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Topic: New Windows XP Licenses set to expire on June 30, 2008 |
Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2008 9:56 am |
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If you are thinking about building or buying a new computer with Windows XP, you should do it soon. Microsoft will end OEM and shrink-wrapped sales of Windows XP on June 30, 2008, forcing users to shift to Vista. This will not only affect individuals and small local computer shops, but big companies like Dell, who currently offer business computers with XP Professional, instead of Vista Business. Come June 30 they will no longer have this option.
If you want to avoid being forced to move up to Vista, especially if you have less than 25 business computers and need more, order your XP Pro licensed computers now. Set up terms if you have to, but don't wait for the licenses to expire and hope to find a copy after July 1, 2008.
You can also pre-order office computers with Vista Business, or Ultimate preinstalled, through a company that offers downgrade certificates, then have those computers downgraded to XP Professional. The same license codes will apply to XP, as would have applied to Vista. See this article for more details.
For technical support and Windows Updates, Microsoft will end mainstream support for XP on April 14, 2009, for most editions, and it will end extended support on April 8, 2014 for most editions. This will leave most consumers without critical patches and updates, after that date, because extended support is not available for consumer licenses.
While all deadlines are subject to change, don't assume this will happen with XP.
If you are using XP Professional, in a busineess environment and are willing to allow Vista computers into your network, purchase Vista Business Edition, not a consumer version (or you're asking for trouble). However, if you need DVD audio or video playback support, you will have to add that on with a third party (commercial or freeware) application, as DVD multi-media support doesn't come with Vista Business or Enterprise.
Let the games begin!
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog
Last edited by Wiz Feinberg on 29 Feb 2008 1:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Phil Halton
From:
Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2008 10:54 am Re: Windows XP Licenses set to expire on June 30, 2008
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Wiz,
Would a copy of Windows XP Home bought before this deadline, and then installed at some point after the deadline activate and operate OK? How about Critical patches and hotfixes etc-would one be able to get those upon installation through Microsoft? Or, would they be contained on the purchased copy's discs? I Use XP home for audio work and keep the machine off-line, so I don't really need the security patches-just the operational type patches. I guess I'm looking for a sort of insurance policy for my DAW's operating system. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2008 1:07 pm
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Phil;
XP Home Edition is a consumer product, therefore, it will cease being actively supported on April 14, 2009. After that time there will be no further improvements, patches or updates released via Windows Update Service. The version last released to manufacturing was XP with SP-2. The CD's now available for purchase also contain SP-2, which is several years old and don't have most of the available updates. Even if you purchase an XP CD on the last day, and install it later, it will still not have most of the already released updates. You would have to go online and download them while you can.
Yes, if the CD has a valid Product Key, on a Hologram sticker, you can validate it after the deadline. But, be sure you buy it from a licensed Microsoft distributor (not on eBay), or you may become a victim of a counterfeiter with a hi-tech label printer. Tiger Direct has decent prices right now on XP Home, Media Center and Professional OEM CDs.
However, since you are not using this computer on the Internet and everything is already functioning properly, you probably need not worry about the lack of support from Microsoft. I say probably, because I can't foretell if you will purchase a program, or update one you already have on that computer and that update may require a newer Windows Update level than is on your computer. This is not really too likely, but XP Service Pack 3 is about to be released. This will probably be the final service pack for Windows XP.
You might want to contact the manufacturers of any software you are now, or may soon be using and see what they suggest regarding XP updates. It is even possible that SP-3 may break some already perfectly working applications, so ask them before installing SP-3.
