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back to article Migrating from Windows XP – Time to move on...

Support for Windows XP ends on 8 April 2014. Much as you hate to let go, sadly the time has come. We can help you make the transition to an XP-free future by helping to plan a successful migration. Join Dell Software’s Scott Lutz and Tony Lock from Freeform Dynamics who'll show you how to automate application compatibility, …

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  1. Mage Silver badge

    Finally

    The time has come, esp with more Browser Centric Intranet, Cloud and Public Internet to seriously look at Linux as a Migration option.

    Microsoft has basically lost the plot since Server 2003.

    Lock in to Exchange & Outlook non-email functions and then Sharepoint was among the worst Corporate decisions, allowing MS to hold Business customers hostage.

    For me MS 1981 - 2014 RIP, avid supporter of NTFS, and NT since NT3.5 (Our first deployments just before NT3.51 Release). One of the most important IT vendors for Business has worked hard to become an irrelevant Consumer Appliance company.

    Some more Boutique Companies may go entirely Mac + Linux Servers, but I fear the Mac will be ditched for a larger iPad with keyboard and the Mac "all in one" monitors will also migrate to ARM and iOS. Cost reduction, same end user price and more Apple Control / iTunes delivery etc.

    There are old Windows applications I need, I will look harder for Linux alternatives and as final resort a Virtual Machine with XP (no Internet) or WINE.

    Currently 2014- 2015 is looking unpleasant IT wise. Win7 and especially Win 8 simply isn't a viable alternative to XP. Still running Skype 3.8 on XP. Skype 6.10 on Win7 using about 90% CPU. This seems to be a Skype Issue since about 6.7

    Some applications bought between 1999 and 2010 still in use won't even run at all on Win7, never mind Win8. Often newer versions more buggy, no worthwhile extra features and the upgrade cost of all these is much more than cost of a new Workstation.

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    1. Bill Gould
      Reply Icon

      Re: Finally

      "Currently 2014- 2015 is looking unpleasant IT wise. Win7 and especially Win 8 simply isn't a viable alternative to XP."

      I'm actually looking forward to it. Finally migrating people off WinXP and its weak host model for TCP/IP. Finally providing a Win7 VDI environment that simply fronts a Citrix environment with AppV virtualized applications to the user customized using AppSense.

      On a personal note, I had no issues with Vista, though Win7 was an improvement. I enjoyed Win8 and there were very few things that helped me switch to Win8.1. For personal use *nix is useless to me (PC gamer) and if I wanted to use it for productivity only I'd just nab a Chromebook and use Google's services.

      Skype is for talking to family. If you're using it for enterprise then you're using it wrong. Use an enterprise class solution like GoTo Meeting, &c.

      That said, to each their own. Variety is a good thing, though it prevents a unified global solution.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Finally

      As T recent FA on Munchen's transition to Linux showed, the question is: are you prepared to spend a lot of time and money escaping from the clutches of Microsoft now, or would you prefer to linger a few years until it costs a lot more time and money?

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    3. b166er
      Reply Icon

      Re: Finally

      Don't get me wrong, this isn't a platform jibe, but try running a linux program from 1999 on a modern linux.

      Windows has long tried to maintain backwards compatibility and that's testament to how accessible a system it is, however, that needed to change because a new security model was desperately needed.

      I glad Microsoft are canning XP and I'm pissed at Google for saying they'll continue to support it via Chrome after April 2014. Everyone in the industry should take the opportunity to slam the door on the insecurities of that platform.

      However, just because Windows had to change and therefore backwards compatibility isn't as viable an option as it once was, doesn't mean Windows 7/8 is a bad idea.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Finally

        "Windows has long tried to maintain backwards compatibility and that's testament to how accessible a system it is..."

        I find that hilariously funny, because I clearly remember how the bright young kids at Microsoft (remember "Microserfs"?) used to mock their fathers' generation - many of whom worked at IBM - about precisely that. Because IBM was shackled to generations of legacy systems, they chortled, it was hopelessly inflexible and found itself forced to behave in outrageously customer-unfriendly ways.

        What goes around STILL comes around, Microsofties! Even in the Age of Aquarius...

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Finally

        "...to slam the door on the insecurities of that platform."

        Oh please stop repeating the stupid propaganda.

        There are many home user still running Windows XP without any problems at all. All the people with hacked versions whom haven't downloaded one patch are still having fun with it.

        I don't see them complaining about "the insecurities of that platform". Just a proper firewalled home-network and a good antivirus program is what you REALLY need.

        In fact I have never upgraded my own Windows XP which I used until I got a new SSD-drive last week. The reason why I took the plunge to Windows 7 was that the new drive didn't have an external Windows XP TRIM-program like some early sandforce-equipped drives had. So Windows 7 was the prefered OS to use it. And I still regretted "upgrading" because now Overlay Theater mode doesn't work anymore like it did in XP and which I loved!

