Topic: Question About WinXP

[Corbomite]

Anybody know if I can install XP now that it is unsupported. I seem to remember that it wanted to check with MS to see if it was a legit copy. It is, but if the MS site doesn't answer anymore will it kill the install? I have and old setup I want to use for old programs that I like and have changed or are unavailable. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Javora]

It should still install.  You may have to call a number instead of registering online but it should work regardless.

[Corbomite]

Where would I find this phone #?

Thanks.

Nevermind, I found it.

[Corbomite]

OK, according to MS you can reinstall it and get it verified and up to date to SP3. All new support or updates are, of course, are not available. The woman I talked to didn't seem totally confident to me, but that may have been a language thing since she had an Indian accent and I had to explain what I wanted to do three times, so I might not get what I want.

[Corbomite]

I found this on a helpful website which gives me more confidence:

"Q: Will Microsoft cease requiring XP users to activate Windows XP as of April 8, 2014, since support for the product is ending?

A: No. A spokesperson confirmed that activations will still be required for retail installations of Windows XP post April 8. "Windows XP can still be installed and activated after end of support on April 8," the spokesperson noted. "Computers running Windows XP will still work, they just won’t receive any new security updates. Support of Windows XP ends on April 8, 2014, regardless of when you install the OS."

Another update (January 15): For those asking in comments below, Microsoft will continue to make all patches and fixes made to Windows XP up until April 8, 2014, available to users via Windows Update. "There are no current plans to remove existing Windows XP security updates from Windows Update after end of support on April 8, 2014," a spokesperson confirmed."

[Corbomite]

Apparently Windows Update still has all that stuff so if you go directly to that it should be legit. I just want it to run some old games and a couple of other apps that aren't updated or I don't like the new vs the older ones. Once I get it up and running it'll probably never get online again. Now I have to dig up my motherboard and graphics cards install discs too. I'd forgotten what a PITA this could be.

[Corbomite]

Cripes what PITA! With compressing old files to save on my backup disc and reinstalling everything I needed to, it took all day! I really want to get those FTL computers they have in ST!

[Corbomite]

The compression actually took the longest. Do you know how long it takes to move and compress 60GB+ of data? Sheesh

[The Postman]

I have done 3 XP pro installs in the last 6 months. No Problems what so ever.

[Corbomite]

The reformatting and install was pretty painless (except for me forgetting to DL some stuff that caused minor issues until I did that), my real problem is that I'm finding that a bunch of stuff that seemed to compress fine is now telling me that it is corrupted or that there are no files to extract, so basically it was all for nothing since I can't access that data. Thankfully,  it wasn't anything terribly important, but gathering it all again will take time I can't afford to spend right now. I'm more pissed that it let me compress them thinking it was fine and it wasn't. No error messages or anything, just chugging away forever and basically erasing it instead of preserving it.