Was the old computer running XP? XP is an operating system.
My dh is a computer whiz, and he has his Windows 8 computer sectioned so that he can switch among operating systems -- including XP. He just logs on to whichever operating system he wants. However, it's not easy to set up a computer to do this. Possibly the Geek Squad at Best Buy could do it for you -- for a price. What might be better is to simply look on Craigslist and other places to see if you can buy an older working computer that still has XP on it.
In other words, you may not be able to change your software (the designs you have). However, you may still be able to buy a laptop that runs the operating system you need for your designs. You could dedicate that computer to your embroidery.
Edit: I just did a search on eBay and there are some working laptops there with XP on them. Check "completed listings" to get a good idea of price. I would look for something in the neighborhood of $100 or so.
Last edited by Prism99; 08-31-2014 at 04:53 PM.