If you haven't been keeping up with the monthly Windows Updates cycle, you should do so before too long, just in case you need to access the 'net to get an update to your recording program. Be sure you have the Windows Firewall turned on before connecting to any kind of modem, or else stay on your NAT router's LAN connection to obtain updates. Only open your Internet Explorer browser to the Windows Updates site and only download critical patches, rebooting and repeating the process until there are no more updates available.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 2 Mar 2008 11:49 am
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What is the difference in the Home, Media Center and pro editions of Xp. I have a Dell with Media Center, and a Sony with home edition. Both are having operating system problems and I need to re-install XP. Both computers come with their own specialized recovery disks. Would it be avantageous to purchase Xp pro or one of the others? My Dell is basically used for music apps, while the Sony is for other stuff.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 3 Mar 2008 4:35 am
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The "Pro" version has additional security options and Administrator type options. For home users it's not really needed. The Media Center edition is basically XP Pro but without some of the options that would be needed in a commercial network type environment.
I had XP home that came with a new Gateway I bought shortly after XP came out. I was given a Gateway XP Pro update CD and installed it. For my uses, I saw no difference between Home and Pro. |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 3 Mar 2008 4:47 am
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[list=]Windows XP Home Edition
* Contains basic support for security among multiple users.
* Built-in support for peer-to-peer networking, but only for up to five computers.
* The backup utlity is not installed by default, but is included on the CD.
Windows XP Professional Edition
* Includes extended support for security between multiple users on the same machine.
* Better support for peer-to-peer networking, plus support for joining a "Windows NT domain."
* The backup utlity is installed by default.
* The Professional edition includes the following components not found in the Home edition:
o Administrative Tools (in the Start Menu and Control Panel)
o Automated System Recovery (ASR)
o Boot Configuration Manager
o DriverQuery
o Group Policy Refresh Utility
o Multi-lingual User Interface (MUI) add-on
o NTFS Encryption Utilitiy
o Offline Files and Folders
o OpenFiles
o Performance Log Manager
o Remote Desktop
o Scheduled Tasks Console
o Security Template Utility
o Taskkill
o Tasklist
o Telnet Administrator
* Provides support for multi-processor systems (2 or 4 CPUs), Dynamic Disks, Fax. [/list] |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 3 Mar 2008 6:16 pm
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Thanks guys. Sounds like I am safe just using my recovery disks as long as I get all the updates that Microsoft put out (which I do keep current on).
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 4 Mar 2008 11:13 pm
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| Wiz ??????????????????????? does this mean we won't be getting those Windows updates you so wonderfully tell us about? |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 5 Mar 2008 3:20 am
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| They will still support XP, for a certain period, just you won't be able to buy new (legal) copies of XP anymore. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2008 10:21 am
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| George Redmon wrote: |
| Wiz ??????????????????????? does this mean we won't be getting those Windows updates you so wonderfully tell us about? |
George;
According to Microsoft, in its current stance on the subject, this is when Windows Updates will end for XP customers:
| Quote: |
| For technical support and Windows Updates, Microsoft will end mainstream support for XP on April 14, 2009, for most editions, and it will end extended support on April 8, 2014 for most editions. This will leave most consumers without critical patches and updates, after that date, because extended support is not available for consumer licenses. |
There is a good explanation of how Microsoft defines mainstream and extended support on their Lifecycle FAQ's page. This is of huge importance to owners of consumer lines of Windows OS's.
At some point, Microsoft will stop supporting XP, which means no new patches and security updates. When will that be?
| Quote: |
| That depends on what you mean by the word "support" and which version of XP you're using. Microsoft has two kinds of support for operating systems: mainstream and extended. Mainstream support means that Microsoft sends out security updates and non-security hotfixes, adds new features, and offers paid telephone support. |
Let's see what Microsoft has to say about its plans for ending mainstream support for Windows XP. To do this you need to visit the XP Lifecycle page, find your version of XP, on the list, in the left table cell, then look at the end dates to the right, for various support option end dates. For Windows XP Home Edition, Media Center, Tablet and Professional, the end of mainstream support is clearly stated as occurring on 4/14/2009. Extended support will end on 4/8/2014.
Microsoft clearly states this, on their LifeCycle FAQ's page:
| Quote: |
| * Extended Support is not offered for Consumer, Hardware, or Multimedia products. |
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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