Windows XP diehards: Can you survive the April 2014 deadline?

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    Windows XP diehards: Can you survive the April 2014 deadline?


    Posted: 07 Jun 2013
    Some organisations intend to keep running Windows XP after support ends next April, but the options for doing so safely are narrowing.

    To those planning to stick resolutely with the aged Windows XP operating system even after Microsoft ends support next year, the advice from experts is simple: Don't do it.

    But despite the chorus of warnings, there are fallback measures for diehard XP users, who could still constitute as many as 40 percent of businesses. One in five of the organisations currently using the OS intend to stick with it after the 8 April 2014 end-of-life deadline for support, according to research from software consultancy Camwood.

    Read more at: Windows XP diehards: Can you survive the April 2014 deadline? | ZDNet
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    07 Jun 2013



  1. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #1

    There are going to be a lot of companies caught with their pants down when 04/08/2014 rolls around. I was amazed recently to see that a nationwide home improvement chain is still using XP for their registers. I'm going to be checking early next year to see which retailers haven't upgraded from XP so I can avoid using my plastic to pay for purchases with them. I fear there will be a lot of credit card clearing house hack ins shortly after XP dies because of retailers still on XP providing a route for the hackers.
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  2. Posts : 359
    Windows 7 Professional 64bit
       #2

    Although support is ending, I assume they will still offer security patches for major bugs.

    If so, why would big organisations spend thousands to upgrade their hardware, their programs and retrain their staff?
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  3. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #3

    mangoh said:
    Although support is ending, I assume they will still offer security patches for major bugs...
    I wouldn't count on it.

    mangoh said:
    ...If so, why would big organisations spend thousands to upgrade their hardware, their programs and retrain their staff?
    Because support is ending.
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  4. Posts : 1,660
    Windows 8 Pro (32-bit)
       #4

    mangoh said:
    Although support is ending, I assume they will still offer security patches for major bugs.

    If so, why would big organisations spend thousands to upgrade their hardware, their programs and retrain their staff?
    No offence, but you sound like American Airlines in the late 1970's.

    Sure, Windows XP doesn't run planes, but it runs things from auto respirators to nuclear facilities to (I believe) air traffic control systems.

    Remember that big hubbub about those viruses that were targeting Iranian nuclear facilities?
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  5. Posts : 21,482
    Win 7 x64 Home Premium (and x86 VirtualBox VM)/Win10
       #5

    mangoh said:
    Although support is ending, I assume they will still offer security patches for major bugs.

    If so, why would big organisations spend thousands to upgrade their hardware, their programs and retrain their staff?
    No, they will NOT offer any updates whstsoever unless specifically paid to do so. They sre already in a mode where only important and critical updates are even considered for release.
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  6. Posts : 5,941
    Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
       #6

    Hi there
    Copy of what I posted on W8 Forums -- same issue.

    I can't really imagine the article was seriously written by anyone who purports to understand ANYTHING at all about either how businesses work or even I.T depts.

    And who are these "Experts" saying Don't do it -- do they really expect some businesses to spend several HUNDRED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS(US) on replacing expensive but perfectly functioning engineering machine tools etc with new ones simply because the newer OS'es don't have applications or drivers for the equipment --some of the stuff I'm talking about has life cycles of perhaps up to 50 years -- and in the mean time the original manufacturer has either ceased production or been taken over by other people whio no longer support the older gear.

    The whole article seemed to revolve around the failings in using XP on the Internet -- for 90% of typical offices corporate applications usually involve local applications (even if they are big back end ERP systems etc) or private intranets.

    To basically waste almost the whole article in describing about security flaws on XP was a total waste of space -- anybody who needs to use XP after support ends can run it "Until the cows come home" 100% safely and reliably by simply running it as a Virtual machine where all their legacy apps will still work and simply isolate the XP machine from the public Internet -- job easily done - but hardly a mention of this fact too.

    I'm still using regularly (and will continue to use) a W2K3 server (basically a server version of XP) as a Virtual machine -- and it runs my legacy applications and hardware just fine.

    Some of the people who write those technical articles should really go back to teaching primary school kids basic arithmetic and leave computing to those that know how to do it.

    Providing a W2K3 virtual server in a business environment will easily solve most people's legacy XP problems -- and for those stand alone machines that ran things like say Laboratory equipment etc - there's no security involved as these don't have to be connected to any internet.

    (Note running XP applications from a Windows XP server on client machines is simple too -- the front end could even be a Windows tablet !!).

    No Panic really -- all you need to be aware of is that a) some Internet sites won't display or execute content properly -- but you don't need to use XP for the Internet, and b) security updates will cease -- but on Private Networks and stand alone machines is that actually a problem. !!

    Even these OS'es can be run safely in Virtual machines (Windows version 1 and W98 shown here) !! and AFAIK there haven't been security updates for YEARS (if there were even any at all in the first case). I wouldn't run IE though normally on a W98 Virtual machine but it still can be done as shown.

    Cheers
    Jimbo
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Windows XP diehards: Can you survive the April 2014 deadline?-windows1.png   Windows XP diehards: Can you survive the April 2014 deadline?-w98vm.png  
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  7. Posts : 328
    W7 Pro 64
       #7

    the only XP machine I have is 5 year old laptop with a broken screen. I have that hooked up to my TV to watch Netflix and other internet TV.

    Even when I don't use it for anything important, I'm a bit concerned since it could get into my Netflix account, or am I oversensitive? Netflix is the only password-type application I have for that, rest is just looking at normal unprotected websites (youtube etc.).

    Obviously I won't spend money for an OS for an old laptop with broken screen...so I may just take my chances.
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  8. Posts : 1,397
    Win 10 Pro 64
       #8

    I have a copy of Xp Home still in the original shrink wrap . Maybe it will be a collectors item .LOL
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  9. Lee
    Posts : 1,796
    Win 7 Pro x64, VM Win XP, Win7 Pro Sandbox, Kubuntu 11
       #9

    I still use XP in a VM for some of the old games I have lying around (Sim City 2000), thus it still has some purpose for me. . .
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