Keeping Windows XP in the future

[ThinkPad560X]

I still use Windows XP Professional on all my PCs and most are older ones that will only run up to Windows XP.

Im viewing some sites and I have IE8 and they are saying IE8 is unsupported now and should upgrade to IE9. The thing is Windows XP doesnt support IE9, IE8 is Windows XP's last IE version. I have IE9 downloaded to my desktop and was woundering if there is a way to Fool internet explorer 9 to install on Windows XP.

[dr_st]

Fundamentally, XP is old and is slowly becoming obsolete, and support for it is on the decline, and the situation will only get worse for XP users.

The question is what your goal is.

[TTY]

Forget about IE9 on XP, download and install Opera instead. Available at
http://www.opera.com/browser/download/

[EasyMac308]

XP is going to be difficult to manage for a period after official MS support ends. I suspect that there will be third party fixes for any major security issues that pop up after the fact (I don't recall which, but either 98 or 2000 had a pretty decent community of patchers).

As far as the browser goes, just use Firefox or Chrome (IMHO, some people do swear by Opera). Eventually, though, you'll end up losing Flash and/or Java support which will keep you from using XP for web browsing anything but the most basic sites (have you tried Netscape 4 on OS9 lately? It'll be like that).

[pianowizard]

I still use Windows XP Professional on all my PCs and most are older ones that will only run up to Windows XP.

I second the recommendation to start using browsers other than IE. However, you would still need IE8 to run Windows Update I think.

You do have several computers capable of running Vista or newer versions of Windows though: R50 (barely), R60, T60, X60, X60T, and Z60m. If I were you, I would upgrade these to Vista or newer and use only these computers to connect to the internet. Use the other XP machines just for offline stuff.

[ThinkDan]

XP will continue to receive security fixes whilst Server 2003 is in extended support (until mid 2015), though you may find applications refusing to install and/or memory requirements escalating. Still you won't feel cut off for a while yet. Change browser by all means Also, PC Pro magazine in the UK reported in the latest issue that Microsoft Security Essentials are considerably lacking, Avast free being the best alternative.

I run a lot of XP, plus Server 2003, and it just works. Vista drives me up the wall, 7 is better (particularly with ClassicShell installed), but it's the obfuscation of common tasks that annoys me. Network connection failed? Pop into control panel, network, right-click an adapter and diagnose or... ? Bear in mind I made similar criticisms of XP's overly 'cuddly' interface when it came out...!

My Server 2003 machine hosts my virtual NT 3.1 / 3.51 / 4.0 environment - pure nostalgic indulgence - and does so in 64-bit (amd64) guise to eliminate the 3GB barrier. Google for XP 64-bit and you hear endless horror stories of lack of drivers, application incompatibility, etc. Actually, several years down the line from its release the experience is seamless. Many products offer XP 64-bit variants as standard.

[DaKKS]

The 64 bit version of XP should've been considered crimes against humanity at launch. But just like Vista, it became a pretty [censored] good after a few fixes. I've been using XP64 for three or four years now, without any major issues. At least no more than the 32 bit version.

[ThinkDan]

The 64 bit version of XP should've been considered crimes against humanity at launch. But just like Vista, it became a pretty *****Expletives removed by Moderator***** good after a few fixes. I've been using XP64 for three or four years now, without any major issues. At least no more than the 32 bit version.

Oh I spent a good few years on the cutting edge of hardware and software, soon learned to relax a little and stay a generation or so behind

Just started trialling Windows 7 last September and upgraded a couple of my PCs shortly after. TBH it was the tablet UI fixation on Ubuntu & Windows 8 that drove me in that direction, I prefer a command prompt and an austere 'settings' dialogue to a Sesame Street / Fisher Price experience.

Looks like the fork of Gnome 2.x is surviving & maturing, so I may yet revert to some Linux.

[DaKKS]

Oh I spent a good few years on the cutting edge of hardware and software, soon learned to relax a little and stay a generation or so behind

Just started trialling Windows 7 last September and upgraded a couple of my PCs shortly after. TBH it was the tablet UI fixation on Ubuntu & Windows 8 that drove me in that direction, I prefer a command prompt and an austere 'settings' dialogue to a Sesame Street / Fisher Price experience.

Looks like the fork of Gnome 2.x is surviving & maturing, so I may yet revert to some Linux.

God, the mobileiszation is so darn annoying... I'm still running Lucy (Lucid Lynx LTS) i protest.

Although, Windows 8 is pretty decent with ClassicShell. However, I never upgrade my main rig until Service Pack 1, learned that after Vista...

