Completely stuck! Need help with what next after windows XP

OnAndUp

Thanks Closed - will give it a go then & see!

Kernel_Sanders

duggan1 wrote: »

XP isn't going to be any less secure, it just means that Microsoft will no longer be patching any vulnerabilities that pop up.

Possibly the most self-contradictory sentence I've ever seen on MSE!

kwacka

rock-y-beach wrote: »

It seems the options available to us are the following:

1) switching to linux which is free but have heard reviews it is difficult to use if you are used to windows

Linux, a decade ago, was difficult to use but today is as easy as either Windows or Mac OS-X (another Unix derivative). It also had a bad reputation for lack of drivers for various items of hardware, but that's no longer the case, e.g. I have a scanner that won't work under XP, but is quite happy under Linux; but I also have a (very cheap) webcam that two years ago was XP only, but runs under Linux today purely because many manufacturers are opening up their drivers to all users.

You can download one of the many versions of Linux free of charge, 'burn' it to a DVD or install to a USB memory stick and run it from that, without affecting your Windows installation in any way. If you're happy with that then click the 'install' button and install.

You can make the change easier by using programs that are available in both systems, e.g. Firefox web browser, LibreOffice (fully compatible with MS Office, unless you need VB macros -if you don't know what that means, you don't need them), Thunderbird email.

I would recommend that you take a look a Linux Mint, ('Mate' version) its less of a change from Windows XP than Windows 8 is! Take a look at 'Linuxmint.com' website for screenshots, downloads, and take a look & the instructions.

Meanwhile, I don't expect the anti-malware companies (Norton, Synmantic, Panda, etc) to drop their products for XP - its still a way they can make money.

John259

It might just be worth mentioning as an aside that both Android and the Google Chrome operating systems are based on Linux internals, although obviously with significant modifications and different external user interfaces.