Applies To: Everyone, especially if you know someone with XP…
How excited I was when we got a new computer. My Granddad used to own a Windows 3.1 computer which I was fascinated with. Then we got a new computer with Windows XP on (in 2001), and I could not wait to give it a try.
Ahh Windows XP my old friend. I am so sorry but it is time to say goodbye. But first, one last memory…
The blue sky and green rolling hills along with this new fangled “Start Menu” thing all added to something none of us had ever seen before. A nice looking user interface…
But as with Windows 3.1 (and soon Windows Vista. Support for Vista will end in April 2017), it is now time to say goodbye to Windows XP.
Time to say goodbye
Here are my top 3 reasons we should help friends and family move away from XP (or at the very least disconnect it from the internet)
- No amount of virus scanners / firewalls can keep Windows XP Safe online…
- …Because it has not had security updates for 2 years. This can mean that attackers could be using your XP machine without you or the virus scanner knowing.
- Many programs and even websites (including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, some banking websites and one you may have heard of pcinnercircle.co.uk) do not work or are not updated on XP.
If you have friends or family members still using XP you can help spread the word, and as you are an Inner Circle member we can help you help them to move away from XP.
Goodbye XP TV Advert
This is the best advert I have seen for a long time. I have no idea what they are saying, but still, I really enjoyed it.
Stay safe
Mike π
March 1, 2017 at 4:34 pm
thanks for your reply.it looks like a refurbished one for me.there is an outlet some 15 miles from here with a good reputation,i’ll see what they have.
thanks again.
Len Dixon
February 27, 2017 at 2:26 pm
We have a Windows Vista lap top and have been told that to update is not viable and that it would be wiser to get a new or refurbished one!
What is the consensus?
Surely if our computer were updated it would be classified as ‘refurbished’.
February 28, 2017 at 9:35 am
Hello
I’m afraid that from April this year Windows Vista will no longer be safe to use on the internet, you can read more about that here https://www.pcinnercircle.co.uk/index.php/2017/01/this-is-for-your-friend-if-they-use-windows-vista/
It sounds like someone has looked at your laptop and decided it can’t be updated. This means you likely need to buy a new computer or a refurbished computer. A refurbished one means it has been fully reset and tested by a computer shop, they generally come with a warranty of some kind and are often cheaper than a brand new one. The laptop I use at work and my mobile phone are both refurbished devices. My Laptop at work is from this company https://www.europc.co.uk/ who mainly specialise in refurbished Dell products.
Let me know your thoughts!
Mike π
December 10, 2016 at 5:53 pm
Hi Mike, been reading your musing on XP. I’m a long term lover of that system and like Win 3.1 as well. Now I’m a lover of Win10 (or will be when I gets to grips with more bits as I find them). I still use my DTop Dell Dimension 5150 which has never failed me, heeded all the warnings and not connected to the Internet, for my hundreds of yearly folders of my photos. However, your musing that there might be viral issues unknown to us. I “full” scanned with Kaspersky and Malware, Spybot etc. before removing my connection but I do use dongles between my computers including the XP (I often scan the dongles before moving files over) so do I have a risk of infection? my upgraded laptop from Win7 and new DeskTop have Win10 home installed and I’m still with Kaspersky. Thanks
December 12, 2016 at 3:47 pm
Hello
I think using USB dongles to move files between computers is fine, especially as you use anti-virus. As I think I said in my XP post, using a windows XP machine is fine, as long as it is not connected to the internet.
I would encourage you to make sure you have a full backup of all your files from all the computers, an External Hard drive might be a good option, ot maybe an online storage like Google Docs or One Drive from Microsoft?
Happy to hear you don’t have XP connected to the internet
Mike π
November 28, 2016 at 4:07 pm
I use Outlook for one of my email addresses and have recently started receiving some messages headed Red category. Just what is this all about and what am I supposed to do?
November 29, 2016 at 9:25 am
Hi Mike
I think this is just a way to categorise emails. I don’t think it means anything about the emails. It is strange they are coming in marked as Red? Unless it is a red Exclamation mark? Exclamation marks mean the email was sent as “High Priority”, but again there is nothing is really do about this.
If you want to send a screen shot of it if it sounds like something different to what I have explained then please do.
Hope this helps
Mike
November 29, 2016 at 10:19 am
Mike,
Thank for your reply. I am familiar with red exclamation marks, but this is a red band across the top of the message bearing the words Red Category.
May be just another techie mystery!
Mike
November 30, 2016 at 9:16 am
Hummm how odd that it is just adding this on it’s own.
I don’t think it affects anything so you can either remove the category (I forget how) or just ignore it!
This page explains how to remove the category
https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/Delete-a-color-category-c4b7b146-9e05-4728-99d8-a4fc88edd2e1
Mike π
November 2, 2016 at 9:32 am
Tim has written a newsletter on this very subject which you can read over on our Helpful Books website here:
http://www.helpfulbooks.co.uk/emailnewsletter/uncategorized/windows-xp-zombies-and-tablets-vs-phones/
Mike π
October 28, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Hi Mike
I really enjoyed your farewell to XP. I still use mine almost daily – not connected to the internet, of course – as it is better for my hobby, creating virtual model buildings for a railway simulation program. I am looking at new W10 desktops to replace my old friend , but want to ensure that I can carry on using my 3D modelling program before committing hard cash!
Your farewell set me thinking about my very first computer – a Radio Shack Tandy TRS80 level 2 bought in 1980. The level 2 had 16k of RAM (this is not a typing error!), all work had to be saved on the (supplied) cassette tape recorder, and the package included a tutorial book on programming using BASIC. With this, my wife and I learned computer programming (of a sort) including simple word processing and a simple spreadsheet. How different from Windos 10! But I see they are still offered on EBay for over Β£200.
Ray W
October 29, 2016 at 10:07 am
Hi Ray
Ahh what a nice memory! I also did some programming in BASIC once π good times. How far computers have come since then!
Could you try installing your simulator on the W10 computer you have? If you let me know the name of the program I could take a look and see if anyone else has had a go at making it work.
Glad you enjoyed my post.
Mike π