[Oglon3r]

Windows XP will survive with a loyal following just, as linux, unix, Os2 and Amiga have to this day.
Not fully ever obsolete but certainly only for the most dedicated users out there.

[Puppy]

XP will continue to receive security fixes whilst Server 2003 is in extended support (until mid 2015)

I don't think so. Windows lifecycle fact sheet states end of extended support April 8, 2014 and it is also clearly stated here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... pport-help

[jdk]

Looks like the fork of Gnome 2.x is surviving & maturing, so I may yet revert to some Linux.

RHEL6 and its derivatives will be supported until 2020 and are based on Gnome 2.x.

I believe Vista Business is still supported through 2017. So still many years of life left in these products.

[farmall]

God, the mobileiszation is so darn annoying... I'm still running Lucy (Lucid Lynx LTS) i protest.

There are so many Linux desktop environments that you can keep using ancient hardware for a very long time or just enjoy the variety. Ignore default distro desktops and install what you prefer.
Don't swap distros, just tweak what you have.

Fluxbox, blackbox etc are fast and light. Older distros using olders kernels are another option for very old hardware. DSL and Puppy and others are examples.

As to XP, I still help friends who have ancient PCs or special requirements such as old CAM software which is horrendously expensive to replace and works on XP. One bud has an RS-232 connection to his Leadwell CNC turning center and needs to write floppies for his milling machine, but the supporting PC doesn't go online.

Im viewing some sites and I have IE8 and they are saying IE8 is unsupported now and should upgrade to IE9.

Try another browser but change the user agent. Firefox has User Agent Switcher available but is too bloaty for ancient hardware.

https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/ ... t-changer/

For DOS-based Windows versions, the Arachne browser is very light.

Lastly, there is the "don't care, it runs" option for non-critical XP boxes where it doesn't matter if they get malware etc. A friend has several old PCs for his kids, can't afford and doesn't need better, so I Ghost those and reload when they slow down.

[Medessec]

A lot of other browsers are supporting XP until it's demise, so I do agree with the guys here that the best option, even if you're only familiar with IE, is to go with another browser.

I do agree XP is fantastic, since it can run on basically anything nowadays. It'll be like how Windows 98 SE is now, in several years. Interesting thought.

That said-Opera supports a huge variety of Windows versions, so if you haven't experienced any alternative browsers yet, I'd give Opera a shot. I do hold that Firefox and Chrome are vastly better to use on a day-by-day basis.

Using XP on a computer such as the R5x/T6x makes some sense, but I believe you get much more out of the machine by having a newer version of Windows. XP 64-bit works to some extent, but it's not very feasible for everyday use, since most software that's compiled for normal XP, you'll have troubles getting a version to work on XP 64-bit, or you might not at all.

[FunkyRes]

My recommondation for older hardware is to run Linux on it.

You can even run some Windows applications via wine without too much trouble, though I personally avoid wine (preferring native Linux applications)

Linux Mint is a good distribution for new (and experienced) users.
CentOS is good if you don't care about bleeding edge.

[jdrou]

XP 64-bit works to some extent, but it's not very feasible for everyday use, since most software that's compiled for normal XP, you'll have troubles getting a version to work on XP 64-bit, or you might not at all.

I have XP64 on my Precision M4400 (Dell offered & supported XP64 unlike Lenovo) and I've never had any issues with actual software compatibility.
Drivers are the major problem with XP64. Had some problems with audio in particular which led me to booting into Windows 7 for certain games.
In general I wouldn't recommend it unless there is no other option; stick with XP32 or move to Vista or 7 if you must have 64-bit Windows.

[Medessec]

I believe XP-64 was a preferable option for workstation machines that had a lot of RAM and 64-bit capable Intel processors, back when people didn't like Vista, or wanted a lighter operating system.

Nowadays though, it's just generalized that you get 64-bit 7 when you need a 64-bit OS.

[Tõnis]

My R61 should have come with Vista -- it's Vista ready, and I think I even have the disk(s) -- but I had IBM load XP on it before I received it. Would going to Vista give me any advantage at this point as far as this browser/support/functionality on today's net discussion is concerned?

[TTY]

... Would going to Vista give me any advantage at this point as far as this browser/support/functionality on today's net discussion is concerned?

With Vista, you would get extended support for the operating system from Microsoft until April 11, 2017. Extended support for XP ends April 8, 2014. If you use Opera, the fonts, that are used by this forum, look much better in Vista than in XP. And if you want to use Internet Explorer, you can install IE9 in Vista - XP will only support IE8 and its predecessors.

[Tõnis]

Thanks, TTY!