        Fact is that with todays crappy technology around. Newer doesn't necessary mean, better.

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        1. RobHib
          Reply Icon

          @A.C. -- Re: Finally

          There are many home user still running Windows XP without any problems at all. All the people with hacked versions whom haven't downloaded one patch are still having fun with it.

          There's also many legit XP users who've no intention of changing by April next year.

          I could write a book about it but all the reasons are there already. Suffice to say, many of our XP installations will be around until they rot. Why not, well many apps won't even run on Win 7, so why pay for a double whammy--replacing the O/S at a cost, having the app rewritten at a bigger cost, and in many instances the hardware needs to be upgraded (as MS tried to engineer XP out of existence by not updating drivers).

          Reckon we're not alone. To have one third of the world's PC still on XP at this late juncture, 'tis proof that XP will be around a damn while longer.

          --

          P.S.: I even know of instances of NT4 and Windows 2000 still in use. And I can assure you, these are definitely not hacked or pirate copies. Why? Well, I'll explain the reason if you can prove your IQ is below 90 or so.

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          1. Roland6 Silver badge
            Reply Icon

            Re: @A.C. -- Finally

            >many of our XP installations will be around until they rot.

            I suspect that these will out last the replacement systems running Win7 etc. and will be more secure!

            I've been running several Win7 systems for 2 years now with UAC effectively disabled, because it gets in the way of running some applications which don't comply with MS's idea's about security, specifically all kernel drivers are signed and all executables that run at elevated privileges have unexpired code signing certificates. The first time UAC reported these events (on screen only, not in the logs) was informative, however once I discovered that UAC had zero ability to retain my preferences it was bye-bye UAC. I don't care about these events because I installed those modules and know their providence - but I do care if the checksum changes. However, with UAC it is all or nothing, hence it is nothing and all that effort MS put into making Win7 so much more secure than XP has been practically all for nought.

            The same applications installed on the XP systems have been running without complaints from the OS ...

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          2. dan1980
            Reply Icon

            Re: @A.C. -- Finally

            From my cold, dead hands.

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    4. Manu T
      Reply Icon

      Re: Finally

      "Some applications bought between 1999 and 2010 still in use won't even run at all on Win7, never mind Win8. Often newer versions more buggy, no worthwhile extra features"

      Not to mention the LOSS of features. Theater mode (Overlay) is STILL not properly implemented in all driver software from AMD in Windows 7/8. I doubt that the NVidia situation is much better. :-(

      "Currently 2014- 2015 is looking unpleasant IT wise."

      imho 2014-2015 is looking unpleasant. Period.

      Politicians ripping us off, Tech going haywaire. Western economy being fed by greed and incompetence. We're doomed :-(

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Move from XP years ago.

    Swapped it for OpenSUSE and never looked back. If I need a windows only app then I just fire up a VM.

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  3. Dramoth

    I can live with a migration to Windows 7. Windows 8/Server 2012 with their no-start button desktops signifies that Microsoft have broken their brains whilst trying to capture a segment of the market that they had already lost... the fondleslab and associated handheld devices.

    Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 are the last windows operating systems that I will voluntarily install on a desktop. And I will also be investigating SteamOS as a viable replacement for the OS on my windows gaming machine as more games developers start to port their games to the *nix platforms.

    As for productivity, I can live with openOffice or LibreOffice as my productivity suites and I can always write my own email client (sometimes it is good to be a programmer) that can communicate with a *nix based IMAP/POP3 mail server or a Microsoft Exchange server without having to resort to using a browser based application like the Mozilla based offerings.

    I stopped using XP a number of years ago and the last company I worked for that was using XP on some desktops, I left nearly 2 years ago... so supporting it isnt going to be an issue.

    Either way, I am not going to be too concerned about XP's imminent demise and I wont be signing up to this plug from Dell to migrate to the latest and greatest (WTF... Windows 8.1 is shite) offering from Microsoft.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Serial issue

    Working for various industries, I see a lot of people holding on to WinXP for the Serial (RS232, RS485) ports.

    Rail industry - RS485 Can-bus

    Fire industry - RS485 Can-bus

    Manufacture - RS232 (various), RS485 Can-bus, Parallel

    Legacy Telecoms - RS232 (various)

    More up to date machines, Vista and above, have problems dealing with legacy ports to the point of random failures, which can not be even slightly tolerated in some aspects.

    What OS would have software comparability (DOS) and well as being able to deal with these ports with very little chance of failure?

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    1. Joe Drunk
      Reply Icon

      Re: Serial issue

      These are your poster childs for XP holdouts. Apps/systems written that are OS-dependant which don't function properly or not at all in newer OS versions. Many of these have to be completely re-written because of such dependencies.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Serial issue

      I recently got some DE-9 serial port diagnostic probes for checking and diagnosing industrial applications working on a brand spanking new Windows 8 notebook for my father.

      Used a serial to USB adaptor.

