Upgrading from XP to Windows 8

[Rebel1]

Microsoft makes available a program (Upgrade Assistant) that examines
your XP computer and determines if it can be upgraded to W8. My desktop
computer is mostly okay except for the application Microsoft Office XP
Professional with Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version
10.0.2627.0. Following that, it says: "Paid update available."

It doesn't actually say that my version, Office 2002, won't work with
W8. Is this just a gimmick by MS to extract money from me for features I
don't need in the newer version?

For what it's worth, a downloadable upgrade from XP, SP3 to W8
Professional is available for only $39.99 until January 31, 2013. Here
are some things to consider:

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-decide-should-you-upgrade-to-windows-8-7000008186/

R1

 

[Rebel1]

One other issue that Upgrade Assistant noted:

"Secure Boot isn't compatible with your PC
Your PC's firmware doesn't support Secure Boot so you won't be able to
use it in Windows 8."

Should I be concerned that I can't use Secure Boot? My mobo is Asus
M3A76-CM, installed in 2009.

 

[Paul]

One other issue that Upgrade Assistant noted:

"Secure Boot isn't compatible with your PC
Your PC's firmware doesn't support Secure Boot so you won't be able to
use it in Windows 8."

Should I be concerned that I can't use Secure Boot? My mobo is Asus
M3A76-CM, installed in 2009.

I got the same warning.

Didn't bother me a bit.

Note that Secure Boot is mandatory on ARM processor platforms (WinRT),
but optional as far as I know on x86. If you buy a new Dell/HP/Gateway
they might offer it (it would be part of EFI BIOS), and it might
only allow Windows 8 to boot, as the Microsoft certificate would
be part of the BIOS. All that Secure Boot does, is run the risk
of preventing you from dual booting the computer. (As any other
OSes, perhaps a necessary certificate isn't available to validate
them.) So yes, you get some notion of security from it,
you get that "warm feeling", but the feeling dissipates
after about ten seconds, when you realize what you've given
up. (Freedom to load whatever you want, when ever you want to.)

Just be glad you don't have Secure Boot. That's how I feel right now.

The main reason for Secure Boot on WinRT, might be to stop people
from rooting the machine, or loading an alternate ARM OS on it.
Many mobile devices, already have that kind of "lock-in" in place,
and customers obviously love it (the lack of choice).

Paul

 

[Paul]

Microsoft makes available a program (Upgrade Assistant) that examines
your XP computer and determines if it can be upgraded to W8. My desktop
computer is mostly okay except for the application Microsoft Office XP
Professional with Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version
10.0.2627.0. Following that, it says: "Paid update available."

It doesn't actually say that my version, Office 2002, won't work with
W8. Is this just a gimmick by MS to extract money from me for features I
don't need in the newer version?

For what it's worth, a downloadable upgrade from XP, SP3 to W8
Professional is available for only $39.99 until January 31, 2013. Here
are some things to consider:

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-decide-should-you-upgrade-to-windows-8-7000008186/


R1

As a risk averse person, I have a multi-boot PC, three disks and
three OSes. Windows 8 was the most recent addition. I bought
one copy, mainly as a test and not as an "every day" OS. If
I had Office 2002, I wouldn't be worried, because I'd just
boot into the OS that runs it. Job done. If I had the
time to waste farting around with "compatibility mode" or
whatever, then maybe the program would get loaded in Windows 8.

I struggled the other day, trying to get GIMP image editor
working properly. Now, a natural suspicion would be, "it's that
new OS you bought, dummy". Well, after spending half the day,
the blame actually lay with the GIMP program itself.
Rerunning the test case, with another OS, showed the same
problem, and it turned out they changed how something
was implemented internally, and broke it. At least, a test file
I fed it (from a Mac), made it unhappy, while two other files worked.
(No, it's not a line termination problem.)
The new OS complicated matters, as I first assumed it was
a "mixed 32 bit/64 bit problem", and tried installing
various versions of software based on that hypothesis.
(GIMP gave poor error messages, so there was nothing
to go on in terms of evidence. No hex dump )
Turned out it was "none of the above", and the code
was just plain broken. Using an older version, and installing
that in Windows 8, worked fine. But half a day wasted,
mainly due to being suspicious about the new OS, and
doing all sorts of 32 bit/64 bit mumbo jumbo for nothing.
And pursuing the wrong hypothesis first. That's the
hidden price of running a 64 bit OS.

