Windows XP support (for security patches) ended April 8 2014

This is just a PSA (public service announcement) and NOT intended to bash anyone here.

For those who haven't heard the news, the last set of security patches for Win XP and Office 2003 were released April 8, 2014.

Now, those both are "zero day" vulnerable (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-day_attack" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false forever, unless MSFT changes its mind (seems unlikely). If you have anti-virus, anti-malware, etc. software or some other mitigation that is able to stop an attempted exploit of a vulnerability in the components of one of the above in time via signature or heuristics, great. If not.... oh well.

I figured I'd post this since someone posted a screenshot on April 5th from Win XP at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=361308#p361308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. I've made posts about this below:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=361457#p361457" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=361779#p361779" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But, he refuses to switch to something else. http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=361921#p361921" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has more background info.

I refuse to switch to something else because this is the *only site* I'm having trouble with. I visit sites that are rife with annoying ads and even malware, yet this is the only one that gives me trouble. Makes you wonder...

I did get the last patches for XP, BTW. Not to bash anyone, but I think that people who are shouting about "zero day" are doing more harm than good. Having anti-malware software in place is more important than what OS you use, and surfing sensibly is more important than both.

Still running XP is like driving a 1960 Chevy with a two speed Powerglide and an inline 6 with a 1 barrel carburetor... :lol:

I still prefer XP over 7. And I positively hate 8.

mwalsh said:

I still prefer XP over 7. And I positively hate 8.

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I purchased a Dell laptop with 8.1 on it to get used to it. In my opinion it is junk! I now have a closet queen.

I've got W7 64 bit on my desktop but I have an old netbook/laptop that I'd like to put W7 or W8 on. The thing is it only has 2GB ram and I don't think I can add more (single memory slot) and I don't want to pay much for a newer version of windows.

I have a backup of the Vista image so I can take XP off and put Vista back on it but that will make it run slower. I'd much rather put W7 on it but I'd do W8 if it were cheap enough.

anybody have a trustworthy source to buy W7 or W8 upgrade cheap? How cheap is reasonable without being too good to be true?

mwalsh said:

I still prefer XP over 7. And I positively hate 8.

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I got used to Win 7 long ago. That's what my PCs run. XP feels really dated.

I don't like 8. Not running that anywhere.

dhanson865 said:

anybody have a trustworthy source to buy W7 or W8 upgrade cheap? How cheap is reasonable without being too good to be true?

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You can get 7 Pro at Trustprice for $119 (less in quantity):

http://www.trustprice.com/700981/microsoft-windows-professional-32-bit-promo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NewEgg has 7 Home Premium for $99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Microsoft-Operating-Systems/BrandSubCat/ID-1149-368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't think 7 comes in an upgrade. Because the usual upgrade path from XP has been a fresh install of 7 and a reinstall of applications/restore data. One of my colleagues says he has a Seagate utility that worked pretty well for applications transfer (I've never had any real faith in them myself), but he's yet to edify me on which one it is.

8.1 has been the best and most stable Microsoft Operating System I have yet used. I used StartIsBack to restore the Desktop and Start environment to what came before and have never looked back...

mwalsh said:

I still prefer XP over 7. And I positively hate 8.

Click to expand...

TomT said:

8.1 has been the best and most stable Microsoft Operating System I have yet used. I used StartIsBack to restore the Desktop and Start environment to what came before and have never looked back...

mwalsh said:

I still prefer XP over 7. And I positively hate 8.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I have to run a supplied image from my company and they only had a choice between XP and 8. Of course, I went with 8 knowing that XP support was going to end. It's quite dreadful - having a tablet interface on a desktop as not a smart decision. Anxious to get 8.1 installed and default it to the desktop, but the company hasn't blessed it yet.

Of course on my real computers I run different versions of *nix - Ubuntu, RedHat, CentOS, SuSE, FreeBSD, etc. Ubuntu mostly for the desktop and FreeBSD mostly for infrastructure servers, although I have been running a new fileserver with Ubuntu+ZFS which is quite nice. Terminal windows and shells seem to work equally well on all, so no biggie to me which I am sitting on.

That is why I installed StartIsBack on all our systems... It restores the Desktop that we all know... Touch is still there if you want to use it but now it is in the background unless you want to bring it forward for some reason...

LakeLeaf said:

It's quite dreadful - having a tablet interface on a desktop as not a smart decision.

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mwalsh said:

dhanson865 said:

anybody have a trustworthy source to buy W7 or W8 upgrade cheap? How cheap is reasonable without being too good to be true?

Click to expand...

