Microsoft has dropped all support for XP
Microsoft has dropped all support for the sub-systems that XP uses
Google has dropped all future support for Chrome on any XP sub-systems and systems since MS is officially killing it off now.
Why is this important? STEAM for example uses lots of Google bits and pieces ....... and they are all gonna stop working with XP fairly soon since Google has dropped it.
Bad news is Linux is gonna start to get hampered working with XP for the same exact reasons. However, Linux as a single install software (no dual booting) is still working fine.
Got one list member saying his XP dual boot isn't working (he can't find his XP) but it isn't a major thing because his Linux is still working fine.
ONCE AGAIN ...... EVERYBODY NEEDS A BOOT DISK REPAIR CD OR THUMB DRIVE.
EVERYBODY NEEDS THIS TOOL ....... sooner or later, you too will need it even if you don't use Linux.
This same tool will give you a way back into Mickysoft (or it used to, anyway).
Mickey would jest love to charge you for a brand new copy of Windows 10 rather than allow you get back into your own copy of their old OS systems (even if they actually did the evil deed to you on purpose last night during an update).
Go here to get your boot disk repair stuff a) while it is still available and b) while it still works.https://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair-cd/home/Home/==================================================
Eventually, you won't be able get your Windows XP or Vista back for love or money --- mainly because your are being "Mickey blocked" from doing so.
Mickey wants your money ......Final Solution then is to take your most current Linux Distro CD and stick in in your drive, reboot the machine and during the re-installtion steps
tell it to take over the whole drive.
Post if you have to do this --- and also post how you felt as you hit the "go" key.
Example: the very first time I did this I felt anxious, the second time I felt "OK about it" and this last time just this past spring I felt relieved to get all the constantly aggravating Mickey shite off my machine.
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Most all of you XP guys are dual booters for a while now, running Linux and using XP as your dual boot for Windows.
Do not feel abandoned --
as long as you still have your original operating Microsoft Office DVD set you can install them on Linux using Wine which is available on your Linux distro's software repository.
But, as most of you have been dual booting and using Linux for a long time now you are familiar with the Linux Libre Office software and that does the same jobs as Mickeysoft Office.
I find Chrome and Firefox on Linux can do all normal internet functions and "working on the web" allows you to do most thing anyway.
IF YOU HAVE NO LINUX LOADED ON YOUR MACHINE, you need to load one and get used to using it, or else kinda plan that Mickey is going to force you to upgrade to an expensive Win 10 machine sometime relatively soon.
Mickey will do this by killing your XP (or some XP program that you need to use).
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Will Linux as a pure single install only OS on your old XP class machine continue to work out into the future? Yes, it will continue to work even better once you give it a clean "only OS on the machine" install on your still perfectly functional old hardware.
Mickey actually slowed your old stuff down a good bit as it crudded up over time, with Mickey gone Linux works a lot smoother, quicker and better.
Having Mickey stop supporting XP means something will quit working eventually
in XP itself. All the Linux drivers were all written for XP class machines a long long time ago, and until Linus drops XP machines from the kernel (and that ain't gonna happen) Linux will run just as it has always run.
Example, I currently run a 15 year old Core 2 duo Vista machine on pure single OS Linux Mint Mate and it runs just fine. Vista was dumped by Mickey long before XP itself was dumped as Vista was a flop failure in everybody's eyes. The hardware was fine though, and still runs very very well on Linux.