XP No support after 8/4/14. What are the options?

[DeathAxe 10]

Yes it is.

 

Just because it doesn't use Microsoft's code doesn't mean they haven't based the design, functionality and implementation of Wine on Microsoft's software.

 

If they were not based on the Windows API, a Win32 application running on Wine on Linux would not do the correct things when calling Win32 API functions.

 

"Based on" does not imply or require that a piece of software runs or executes on / in the influencing system. Simply that they have common design and implementation influences.

 

It's no different to West Side Story being based on Romeo and Juliet, but without including any characters called Romeo or Juliet, or being based in Italy.

 

 

 

There you go, in his own words, Linux takes inspiration from Minix.

 

Red red WIIIIIIIINNNEEEEEEE

[Fogey 10]

So you didn't click on my response?

 

Yep

[Afilsdesigne 10]

So to wrap this up, thanks for all your input. Some interesting replies covering the whole spectrum of attitudes I guess, though I still think the issue is potentially a huge deal for all of us, especially when online. A single issue, an accident, and you are in a world of grief.

 

Our manufacturing business has run successfully since 1994 (happy anniversary) and is almost entirely computer based. All our software designs, hardware designs, website coding, accounts and literature is PC based, so any threat to this is a direct threat to the business. This will be true of most businesses I guess. Any Operating System (OS) crash/glitch, hack or misconfiguration has a direct effect on our finances and after an unfortunate crash some years ago, our backup strategy has had to be robust and effective.

 

A little detail: Over the years we have used Win 3.11, Win NT4 (ugh) and latterly XP. All involved huge expense in terms of time and money to upgrade, address security issues, patch, tweak, repair, learn, reload, not to mention ongoing software package upgrades to follow the OS. MS has effectively locked business (and private users too) into a never ending upgrade cycle that generates huge profits for them and causes massive upheavals for everyone else and generates lots of e-waste. In an attempt to break out of this, we have moved to Linux (Mint), though not without some pain. The problem is, all our main design software packages run on XP.

 

Software: Without wishing for any negative comments about the merits of software A over software B, we use (all stable software with no unknown bugs):

Design: CorelDraw X3, EasyPC (circuit board design), AutoDesk

Office: Excel and Word

Utilities: PrintKey Pro, Cute PDF, Assorted backup routines

 

These are our core software packages which would all need upgrading if we moved to Win 7/8 or Windows Server triggering lots of potential compatibility issues not to mention ongoing security issues. Possibly the most useful package we have is Cute PDF which allows us to print anything displayed (via PrintKey) as a single PDF document over multiple pages and then overtype comments as necessary. This functionality doesn’t exist in Linux (yes you can do single pages). The ability to capture anything onscreen, over multiple pages and formats and copy into a single PDF file to put into our data library is critical for us.

 

So the solution would seem to be to run all web connected stuff (email, internet and website upgrades) through Linux (via a VPN) and the rest runs on isolated XP machines. I had heard of WINE but not had the time to try it. Likewise Sandboxing (or VM), sounds good but needs time (and powerful machinery) to implement and test. Of course it would be nice to tie all the systems together with a network, but in view of security and especially the Bitlocker threat, this would seem extremely unwise! We must do more encrypted offsite backups too but that is a different story.

 

Thanks for all your interesting comments.

 

Edit - Sorry - I meant Cryptlocker and not Bitlocker.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Afilsdesigne

[floyd77 10]

What versions of that software are you running, and why do you think that upgrades would be needed if you migrated to Win 7 (for example)? What is the reasons you dont want to upgrade software - just cost?

 

You mention Windows server upgrade being required - what programs are client server, or what do your servers run?

 

I'm a Technical Architect by day and have done several desktop migrations from XP for corporate clients, so feel free to pick my brain.

[kjoshi 10]

I am in favor of using window 7 because its not such complicated as 8. I must add up here that once it was believed for the windows 98 too. But then people automatically upgrade to Xp. So the time has come to upgrade ourselves.

[swarfendor437 14]

So to wrap this up, thanks for all your input. Some interesting replies covering the whole spectrum of attitudes I guess, though I still think the issue is potentially a huge deal for all of us, especially when online. A single issue, an accident, and you are in a world of grief.

 

Our manufacturing business has run successfully since 1994 (happy anniversary) and is almost entirely computer based. All our software designs, hardware designs, website coding, accounts and literature is PC based, so any threat to this is a direct threat to the business. This will be true of most businesses I guess. Any Operating System (OS) crash/glitch, hack or misconfiguration has a direct effect on our finances and after an unfortunate crash some years ago, our backup strategy has had to be robust and effective.

