it look like XP but untill you find the dark corners they have hidden your toys in it won't behave like XP.
Just think about it behaving like a different O/s and get use to it from there.
New operating system called godfairyware it will grant you 3 wishes then 'poof' big cloud (latest thing?) of smoke and fallover... Microsoft are not likley to do that, they have to pay lawyers for a start, let alone the cut n' paste developers

[DustyWhite]

My old laptop still uses XP. That was a fluke--I never bought a new one, I use it only for writing books, and I live on my desktop (Win 8 BOOOOOO!!!) and my S3 phone. I have installed Classic Shell and a thrid party Aero Glass software to make the Win8 Hell a little less disheartening every time I wake up in the morning and face my digital master. I wish I had stayed with Win7, which was "kinda like XP in a way." But at least I have the luxury of all of my old programs that are still happily running on XP. I may have to go Apple if Microsoft makes Win 9 as bas as, or worse than 8. I say this as an author (this is how I make my living), not a technophile or a fanboy. I can live with stone age tech. I even have an old ZEOS (I miss those days--those were REVOLUTIONARY for their time) micro laptop that runs Win 3.11. Of course the only thing it is good for now is its Word 7. But I can still write (and thus pay my bills) on it if everything else dies. That and its built in 2400k modem would allow me to connect to AOHell in about 10 minutes of staring at the screen.

I hope Microsoft does not completely abandon decktops with 9, like they tried to do with 8. It is impossible to write a decent book with a touch screen tablet.

[MidiMagic]

Looking like XP is not enough. It has to work with my legacy software just like XP.

[MidiMagic]

"In the Start screen (the one with all the icons) the icon in the lower-left corner is named "Desktop". when you click that your computer will look just like Windows 7, but without the Start menu in the taskbar. In that window you can easily switch between applications just like you do now with XP, and you can do the same thing with windows 7."

It did not do that for me.

And I can't use ny legacy software with 7. They took out support for the devices I need.

"If I bought a new Car, but I forgot how to unlock and open the Door, I cannot drive the Car to work. If Billions of commercial Users have to be 'retrained' in order to keep on doing today what they have been doing 'til yesterday, all Those Employers have a great big problem, a time problem as well as a huge financial problem."

If they keep moving the door locks to weird positions on the car (such as under the headlights) each time you have the car serviced, the idiot who desgined the car should be fired.

The way Microsoft keeps changing the software, it is like having to change to a different kind of vehicle to be able to travel, the way our application soiftware and peripheral devices are left behind by Microsoft.

The next upgrade will require us to replace our cars with trolleys. The following one will require us to replace those with speedboats. After that, dirigibles.

My analog microphones no longer work with 7. My game port MIDI interface won't work with 7. And the software I have requires those devices using the system timing of XP.

We are forced to give up what we already have just so Gates can be the richest man in the world.

[AKsarben]

Just use XP Pro and call it good. For all the things I do, and the hardware I use, it's working ok. Would be great if they come put with XP4 a newer secure version of XP that works with ALL the legacy programs and hardware, but includes newer browsers and security.

[Palebushman]

From the first post in this thread to this post, I think it would be safe to say, than none of us are owners of large enterprises that run Microsoft XP Pro. From most of the information available on the Internet, I think it would also be safe to say that Microsoft are not in the least bit interested in 'home users' or how they feel about Microsoft's decision to retire XP Pro and it's slimmed down version XP Home. The majority of current 'home users' that are still using MS XP, do not present a financial threat to the Microsoft Corporation and therefore are considered insignificant.
So basically, this thread is for us 'Romantics' rather than a place to protest.

[JenniferArden]

You are right, this is just a place for romantics to reminisce. I still use XP as my OS though and it still performs admirably and adequately. There are ways to extend XP's life such as integrating AHCI drivers so XP can be installed on newer hardware and enhance the visual style. There are many tutorials on the internet and is very time intensive but well worth it if you are a XP die hard, by enhancing your copy by integrating AHCI drivers, additional drivers for different hardware components, integrating IE8 and MP11 and integrating a modern visual style of your preference XP will be a pleasure to use. Should you want a more modern visual style you can find them here:
32bit: http://www.mediafire.com/download/09n8vo77986ncz7/Luna.zip
64 bit: http://www.mediafire.com/download/t6rr1rqsvts8641/Luna_x64.rar

[AKsarben]

Something else to consider are there are people on websites that work with patches, fixes and updates to XP. I had to reinstall my XP OS and one of the problems was getting IE8 installed again. Without IE8, at least installed, there are strange things that do not work properly. Found this website that provided information AND links to other sites that would allow one to slipstream ALL of the current updates, as well as IE8 and newest Windows Media Player into a burnable ISO file to make a bootable XP PRO install CD. I used a program called N-Lite for the intergration process. Once you gather the required files, you can have N-Lite point to those locations for custom intergrations. The result is you don't have to start with the latest SP3 update, which is missing a LOT of security fixes and patches after it came out. You can now install SP3 "with" newer updates and programs onto a burnable CD to update your system. Just thought someone might find that valuable as much as I did.

My computer was "broken" and with updating that way nearly fixed it. It was through reading posts in groups that I found a glitch in my registry that had 2 values that were wrong (2) and (3) as values that constantly told the OS that an update was needed to complete before I could download any more updates from the Microsoft site and install, even barring IE8 from installing from a downloaded update file. Reset those two Registry values to (0) and problems instantly solved.

