Computer Advice Please

[Boone]

That's weird. I've always heard that going 'back door' was the safest possible way to go?

 

[SkinnedAussie]

All GSF has to do is write replacement computers off as a business expense. If the right columns are used, it will end up costing nothing!

 

[tshile]

you can "back door" computers that are up to date just as easily as you can ones that arent.

do you read the security bulletins?

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Wrong. It wont be safe. No security updates = no longer safe. Sorry but you're wrong and you're giving this out as advice.

I recently gave away (freecycled, actually) two XP desktops. I have also told anyone with an XP computer that I will no longer sort out any of their computer problems after April 8th. They must be using VISTA or later.

 

[McD5]

That's weird. I've always heard that going 'back door' was the safest possible way to go?

That's what I used to tell my girlfriends.

No chance of pregnancy, I would say.

 

[Boone]

Sometimes you know just how inappropriate you are being, but still can't help yourself. I may need to give myself an infraction point.

 

[tshile]

I recently gave away (freecycled, actually) two XP desktops. I have also told anyone with an XP computer that I will no longer sort out any of their computer problems after April 8th. They must be using VISTA or later.

Yeah, it's a tricky one. I still have to support them - it's a stable OS so I don't expect those kinds of problems. But who the hell knows whats going to happen once MS stops providing updates. Anyone that reads the monthly security bulletins realizes how much work goes into fixing remote code execution and other drive-by mechanisms for spreading crap on the interwebs.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

That's what I used to tell my girlfriends.

'You and me baby ain't nothing but mammals
So let's it like they do on the Discovery Channel'.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Yeah, it's a tricky one. I still have to support them - it's a stable OS so I don't expect those kinds of problems. But who the hell knows whats going to happen once MS stops providing updates. Anyone that reads the monthly security bulletins realizes how much work goes into fixing remote code execution and other drive-by mechanisms for spreading crap on the interwebs.

When I'm doing the work for free, I get to choose the ground rules. If they don't like it, they'll have to pay to get it fixed.

 

[CounterTrey]

Mike I'm sorry but I think it's just foolish to stick with XP with anything but a rarely used side machine that has limited features activated on many software and hardware options, limited user accounts and is stuck behind a firewall permanently. It certainly shouldn't be done with a primary business machine. The MSRT is done in July, after that it's basically putting up a welcome sign to keep an XP machine as your primary. Sooner or later and probably a LOT sooner, someone is going to write a nasty crack that's going to shatter XP. That could happen today, or in two months, and since 29% of PC's still run it hackers are gonna do double time to get there. I'm betting that any business owner wouldn't want to play Russian roulette with that day and take the chance that they could be left without access to their data or worse a fried machine when the day of XP reckoning finally comes.

 

[tshile]

I'm betting that any business owner wouldn't want to play Russian roulette with that day and take the chance that they could be left without access to their data or worse a fried machine when the day of XP reckoning finally comes.

There's a lot of small business owners playing that game. They paid me for my advice and then don't take it. Oh well.

My wife's hospital still has tons of XP machines out. They're scrambling hard to try to replace them. Not sure where they've been the last 4 years, but their IT dept is awful all the way around (they rolled out office 2007 like a year ago. yeah. makes tons of sense to do a system wide roll out and choose a product already 2 generations behind.)

It's why MS has bent to so much pressure to keep releasing updates - there's a lot of businesses out there that wont update because they paid big money to someone to write a business application and they wrote it in such a way it wont work on windows 7 (which is lol in and of itself), or because they just refuse to spend a penny they feel they 'don't have to', or whatever other reasons they come up with.

I have a couple of clients with XP machines everywhere. They've been warned. Ultimately they're the decision makers. If you want to pay someone for their advice on a topic and then ignore it, by all means; I'll take your money all day long.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Word amngst the hacking community is that after April 9th, the first person to submit code that completely destroys an XP machine will 'win' $10,000. The winning code is then expected to be released in to the wild.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Close, FTS, but no cigar.

It;s not Ubuntu that opens the files, but LibreOffice. LO can also be used with any Windows based pc (I use it on my W8 desktop), but you are right that LO will open files thought to be long lost due to age.

Yes, I was aware it was LibreOffice that opens the files, and not Ubuntuu, but that's what I meant. I was just trying to keep things simple, because their spreadsheet program and word-processor programs are different programs and different names in Xubuntu, than Ubuntu. And they all open the files. So rather, than go through the list of names of multiple programs in Xubuntu, Ubuntu, etc, I was just covering them all by saying Ubuntu

 

[Cycleans]

Fairly simple actually. System requirements are easy to find. I have like 24 GB space left on my HDD. It makes sense to look at my options. My wifes laptop has win 7 and I know it's compatible with our version of MS Office.

How else does what computer match up re: W7 compatibility? It's all good and well installing W7 on a new hdd, but will the computer run without lag? Is the graphics card capable? How will the CPU react having to run a faster operating system? Will the PSU be able to handle the increase in power requirements? Will you be able to activate W& on the current hardware?