Paul

 

[VanguardLH]

One other issue that Upgrade Assistant noted:

"Secure Boot isn't compatible with your PC
Your PC's firmware doesn't support Secure Boot so you won't be able to
use it in Windows 8."

Should I be concerned that I can't use Secure Boot? My mobo is Asus
M3A76-CM, installed in 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_secure_boot#Secure_boot

That's an issue with your existing hardware (a UEFI feature that must be
supported in the motherboard's BIOS), not an issue with Windows or old
apps. Since you're reusing your old hardware (motherboard and its old
BIOS) then you're stuck losing some hardware-specific features available
in Win8. Well, if you don't miss those extra features because you don't
currently have them then how are you going to miss them in Win8 where
you still won't have them?

It's telling you Secure Boot isn't supported in your current OS because
Windows XP was released long before UEFI started to get adopted by mobo
manufacturers. It's saying that Windows XP doesn't support that
feature, not that it won't be available in Windows 8 (which supports it
but you'll also need hardware that supports it -- it's paired
functionality between hardware and OS).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#Secure_boot
http://www.uefi.org/home/

If you want to find out if your motherboard's BIOS supports UEFI then go
to their web site to read up on its specs. If you don't see it
mentioned anywhere there or in the mobo's manual then it doesn't support
that feature.

Read the above wiki articles. Do you really want to use that feature
even if it were available by your hardware (and when you later install
Windows 8)? It looks like something that I'd disable in the BIOS before
installing Windows 8. Just because something "better" (by someone
else's measure) comes along doesn't mean I want to get stuck with it.

 

[VanguardLH]

Microsoft makes available a program (Upgrade Assistant) that examines
your XP computer and determines if it can be upgraded to W8. My desktop
computer is mostly okay except for the application Microsoft Office XP
Professional with Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version
10.0.2627.0. Following that, it says: "Paid update available."

It doesn't actually say that my version, Office 2002, won't work with
W8. Is this just a gimmick by MS to extract money from me for features I
don't need in the newer version?

For what it's worth, a downloadable upgrade from XP, SP3 to W8
Professional is available for only $39.99 until January 31, 2013. Here
are some things to consider:

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-decide-should-you-upgrade-to-windows-8-7000008186/

R1

In Windows 8, save a backup image. Install Office XP to see if it
works. If not, restore from the backup image (don't bother uninstalling
Office which can leave behind remnant files, folders, and registry
entries to pollute your setup). If Office XP won't work under Win8 then
decide if you want to dole out more money to Microsoft or go with a
freebie alternative, like LibreOffice. Office 2003 is my last version
of that product (unless I get a later version as job-hire or seminar
perk) and I'll be moving to LibreOffice.

 

[GS]

Microsoft makes available a program (Upgrade Assistant) that examines your XP
computer and determines if it can be upgraded to W8. My desktop computer is
mostly okay except for the application Microsoft Office XP Professional with
Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version 10.0.2627.0. Following that, it
says: "Paid update available."

It doesn't actually say that my version, Office 2002, won't work with W8. Is
this just a gimmick by MS to extract money from me for features I don't need
in the newer version?

For what it's worth, a downloadable upgrade from XP, SP3 to W8 Professional
is available for only $39.99 until January 31, 2013. Here are some things to
consider:

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-decide-should-you-upgrade-to-windows-8-7000008186/

R1

I've always had the understanding the Frontpage only shipped with the
Developer Editions of MSO, but then that was when v9 was released. I
have every Pro version since (I bought the DE in 2000) through 2010 and
haven't seen Frontpage on any of the CDs.

As for the "Paid upgrade available", I suspect it refers to the
replacement for Frontpage, which is Expression Web. That cost $99 and
IMO was worth every penny over FP.

As for upgrading a stable XP OS to anything newer.., just makes
absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, at any price what with the price
of laptops/notebooks nowadays!!!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
ClassicVB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion

 

[VanguardLH]

Rebel1 supposed :

[Microsoft Upgrade Assistant says] the application Microsoft Office
XP Professional with Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version
10.0.2627.0. Following that, it says: "Paid update available."

I've always had the understanding the Frontpage only shipped with the
Developer Editions of MSO, but then that was when v9 was released. I
have every Pro version since (I bought the DE in 2000) through 2010 and
haven't seen Frontpage on any of the CDs.

Frontpage 2002 was bundled with Office XP (volume license only), Office
XP Pro Special Edition, and Office XP Developer Edition.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_FrontPage#Versions)

I've also seen some OEM distros of Office XP that included Frontpage
2002. Even if Frontpage 2002 wasn't bundled in your Office XP distro,
Frontpage is still considered an Office component. So installing
Frontpage 2002 separately (i.e., a standalone license of just Frontpage)
would still have it delineated as an Office XP component.

The OP should now if he bought a separate or standalone copy of
Frontpage 2002 or if it came bundled in his Office XP package.

 

[GS]

Rebel1 supposed :

[Microsoft Upgrade Assistant says] the application Microsoft Office
XP Professional with Front Page, Microsoft Corporation, Version
10.0.2627.0. Following that, it says: "Paid update available."

I've always had the understanding the Frontpage only shipped with the
Developer Editions of MSO, but then that was when v9 was released. I
have every Pro version since (I bought the DE in 2000) through 2010 and
haven't seen Frontpage on any of the CDs.

Frontpage 2002 was bundled with Office XP (volume license only), Office
XP Pro Special Edition, and Office XP Developer Edition.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_FrontPage#Versions)

I've also seen some OEM distros of Office XP that included Frontpage
2002. Even if Frontpage 2002 wasn't bundled in your Office XP distro,
Frontpage is still considered an Office component. So installing
Frontpage 2002 separately (i.e., a standalone license of just Frontpage)
would still have it delineated as an Office XP component.

The OP should now if he bought a separate or standalone copy of
Frontpage 2002 or if it came bundled in his Office XP package.

Thanks! I actually do have Office XP Pro 2002 volume license edition
(as are all my later versions; Office 2000 Developer Edition was the
last retail version I bought.) I'll check the CD as I only install
Excel (and so may have overlooked it) on my dev machine since that's
the only component I work with, but I have full installs on other
machines that I can check.

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
ClassicVB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion

 

[Andy]

I've always had the understanding the Frontpage only shipped with the

Developer Editions of MSO, but then that was when v9 was released. I

have every Pro version since (I bought the DE in 2000) through 2010 and

haven't seen Frontpage on any of the CDs.



As for the "Paid upgrade available", I suspect it refers to the

replacement for Frontpage, which is Expression Web. That cost $99 and

IMO was worth every penny over FP.



As for upgrading a stable XP OS to anything newer.., just makes

absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, at any price what with the price

of laptops/notebooks nowadays!!!

I agree with you.

From what I read, worldwide half of all computer users are still using XP.

M.S. has started making Visual Basic versions that won't work at all on XP.

Fortunately there are alternative free programs that make smaller and faster programs and are easier to use than Visual Basic and other M.S. varieties.

Take care,
Andy

 

[GS]

Andy brought next idea :

Fortunately there are alternative free programs that make smaller and faster
programs and are easier to use than Visual Basic and other M.S. varieties.

I'd be interested in a list if you can provide one. I plan to keep on
using VB because I have it, but an alternative for the newer OS
platforms would also be good to have!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
ClassicVB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion

 

[Andy]

Andy brought next idea :





I'd be interested in a list if you can provide one. I plan to keep on

using VB because I have it, but an alternative for the newer OS

platforms would also be good to have!



--

Garry



Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org

ClassicVB Users Regroup!

comp.lang.basic.visual.misc

microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion

You can download the masm32 package here and the other link is a forum
for helping people learn how to use it.

http://www.masm32.com/

http://masm32.com/board/index.php

There are about 10 other sites that deal with assembly language.

Andy