Please, let Windows XP die with dignity

[Brink]

Early next year, when Microsoft finally, officially, and unreservedly drops support for Windows XP, it won't mark the beginning of a new XPocalypse. XP is a relic of a bygone era. It's time to let it go.

Yesterday my colleague David Gewirtz delivered a fire-and-brimstone sermon on the coming XPocalypse, the date early next year when Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP.

Here’s Pastor Gewirtz, in a passage replete with Biblical references:

If you don't think that cybercriminals have marked April 8, 2014 on their calendars with a big star, you're crazy. If you don't think they're holding back on launching some of their bigger exploits until after the patching ends, you're naive. For cybercriminals intent on skinning our 500 million sheep, April 8, 2014 is D-Day.

By abandoning XP on April 8, 2014, Microsoft will cease being a good shepherd of its most loyal customers. Microsoft is just leaving them out there, exposed, and unprotected. On April 8, 2014, those millions of remaining XP users will be like lambs being led to the slaughter. To paraphrase Jeremiah 11:19, they do not know that plots have been devised against them.

Can I get a “Hallelujah!” I said, Can I get a “Hallelujah!”

OK, my turn at the pulpit. Spoiler alert: I don't plan to cite chapter and verse.

First of all, this should not be a surprise to anyone. If you use Windows XP, you are not sheep, you are a paying customer. You got one of the best deals ever, because Microsoft has been running this route, the XP local, for more than a decade. No one is being left at the station. This train has had a “going out of service” sign on it for two years.

The support lifecycle is a contract between Microsoft and its customers, one that’s been clearly described for many years. It is ridiculous to think that a software company should support a product indefinitely. That’s economically silly and technically unsustainable. In early 2014, Microsoft will be delivering security patches for five—count ‘em, five—major releases of its operating system that are still in mainstream or extended support.

Perhaps that is why Microsoft’s reliability record with patches has been getting a bit dicey lately.

If you thought you were getting a lifetime guarantee, you weren’t paying attention. XP’s end-of-support date was actually already extended once.

Read more at: Please, let Windows XP die with dignity | ZDNet

 

[patio]

I don't plan on retiring my XP Desktop for quite some time...
I'll keep you all posted on how it goes occasionally...

 

[Diosoth]

When I can run games like Shadow Man in 7 without issues, then I'll abandon XP.

 

[Shadowjk]

April 8th 2014 will be the day Windows XP stops and the day that every remaining license key for Windows 7 will be used up (Slight Exaggeration), still.. It is good to see it finally be put to rest

Josh

 

[Layback Bear]

XP users have had 2 years to plan XP's wake.
XP RIP. You have been a good friend for years.

 

[DreadStarX]

This gives me two emotions;

1. Happiness
2. Disappointment

I'm happy to see something I've cherished for years, have such a fun filled & exorborant life. I'm also disappointed that people haven't wised up yet. In all honesty, when 7 was in beta, I switched instantly. I love XP, but XP is like a dying loved one, one day they are there, the next they aren't. (My father died when I was 9, thus the example). Granted, my example isn't 100% on the ball, but close enough.


R.I.P. XP - You popped my Installing a new OS cherry.

 

[FuturDreamz]

If you use Windows XP, you are not sheep, you are a paying customer.

Actually it's more like they're a former customer that once bought something from you. Microsoft hasn't sold Windows XP since 5 years ago, and that doesn't really make you a current paying customer. mean yeah there's tech support, but that money probably goes to a third party.

It'd be like someone who uses an old 1970's ford as their daily driver. Sure it's a Ford product, but Ford wouldn't be listing them as a current customer (if they even still have them on record) and there's little incentive to continue supporting that car.

 

[gregrocker]

Yes we have watched it die off pretty much completely.

Probably no place better from the Support vantage than the Dual Boot thread. Millions of viewers, tens of thousands of comments where we resolved isssues daily, then weekly, monthly, now....

 

[DreadStarX]

Yes we have watched it die off pretty much completely.

Probably no place better from the Support vantage than the Dual Boot thread. Millions of viewers, tens of thousands of comments where we resolved isssues daily, then weekly, monthly, now....

Now, we watch it pass on, and we give it a moment of silence for the years of enjoyment and pleasure it gave us. Correct?

Oh, something that'll make you chuckle. I work in a Government Facility, we still use XP on 90% of our machines. The only reason my class area has Windows 7, is because we're Cisco/Business oriented. "Train them for the future" they said.

 

[glassofwater]

XP, by now, is one of the best OS for most people. it's hard to say goodbye to things bringing you so much fun.

 

[JetsonB]

I will be glad to see XP go. I have one Windows 7 license which I am using for my laptop, and one XP license which I am using for my desktop. When XP goes, I have my Ubuntu Live CD ready to go. My old desktop will run faster on linux, anyway.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Yes we have watched it die off pretty much completely.

Probably no place better from the Support vantage than the Dual Boot thread. Millions of viewers, tens of thousands of comments where we resolved isssues daily, then weekly, monthly, now....

Maybe such a good record of solving dual boot problems, has meant that people can find out what they need to know, by reading the previous comments.

Seriously though, there is a cornucopia of information, tips and tricks related to XP, because it has been around for so long.

 

[andrew129260]

I wonder, (and this is slightly off topic), what does windows xp mode in windows 7 mean then? I know that xp all support will end, but will having xp mode installed in windows 7 reduce security? That is what I am concerned with. It's a virtual machine, but I wonder if XP mode could/will have security issues in windows 7 and if I should uninstall it or transfer it to vmware player....

