Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Fury on July 11, 2006, 07:04:29 am

Title: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Fury on July 11, 2006, 07:04:29 am
End of support for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows XP Service Pack 1 (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx)
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: aldo_14 on July 11, 2006, 07:31:41 am
Windows had support?
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Mefustae on July 11, 2006, 09:00:51 am
Wait a minute, i'm going to have to upgrade to SP2?! F*** that s***!
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: IceFire on July 11, 2006, 09:01:31 am
See ya!

Whats wrong with SP2?  Its the best WinXP variation out there...
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Mefustae on July 11, 2006, 09:02:36 am
I've heard upgrading without a fresh windows install balls up one's system.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Grug on July 11, 2006, 09:03:59 am
Doesn't that mean that you can download it for free after they end support?
Or effectively, they don't care - don't sell it any more etc?
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: aldo_14 on July 11, 2006, 09:09:40 am
Doesn't that mean that you can download it for free after they end support?
Or effectively, they don't care - don't sell it any more etc?

No, it means they come round to your house and hit you with a big stick until you pre-order Vista (replete with new PC).

For business users, they replace the stick beating by walking round the office with dog-doo on a stick, pointing it at people and going 'nyeeeah'.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Grug on July 11, 2006, 09:18:12 am
LoL I see...
I'll be sure to wear a helmet when I next answer the door...
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Turnsky on July 11, 2006, 09:28:18 am
See ya!

Whats wrong with SP2?  Its the best WinXP variation out there...

no complaints here.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: CmdKewin on July 11, 2006, 09:32:35 am
I've heard upgrading without a fresh windows install balls up one's system.

You won't know until you try it. Just make sure to backup important data (as you should already do anyways).
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: CmdKewin on July 11, 2006, 09:33:32 am
I've heard upgrading without a fresh windows install balls up one's system.

Never had any problems in doing that. But as Computers are far from an exact science, you won't know until you try it. Just make sure to backup important data (as you should already do anyways).
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: CP5670 on July 11, 2006, 09:53:40 am
What exactly is "support" and why does it matter for home users?
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: IceFire on July 11, 2006, 10:05:23 am
I've heard upgrading without a fresh windows install balls up one's system.
Not really.  Done in several times now on several systems without issue.

I do prefer to have the "Network Install" version which is about a 250mb download off the MS site which I put on a CD and install after I reformat.  Thats a good way to get me from WinXP pre SP1 to SP2 without having to connect to the internet.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: aldo_14 on July 11, 2006, 10:22:21 am
What exactly is "support" and why does it matter for home users?

Well, it provides reinforcement for the back whilst sitting at the computer, preventing spinal injury.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Ford Prefect on July 11, 2006, 10:54:55 am
Meh, I already have SP2, since I upgraded from 2000 to XP so damn late.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Sandwich on July 11, 2006, 10:59:41 am
Meh, I already have SP2, since I upgraded from 2000 to XP so damn late.

Ditto, came installed with SP2.

Anyway, I doubt many of us (technophiles that we tend to be) have actually taken advantage of Windows support - besides system updates, of course. I know I've never called Microsoft to ask why I WGA always fails to validate my Windows... :nervous:
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Flipside on July 11, 2006, 11:56:38 am
Well, until I can clean off all my garbage and install my paid-for version of XP, something I've been meaning to do for rather a long time (8+months)  I'm really not going to miss support that I never sought out in the first place ;)
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Bri_Dog on July 11, 2006, 01:31:57 pm
Wait a minute, i'm going to have to upgrade to SP2?! F*** that s***!


SP2 is just fine.

Seriously, MS isn't pure evil. Some of their stuff is safe to use :p
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Sandwich on July 11, 2006, 02:02:58 pm
Like, uhm, what? Their mice and keyboards? Oh yeah, don't forget the joysticks, too.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: neoterran on July 11, 2006, 02:17:47 pm
for SP2 the best thing is to slipstream it into a windows installation CD and do a fresh install at the SP2 level. Google "Autostreamer" for a easy tool to do it for you.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: ZylonBane on July 11, 2006, 04:48:11 pm
"Support" = patches and security updates, you numb-nads.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Descenterace on July 12, 2006, 02:04:03 am
Firstly, out of the forty-or-so SP2 installs I've had to do on not-so-fresh fresh WinXP systems, NONE of them have gone wrong.

