XP support
 

I have xp on my laptop and as many of you know the support is going way as of today. Wondering what everyone is going to do. I have decided to keep using it and really watch what I do on it. I don't plan on looking at anything that has personnal info, so I hope this keeps me safe. I think my laptop is going to crash one of these days as it makes all kinds of noise and does some weird things. So until it goes and I have to get something new I'm keeping what I got.

Pat in MN

I am in the same spot and doing the same thing.

I currently use a different operating system but if I were in your shoes, I'd just keep using it as well. Can I tell you how long I used Windows 3.1 before finally having to admit to defeat and upgrade? It was a very sad day for me. My only suggestion, particularly if the computer is having 'issues'...back up your important stuff to an external hard drive or a few flash drives. Or save them to one of the many 'cloud' storage locations. Then if the little beast gives up the ghost, you're no worse for wear.

There is a computer guy, Bob Rankin, who writes a column about all things, computer. He says there is a free alternative for XP, which I intend to investigate. In the meantime, I need a new computer and do not want what is available now. Trying to hold off another year.

i'm keeping xp because i like a lot of my old craft software programs and some do not even have an upgrade. so i'll be using this as long as i can. i do have a win7 laptop to use when needed.

I will look Bob Rankin up. My computer guru son moved back to Ohio so I'm praying that any thing that will have to be done is written in real simple English. I still haven't figured out my DVD player-owned my car for 2 yrs before I found out it had a CD player. So I am a wee bit technically challenged and a whole lot of scared of this thing going cablooey on me.

So long ad you made recovery discs the worst need not happen. You just create a safe restore point before playing around too much and it should be OK for a long time. You will only need to update kif you want to use more modern software.

I'd keep on using XP for as long as I don't need any other version. You should always keep at least one backup of your important files, no matter if you think your computer is about to give up or not. When you least expect it, your PC is broken. :)

http://askbobrankin.com/a_free_windo...ternative.html

I was reading this thread out of curiosity - I have a MAC, so not an issue for me, but looked up Bob Rankin and here is a link to the free Windows XP alternative. I think I read somewhere that you would need extra virus protection on XP?

My husband has a computer with Windows XP. However, we purchased a laptop last year because we thought the computer was going to crash. It's still going strong. However, we are planning to backup all documents today. You should make a back up of all documents, photos and anything else on the computer. Any Microsoft programs, you probably cannot back these up, but will have to enter Key # on a new computer to keep the same issue.

I have XP too and really don't have the memory to upgrade. My box computer has been ill since my best friend put a wireless card into my computer. WWIII broke out in my computer because he didn't read the fine print. Wasn't for use on any computer running XP. OOPPS!! THANKS for the post on Bob Rankin. I will send the info to my 'not always so correct' best friend who maintains my computer. I have McAfee, which is NOT very friendly with older computers. I don't go to any blogs. It is so easy to pick up a virus. GOOD LUCK to all.

McAfee isn't too friendly with any computer, the first thing I do at home is uninstall it (we do that at work as well). Windows Security from Microsoft is free and works great. You can go into your settings and see if there have been restore points set and if so you can restore it back to before he installed the card. The card might be still in there but the software will no longer be installed. Its one of the best things Microsoft ever came out with. My old XP had been stollen, sold to a pawn shop and the resold. I managed to track it down, the pawn shop had to go and get it back but said the new user had wiped all of my stuff off of the machine. I took it home, had it to use the restore point from before it was stollen and all of my stuff was back onto my laptop. It was great.

Has anyone used Ubunto? It's free and I think really great. I just installed it on a very old computer with XP and it lets you either use Ubunto or Windows. I installed the wubi installation and used the 32 bit download because of the size of my computer memory and it installs itself basically. This is the third old computer we have installed with this system or whatever you call it. I love it. They have excellent security built into the program so no need to have or pay for anything else. It is like Apple with everything just a little different but it has turned three computers into a safe and easy alternative for me. Now I have computers on all three floors!!! Came in handy when my cousin was in the hospital and now that I am confined to one room with our dog after his knee surgery.
The HP I am using now would over heat and shut down, I just barely got my stuff of it but it has been great now. I still have to watch when playing videos but that's it! We have put it on two laptops and now the one desktop. You are right that not all programs work on it but if you have Windows still available you can just download on that half of the computer or leave those programs on it. No need to buy any programs for Word or anything as they come with it. Hope you find this helpful. You can donate or not it's up to you. http://www.ubuntu.com/download/deskt...u-with-windows

Good Luck,
Lisa

I haven't used a XP computer in years. It was very easy for malware, virus, and spyware to get in XP. I wouldn't use XP to go online at all now that there is no protection. Hackers know this and are just sitting there grinning.

I have 2 computers with XP..my problem is that it is the only system compatible with my card reader that came with my embroidery machine and of course the company that produced the software no longer updates..so if I go down then I will be totally up the creek..but then again I just might have to convince my hubby I need a new embroidery machine that has a USB connection...This might work out after all...lol

XP will continue working - the main issue is security, if you do online banking etc you will be vunerable!!!!

We bought a refurbished computer with Windows 7 ultimate(or something like that), there's no way we want to buy a new computer with Windows 8 and all of it's problems, and in a couple years have it be obsolete, which is what they're planning on doing, according to some research that my dh did, in 3 more years(I think), Windows 8 won't have any support either.

***
*** Same here with keeping it and being careful.
*** I like XP.
*** Can't afford a new system on my income.
***

Getting refurbished computer and new printer. I want my PC for certain things that I have to work on, so had my computer guy order it and he will take care of the transfer from old to new computer. My PC was ten years old and was hanging together with a thread, so I'm glad to replace it.