      Only caveat was that the applications needed to execute in 'Administrator' mode to pick up the COM ports.

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      1. Chemist
        Reply Icon

        Re: Serial issue

        "Used a serial to USB adaptor."

        Use several on my Linux file/print/oddsnsods server to communicate with PIC microcontrollers. Work really well and just needed a few lines changing in the source. No drivers needed.

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      2. RobHib
        Reply Icon

        @Sir Wiggum -- Re: Serial issue

        Only caveat was that the applications needed to execute in 'Administrator' mode to pick up the COM ports.

        Right, it's why so often in these dedicated environments that the default is to remain with XP. After, all it's easier, cheaper, and usually the users aren't IT types--just workers--who couldn't give a damn what the O/S was so long as it worked.

        I don't believe for a second that those at Microsoft do not understand this, of course they do. By engineering every new version of Windows as a new product rather than an upgrade, they deliberately abandoned this clientele. Moreover, they didn't have the courtesy (or take the responsibility) to tell anyone.

        It's no wonder so many--still about one third of the world's PCs--are running XP or older.

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    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Serial issue

      Serial ports are supported post Win XP. I use them on Win8 as USB/Serial ports for monitoring Arduino stuff.

      If you really need to run DOS software, look at DOSBOX, I'm fairly sure it support RS232, it's also cross platform and can run on Win/Lin/Mac and most processor architectures. Failing that, there is always vmware and hyper-v.

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      1. Chemist
        Reply Icon

        Re: Serial issue

        "Serial ports are supported post Win XP"

        That's not really the point 'modern' hardware esp. laptops don't usually have them. The one I'm using at the mo' from 2007 doesn't. My micro ATX server doesn't - sure I could add a card ( wasting the only expansion slot) but these USB/serial converters were ~£5

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  5. Joe Drunk

    Much as I like XP for certain things

    I certainly wouldn't use or trust it for business due to its age and impending lack of support.

    Other than myself on a vintage 2005 laptop I don't know anyone personally running XP. Most businesses I'm familiar with have migrated to Win7, some to Win8 in the past year.

    It's been my experience that no home user or small business will ever upgrade the OS on their PC no matter what end of life MS disctates. They simply use whatever came on the PC. They'll upgrade to a newer OS when they upgrade their PCs. Period.

    The XP holdouts are probably SMEs that can't afford the short term expense of upgrading or the home user who is oblivious to Windows upgrades and will remain that way until they can no longer access E-mail and Facebook.

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  6. Philip Lord

    End of XP

    No, no, no. Whatever you do, avoid migrating to Windows8, find a copy of Windows7, Linux, anything. Win8 has cost me two new notebooks. Bit the bullet and bought last week for about £300 a new Toshiba Satellite with Win8 pre-loaded for my partner's 61st birthday. As she has never seen any of the comments on El Reg regarding Win8 she didn't have any pre-conceived ideas. Nonetheless, after about 10 minutes of use she was going to chuck it out of the window - and before anyone clever out there says RTFM there was no fscking tutorial offered on start-up. Having been forewarned by El Reg commentards, I wanted to see the tutorial regarding hot-keys and the like - none to be had. TIFKAM is as bad as everyone said - it is terrible. And that two screen nonsense - meh!

    Anyway, went and got an Asus notebook with a slightly bigger screen and Win7 pre-loaded for £25 more for her and kept the Tosh for me thinking that I could wipe off Win8 and load a copy of Win7Ultimate that I bought a while back thinking of downgrading to XP for playing games (all I need it for). D'oh. No Win7 drivers available for the Tosh!

    The solution has been to buy Start8 - TIFKAM gone!! I'm now happy in that I have some semblance of XP in functionality and she's as happy as Larry on hers.

    Yes, yes, I COULD have just loaded ClassicShell or Start8 on hers and saved money but my existing PC is an old third-hand Dell Optiplex that's getting a bit old in the the tooth and needs replacing. Might give Linux a try on it eventually.

    Good luck to those who need to move off XP :(((

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    1. b166er
      Reply Icon

      Re: End of XP

      You could always give pokki a look too

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    2. Roland6 Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: End of XP

      >I COULD have just loaded ClassicShell or Start8 on hers and saved money

      But these don't totally get rid of the Win8 UI daftness. Having been through similar experience with clients, I agree it is much easier to just buy machines with Win7 pre-installed.

      PS: If you have splashed out on Start8, I recommend also getting ModernMix.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    XP holdout

    My own XP holdout is an Acer Aspire One from the good old netbook days of 4 years ago.

    However, given that it also runs Linux and <cough> OSX </cough> (allegedly), and is still handy for taking on holiday / transporting to parents houses to show holiday photos on the TV etc. it'll stay in use.

    Replacement? I tried an Asus Transformer, but it just isn't the same as a full fat laptop.

    The Surface Pro / Lenovo Yoga x86s are interesting, but pricey...

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