WinXP support end, is Win7 xp mode still available?

Spark

I will be buying a new laptop later this year, before they do away with Window 7, as I absolutely hate the look of Window 8. I wanted to splash on Window professional for the window XP Mode feature. As I understand, you need to download it from the Microsoft website once you get your laptop.
Now, with support for Window XP at an end on april 8, will I still be able to download Window XP mode after that date? If not, I might as well go with Window7 Home or Premium.

Jivesinger

I don't know. The Microsoft page for XP mode says this:

After April 8, 2014, technical support for Windows XP and Windows XP Mode will no longer be available, including updates that help protect your PC. This means that if you continue to use Windows XP or use Windows XP Mode on a Windows 7 PC after support ends, your PC might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Therefore, to keep your Windows 7 PC secure after April 8, 2014, we recommend that you only use Windows XP Mode if your PC is disconnected from the Internet.

...which does suggest that it might still work. (And that they have at least thought about that web page with the end of XP support.)

If someone had been sold a Windows 7 Pro PC before the end of XP Support, specifically to run some XP software, and they needed to rebuild it after a disk failure, it would be rather unfair of Microsoft to remove the XP download, at least within the support period of Windows 7.

After all, I'm sure Microsoft would prefer it if people upgraded to Windows 7, and ran XP mode for that piece of software that really needs it (possibly with some network settings around the XP mode which made it safer), rather than run XP as the native OS.

But I'm afraid I'm just speculating...

wapow

I was dreading the move to Windows 7. I tried so hard to avoid it. I only just moved to Win 7 in December.


I was on XP for such a long time I did not want to change. All the fancy new stuff and not being able to arrange my start bar like XP etc.


Guess what though? I hardly use my XP hard drive now even though it has most of my stuff on there. Im always on my Win 7 HD.


Everytime I go back to XP, I find myself thinking when can I switch back the HD>


Believe it or not I came around to Win 7 and I prefer it now over XP. This is something I or anyone that knows me would have thought not possible!

Gloomendoom

Spark wrote: »

I will be buying a new laptop later this year, before they do away with Window 7, as I absolutely hate the look of Window 8.

I'm using 8 and it doesn't look much different to 7.

Some useful functionality has been lost though, replaced by a load of extra cräp for those who like screens covered in greasy fingerprints. Having said that, you don't have to use it... or even look at it.

Spark

I don't like the tiles thing, it's fine on a Nokia Lumia but it's so ugly on a bigger screen.
Quite a few people seems to revert to Win7 as they dislike window 8 very much. There must be something there that's not quite right.
I had a big problem with my nc10 netbook lately and had to reinstall window XP on it. That make me think it's time for me to upgrade my OS, and intend to buy another laptop later this year, I still got a few things running on XP, so Window 7 Professional would be ideal, if window XP mode is still supported.
Once I have the new laptop up and running, I might try to install Ubuntu on the nc10, I have heard so much about it, saying that I will have to do my homework, as right now I have no idea on how I will do that.
I have a desktop as well running XP, then I will have a choice of operating systems.

Gloomendoom

I don't like the tiles either but you don't have to use them.

Just install a start menu on the desktop and, for all intents and purposes you are back to using 7. You don't need to use (or look at) the Start Screen (the one with all the tiles) at all if you don't want to. You can log straight in to the desktop.

Spark

http://bgr.com/2013/12/04/windows-8-hatred-explained/

It seems it's a love it or hate it affair with windows 8.
I am in the category of having used systems with the old UI style for a long time, and though I am not against changes, I am against changes for the worse.
The only positive thing about window 8 is that it is deem to be more stable than the old OS.
I do understand that if you haven't got used that much to the old UI and you will be more enclined to accept windows 8, but saying that I don't want touchscreen on a bigger screens than a tablet, I prefer a good old fashioned keyboard and mouse. I find it faster and more practical.
That's my own opinion anyway.

Uxb

Spark wrote: »

Once I have the new laptop up and running, I might try to install Ubuntu on the nc10, I have heard so much about it, saying that I will have to do my homework, as right now I have no idea on how I will do that.
I have a desktop as well running XP, then I will have a choice of operating systems.

Be careful
Samsung's NC10 has a special MBR and hidden recovery partition - if the partition still exists on your computer and no one has mucked around with it.
The special MBR enables access through to the recovery partition and its restore programs at bios stage pre windows loading. When you install linux the linux loader (?grub?) overwrites the samsung MBR.
This means the recovery partition is now isolated for ever and can never be reached - though it is still there.
So you can never now do a factory restore.
This may not be an issue for you but you should be aware of it
That said, I've heard there is a Samsung SRS admin tool program findable on some of the dodgier parts of the web which can restore a wrecked samsung MBR.

When the NC10 and N140 came out lots of people installed linux on them and subsequently wanted to do a factory restore back to win XP for whatever reason (sell it maybe) and found they were fcuk'd.

Samsung neither supplied any system restore/recovery disks for the NC10 and N140 nor would they make any for customers in this situation.
So making a complete disc image with something like Macrium or Acronis was one of the first things to do for the wise!

Spark

I know about that recovery partition because I have used it last week, after reinstalling WinXP from a recovery disk called system recovery media, which came with the nc10. I had a unmountable boot volume problem that was stuck in a loop, and could not start up into XP.
The disc seemed to have installed a very basic version of XP, and I had all the drivers related to connection to router/internet missing. So I had to seek that partition and it did reinstall all the drivers.
Of course I have lost everything I had, documents etc... but it seem to have cured a few glitches I used to have, and of course it's nippier now, and I have to reinstall all the software I was using.
The only problem I have is that I tried to change the setting for my mouse to left handed but it doesn't change anything, left or right option it stays at right handed.
Before it used to work and had it for left handed, now I can't.
I don't know why.

Gloomendoom

Spark wrote: »

http://bgr.com/2013/12/04/windows-8-hatred-explained/

It seems it's a love it or hate it affair with windows 8.
I am in the category of having used systems with the old UI style for a long time, and though I am not against changes, I am against changes for the worse.

I have been using computers since the late 1970's and have used all kind of UI's including punched cards.

I was a doubter and although 8 does have it's frustrations for the experienced user, it really isn't that bad. Is it an improvement over 7 for the non touchscreen user? No, not really although I do love the almost instant start up. That is a very welcome improvement.

prowla

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I don't like the tiles either but you don't have to use them.

Just install a start menu on the desktop and, for all intents and purposes you are back to using 7. You don't need to use (or look at) the Start Screen (the one with all the tiles) at all if you don't want to. You can log straight in to the desktop.

Cleverly not showing the windows borders...

Windows 7 has translucent borders with rounded corners, and with shadows to give a 3D effect:



Windows 8 has flat single-colour borders with square corners, a big flat close box, and little shadow, to give a very flat and lifeless view (you also have to edite a couple of items in the registry if you want to change the border width: