Installing windows xp over windows 8 (yeah, I know) HELP

[Graathor]

So im helping an old lady that I know across the street set up her new hp pavilion g7.. set it up so that everything was really simple.. only a few apps on her home screen ect.. but she can't figure out newer version of outlook and forgets how to get to her homescreen/desktop on a daily basis.

Her previous computer was running windows xp.. and she needs e-mail to run her business.. which she runs off of outlook express 6 (which doesnt run on windows 8).

She cannot understand anything beyond her previous set up which she has engrained into her routine for the last 10 years. So I have the challenge to basically mirror her last set up onto her new machine and I really don't know if it's possible.

Running a VM with xp won't work.. she would forget how to start it and get to it through Win 8. Is there anyway I can mirror xp/install it over windows 8? Am I going to run into hardware issues?

Bare with me guys.. I know this is hopeless but im tired of feeling guilty for not helping this lady.. PLEASE HELP!

 

[dale]

I can't think of why you should run into hardware problems, except for maybe large HDD and RAM (this depends on your version of Windows XP); but what would you do after 8 April, 2014 (end of extended support for Windows XP SP3)?

 

[Graathor]

I dont understand the implications around the cutting of extended support. Im assuming security updates will be cut.. but what does that mean?

---------- Post added at 11:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:59 PM ----------

Also, im having trouble actually figuring out how to start the install - I have the cd.. but im running into screens that iv never seen before when booting off the cd and installing the os.. can someone link me a step by step.. I can't seem to find one.. Iv been reading on how to install windows 7 over windows 8 (should be the same process right?) and im seeing lots of complication.. formating drives.. bios tweaks... ect..

"In addition to the expected BIOS wrangling, drive formatting, and reinstalling device drivers, Microsoft has actually added extra layers of complexity. The BIOS has the added obstacle of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)"

How to Uninstall Windows 8, Install Windows 7 on Your PC | PCMag.com

thanks!

 

[Moren0]

Not sure if this will help or not, hope in some way it does, there is a program called hirens boot cd, it's a boot cd you can run mini windows xp of it and works well without the need to actually install the os it works well.

 

[Graathor]

interesting... I don't know if this will work for her... but its worth a TRY thanks!

 

[dale]

I dont understand the implications around the cutting of extended support. Im assuming security updates will be cut.. but what does that mean?

OS such as Windows XP -- or most OS, for this matter, contain many, many lines of codes, and so inherit many, many mistakes. Some of these mistakes are obvious, whilst others less apparent, and can take years to discover.

You can think of it as a sort of race, which lasts more than just a few years between those that discover exploits (the mistakes) and use these exploits for personal gain or pure malice, and those who discover exploits and try to fix them with patches and workarounds. Of course, these patches, being codes themselves, also introduce mistakes. Some make the situation worse, others don't. In general, not a pretty scenario.

You are quite right in thinking that the end of extended support means no more security patches. A graphical illustration would be no longer making an effort to fix a sinking ship, and so the ship is doomed to sink and lose in the race between exploiters and patchers.

 

[Graathor]

in case anyone is wondering how to install an old os like xp onto a win8 machine, you have to go into your BIOS and enable Legacy support in the system configuration>boot options. The Legacy support option will load compatibility support module which will allow old os's to be installed.

---------- Post added at 01:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:05 AM ----------

Well lets put this into context with a 85 year old woman who only plays freecell and uses outlook express 6 ONLY... I highly doubt she will be vulnerable because of not receiving patches and security updates... im sure the last 15 years of patches and updates have really solitified xp as a good operating system.. hell I used it up til only a year and a half ago.

 

[Graathor]

aww damn... well I got the computer to boot into the xp install but im getting a bluescreen a couple minutes into loading the files... it flashes too fast for me to see where it bluescreens.. can someone give me clarification on weather or not xp will have issues with hardware?

 

[dale]

Well lets put this into context with a 85 year old woman who only plays freecell and uses outlook express 6 ONLY... I highly doubt she will be vulnerable because of not receiving patches and security updates...

She doesn't have to download warez or visit dodgy sites to be vulnerable. She only has to be on-line. If she's on-line, she is vulnerable. And you can't keep her off-line because she needs e-mail, so...

im sure the last 15 years of patches and updates have really solitified xp as a good operating system.. hell I used it up til only a year and a half ago.

Unfortunately this is not true when it comes to security. If the need for patching had an end to it, what's the point of EOL or EOS?

 

[Graathor]

Yes I understand what your saying, but im just wondering if she will be that vulnerable.. I really doubt her computer will explode 9th of April 2014.