So no extnension? XP is dead end of this month?

Is it really true? Sale of XP (from MS at least) is over end of this month? No extension?

That's too bad. As hard as I try to like, appreciate, and use Vista, I just can't do it. I keep running back to XP....

 

Extended til 2010 (because of the EEEPC)

 

Turn off Aero.
Turn off Windows search.
Turn off Sidebar.
Turn off Defender.
Turn off automated defrag.
Turn off UAC.
Turn off automated solution checking (problem reports & solutions).
Turn off Superfetch.
Turn off the extra "panes" in Explorer (nav. pane, details pane)
In Control Panel, select "Classic View".

Rename folders and objects to put "My" in front of it... Computer -> My Computer; Documents -> My Documents... etc.

Don't use any of the new built-in apps: Calendar, Contacts, Photo Gallery, Snipping Tool, the new bundled games.

You'll almost forget you ever left XP.


Anyways, machines that come with Vista Business and Ultimate will still come with XP downgrade rights... and I think I might've heard somewhere that they'll still be selling System-builder OEM copies of XP after the June 30 deadline... not really sure about that one though.

 

Lol, this sounds almost sarcastic. The best thing about XP is you don't have to turn much crap off, just some services. XP will always run better than Vista. I remember when Microsoft used to go on about how XP was the best thing ever, now they're bashing it with Vista lol. Anyways, I don't want this to be a flamewar, so read my last post.

 

Yeah but that extension is only for those cheap mini-pcs... so you have to actually buy an EEE or whatever to get the copy of XP that's preloaded.

Sales of the retail boxed copies of XP and also the pre-installed XP for normal PCs really are ending on June 30.

Noooooooo...

 

Meh, I think people have a better chance of a life without error with no support for XP than support on Vista.

 

Vista Home Basic is almost XP..

 

No, don't. A big no no. Superfetch is probably THE most performance enhancnig feature in Vista.

 

Yes, leave Superfetch there!

And trust me, with a little tweaking, Vista can make you forget about XP permanently.
Read my guide and follow the links...

 

As most people around here know, I have been quick to put down vista and run back to XP many times.

I did a clean install of vista yesterday and after a few small tweaks (turned of system restore being the biggest tweak) I am pretty happy with it now.

I see no performance difference now between XP SP3 Home and Vista Premium SP1. My system is running it like a breeze. Not the most powerful system either. AMD Dual Core processor, 2 gig of ram, and a integrated video card is running vista very smoothly.

 

Just make an effort and embrace the new techology, Vista is 22.5 times better than XP especially when it comes to deal setting up a home network, XP is very complicated, Vista is almost seamless installation.

 

i thought it was 23.7459 times better myself.

 

Vostro Guy, can you tell me what tweaks you did?

 

How is it complicated? I just plugged in all my PC's, printers, and storage into my router, map a few drives, and done in no time. Never been a hassle for me.

Also, I have tried to "embrace" it on many occasions. But every time I go to update drivers or install new software,or god forbid, add new hardware, there is *always* an issue that I have to struggle through. I just don't have the time to fuss with it.

Two caveats that really piss me off, which are items I use all the time, may be a minor thing to some, but major to me. Show me how to resolve this I might go back and give it another go:

- How do I move all the folders in the Start menu and Windows Explorer to the TOP instead of the BOTTOM?
- How do I get Windows Explorer to work like XP style? I just do not find the Vista Explorer that efficient for me.

Also, boot time is three times longer than XP, and the hard drive won't stop spinning during the whole time I'm using the PC (see desktop in my sig). Disk access seems much more slow and my fans seem to run harder, with CPU/GPU temps running higher when compared with XP.

 

I guess my calculator isn't work well, perhaps is also using XP

 

How do I move all the folders in the Start menu and Windows Explorer to the TOP instead of the BOTTOM?

Grab them with the mouse and drop them where you want.

- How do I get Windows Explorer to work like XP style? I just do not find the Vista Explorer that efficient for me.

Follow the directions of swarmer.


Also, boot time is three times longer than XP, and the hard drive won't stop spinning during the whole time I'm using the PC (see desktop in my sig). Disk access seems much more slow and my fans seem to run harder, with CPU/GPU temps running higher when compared with XP

Follow the tweak sticky at the top of this forum.

 

Hmm, let's see:

Security Support (aka Extended Support) Ends:

• XP, Home, Media Center, and Professional editions - April 2014
• _Vista, Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate editions - April 2012
• _Vista, Business and Enterprise editions - April 2017

Pricing:

• XP Pro, full retail - $299
• XP Home, full retail - $199
• _Vista Home Basic, full retail - $199
• _Vista Home Premium, full retail - $239
• _Vista Ultimate, full retail - $319
• _Vista Business, full retail - $299
• _Vista Enterprise, full retail - $441 (tho' I'm not too sure on this one)

So, go _Vista, pay more, get less (security, that is).