Little things like that are fixable with XP. I don't know how it would work out with the newer 7 and 8 OS. XP still runs like a champ to this day. Was last spring (2013) when this all happened.

[JenniferArden]

I also use NLite to customize my XP pro, works on 32 and 64 bit - great utility!

[MidiMagic]

Here is the real issue. I just read it in a book on stage lighting. The console for ligting must be designed to get out of the way of the task of lighting the stage.

XP is properly designed. It gets out of the way of doing the work needed.

Vista, 7, and 8 get in the way of doing the work. The fancy shell and the mouseovers get in the way. It tales longer to start an application.

[MidiMagic]

Irf you have Office 2003 amd also another later version of Office, and get that "update needs to complete" error, start Excel 2003 once the update downloads and tries to install. The error goes away..

[fchenaj]

been releasing any since July 13th 2010. A week is a long time in security exploits, two years an absolute age.

[MidiMagic]

I also need the old scientific version of MSpaint, not the new "artistic" version that is useless.

[rubberman]

Many people have perfectly functional computers with WinXP that are not capable of running newer operating systems (from Microsoft at least - Linux not considered here), yet do not have the financial wherewithall to purchase new computers with Win7 or Win8, let alone upgrade all their applications (those that are capable of supporting the new OS's). So, until these systems fail, they will continue to be used, security vulerabilities notwithstanding. Sounds like a good business opportunity for A/V tools to me! :-)

[Wil 0' Wisp]

Romantic or not, at some point as previously pointed out you are going to have to face the reality of a dead hardware senario, are you going to weep buy it flowers, and gently cremate it? Does anyone know how long the activation servers are going to be active or are you going to image and clone Xp to new hardware cross your fingers and hope it all works. See my previous posts, I have apps I rather not see go, but I don't wear white socks, I know what a command prompt is and I use it, I create batch file sto do things, I have even learn't other skills just lately in Access. Xp been around, As the man points out above Microsoft are not going to listen to the likes of us, how ever hard we try. Get some software engineer to provide the how to activate XP then you can carry on. But you can only can run it until the hardware does dies or use the other tools. Wait long enough and the crimeware workers won't bother you either. Nlite is good so is the virtual machine route. or image what you have and try again when something goes pop!

[JenniferArden]

Just get the VLE verion of XP, doesn't need activation, at least thats one less issue to contend with

[Wil 0' Wisp]

It s okay until you install it on some new hardware which has a different NIC, video card or hard drive controller chip then it will want activating. I have had that one already (Not once twice, third time was enough and some time ago), ending in a Microsoft (real person {possibly}) telling me that to activate the software I had to go and buy a new copy c/w and a new COA. It’s not new it just the same garbage/trash/rubbish rehashed to look new. See my history for that one. It doesn't change much it gets more secure, more buried but it is a computer and a heap of junk/a dead rock without an operating system on it. So pick one that that suits and works. Microsoft ain't listening, Gates has retired, and the lawyers/accountants have crawled out from under the rocks. Apple wot? only for the rich and stupid, Linux for the technical. MS for the poor and desperate, the Governments, Forces, Hospital etc XP well it was nice but it not going to last, how ever hard you want to bleet about it.

[JenniferArden]

Nope, its a version that doesn't need activation, you can install it on as many pc's as you want, the activation part is completely absent (Volume License Edition) Of course as of a couple of years ago since the introduction of PC's / Laptops / Mainboards with the new AHCI controllers you will have to integrate the appropriate drivers to enable XP to install on those hardware however it works fine. For me it will always be XP that works for me,and yes I am also not a Mac fan, very expensive and you cannot assemble your own custom system as far as I am aware

[MidiMagic]

Virtual machines won't work with real-time software.

This is what I hate about Microsoft's "make it obsolete fast" methods. Many people need stuff that works over many years with real-time software and the corresponding hardware needed to do a real-time operation.

It's time to require software and hardware to not change quickly, and to be available for 20 years, so 20-year scientific studies are not ruined by the failure of equipment.

We had this ability during the MS-DOS era, because the hardware was fairly constant, and the operating system changes were backward compatible. But when Windows appeared, this compatibility went out with the trash.

[Ancient Dragon]

Nobody says you have to upgrade -- you are free to use that 20-year-old software and hardware if you wish.

[khakilang]

Window XP is going to die that's for sure. But this thread looks like it's going to live forever.

[paul_999]

Google are going to support XP fixes until but let Win die gracefully, windows 7 is far better and safer, not overly struc111n win 8 yet, but progress needs to go on (i still have a computer running win 3.11) so nostalic as well

[MidiMagic]

Nobody says you have to upgrade -- you are free to use that 20-year-old software and hardware if you wish.

Not if I can't get the hardware to run it on. They have repeatedly changed both the hardware and the software so that nobody can do a verifiable 20-year study anymore if it reauires any real-time data collected by a computer.

"progress" makes science impossible.

[MidiMagic]

Google are going to support XP fixes until but let Win die gracefully, windows 7 is far better and safer, not overly struc111n win 8 yet, but progress needs to go on (i still have a computer running win 3.11) so nostalic as well

If it hinders your work, it is not progress. Windows vista, 7, and 8 get in the way of doing your work. Why? So idiots can use them on stupidphones.

[ggeoff]

Agree, so its the phones that are driving the alteration of the OS? They could at least give the customer a choice of how they'd like to see their documents. XP suits me. Windows 7 is ok provided it is not on a home network PCs with six users! My daughter's family had no trouble with XP. Midimagic is right if it hinders your work it is not progress.