What happens when Micro$oft cuts off support for Windows XP?

[k4kyv]

Specifically regarding the activation feature.  Each copy has to be "activated" by M$, in a perverted anti-piracy scheme, or it will refuse to work after a certain amount of elapsed time.  If you change out too much hardware in your computer, XP will read this as installation in a new machine and will deactivate.  It then must be reactivated by M$.  I'm not sure whether or not reinstalling XP on a replacement HDD after the original one bites the dust is enough to kill a current activation.

But M$ has announced plans to cut off technical support for XP in something like 2010 or 2011. I am wondering if that also includes the activation feature.  Will they simply open it up, allowing anyone access to the activation code regardless? (I doubt it.)  Or will they discontinue reactivating it, forcing anyone who loses their current activation to purcha$e one of their newer (and inferior) operating systems?

Or will someone develop an after market scheme to defeat or bypass the whole M$ activation process?

I understand that hackers have already figured out how to work around the activation process.  I'm surprised workarounds are not already widely and easily available over the net.  Problem is, with wildcat programs, you always run the risk of hidden malware.

[K7NCR]

Don,
I have a legitimate copy of windows XP pro, but I have used it in so many rebuilds that I could no longer activate it. I did find a "hack" on line that works FB, even allowing the machine to check activation or receive updates from M$ (I like that abrev.!). Used in several machines so far and no problems. At work (Dodge dealer), our corporate web sites and on-line catalogs will NOT work with vi$ta, so I wonder if M$ can give up on that many customers so soon?

[WB2YGF]

Changing a hard drive is not enough to kill the activation.  As a rule, it's the motherboard that is the issue.  In fact, when an OEM copy of XP is installied, it is said to be "married to the motherboard". That said, the OEM image that is preinstalled on a retail machine might not be activated by M$ at all.  I was able to activate my Gatway XP image I moved to another machine.  Now it is married to the new machine and I probably used up my one shot.

Full retail XP can be moved to other machines.  That is one reason the retail version is more than twice the price.

I would not worry about M$ disabling the activation when support ends.  What usually happens is they will no longer upgrade it, so eventually it will fall behind the times to the point you will WANT to upgrade.

[WA1GFZ]

They will keep XP going until the latest hunk of crap works

[WB2YGF]

They will keep XP going until the latest hunk of crap works

Meh... I have been using Vista since 2 weeks before it was released (almost 2 years).  Biggest issue I have is that the printer drivers are cut-down from the XP versions, but the same kind of thing seems to happen with every upgrade since Win 3.1.  The security warnings are annoying, but other than that, Vista works fine as long as you are using hardware made for it.  I paid $250 for a Gateway refurb with Vista Home Premium.  IMHO, it no longer pays to upgrade the OS in an old machine when a new machine W/ OS is that cheap.

[Opcom]

I have an old distribution that does not force me to register it and it goes into whatever the curent PC is.. I do not install service packs 1 and 2. Nothing will happen when microsoft stops supporting it. Just like nothing happened on the 2000 and 98 and 95 machines or the ms-dos machine. If I am forced by lightning, fire, or flood to have a new machine that will not run 2000 or xp, it will be linux. I'll have no further intrusion of microsoft's controlling attitudes.

[W4EWH]

IMHO, it no longer pays to upgrade the OS in an old machine when a new machine W/ OS is that cheap.

I'll put in a plug for Linux: I use Debian GNU/Linux on most of my machines here, and I don't pay anything for updates. More to the point, I can (and do) use hardware that Vista wouldn't even boot from, which I can get from just about any recycling bin in America.

Bill Gates isn't worried about where his next meal is coming from , and I don't want to have to worry about it either.

73,

Bill W1AC

[W1UJR]

Gee, never have had this problem on my Mac...no sir, not once. 


Don't say the "V" word -->> http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple/getamac/apple_getamac_vword_20081019_480x272.mov

[WB2YGF]

I'll put in a plug for Linux: I use Debian GNU/Linux on most of my machines here, and I don't pay anything for updates.

