Is your workplace or business still require Windows XP?

I know this won't be the most scientifically accurate poll, but I'd like to get a general idea of [H] users who either:

• A) Still need Windows XP to run proprietary software required by their business or workplace.
• OR B) Still have hardware that can only be used with Windows XP due to either A) above and/or drivers not being compatible with newer operating systems such as Windows 7 or 8.

Answer "Yes" or "No" above, or "Other" if you have another explanation to add in regards to your workplace or business when it comes to Windows XP.

Lastly, has your workplace or business considering to upgrade all hardware and operating systems to a newer version of Windows? Or have you already upgraded?

If yes, when do you plan on upgrading?

If no, why are you not considering on upgrading?

The reason I'm asking is because I just saw in the General Mayhem forum a guy posting old hardware called a VAX system that had 3-inch high (full height?) hard drives. My last job was still running Windows XP on our workstations at all office locations on old Pentium III-based Celeron computers. There is no consideration to upgrade the slow computers not because of compatibility issues but costs. We had 20 to 22 offices where I worked as a tax preparer. Only the main office upgraded to Windows 7 on their workstations three years ago.

With support for Windows XP ending, I wonder if it's forcing many businesses to upgrade their aging hardware and software, or forcing them to keep them even much longer-- decades even.

I only have 1 windows XP machine that will be needed indefinitely, and that one is the VM that programs our doors and elevators.. lol, no biggie right?

It is now on it's own vlan with its associated end points.

schizrade said:

I only have 1 windows XP machine that will be needed indefinitely, and that one is the VM that programs our doors and elevators.. lol, no biggie right?

It is now on it's own vlan with its associated end points.

Click to expand...

Windows XP to run your elevator software?

I thought ATMs running XP was the only major risk...

octoberasian said:

Windows XP to run your elevator software?

I thought ATMs running XP was the only major risk...

Click to expand...

Yeah, we don't have much of a choice on this one. The hardware is ancient and will only work with software that cannot run anything higher than XP SP3. But it is segregated as much as it can be, and I have hardened it pretty tight, so I am not too worried. Still annoyed we cannot move it to another OS, but whatever.

It is either that or Windows 98... lol

I don't think most people can absolutely say with 100% certainty that there's no XP box somewhere in an enterprise. Just because your department doesn't use it, or your division, or any division you know, it doesn't mean the security camera software locked up behind the guard station isn't an XP machine.

The question is not answerable.

one xp vm for some really old software.

Seven machines to run POS software. Machines could be upgraded to run Win 7 but the boss can't afford to upgrade POS software. Also have one ATM that runs XP only.

Our Omnicells (medication dispensers if you will) run XP. I'm guessing some of the imaging machines do as well. Everything we use for documentation and whatnot is on 7, newer ones we get will have 8.1.

i dont work

MS will still patch XP for paying volume users.

We have a few machines that are on XP just because they're in our R&D lab, and generally not under the guise of IT policies for OS. But now that I think about it, I wonder what we should do with it; it still accesses the net, and afaik our company does not have an ongoing service agreement for XP with MS.

I have plenty of clients that run old software that won't run in 7, they could buy new versions, but they don't want to spend thousands on new software to spend thousands on windows licenses... so they keep running XP... probably will till the end of time at this rate

I think the 3gb ram limit will be the issue down the road with XP more than "it's not supported"/"it's old"

FLECOM said:

I have plenty of clients that run old software that won't run in 7, they could buy new versions, but they don't want to spend thousands on new software to spend thousands on windows licenses... so they keep running XP... probably will till the end of time at this rate

I think the 3gb ram limit will be the issue down the road with XP more than "it's not supported"/"it's old"

Click to expand...

As long as the XP machines are being purposed to their capacity, then theres no reason at all they can't run indefinitely. I've heard stories of DOS machines still going in industrial scenarios, so I don't see why an XP machine can't chug along for many more years with 2-4 gigs of ram.

Yeah you're not going to be doing high end rendering or development work on them, but that old Optiplex laying on its side with dirt and dust on it that prints out work orders and receipts and other simple tasks is still able to help it's company make lots of money.

There's something romantic about a single computer that's been in the workforce for years or even decades and shows no signs of stopping.

Currently no, however in the future we will be in a similar situation with win 7. The reason being the FAA requires you to be able to execute build scripts exactly as they were when the code was certified 30 years from that date, which means we have to archive a computer with the exact same software load to prevent issues for 30 years or more post-cert

We have 632 (as of this am) on XP.
Mostly due to the software being run wasn't upgraded to 7 combatable version, so those machines have to be brought up to that version, so we can replace the hardware. (can't have mixed versions on the clients, and don't want to change 2 things at the same time).
The other machines we have on XP are running our custom apps, so we have to finish certifications on 7 before replacing those.
(632 includes machines on 3 domains, workgroup type in us,Mexico,Argentina, Brazil. Personally I'm only on the hook for 105.)

60+ machines here at work. They are all used in a school to access ONE website. They are running through a proxy and can't do anything else besides navigate to the one site.

So I guess unless that site gets compromised, I should be safe.

Besides, the kids are all SUPER restricted users. Can't install/delete/rename/ or anything on these machines.

I'm self-employed, but several of my long-term clients that I support are still stuck on XP for various reasons, so I voted yes.

Though, I don't currently have anyone who only uses XP, only those who still have it on a number of specific older computers.

FLECOM said:

I have plenty of clients that run old software that won't run in 7, they could buy new versions, but they don't want to spend thousands on new software to spend thousands on windows licenses... so they keep running XP... probably will till the end of time at this rate

I think the 3gb ram limit will be the issue down the road with XP more than "it's not supported"/"it's old"

Click to expand...

That's the issue with my last job-- it'd be too costly to spend money upgrading all the workstations to Windows 7. However, the hardware would have to be upgraded as well. We're talking about Pentium III-based Celerons with 256MB to 512MB of RAM running at 800MHz with 20GB to 40GB hard drives. With 6 workstations plus one that handles the printing and credit/debit card checkouts at 20-22 locations, that's 120 to 132 computers that need to have their hardware upgraded. Heck, we're still using laser printers that were bought when the business was founded.

QwertyJuan said:

60+ machines here at work. They are all used in a school to access ONE website. They are running through a proxy and can't do anything else besides navigate to the one site.

So I guess unless that site gets compromised, I should be safe.

Besides, the kids are all SUPER restricted users. Can't install/delete/rename/ or anything on these machines.

Click to expand...

My last college was like that-- they were running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, and the web portal REQUIRED Internet Explorer 6 because of the proprietary web portal to access the school's online library and any other archival data, journals, and articles on the library's network.

I've managed to install Netscape on one of the workstations and you couldn't even get the portal to load, or if it did, it'd have errors pop up.

I have no idea if they upgraded by now, but back then, the entire college's network was running and sharing a single 10Mbps network for the entire campus.

schizrade said:

I only have 1 windows XP machine that will be needed indefinitely, and that one is the VM that programs our doors and elevators.. lol, no biggie right?

It is now on it's own vlan with its associated end points.

Click to expand...

LOL that is nothing.

Last place I worked 3 years ago had an ancient ETC lighting dimmer system that we discovered required an IBM-compatible-PC with DOS 5.0 with a parallel port to program the dimmer brain....we discovered this when my boss powered off the dimmer brain to clean of the PCBs (they were overheating from dust), and once the brain lost power all the backups were lost.

Pulled out the manual to reprogram it...and our jaws fell on the floor when we read the system requirements and saw the 5.25" floppy with the programming software.