 

[Night Hawk]

I passed along a family member's old XP build recently to two brothers in middle school for homework along with grabbing a new 20" lcd to go with it. By the time they get to use it since XP was replaced temporarily with the temp 32bit 7 install for a week XP will be DOA!!!

They are getting a new desk soon from an older sibling that be used for the old case but will need one of those remaining 7 keys(32bit of course for the 1gb of memory) to get the use out of it. The XP drivers all of them worked on the 32bit 7 install at least and they actually won't be doing much on it despite a Wi-Fi adapter to browse and chat.

 

[Jacee]

I don't plan on retiring my XP Desktop for quite some time...
I'll keep you all posted on how it goes occasionally...

Me neither ... It works just fine and I've had it since 2002; thank you very much!!

 

[indianacarnie]

I had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit from xp. Haven't had it on any of my machines since Vista came out and actually dread working on my Step-Moms xp machine. To me it just feels/looks "quaint".Not saying anything bad, just I'm personally glad to see it go. My .02 cents.

 

[Night Hawk]

You're not the only one to feel that way about the now 12yr. old Windows! XP was buggy from the start and rather limited in ways many still won't understand. I ran with XP SP1 at first with 98SE on a second drive back then and soon noticed XP would freeze up too often or end up with "The BLUES" or BSODs all too often when you knew the OS plus programs were all in working order at any other time.

Buggy, buggy, buggy until SP2 came along to help somewhat still freezing solid at times. The stalls could be with almost anything including pc games. Vista wasn't well received at first by the majority being labeled a bloated sluggish OS due to people still running under equipped builds due to the understated minimum specs courtesy of MS there. That still allowed OEMs to slide by not adding more ram sticking you trying to run the then new version with only 512mb or 1gb installed when even XP was noticably running smoother with 2gb of ram! A hugh leap in performance there!

Finally SP3 arrived two versions newer later to address the some 1,000+ goobers that went unfixed over the years. As you can imagine that would seem to suggest one of the main reasons why XP always seemed to be running into The BLUES so much! The first thing noticed with Vista besides being a larger OS with some of those new bells and whistles was stability as well as a much improved crash control process to recover the desktop if some program locked up on you. Far fewer hard boots!

And finally 7 arrives with those Vista grievances addressed featuring the then new WinMin modular kernel to spruce up the OS making it a much better performer as well as MS actually putting some effort into the newer Windows to see it come out right for the first time! OEMs were pressured to have driver support available as well since MS wanted 7 to be the exception. So what happened with 8? MS knew 7 was going to be the last desktop OS for a few versions at least. Meanwhile like 2000 before it XP is now the 3rd back from the latest version out! Time to go!

 

[DreadStarX]

I wonder, (and this is slightly off topic), what does windows xp mode in windows 7 mean then? I know that xp all support will end, but will having xp mode installed in windows 7 reduce security? That is what I am concerned with. It's a virtual machine, but I wonder if XP mode could/will have security issues in windows 7 and if I should uninstall it or transfer it to vmware player....

I wondered about the same thing, but its not a true Windows XP "Virtual Machine". It's a mimic'd version that allows Windows 7 / 8 to run stuff differently.

The way I see it is, like this;

The Japanese (I believe) read from Top to bottom, while America/Canada/Europe read from Left to Right. I believe it is similar to this. It isn't a true XP "installation" but just read differently by Windows 7 / 8.

Not entirely sure if that is accurate.

- Tom

 

[derekimo]

I wonder, (and this is slightly off topic), what does windows xp mode in windows 7 mean then? I know that xp all support will end, but will having xp mode installed in windows 7 reduce security? That is what I am concerned with. It's a virtual machine, but I wonder if XP mode could/will have security issues in windows 7 and if I should uninstall it or transfer it to vmware player....

I wondered about the same thing, but its not a true Windows XP "Virtual Machine". It's a mimic'd version that allows Windows 7 / 8 to run stuff differently.

The way I see it is, like this;

The Japanese (I believe) read from Top to bottom, while America/Canada/Europe read from Left to Right. I believe it is similar to this. It isn't a true XP "installation" but just read differently by Windows 7 / 8.

Not entirely sure if that is accurate.

- Tom

From the Notes section here,

Install and use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

Windows XP Mode follows the same support lifecycle as Windows XP—extended support will end April 8, 2014. For more info, see the Windows lifecycle fact sheet.

 

[DreadStarX]

I wonder, (and this is slightly off topic), what does windows xp mode in windows 7 mean then? I know that xp all support will end, but will having xp mode installed in windows 7 reduce security? That is what I am concerned with. It's a virtual machine, but I wonder if XP mode could/will have security issues in windows 7 and if I should uninstall it or transfer it to vmware player....

I wondered about the same thing, but its not a true Windows XP "Virtual Machine". It's a mimic'd version that allows Windows 7 / 8 to run stuff differently.

The way I see it is, like this;

The Japanese (I believe) read from Top to bottom, while America/Canada/Europe read from Left to Right. I believe it is similar to this. It isn't a true XP "installation" but just read differently by Windows 7 / 8.

Not entirely sure if that is accurate.

- Tom

From the Notes section here,

Install and use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

Windows XP Mode follows the same support lifecycle as Windows XP—extended support will end April 8, 2014. For more info, see the Windows lifecycle fact sheet.

I pulled all I typed, out my butt. Lmao! I had no idea there was an actual tutorial on that!