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Computer Help and Support

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ucrdem

(15,720 posts)
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 05:07 PM Mar 2014

To XP or not to XP . . . ? [View all]

As Windows XP nears its much-ballyhooed “end-of-life” on April 8, many of us will need to decide whether and how to keep using it. Basically there are 4 options:

1. Keep it: Hang the torpedoes and just keep running it on whatever it’s installed on;

2. Replace it: Buy a new PC with Windows 8/8.1 and say goodbye to XP forever (XP won’t install on newer hard drives, see below);

3. Dual-boot it: Install XP alongside Vista/7/8 on a new or used PC in a dual-boot arrangement;

4. Run it in a VM: Install XP in a “virtual machine” (VM), or emulator, in a regular Windows 7/8 partition. Popular VMs include Oracle’s "VM Virtualbox," discussed in several threads below, Microsoft’s “Virtual XP” (for Win 7 only), and MS “Hyper-V” (for Win 8 only).

.......................................................
And here are the basic pros, cons, how-to’s and recommendations for all 4 options:

1. Keep it: Or, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. A perfectly reasonable option. MS will keep activating and updating MSE for XP until July 2015 at least.* (see link below)

Recommended: Get SP3 and all available updates before April 8.

2. Replace it: Hard drives in new PCs are formatted using GPT partitioning, which XP can’t boot from. (64-bit versions of XP can read data from a GPT partition, but 32-bit flavors can’t. To install XP on a GPT drive, you need to wipe the entire drive, reformat it using MBR, install XP, and then reinstall Win7/8 from a full backup. Lotta work.)

Recommended: Get a new PC before your old one is completely hosed so you can retrieve data and run XP as necessary.

3. Dual boot it: Possible on pre-2012 MBR-partitioned drives, or on newer GPT drives that have been wiped and reformatted MBR (above). Several steps are involved, and you might need to install a boot loader, so unless you have a taste for bricolage (tinkering) and a lot of time, or need XP for a critical application, it might be better to avoid the trouble.

Recommended: Get a full-retail copy of XP with a valid licence from ebay or elsewhere, as an old OEM back-up disk will balk if you use it to install XP on a different machine.

4. Install it on a VM: This involves downloading and installing an emulator (“virtual machine”) on your hard drive, and then installing XP into the emulator. This saves the hassle of reformatting your drive and finding drivers to run XP on newer equipment, which it won’t without a lot of help. However, VM’s are not a perfect solution, because a VM is basically one huge file with everything in it, including your data, and if anything goes wrong and XP won’t load, well, there goes the ball game. So you need to treat it gently, don't save any files you need on it, and be ready to reinstall if it goes south. And at some point it probably will.

Recommended: Go easy on the updates (forget Windows Live for example), back up your VM frequently (as a .vpi file for example), and use it only as needed, not as your primary OS.


So that’s it in a nutshell: how to handle Micro$haft’s latest Y2K crisis. I’m going to ask Steve if he’ll pin this thread so we can add links to previous discussions and additional info, updates, downloads, and help files as needed. Thanks Steve!