 

Almost, till you try to play some older games. :cry:

 

If you're still using XP past 2012, there is definitely something very, very wrong with you.

 

LOL... I agree... I wasn't listing things that I recommend doing... and they're certainly not things that I do... I was listing things that would make Vista more like XP.

 

Vista 2012 isn't extended AFAIK. XP is entering extended at the endo f this month....no?

 

Yes, it's true. At the end of the month, every single XP machine will ABSOLUTELY STOP FUNCTIONING. That's right. They will stop, dead. All the business machines, all the point-of-sale machines, all those machines on trader's desks at the stock exchange, all the doctor's office desk machines.. DEAD STOP. 100% CEASE OF FUNCTION. They should have bought Vista while they had the chance.

OK, sarcasm off.

First off, let me fill you in on a little secret: Your operating system doesn't stop working simply because the company that makes it stops making it. So even in the absolute worst case scenario, the OS keeps running. I have virtual machines of operating systems that were out of style before some people here were out of diapers. They still run fine.

Second, XP will be supported into the indefinite future. How do I know this? Because if you install Windows 2000 today, on June 9th, 2008, NINE YEARS after the OS first came out, guess what? Windows Update will offer you updates. They will get you up to SP4, and they will get you all the updates after that. This includes relatively recent updates, including the most recent Malicious Software Removal tool (May 2008). This is an OS that by all accounts doesn't need to be in use anymore, but companies still use it, so MS still has updates for it. XP will not be going anywhere anytime soon, so security support for it will continue into the foreseeable future.

Will they release revolutionary new technology for XP to make it magically more wonderful than it is now? Well, they got IE8 coming out later this year. Otherwise, SP3 filled in the few "corporate demands" gaps that were left, and XP is fairly set in stone at this point. It's switching to auto-pilot, and you'll have nothing to be excited about except Patch Tuesdays.

 

Mentioning again that MS's own site says all of these dates are subject to change, and as someone who has used MS products for many years, I can tell you those dates DO change. They are arbitrary, and are more of hypothetical forecasts than anything else.

As I also said, Windows 2000 hasn't stopped getting security updates yet after almost nine years. Yes they supposedly stopped supporting it several times over the years.

 

you tell em S.SubZero!

can you still get updates for windows 98? that would be kind of interesting.

 

You'd think Win98 support stopped ages ago.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

July 11th 2006 was the last support day for Win98. Not as long ago as some people think.

 

Woohoo!!!!

 

We all understood you well, actually yours suggestions are short, there are many, many other features to be removed to make it look AND work like XP.

The question is, would you remove the motor from a BMW and put it in a Ford because you know how to drive the Ford better?

 

i actually have a Ferrari Enzo. i took out the engine and replaced it with one from a ford focus. runs like butter now!

 

It isn't dead. It just isn't supported anymore. So don't be expecting any service packs.

 

I have tried tons of tweaks. Nothing has worked. Even after disabling EVERYTHING; tasks, windows, boot time, is considerably slower.

 

I know it won't stop functioning, I'm not an idiot. But I'm thinking towards future PC's. I build PC's for friends, family, and co-workers. Many of them want basic functionality and already several have specifically stated they do not want Vista. But XP will be markedly scarce to acquire (legally) in the near future.

I don't understand all the hoopla behind Vista anyhow. Nobody has been able to indicate one single thing that Vista provides better than what XP can already provide, or could provide if MS decided to support it. It's not like Vista is 64-bit only. I could see that as a deciding factor, and scratch my head to this day why they didn't do this?

Vista is a resource hogging OS with a pretty face. That is the only difference I can tell.

 

So you compare Vista with a BMW and XP with a Ford? I see Vista as a Ford with a fresh coat of sparkle paint and and engine that's barely seen the road. It's somewhat more flashy on the surface, but it sure ain't a smooth, quiet, and trouble free ride.

 

Ok, I see I might have used the wrong analogy, XP is like the Penguins and Vista is The Wings.

 

Precisely!

To use a "motorsport" analogy, if we assume that this is XP:



Then _Vista is this:



Or, possibly, just this:

 

Or this ;

 

Or this:

 

Nice, BYAAAGGGGHHHHHH

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Just 'cause I'm so in love with my own wit (it's a very monogamous relationship ):

 

XP EXTENSION IS FOR NEXT SUMMER, AND HERE IS ITS NEW SHAPE; DON'T MISS OUT!

 

LOL

Well, thank you, Wirelessman. My pink Yugo is no longer the silliest looking car ever!

 

My question is, how do the people get in the there?????

Now with regards the XP extension, I'm surprised to see so many opinions on it, some say next year, other 2012, etc... What a mess.

 

What "extension" are you referring to?

