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The laptop that I'm writing this post with has XP. The clock is ticking. I don't know what to get. Tablet or laptop? I talked to a guy that repairs computers and he said that hackers are just waiting to get their hands on XP users. I read somewhere that 51% of global ATM machines are running on XP. I'll have something new before the 1st.
-Cheers.
About ATMs using XP - ATMs that are being used by major banks are on their own internal network that's confined with the banks' own networks, and there is no internet access because it's not needed. ATM transactions are only recorded on the bank's network, so hackers do not have access to the banks' ATMs, unless they have an account on the bank's internal network and privileges to access the ATM network. Hopefully banks have safe-guards to protect their networks against employees that were terminated and have a grudge against their former employer. I also know that all companies deactivate the accounts of terminated employees immediately after they're terminated, and if such employees attempt to use the account of another employee, which is very highly unlikely, then the other employee will be putting his/her job in jeopardy.
On XP support ending and the options that are available - I have one Dell XP SP3 computer that's 8 years old and it's a 32-bit system and it can be upgraded to Windows 7 using Microsoft's upgrade site - BUT there's a disadvantage to upgrading vs. fresh install (wiping out/reformatting the primary OS drive and doing fresh install of Windows 7) With upgrading, it's like putting a brand new fuel-injected 5.0 L V-8 engine from a new Ford Mustang, into a beat-up old Ford Pinto.. the drive line and the transmission and the frame of the Pinto will not be able to handle the 420+ Horsepower and the torque of the new 5.0 engine, so you'll also have to spend money to upgrade the drive-line components, and strengthen the frame, which wouldn't make any sense on an old Ford Pinto. The same thing with older computers that are running on XP. That generation of computers and their hardware will only work with a 32-bit operating system, like XP, and upgrading to the 32-bit Windows 7 will not ensure a perfectly configured computer, and you won't be able to take advantage of Windows 7's capabilities with the hardware you have on the XP computer. Of course you could buy a new motherboard, disk drives, and whatever else you need, and install them on the old computer, but that wouldn't make any economic sense, since in most cases you'd be better off buying a brand new computer because it would cost about the same as replacing the hardware components on the old computer.
With my XP computer, which has a Pentium 4 dual-core processor and 3 GB of RAM, I am planning on erasing/reformatting the C drive completely and installing a Linux OS on it, most likely RedHat Linux.
On XP support ending and the options that are available - I have one Dell XP SP3 computer that's 8 years old and it's a 32-bit system and it can be upgraded to Windows 7 using Microsoft's upgrade site - BUT there's a disadvantage to upgrading vs. fresh install (wiping out/reformatting the primary OS drive and doing fresh install of Windows 7) With upgrading, it's like putting a brand new fuel-injected 5.0 L V-8 engine from a new Ford Mustang, into a beat-up old Ford Pinto.. the drive line and the transmission and the frame of the Pinto will not be able to handle the 420+ Horsepower and the torque of the new 5.0 engine, so you'll also have to spend money to upgrade the drive-line components, and strengthen the frame, which wouldn't make any sense on an old Ford Pinto. The same thing with older computers that are running on XP. That generation of computers and their hardware will only work with a 32-bit operating system, like XP, and upgrading to the 32-bit Windows 7 will not ensure a perfectly configured computer, and you won't be able to take advantage of Windows 7's capabilities with the hardware you have on the XP computer. Of course you could buy a new motherboard, disk drives, and whatever else you need, and install them on the old computer, but that wouldn't make any economic sense, since in most cases you'd be better off buying a brand new computer because it would cost about the same as replacing the hardware components on the old computer.
With my XP computer, which has a Pentium 4 dual-core processor and 3 GB of RAM, I am planning on erasing/reformatting the C drive completely and installing a Linux OS on it, most likely RedHat Linux.
Magnum Mike, can you please be more specific: does an UPGRADE (not clean install) preserve your currently-installed programs etc.? Despite the issues you list, I would rather do that than wipe out my hard drive and have to start anew, because I have no clue where all my program discs are.
What is "Microsoft's upgrade site"? The only page I found in doing a very quick search was a page that was clearly for a FRESH INSTALL -- they called it an "upgrade" but they're not using it the way you appeared to.
If I can "upgrade" to a new OS without having to re-install all my programs, I would be very happy -- but I didn't think that was even possible.
From XP to Win 7 upgrade, you have to do a clean install. Back up everything, find the installation CDs for your software, find and save all the needed drivers, and whatever else you want saved before doing it.
To be clear Windows7 does have a really awesome install process.
No, a CLEAN INSTALL will NOT preserve your installed programs but it DOES SAVE ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS AND PICTURES. Nice feature.
What I generally do though is backup my stuff. Let windows create the OLD WINDOWS DIRECTORY on install (where it saves your stuff) and then ONLY delete that OLD WINDOWS folder when I am sure I have everything I need.
From XP to Win 7 upgrade, you have to do a clean install. Back up everything, find the installation CDs for your software, find and save all the needed drivers, and whatever else you want saved before doing it.
That's what I thought. Magnum Mike's post sounded to me like there was a difference between an "upgrade" and a "clean install" ... so I was hoping the "upgrade" would keep my programs. Didn't really think it was possible, but I was hoping ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine
To be clear Windows7 does have a really awesome install process.
No, a CLEAN INSTALL will NOT preserve your installed programs but it DOES SAVE ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS AND PICTURES. Nice feature.
What I generally do though is backup my stuff. Let windows create the OLD WINDOWS DIRECTORY on install (where it saves your stuff) and then ONLY delete that OLD WINDOWS folder when I am sure I have everything I need.
Peregrine, you've been very helpful on this thread! But alas, the problem for me isn't the documents and pictures -- those are a cinch to transfer myself, so it's no benefit to me that a "clean install" would keep them. The problem for me is all the PROGRAMS that are on my PC (which is 5 years old, not 4 years old as I'd written earlier) -- I have no clue where most of the discs are.
I think I will just have to do what I wrote earlier ...
From XP to Win 7 upgrade, you have to do a clean install. Back up everything, find the installation CDs for your software, find and save all the needed drivers, and whatever else you want saved before doing it.
I only use Win XP because it's the original OS for my two Feb 2006 Dell E1705 laptops. I barely use my laptops, as they are only for portable moments, vacations, and car GPS. I wanted to upgrade this year to laptops with the new Nividia Maxwell card, but they are 28nm process so I will have to wait for another generation laptop, for very power efficient laptops that will have a powerful video card on a 16 to 20 nm process.
I probably get a new desktop every 3 to 4 years, but I might test Win 8.1 or just use Win 7 Prof.
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I'll have something new before the 1st. 