Too many questions for not enough answers.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Mike I'm sorry but I think it's just foolish to stick with XP with anything but a rarely used side machine that has limited features activated on many software and hardware options, limited user accounts and is stuck behind a firewall permanently.

I was wondering about this.
What if I use a 2nd PC, and leave XP on it. But remove any internet connection, which in this case, is a wireless USB adaptor/receiver. And then use it only to work offline. Is that safe ? If not, is there anything I can do, to make working off-line on that XP computer, to be safe ?

 

[CounterTrey]

Yea FTS it should be fine as long as you don't install anything new on it that might create compatibility issues.

 

[CounterTrey]

There's a lot of small business owners playing that game. They paid me for my advice and then don't take it. Oh well.

My wife's hospital still has tons of XP machines out. They're scrambling hard to try to replace them. Not sure where they've been the last 4 years, but their IT dept is awful all the way around (they rolled out office 2007 like a year ago. yeah. makes tons of sense to do a system wide roll out and choose a product already 2 generations behind.)

It's why MS has bent to so much pressure to keep releasing updates - there's a lot of businesses out there that wont update because they paid big money to someone to write a business application and they wrote it in such a way it wont work on windows 7 (which is lol in and of itself), or because they just refuse to spend a penny they feel they 'don't have to', or whatever other reasons they come up with.

I have a couple of clients with XP machines everywhere. They've been warned. Ultimately they're the decision makers. If you want to pay someone for their advice on a topic and then ignore it, by all means; I'll take your money all day long.

Yea same here. I have a couple of customers that are in the appraisal business and that's their exact situation...payed someone to write a proggy that isn't compatible with 7. Well guess what folks, it's time to spend on the upgrade. I drug em kicking and screaming but they're thrilled now.

No sweat Mike, hope you didn't think I was getting testy, I just think this a huge pitfall that can easily be avoided. I also think Win8 sucks so I am sympathetic to a lot of the flip side.

 

[tshile]

Yea same here. I have a couple of customers that are in the appraisal business and that's their exact situation...payed someone to write a proggy that isn't compatible with 7. Well guess what folks, it's time to spend on the upgrade. I drug em kicking and screaming but they're thrilled now.

Yup... i think by this point you've squeezed every cent out of that purchase

Cost of doing business. Next time hire someone that's going to write a program in a way that doesn't lock you into the current operating system forever. If that's not possible, then accept that sometimes you just have to pay to move on with the rest of the world.

Nah man, we're all good.

I do a lot of tech support for pharmaceutical companies who run software that is only compatible with XP. It isn't even a choice for some of them as to what they run their stuff on. If the software company doesn't come up with new patches then they have no choice but to stay on it.

I guess if they are forced to they can unplug from the network and run as a stand alone...but I dont normally worry about "hackers" unleashing on random companies that arent even on their radar.

The healthcare industry is one of the most targeted and vulnerable industries. It's also one of the top most infected industries.

This is part of the reason why.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

I was wondering about this.
What if I use a 2nd PC, and leave XP on it. But remove any internet connection, which in this case, is a wireless USB adaptor/receiver. And then use it only to work offline. Is that safe ? If not, is there anything I can do, to make working off-line on that XP computer, to be safe ?

If you have an XP machine that is absolutely devoid of being able to go online, you will be safe, but if you intend on adding / editing files by plugging in a USB or external hdd, you will have to scan those before unplugging from the not-XP machine.

 

[GSF]

Guys, thanks very much for all replies. You guys are way more knowledgable than I am with this stuff, so I have to admit I didn't understand some of the stuff you guys are talking about. I do know though that my computer is really important and has to be reliable, so after reading this thread I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead and replace it soon. I really can't take a chance on my computer being down for a few days if there start to be problems related to the XP.

Is that really it? Quickbooks? No proprietary software special to the field you're in?

If that's it then kudos - you've made yourself pretty flexible

Yes that's pretty much it. I own a high end commercial landscape company and do all of my own payroll, bookkeeping, invoicing, and record-keeping. It's really not that much as my company isn't real big. We have 6 full time employees right now, and have about a half mil in annual contracted revenue plus add ons, but we're growing.

When I first started off, I tried quickbooks, and some other industry specific programs, but I couldn't really figure them out or make them work for what I needed, so ultimately I just created my own system using just excel and word. I designed it to be as simple and "dummy proof" as possible. My system would probably look pretty primitive to you guys, but it works well for me and my clients.

I've been using XP since I learned computers, and as you can tell, I'm not very comfortable on computers in general. I've tried windows 8 several times on my kids' computers, but I just don't like it. It just feels very counter-intuitive to me. I guess I'm going to look at a Mac, though I've never used one so I really have no idea which one I should get. I don't want to buy a computer with windows 7 and have this same problem in a few years.