You can get 7 Pro at Trustprice for $119 (less in quantity):

http://www.trustprice.com/700981/microsoft-windows-professional-32-bit-promo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NewEgg has 7 Home Premium for $99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Microsoft-Operating-Systems/BrandSubCat/ID-1149-368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't think 7 comes in an upgrade. Because the usual upgrade path from XP has been a fresh install of 7 and a reinstall of applications/restore data. One of my colleagues says he has a Seagate utility that worked pretty well for applications transfer (I've never had any real faith in them myself), but he's yet to edify me on which one it is.

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"upgrade" is a licensing / pricing term. I always do installs to a blank, freshly formatted, occasionally aligned partitions.

I'm not concerned about user convenience. I'm concerned about legality and technical advantages (that might be convenient or not)

Honestly I think Win7 for an old tablet that has a vista license already is worth about $50. I'd be happy if it were cheaper but I wouldn't hesitate to do it at $50.

I suppose if 8.1 were cheaper than Win7 I'd consider that as well.

As to the newegg link you provided there is an "OEM" W7 at the price you mention but given the way Microsoft has changed the license agreement for "OEM" use and combined it with an OS activation process that allows them to deny you the use of the software on another PC I'm not willing to sink money into an "OEM" copy of W7/W8.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416712" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; looks like a full copy for $120, easily twice what I think it's worth.

I mean really if I have a SSD in there and 2GB ram I can toss linux on it for free if I decide XP isn't worth running anymore. If MSFT wants me to pay that much for a copy of the OS I can just as easily sell the old device on the used market and buy a newer device with a new OS license included.

The thing for MSFT is that new device might have iOS or Android on it. So they need to bring the price of the upgrade OS down or they'll push consumers away from their products.

mwalsh said:

I don't think 7 comes in an upgrade. Because the usual upgrade path from XP has been a fresh install of 7 and a reinstall of applications/restore data.

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Windows 7 did come in an upgrade flavor.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/upgrading-to-windows-7-faq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's the difference between the upgrade and full editions of Windows 7?

When purchasing Windows 7, you can choose either an upgrade edition or full edition. Both upgrade and full editions include the same features. Upgrade editions require that Windows XP or Windows Vista are installed on your computer before installing Windows 7. Full editions don't require a previous version of Windows to be installed on your computer.

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I'm running Windows XP on my PC. Can I buy the upgrade edition of Windows 7?

Yes, you can buy the upgrade edition of Windows 7, but you'll need to perform a custom installation. This means that you should back up all of your files to an external location and gather the installation discs or setup files for programs that you want to use with Windows 7. For detailed instructions, see Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7.

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The "upgrade" from XP to 7 is basically a clean install, you can't update in place. You could if you were running Vista...

I always do clean installs. Just to get rid off all the useless programs I'd have installed over the years. Ofcourse the biggest upgrade would be moving from a conventional harddisk to SSD.

LeftieBiker said:

but I think that people who are shouting about "zero day" are doing more harm than good.

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Have fun w/that. With the millions of computers now w/vulnerabilities that will never have public patches available, it's pretty much guaranteed they will be a top target for those w/those malicious intent as they're now easy targets.

Just look at how that community seems to have shifted its focus to prime targets like Adobe Flash, and Oracle's Java VM...

evnow said:

I always do clean installs. Just to get rid off all the useless programs I'd have installed over the years. Ofcourse the biggest upgrade would be moving from a conventional harddisk to SSD.

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I don't always, it depends on what it is and how crufty the installation was. But yeah, it can definitely help rid oneself of useless crap and useless junk at startup time.

Yep, (quality) SSDs rock. Been using an Intel X25-M G2 on my main machine since ~April/May 2010 (when it was near top of the line in terms of perf for a consumer SSD and very expensive) and have had Samsung 830 SSDs in my 2 laptops since early 2012. The machine I put together for my dad has a Samsung 830. It's been in use since ~July 2012. I upgraded my mom's old machine from a hard drive (when it was running Win XP in mid-2012) to a Crucial M4 w/a clean install of Win 7.

Currently sold crap SSDs might feel great at first but then == headaches later.

Just FYI, in trying to make some money off the XP "panic", Best Buy has a special that can get you into that Chromebook you always wanted

If you turn in an old laptop that either has an XP sticker or an XP COA with license on the underbelly, AND it powers on with battery AND it boots up Windows XP, they'll give you $100 towards any of their newer laptops, including a $199 Acer Chromebook.

I plan on getting the Acer C720 with 2GB RAM and 16GB SSD. Granted, it's not a powerhouse, but it's perfect for surfing and light activities. The old dinosaur I have is worth nothing to me collecting dust, so they've lured me into their web - this time