Want to Keep my XP desktop

What is everyone doing about their XP machines in view to MS mp longer supporting it after 2014?

I love my machine and it is set with all the programs I want and need. I intend to keep using it......but I would not feel safe using it to go online. Thought I might get a Netbook, if they still are making them and use that for online exclusively. Any suggestions?

 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with mine. I may sell it.

 

Got 4 of them that the grandkids use. Will keep on trucking with them till they blow up. Did the same thing with Win 98 and never had a problem.

 

Microsoft security research paints bleak picture for XP users

 

I am slowly retiring XP. If the systems I have on hand can't run Windows 7 and newer versions of Windows then those systems will be loaded with some flavor of Linux or go to the recyclers.

 

I stopped accepting the MS updates to XP a bit less than two years ago. My take is similar to others on this group, that the bad guys will be so concentrated on trying to hack major companies who have upgraded every time a new version came along, that their interest in small individual users with archaic systems will have evaporated. I don't think we small-time users of XP will be at much risk.

In my case, having had XP since I bought my current desktop several years ago, I might consider an upgrade to Win7. The Windows 7 evaluator seems to consider my elderly system has enough grunt to do the job. I'd just have to update a couple of programs (Quicken, for example) to be compatible.

Until a couple of weeks ago, I'd have had a problem, since I didn't think my wife's ASUS net-book, also running XP, would have fared so well on W7. She solved my dilemma by giving the box a 10-hour bath in a half-glass of Pinot Grigio while it was powered up. Our Apple-based grand-kids had already given her an iPad, so when the net-book went to the happy hunting ground, she decided to master the iPad.

As someone with over 20 years of MS experience (starting with Win 3.0) and other computer experience going back to 1966 on an Elliot 802, using ALGOL to solve engineering problems, I'm finding Apple to be a whole different environment. DW is not impressed when I can't answer her questions.

 

Just got rid of 4 XP comps and CRT monitors to our local Salvation Army store. Less cost to me than disposing of environmentally. The trouble with this electronic gear is the "E Waste" problem.
I'll wait till the wife runs into trouble with her XP as she runs away when I suggest W7 or W8 or Smartphones. Neil.

 

What's the best way to dispose of old harddrives that work no more? Use a drill and then dump it in the trash?

 

Seen where people have opened them up and then poured salt on the platter and then wet the salt. Or just open it up, make a tinfoil bowl and then put water in it enough to cover the whole HD and then pour the salt on top of the platter.

 

If you're going to open it up, the platter is what you need to destroy. Fire, acid, break into small bits - your choice. Neil.

 

Tony,
I have your HD procedure on my favorites bar and I plan to poll my e-mail contacts to start soliciting hard drives.

 

I have hard drives going back to my old Win95, Pentium (P5) Gateway computer. Those old WD 2GB drives still pass Smart and contain data that I was interested in back then. Some day I may tranfer some of the data to a new drive just to reminisce where my head was in the "old days ".

 

Do drives need to be recycled? (do they have toxic parts?)

I was at a scrapyard recently looking for riding mower parts, and I saw a stack of old computers on site (crushed, I think). Wonder if there are any valuable metals in PCs?

 

Yes there are precious metals inside - but to recover them - you ship to a Third world country and the locals are paid peanuts to take them apart. Along with all the associated risks of contamination etc.
Why do you think they charge us $25 to dispose of at the local rubbish dump?
We try and wait for a FREE "E-DAY" when you can dispose of your electronic gear at minimum cost (trip in car). Neil.

 

I saw an article on that a while back, and the ignorant workers were suffering from various ailments due to toxicity (from harddrives I reckon).

Even computer parts from the US government (with sensitive data) were showing up on site.

 

Those viruses on hard drives can be deadly.

 

Ann,

Back to your original question:

A lot of good information has been posted in your thread. I hope you were able to get enough to let you make your decision as to using a Netbook for the internet and keeping your XP machine for offline use. Sounds like a reasonable approach to me. I always feel comfortable having more than one machine available to use should the unthinkable ever happen.

One school of thought would lead you to believe that XP machines are a disaster waiting to happen in May 2014. Another is that, properly maintained and protected, XP machines should serve one well for several more years - who knows for sure? Remember Y2K (Year2000)? Computer failures were supposed to end the world as we knew it - a few hiccups but nothing too serious.

I have/had 3 XP machines - two desktops and one laptop. I recently replaced the two desktops with Windows 7 machines and am quite happy in the two months I have had them. I was prompted to replace them due to the end of support in April 2014 but my main concern was to keep abreast of current technology - notwithstanding Windows 8 and 8.1.