p.s. good luck and slaínte!
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* ZDNet, March 14, 2014: "Microsoft will continue to make all patches and fixes made to Windows XP up until April 8, 2014, available to users via Windows Update. 'There are no current plans to remove existing Windows XP security updates from Windows Update after end of support on April 8, 2014,' a spokesperson confirmed." link: http://www.zdnet.com/xp-sp3-download-it-while-you-still-can-7000027323/
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To XP or not to XP . . . ? [View all] ucrdem Mar 2014 OP
another idea d_r Mar 2014 #1
Once you grok Linux, you'll never go back. hunter Mar 2014 #31
It's a good idea if you have Virtualbox to do the last updates while you can. Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2014 #34
Thanks for the informative post! gvstn Mar 2014 #2
hey thank gvstn . . . ucrdem Mar 2014 #3
Part of the discussion should include why folks are still running XP ManiacJoe Mar 2014 #4
Good point. ucrdem Mar 2014 #5
I've got WP 5.1 and some other 16 bit software on an XP machine... TreasonousBastard Mar 2014 #7
Yeah but can X6 preview 5.1 files? ucrdem Mar 2014 #9
I've read it can, too, but the truth is... TreasonousBastard Mar 2014 #10
Yep publish to PDF is awesome. ucrdem Mar 2014 #12
70% of ATM's run on XP, IRS, Hospitals, UK doesn't want to give up on it... Mondavi Apr 2014 #40
There's nothing wrong with Windows 8.1 ... Fantastic Anarchist Aug 2016 #56
thread pinned, thank you ! nt steve2470 Mar 2014 #6
hey thanks Steve.. ucrdem Mar 2014 #8
Great post. And I agree heartily with the Linux Mint recommendation below it. n/t jtuck004 Mar 2014 #11
Thanks! ucrdem Mar 2014 #13
More on Oracle's VirtualBox VM ucrdem Mar 2014 #14
New drives come unformatted hobbit709 Mar 2014 #15
Drives in new machines are formatted. ucrdem Mar 2014 #16
I don't buy prebuilt machines If I can help it. hobbit709 Mar 2014 #17
If Windows 8 had been more accommodating it could have been a huge hit. ucrdem Mar 2014 #18
My review of it when I did an OEM install hobbit709 Mar 2014 #21
Profits over quality and something very worng at Microsoft.... Mondavi Apr 2014 #41
I've had some luck with the latest Opera browser on XP... ucrdem Apr 2014 #42
Yes, I went to Opera before Safari and liked... Mondavi Apr 2014 #43
Here's how to set up an XP-Win 7/8 dual boot: ucrdem Mar 2014 #19
ps - cautionary advice from an EasyBCD user forum mod, March 4, 2014: ucrdem Mar 2014 #20
MicroSoft Answers 10 End-of-Support FAQs: ucrdem Mar 2014 #22
WSJ, March 18: "How to Survive the Windows XPiration Date" ucrdem Mar 2014 #23
Of course the WSJ wants you to spend money for something you most likely won't need. hobbit709 Mar 2014 #24
LOL, true. But nothing lasts forever, ucrdem Mar 2014 #25
I can build 4 PCs for the price of one Mac. hobbit709 Mar 2014 #26
But you don't get free eyebrow waxes at the Apple store ucrdem Mar 2014 #27
"For the extreme computer literate" d_r Mar 2014 #28
"How to Install Linux Mint" ucrdem Mar 2014 #29
So you can do this with a direct download to try it out.... Mondavi Apr 2014 #49
Actually, dowloads can be tricky.... Mondavi Apr 2014 #44
I hate that happened to you d_r Apr 2014 #45
LINUX offers a disc you can buy with the program on it because.... Mondavi Apr 2014 #46
Never had a problem downloading an .iso and burning a disk from it. hobbit709 Apr 2014 #47
Thank you for the help.... Mondavi Apr 2014 #48
I'm using that wallpaper on Win8.1, love it nt steve2470 Mar 2014 #33
How to disable Secure Boot in Windows 8/8.1: ucrdem Mar 2014 #30
Windows XP support is ending on April 8 and scammers from India has become hyperactive! David_ness Mar 2014 #32
I Have A MacBook & Will Switch Over, BUT ChiciB1 Apr 2014 #35
did you mean Silverlight? Service Pack 3 is not a "driver update" hobbit709 Apr 2014 #36
^ good advice. ucrdem Apr 2014 #37
Got Your Messages... A Friend Of Mine Is ChiciB1 Apr 2014 #38
Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2014 #39
UPDATE - A couple of notes on XP, MSE, WP, and Windows 9: ucrdem Aug 2014 #50
You can "trick" XP into getting updates until 2019. Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #51
How can I tell if my XP is 32 bit? truedelphi Nov 2014 #52
XP is 32 bit unless you have the 2003 XP pro X64 version hobbit709 Nov 2014 #53
Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2015 #54
Update to end all updates ucrdem Aug 2016 #55
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