4 Ways To Hang On To XP After The Cut-off Date

They did it with 95, NT, 98, ME, and now it's the turn of XP, the great switch off. As of 30th June 2008, Microsoft is to stop supplying and offering support for Windows XP.

The news comes as a big disappointment to those of who have come to trust the system, which we have grown to love and still favor over the troublesome Microsoft Vista. Since its release, the average user has spent 8000 hours in front of their PCs connected to the Internet.

If you are not prepared to go down the path of uprading to Windows Vista, what are you options after the cut-off date other than switching to Mac OS X or Linux?

Getting Support for Windows XP Problems

In terms of getting support for the numerous technical issues that XP users come across everyday, some form of support from Microsoft will exist until at least 2014, so that gives you another six years, although the support may be more difficult to get hold of.

You may want to purchase a premium tech support service to get around this problem or purchase software to keep your registry in tact. Or you can search on tech forums as there is a good chance if you have a problem that other users will also have the same problem far easier than asking Microsoft for support

XP On Brand New Machines

If you have your heart set out for a XP after the deadline , you will still be able to purchase a machine with it preinstalled despite Microsoft's cut off date.

Retailer and PC manufacturers that have acquired unused XP licenses before the cut-off date will still be allowed to sell the operating system on new PCs.

Juggling Operating Systems

Downgrade rights are the second way for you to get your hands on a new computer with XP. If a manufacturer has downgrade rights from Microsoft, they'll be able to sell you a PC that started on Vista, but which they downgraded to XP before they sold it to you.

If this is the case, you'll be supplied with the discs for XP and it's drivers, as well as the same discs for Vista, so you can re-upgrade at a later date if you decide to. Dell have confirmed that they will make this option open to customers, but it only lasts out until January 31st next year.

'Limited Hardware Capabilities'

The final way you're going to be able to get XP is by purchasing a computer with what Microsoft refers to as having 'limited hardware capabilities,' a solution which is open until June 2010. This is basically a machine that can't handle the enormous demands of Vista, so has to run XP instead, and includes laptops with low power CPUs, and low cost desktop PCs which have slow processors, not much RAM, and no separate processor for graphics.

XP is Still Hanging On

XP still has some shelf life yet. There are still legal ways to purchase XP at least until June 2010, which is likely to be extended. Support for XP will be until 2014, allowing us enough time to get used to another operating, probably Vista's successor. Long Live XP!

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

Kay Brenner is a Faster computer expert who restores slow PCs, saving you time and money wrestling with a slow PC. To learn how to avoid computer problems, download a free PC Optimizer

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