I am sure Linux is fine if you are happy with the apps and don't feel you are missing out on apps that only run on Windows.  Probably 95% of what I use would not run on Linux, and I have no desire to re-learn everything I know with substitute apps just to save a few coins.  Besides, my employment partly depends on my Windows knowledge so I need to stay current.

[N3DRB The Derb]

you buy a mac and forget bout Microsoft forever.

[Jim/WA2MER]

Once you go Mac, you'll never go back...

[ab3al]

my tern to plug linux.  I dont have ms on anything here no mo.  Mac is ok but when you get right down to it why would i pay $2000 for $800 worth of pc hardware just because it has a little apple on the front of it.  I run a business.  IT type work.  we run cabling and build small to large networks. along with anything that has to do with one way or two way satellite systems.  I got absolutely tired of the bloated crap that gates is now asking upwards of 400 bucks for.  I run fedora as my server and ubuntu on the other machines.  As far as software support  My business now has an erp-crm system up and running on the web for accounting and customer contact.  the same setup with SAP MS or Sage Was about $100,000  How much did i pay  oooooh about 4 hours of my time to set up the webserver.  For those who just cannt live without ms you can always download vmware or virtualbox and run them virtually just like the mac does.   OH and by the way  Your macs are running a custom distro of Linux.  I have yet to find a single thing that i cannto accomplish with linux.... I even run my flex sdr-1000 with it.

and yes linux actually uses both or all cores of your cpu and its a 64 bit os  MS makes you pay extra for that and they still dont totally utillize the processor until you upgrade to one of their server editions.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

OH and by the way  Your macs are running a custom distro of Linux.

BSD actually - the only OS without a remote exploit in over ten years. BSD is much more mature and battle tested than Linux.

[Mike/W8BAC]

Hi Don,

I received an early, and much needed, present this year. A Dell XPS 1530 laptop. A real hot rod. It comes with Vista installed and my first project will be to plow the 350 GB hard drive and install my licensed copy of XP Pro.

I really don't have anything against Vista other than the fact that Microsoft tailored this new Operating System to not allow use of many programs designed for XP. I am not about to go out and buy new software that will function on Vista. I'll hang on to XP for now. Fortunately others have the same ideas and have pioneered the path for drivers conversion for this new machine.

Mike

[k4kyv]

I just happened to be in an office supply chain outlet to-day, where they sell a lot of computer stuff.  External USB-2 hard drives are way down in price compared to what I paid for mine a couple of years ago.  The physical sizes are way down too.  I saw one 1000 gig unit for about $160, and it was about the size of two cell phones lying side by side.

But if I decide to purchase another external hard drive, I think I'll buy one of those empty cases with all the USB hardware supplied, designed to take any off-the-shelf internal hard drive and convert it for external use, at about a third the price of a ready-made unit.  In addition you are not paying for bloated second-rate backup software you don't need, that always seems to be bundled with factory produced external units.

[WB2YGF]

But if I decide to purchase another external hard drive, I think I'll buy one of those empty cases with all the USB hardware supplied, designed to take any off-the-shelf internal hard drive and convert it for external use, at about a third the price of a ready-made unit.  In addition you are not paying for bloated second-rate backup software you don't need, that always seems to be bundled with factory produced external units.

IMHO, the difference in price between a retail external USB drive and a roll-your-own is not that significant - definitely not 3 to 1.  A bigger delta is how good of a sale you can find. Many of the Chinese external boxes are cheaply made too. The last one I got, I had to file out the corners to fit the drive.  Just my 2c.

BTW, the state of the art these days for external drives is eSATA 1.5.  Based on the internal SATA interface.  About 3X faster than USB 2.  When eSATA 3.0 comes out it will be 6X faster than USB 2.

Ref:
http://www.sata-io.org/esata.asp