[pianowizard]

Would going to Vista give me any advantage at this point as far as this browser/support/functionality on today's net discussion is concerned?

Vista is a much, much better OS than XP. Once I got used to Vista (and 7 and 8 ), I have been disgusted with XP, which is simply too primitive and insecure. All of my computers that get on the internet are now running Vista or newer. Initially, Vista did have stability, driver and performance problems, which is why you still hear people bash Vista. These people used Vista only briefly and have avoided it since, and so they have no idea that it became a great OS after the release of Service Pack 2 in May 2009. Vista came out in Jan 2007, meaning it took Microsoft nearly 2.5 years to sort out early problems. That sounds very long but what most people have forgotten is that XP also had glitches that required a long time to fix. I remember that even though XP came out in Oct 2001, I continued to prefer Windows 2000 until at least 2005 due to stability problems. Windows 2000 never gave me bluescreens or froze, whereas my XP machines did occasionally.

For the average user, Vista is now pretty the same as 7. IMO, people who run XP on computers that have Vista COA stickers are masochists.

My R61 should have come with Vista -- it's Vista ready, and I think I even have the disk(s) -- but I had IBM load XP on it before I received it.

But does this R61 have a Vista COA sticker? Not the "Vista ready" sticker, but the one with the product key. You need that to run Vista legally, even though your Vista recovery discs may not ask for the key during the installation process.

[Tõnis]

Thanks, Pianowizard, and Vista is something I'll seriously consider. I had no idea it's a good option -- never even considered it.

But does this R61 have a Vista COA sticker? Not the "Vista ready" sticker, but the one with the product key. You need that to run Vista legally, even though your Vista recovery discs may not ask for the key during the installation process.

And yes, my machine did come with a Vista sticker underneath it with some kind of bar code and key on it, but it is almost illegible by now. I think I can make out the numbers above the bar code, but I might have to guess on one. Will Lenovo sell or provide me with another one if I provide my machine's serial number, etc?

[pianowizard]

I think I can make out the numbers above the bar code, but I might have to guess on one.

You don't need the numbers above the bar code. You need the XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX product key that's below the bar code, which has a combination of letters and digits.

Will Lenovo sell or provide me with another one if I provide my machine's serial number, etc?

No.

[Tõnis]

Okay, thanks again, Pianowizard. I'll look around; it's possible I had the foresight of possibly needing this info and wrote it down somewhere before the sticker completely faded. Keeping my fingers crossed ...

[EasyMac308]

If you use the actual Lenovo media you probably won't even need the key - the Lenovo media should have the SLIC certificate on it, and Windows should see the SLIC table in your BIOS.

[A31]

You're just going to have to face the facts I'm afraid. XP will be 12 years old this year, of course people are dropping support for it. It's getting old and you're just going to have to move on, or try another browser.

[Tõnis]

If you use the actual Lenovo media you probably won't even need the key - the Lenovo media should have the SLIC certificate on it, and Windows should see the SLIC table in your BIOS.

Do you mean the ThinkVantage tools, System Update or System Restore? If I can, I'd really like to give Vista a try.

And thanks to those who recommended Opera. I installed it and am loving it.



Edit: I just got what you meant re the Lenovo media. It's the discs I thought I had but don't. I might just take a look on line and buy a copy if it's cheap enough.

[Hagony]

Bro, its time to change up. The system of Windows has just been changed again from core to Windows 8. XP is gone far far back, and soon it will be depreciated completely. I don't think there is any other simple way to run an IE9 on a XP. No offence, but It is of no use now.

[Medessec]

It is true that when the issue crops up that someone is deciding between XP and a newer Windows OS, we'd obviously recommend a newer version of Windows, and that's a great recommendation considering that Vista and newer just has numerous changes that you need to stay with the standards, as well as features and options that make everything easier(even for power users.)

You can't deny however how usable XP still is, it's much more usable than Windows 98 or Me was after we transitioned to Vista. It's still NT, still supports USB and Plug n Play, still very at home being connected to the internet and Wi-Fi, and still very easy for any non tech-savvy user to get a grip of. Although a lot of software is showing to support XP less and less, a lot still do and they will for some time. That, and XP runs on just about anything nowadays, it's much lighter and suited to smaller capacity environments, etc, etc.

However-for boot times, remember that 7 and 8(8 especially) has optimizations for booting on solid-state drives and SATA, so for the amount of OS that's booting, on 7 and 8, you're going to get much faster boottimes.

[ganon11000]

You need to try "comodo dragon" browser; its chrome with built in protection and it boots loads faster! (45secs-1 min on my A31 vs 2mins for Google chrome )