Secondly, I've never known a Windows system work properly (ie. failing only in a consistent manner) for more than a year. After that time, backup your stuff, scrub the disk, and reinstall. WinXP/2K generally seem to limp on longer than a year if necessary, but Win98 needs refreshing. There are good reasons for this, which have to do with the almost total lack of kernel memory and system file protection. And don't get me started on FAT32 system partitions...
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: WMCoolmon on July 12, 2006, 02:15:04 am
"Support, need more ordinance here!"

Anyway, what with the bajillions of programs MS has, they probably have to drop support pretty quick eventually. Who knows, people probably still call in with Microsoft Bob problems.  ::) (I loved that program back in teh day, btw)
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Kosh on July 12, 2006, 07:59:24 am
Believe it or not, people still actually run Windows 98........
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Goober5000 on July 12, 2006, 08:28:51 am
Win98 FTW. :nervous:
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: ZylonBane on July 12, 2006, 12:52:44 pm
I've been running Win98 for years, and have only had to reinstall it when upgrading hard drives. If you keep up on system maintenance and don't do stupid things, there's no need for regular reinstalls.

I'm about to finally ditch it for XP though, because they don't make 3D card drivers for 98 anymore.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Mars on July 12, 2006, 11:14:30 pm
Believe it or not, people still actually run Windows 98........

My little bro (7) can't understand Debian, so he runs Win 98 on his P3 800Mhz
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Charismatic on July 12, 2006, 11:58:25 pm
Ending support for XP Already? Isnt it their newest generation OS? (Besides its updates, like SP etc)

I got a XP Professional Home Edition i beleive, and at my other house, a Windows ME. Lofl, the ME runs fine.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Mars on July 13, 2006, 12:02:37 am
ME was the worst OS by Microsoft (unless it was a version of NT)
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Wanderer on July 13, 2006, 12:51:59 am
Dunno about that... I got ****load of problems with Win98 but ME run extremely smoothly without practically any issues. Same went on with XP... as i got more problems with it than with ME also.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Cyker on July 13, 2006, 01:53:46 am
Hey, I still run '98!! (Well, tri-booted with Win2k and Gentoo...)

Not that bothered about 'support' for Win98 - It's a crapload more secure than 2k or XP on the network anyway (Even totally unpatched it's immune to things like Sasser and Blaster :p), just disable Internet Explorer and you're sorted ;)

But until I can run stuff that doesn't work in 2k+ (Games like MechWarrior...), either in Windows or in WINE, '98 will be staying on this system a while I think...

That's what I need! WindowBox! It's like DOSbox, but Windowsy :D
Then I chuck Windows completely and reclaim all that wasted space for Gentoo ;)
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Descenterace on July 13, 2006, 02:01:48 am
The reason Win98 is more 'secure' now is that no one writes viruses for it any more, and those that did exist were patched out shortly before MS dropped support for it. However, once one of those viruses actually gets into a Win98 system, you're totally screwed. Win98's memory protection is practically non-existent, so it doesn't take much for the virus to work its way into the kernel, even if you're not logged in as Administrator.

ZB: You've evidently had more luck with Win98 than me. My system used to last about six months on average, until the Registry started doing strange things. I suspected a hardware problem but tests didn't show anything up.
On that note, I've recently discovered that Windows is capable of randomly losing files. The systems where I work are missing some directories that haven't been deleted by scripts or users. These machines haven't even been logged into in over a week. Of course, they are Virtual Servers, and the relevant drivers may be doing something odd.
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: Fury on July 13, 2006, 02:10:07 am
"Support" = patches and security updates, you numb-nads.
Thank you for saying that. You deserve a cookie.

Ending support for XP Already? Isnt it their newest generation OS? (Besides its updates, like SP etc)
D'oh! MS ends support for the non-SP1 (original) XP and SP1. XP will still be supported for years as long as you keep it up-to-date with SP's.

That's what I need! WindowBox! It's like DOSbox, but Windowsy :D
Dual-booting between Windows and linux probably won't go away for years if you still want to play games, wine and cedega will always play catch-up-role. However, you can run W9x in WXP with free Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx).
Title: Re: End of support for Windows...
Post by: castor on July 13, 2006, 05:44:12 am
If you keep up on system maintenance and don't do stupid things, there's no need for regular reinstalls.
Correct, but its shomehow limiting that one cannot really know what W98 will take as a stupid thing, before trying it out :D