Advice Requested on Life Expectancy of a PC Windows System

[Dave G4UGM]

> > Why not??!?
> 
> 	Fair question, easy answer. Security. Unless it's air-gapped, I
> wouldn't put anything sensitive on WinXP. Every month, we are finding out
> just how much WinXP is like swiss cheese.
> 

Well there are other reasons. You buy a new printer and you find it only
works on Windows/7 onwards. 
Microsoft does things to "persuade" you to upgrade...
Lets take the latest Skype upgrade. Microsoft have blocked folks from using
older versions of Skype, but the latest version has an un-documented
requirement for the .NETv4 framework.
So if you upgrade skype without it Skype fails to start missing
"dxva2.dll"..
No the paranoid among you will say this is Microsoft trying to get you to
upgrade to Windows/7...
.. the seasoned developers will say "I wonder if Microsoft has stopped
testing on XP"

On the other hand you do find yourself jettisoning apps which do work, often
ones supplied with Windows such as Hyperterm....


> > Why do the experts advocate not using something that had been working?
> 
> 	Personally, I find Win7 runs about a fast as WinXP. Throw in
> compatibility with newer stuff (comes in handy when taking a break from
the
> classics to deal with items from this decade, er, century....
> 
> > The fact that you CAN "upgrade", doesn't seem to imply that you SHOULD.
> 
> 	Agreed. But RAM & HDD upgrades will improve performance.
> 
> >> In that case, ditch the program or run  in a VM.
>  >
>  >
>  >
> > Why?
> 
> 	I'd run only that one application in the WinXP VM. Everything else I
> would do in the Win7/Linux/Unix/Mac host which is likely to be much more
> secure. And you get better portability.
> 
> > If the hardware is becoming too unreliable, . . .
> > If you need some sort of unavailable support, . . .
> >
> > Otherwise, WHY change?
> 
> 	It's subjective, personal opinion, really when it comes down to it.
> 
> 
> --
> --- Dave Woyciesjes
> --- CompTIA A+ Certified IT Tech - http://certification.comptia.org/
> --- HDI Certified Support Center Analyst - http://www.ThinkHDI.com/
> Registered Linux user number 464583
> 
> "Computers have lots of memory but no imagination."
> "The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back."
> - from some guy on the internet.