 

If all they want is basic functionality, give them Linux. Web, mail, youtube videos, and a solitaire game. Basic functionality. They will never want more, so this is good enough. It's also free. Of course, to intentionally build a very limited basic system may be tricky, as processors with less than two cores, and 256MB DIMMs are going to become rare and probably cost more than much more functional parts. But if these people want to spend extra money to get less functionality, more power to 'em.

This has been the case since Windows first has a GUI 20 years ago. Windows in 2008, at it's most basic level, has absolutely *NOTHING* that Windows didn't have in 1988. Nothing. They have windows, and buttons to close/minimize/maximize them. Everything else is just fluff that is in the way. Graphics acceleration, network access, gaming APIs, all this is nonsense that just blocks the use of windows and the buttons on them.

I know, I got a little crazy. But this is your argument on a certain level. If you widdle it down, you get back to ancient times computer-wise. We don't want to do that, but at the same time the reason you use Windows XP, and not Windows 2.0 (or Linux, or Mac OS X, or OS/2, or FreeBSD, or ...), is because you have found XP to be the OS that does the things you want to do and does those things in a way you are comfortable with.

I use Vista x64 first off because it's 64-bit. XP64 qualifies here too, and I do use that on my desktop currently. RAM is cheap and there's not much reason to skimp. The price difference between 2GB and 4GB is negligible, and even 8GB is not some distant expensive fantasy thing.

I use Vista x64 secondly because it's pleasing to look at. I like Aero. I like the icons, and the presentation, the glassy look, and the sounds (especially the Pearl sound scheme from Ultimate). It feels like it was designed for today's computers, not computers from 2000 when 3DFx still made video cards and ATI was it's own company and socket 423 P4s were cool.

People have issues with the RAM usage. Heck, *I* have problems with the RAM usage. However, Vista is hardly unique here. I'm typing this post on a Macbook Pro, in OS X 10.5.3. OS X 10.5.3, running Safari and an IRC client, is using 1.16GB of RAM. Their disk space footprints are similar also.

One other thing to consider is that this trend isn't going to change. Nobody is going to suddenly make Windows 7 have a 100MB footprint again. That day has passed.

 

Im guessing we will see home support leaving the os somtime in 2009 while buisness support continuing untill 2012

 

NOOOOO!

I have been a WINGS fan for 20 years (hence my name HTWingNut = Hockey Town Wing Nut). I hardly equate Vista to the Red Wings.

 

Some said tweaking Vista will make you forget XP. You know what it's made me forget Vista.

I've decided to bail on Vista and upgrade to XP. My laptop runs much cooler, I don't have to turn off services just to make it run like XP when I can run XP.

And sorry to spoil the party but Superfetch is nothing more than a Vista feature to cover up Vista's inefficiencies, The OS feels bloated because it is bloated. The initial overhead of an XP install is roughly 3 GB with a pagefile, while Vista is around 11-12GB. My games still run faster in XP with better FPS and I disregard Vista to XP benchmark comparisons because they don't match what I see on the screen while playing games. Some of my older games still refuse to run in Vista.

Vista has gotten a bad rap and deservedly so. Most people will not upgrade their PC's just to run Vista in an acceptable way when their XP machines still runs fine.

My brother who knows very little about computers wants nothing to do with Vista and it's partly due to word of mouth. A good friend of mine who runs a business and is computer savvy wants nothing to do with Vista either and is more than satisfied to run XP as long as he can. He's also seriously considering Ubuntu as his next OS.

I've used Vista enough where I can get past the interface as I can pretty much duplicate it with XP and some freeware. After switching back to XP I not only realize how good XP still is but how annoying Vista is at times. Sure we can turn stuff off to make it like XP. Well I decided that imitation is the best form of flattery and went back to XP and i'm also considering Ubuntu as a future option as well.

 

Vista is big because it has a lot of stuff. Not all of it seems justified, but it's there. Some of the disk space is taken simply by demo videos. There's a "recorded TV" demo folder that's a few hundred megs. Media Center has over 100MB taken just by sample videos.

I think instead of disregarding those benchmarks, you should consider the idea that something is amiss with your Vista setup, or maybe your specs don't cry out for Vista. What games do you have that don't work?

Not if you're upset about gaming benchmarks you're not. Ubuntu gets a whopping 0fps in most Windows games, since it can't run them.

 

What is Superfetch and what exactly does it do to enhance performance?

 

It's a caching mechanism. It's supposed to keep track of things the user loads and try to retain those things in RAM for periods of time, and uses things like time of day and tracking of when apps are used to try to predict what to cache for future use. It is a fancy extension of the pre-caching Windows has had for years.

I don't find it provides any noticeable performance increase for me, but my hardware is fairly high-end so it's not like anything takes long to load anyway.

 

Hahahaha, ok, Vista is not the Wings, but close.