Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2014 March 29

= March 29 =

Anyone on here still using Windows 2000 Pro?
As we all know, support for Windows XP is ending on April 8th, and I was wondering what life has been like for users of Windows 2000 since the end of support. I just bought a Dell Mini off of eBay that shipped with a clean install Windows XP, to use in real estate business, and I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade it to Windows 7 Pro or roll the dice with XP (or even consider switching it to Linux). I really like Windows XP, but I also don't want to open myself up to trouble. PCHS-NJROTC (Messages) 03:51, 29 March 2014 (UTC)


 * I'd would worry if you are navigating the web with Windows XP, which you probably will, since XP could become a huge security risk without upgrades. OsmanRF34 (talk) 04:14, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, I would be accessing the MLS from it, which is online. Pardon my French, but this sucks; I've nothing against Windows 7, but I have been in absolute love with Windows XP since I first started using it in 2005 (yes, I was using Windows 98 until then), and I hate to remove it in favor of something else. Time's not stopping anytime soon though, and when it comes to business, security trumps personal preference. So what are these big enterprises that are still on XP going to do? I know there's still a few out there which haven't upgraded. PCHS-NJROTC  (Messages) 04:49, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't think security threats were as numerous in the W2K era. "Big enterprises" will probably bite the bullet and migrate from XP.  Smaller users (including a huge fraction of China) will keep using XP and become even more malware infested than they already are.  People keep telling me that Windows 7 is ok and that it's mostly Windows 8 that draws Windows users' ire.  So if you want to keep using Windows, I'd go ahead and switch to W7.  If you just want basic web browsing and office apps, or if you're a more advanced user who knows what you're getting into, Linux is fine.  If you want the corporate shiny experience, most of the hipsters around here use Macintoshes.  70.36.142.114 (talk) 05:52, 29 March 2014 (UTC)


 * Free support is ending, but paid support will still be available to corporate customers that are sticking with XP for whatever reason. -- BenRG (talk) 05:57, 29 March 2014 (UTC)


 * I think the key will be avoiding using Internet Explorer with Windows XP. Microsoft will stop patching security holes in Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP, but you can just use a different browser, like Firefox or Chrome, which will continue to be patched for a while. All the anti-virus programs I know of continue to be supported on Windows XP, as well. So, to be safe, I would make sure you have an anti-virus program. Continue to update any browser plugins like Flash and disable the Java browser plugin. Eventually, I'm sure Firefox and Chrome will drop support for Windows XP, so you won't be able to use that operating system forever. For example, Firefox stopped supporting Windows 2000 with version 12 in 2012. Further, the newest versions of many popular applications I know of (e.g., Photoshop CC and Microsoft Office 2013) aren't supported on Windows XP, anymore. So, that may make it a bit of a pain to continue using it. As for users of Windows 2000, the only business I knew personally to be using it in 2010 actually upgraded to Windows XP Professional before support was cut off. It was different for that OS, though. Upgrading for them just a software upgrade and you just had to install the OS, the drivers, and the applications to get going. Most hardware that ran Windows 2000 ran Windows XP. But Windows 7 is much more demanding on the hardware than Windows XP, so it's going to be harder for many people to upgrade. I know many businesses, government agencies, and individuals who are using Windows XP today, here in North America.&mdash;Best Dog Ever (talk) 07:35, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Well, I just went and did something radical; I ordered a copy of Windows 8.1 off of Amazon. I do believe the system in question will run Windows 8, and it will be nice to have a copy even if it won't. Hello modern OS, bye bye 2001 OS. PCHS-NJROTC  (Messages) 14:53, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 * If all you need to do is browse website, then why not use Linux! Linux is surely your best bet in this situation! Duomillia (talk) 20:17, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
 * I keep meaning to try Linux. I actually downloaded Ubuntu once, never installed it though. I'll probably be doing my than web browsing from the computer in question. 71.3.50.250 (talk) 14:26, 31 March 2014 (UTC)
 * "XP could become a huge security risk without upgrades": If at all, XP is a huge security risk, and 7 and 8 no less. In fact, both 7 and 8 are younger than XP and are probably less secure because MS didn't patch as many holes as they did with XP. Software doesn't get new holes; it had the holes all along. It's merely about hackers actually exploiting some of these holes. ooze 06:27, 1 April 2014 (UTC)