Forum Discussion
Horizon170 wrote:
Nice read-------------I would like to try Linux on an old laptop that has a faulty CD /DVR drive. Where do I get information as to how this is done?
I got hooked up with the local Phoenix user group through a Windows PC club. I went to some of their "install fests". A very welcoming and helpful group. They had all the software you could ever want and helped me install a simplified version on my lap top.
I'm sure there are many other groups like them around the country. Give Google a try.- Another alternative for those who want or need to use an existing WIN XP PC in the meantime, is to consider running a sandboxed environment that isolates your system from the Net.
A easy way of doing so is installing the Free Comodo Firewall, which includes a full sandboxed mode option called Virtual Desktop(VD) with just one click. You can surf the Net, download files, and install/run unfamiliar programs in an isolated environment that does not make any permanent changes to WIN XP. Once you determine that a program is safe, you can transfer the file to a folder called "Shared Space" that acts as a buffer between the Virtual Desktop and your system. Then reinstall the program. You can easily switch back and forth between sandboxed Virtual Mode and your WIN XP desktop with one click.
Though still protected by your AV software, if your system is ever compromised by malware or unwanted adaware or hijacks, just reset the Sandbox which clears all existing data with one click, and start fresh.
In fact, current WIN XP users may want to consider using a combo of Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, which offers much better protection than MSE while lighter on resources(source), Comodo Firewall w/Virtual Mode, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free, Zemana AntiLogger Free, and either Firefox or Chrome browsers. All available at no cost. thgoodman wrote:
powderman426 wrote:
Or you could load Linux for free and enjoy real computing.
First, let me state my bias. I have one PC running Windows XP and one PC running Linux. I love the Linux OS, mainly because it is so much faster than Windows. That said, I do not recommend a Linux install for the technically faint-of-heart.
You need to understand that Linux is almost like a religion to those who support it. Ask a question of a Linux guru and it will be answered fully and with fervor. Ask if its difficult to install and they will tell you "no problem", "piece of cake", etc. Mine took about 15min to install the operation system and all day to install all the drivers and other support apps. Also, some hardware is not supported, the existing wifi card in my case.
I am very happy with my Linux install. It runs very fast on a very old laptop and doesn't get viruses or other mal-ware. I installed mine by attending a Linux user group "install fest" here in Phoenix. If you can find a user group near you, you may want to explore Linux. If there is no user group near by, I'd recommend giving it a pass. Some people are just meant to be Windows users.
I will eventually migrate to a newer version of windows but there will be drag marks in the sand behind me.
Nice read-------------I would like to try Linux on an old laptop that has a faulty CD /DVR drive. Where do I get information as to how this is done?Chris Bryant wrote:
The coolest thing, IMHO, is taking the hard drive out of the XP computer and running it as a virtual machine- not really easy, but possible. ( note the disclaimer). Easy to take a snapshot of the whole thing for backup, no need for installation, activation, etc.
Actually, this is what I did when upgrading to WIN 7 from WIN XP. I created a full image backup of WIN XP, saved in a format compatible with existing VM software. So can run my old WIN XP, with all programs in tact, in WIN 7 using VM.- After 13 years, I finally understand what "XP" stands for.
Windows eXPired. - I am on an old toshiba, XP, Avast free and on the internet. I also have Ubuntu on another HDD I move around. My wife uses a hp laptop that came with win7 and after malware, updates and all the problems I installed ubuntu with firefox as a browser. She does all her stuff on it, ordering, pays bills, facebook/farmville, we share a netprinter and some files via the in house network.
I will eventually have a problem on the XP machine, who knows. - I have some old apps that I run in a Hyper-V virtual machine on XP... I also use XP for a dedicated Web browsing VM (if it gets infected, I can restore to a previous snapshot.)
I personally run Windows 8.1 (technically Windows Server 2012 R2) on the desktop because it has some nice security features. However, this is opinion, and likely would be annoying for others. - I am not sure how whoever wrote the article about running XP on Win 8 with XP Mode is figuring on getting XP into the system to run with XP mode - unless one has a full install XP disk. The editions of Win 7 that came with XP Mode included XP Sp3 on the Win 7 install. What MS was providing for download activated the install and installed the Virtual Machine. There are several free Virtual Machines and all will run XP and most should run on Win 8. But why go for Win 8 just to run XP. Run it just like you always have. Run a good firewall and antivirus/malware software along with it and you will be just fine.
We have several laptops and one desktop running XP and one Desktop running XP mode on Win 7 for software that does not run on 7 - and there are no updates to that software and it is required for business. All are connected to the internet. Not a problem. - Support ending for XP is a non-issue. If you still need it it will still work.
I have a vital application that won't run on even XP.
And I keep an ancient IPM thinkpad running windows 2000 just for this app.
After all these years it still runs fine. - The coolest thing, IMHO, is taking the hard drive out of the XP computer and running it as a virtual machine- not really easy, but possible. ( note the disclaimer). Easy to take a snapshot of the whole thing for backup, no need for installation, activation, etc.