 

A little detail: Over the years we have used Win 3.11, Win NT4 (ugh) and latterly XP. All involved huge expense in terms of time and money to upgrade, address security issues, patch, tweak, repair, learn, reload, not to mention ongoing software package upgrades to follow the OS. MS has effectively locked business (and private users too) into a never ending upgrade cycle that generates huge profits for them and causes massive upheavals for everyone else and generates lots of e-waste. In an attempt to break out of this, we have moved to Linux (Mint), though not without some pain. The problem is, all our main design software packages run on XP.

 

Software: Without wishing for any negative comments about the merits of software A over software B, we use (all stable software with no unknown bugs):

Design: CorelDraw X3, EasyPC (circuit board design), AutoDesk

Office: Excel and Word

Utilities: PrintKey Pro, Cute PDF, Assorted backup routines

 

These are our core software packages which would all need upgrading if we moved to Win 7/8 or Windows Server triggering lots of potential compatibility issues not to mention ongoing security issues. Possibly the most useful package we have is Cute PDF which allows us to print anything displayed (via PrintKey) as a single PDF document over multiple pages and then overtype comments as necessary. This functionality doesn’t exist in Linux (yes you can do single pages). The ability to capture anything onscreen, over multiple pages and formats and copy into a single PDF file to put into our data library is critical for us.

 

So the solution would seem to be to run all web connected stuff (email, internet and website upgrades) through Linux (via a VPN) and the rest runs on isolated XP machines. I had heard of WINE but not had the time to try it. Likewise Sandboxing (or VM), sounds good but needs time (and powerful machinery) to implement and test. Of course it would be nice to tie all the systems together with a network, but in view of security and especially the Bitlocker threat, this would seem extremely unwise! We must do more encrypted offsite backups too but that is a different story.

 

Thanks for all your interesting comments.

 

Hi, I have had a quick look at Codeweavers.com and Corel Draw period will not run on any version of Cross-Over it would appear Cute PDF gets a 'Gold' so that will work - some of the other programs have never been tested so you could try GNU/Linux a try on a separate machine, download the trial version of Cross-Over from http://www.codeweavers.com and see what works with that - beware that Access and Publisher will not work but Word, Excel and PowerPoint will (Not XP versions of Office but 2000 and 2007). Then of course there is the totally free LibreOffice (as Office 2002/XP and 2003 also expire in April) which is compatible with both .doc and .docx (xml) formats. Have you ever taken a look at Dia? It is a free circuit drawing package - runs both on GNU/Linux and Windows.

[dosxuk 10]

Have you ever taken a look at Dia? It is a free circuit drawing package - runs both on GNU/Linux and Windows.

 

Dia can draw basic electronic schematics. It can't manage a PCB design project with the multiple linked drawings that entails, use industry standard symbol libraries or draw / export PCB designs for manufacturing. It will not be a suitable replacement of EasyPC.

[swarfendor437 14]

Hi dosxuk - thanks for the clarity. Easy PC has been untested

 

http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/search/?name=Easy+PC&company=&medal=&date_start=2000-01-01+00%3A00&date_end=2014-01-12+07%3A28&search=app

 

by Codeweavers - so OP could try the trial as suggested.

[Jason Bourne 11]

Microsoft are so rich, can't they buy March and extend it until the end of the year?

 

Anyway, time for a joke:

 

It's December 1999 and God invites the three most powerful people on earth - Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin and Bill Gates - to a meeting and God tells them the word will end on 1st Jan 2000.

 

Bill runs back to the USA. "Good news, there is a God! Bad news, the world will end soon"

Boris runs back to the USSR. "Bad news, there is a God! Even worse news, the world will end soon"

Bill runs back to Seattle and tells all his Microsofties: "Good news, we no longer have to support Windows 95"

[orbs 10]

got a message from microsoft saying windows xp support is retiring and to download an upgrade, has anyone else had this and how did it go?

[swarfendor437 14]

got a message from microsoft saying windows xp support is retiring and to download an upgrade, has anyone else had this and how did it go?

 

 

I find that hard to believe! When I registered my first machine with Windows 95 on it to be kept in touch - nada!

 

I think you have been 'scammed' - and there will be plenty of that happening between now and the demise of XP!

[altus 540]

got a message from microsoft saying windows xp support is retiring and to download an upgrade, has anyone else had this and how did it go?

 

Microsoft are going to prompt people to upgrade via a message box. If you get any other messages purporting to be from Microsoft about upgrading you should ignore them - particularly if they say anything along the lines of 'click here to download an upgrade'.