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Win XP and MS Office 2003: No more support - help!

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Logique

Logique

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Dear Joe and posters,

my apologies if the subject is covered in an existing thread. The predicament might be something common to many ASF posters?

After April 2014, no more support for my favourite programs - Win XP and Office 2003.

So for me, it looks like a new PC with min 4GB RAM, plus OS Windows 7 x64, plus a box set MS Office 2013 (x32 or x64..?), I like to have the CD/DVD.

Joe, and ASF posters, all suggestions gratefully received!
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

Logique said:
Dear Joe and posters,

my apologies if the subject is covered in an existing thread. The predicament might be something common to many ASF posters?

After April 2014, no more support for my favourite programs - Win XP and Office 2003.

So for me, it looks like a new PC with min 4GB RAM, plus OS Windows 7 x64, plus a box set MS Office 2013 (x32 or x64..?), I like to have the CD/DVD.

Joe, and ASF posters, all suggestions gratefully received!
Click to expand...

You only need support if something goes wrong. Hopefully you have got your machine working the way you want it to and do regular backups.

Norton Ghost will take an image of your PC and you can restore the whole lot if needed.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

I’m still with Office 2003 and prefer it to the more recent versions, as to windows, Win 7 is very good and you can run it in Xp mode as well, and then despite the bad press Windows 8 is actually ok, as long as you update to 8.1, just takes a bit of getting used to but I like it and office 03 loads perfectly ok onto it.

Why does it mean the end of Office 2003? sorry but don’t get it, so what its not supported. All that means is no new updates though doesn’t it; software will still work ok for years to come and it works very well as is.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

I have switched to Google Chrome on the internet in lieu of Internet explorer.

It is ten times faster.

I am not sure what to do with Microsoft outlook....I am not sure whether it will be affected in the same way..
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

As I understand it, Microsoft will no longer issue security patches for the XP operating system so if any further vulnerabilities occur you're on you own.

I upgraded with a new PC as mine was over 10 years old - probably the equivalent in human years of 150!

Went for

Win 7 Home Premium
Intel i7
12 Gig Ram (overkill maybe but extra doesn't go astray)
120 Gig SSD Drive
1 TB HD
DVD +/- RW
ASUS Motherboard
Office Home and Business 2013

Sadly for me one piece of software I liked and was using since 1994 was lost as it was not compatible but anyway I have lost the install disks which were 3 1/2".

And you don't have to stick with Microsoft products for wordprocessing etc. You can use Apache Open Office (a download) and Gmail but be aware some forums will not accept Gmail addresses.

PS: Also bought a 1 TB external hard disk for backup for the entire system which I do each week and for my accounting data which I do every day. Some prefer to use cloud storage but....Hmm.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

There are tons of options.

If going for a PC, then l'd do a laptop (running Windows 8.1) with an external monitor and wireless keyboard + mouse.

Buy a el-cheapo laptop (~$500) http://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers/acer/e1-522-15-6-inch-notebook-sku-491784/

A monitor/screen - (~$200) - http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24774&cPath=1088&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=export_feed&gclid=CI7u9ayUhb0CFQMGvAodejEABg#googlebase

A wireless keyboard + mouse ($50) - http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Technology/Monitors/23-26-Monitors/HPB3A19AA


$750 - Sorted!

With office, search around. Can be sometimes had for ~$50.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

Wow! Not having bought any computer gear for quite a while, I had no idea that laptops had become so cheap.

Maybe time for the old clunker to go......

Currently running Windows XP on a desktop that's a bit over 9 years old. Does the job but it struggles somewhat at times and can be slow. This might be a logical time to upgrade I think.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

Smurf1976 said:
Wow! Not having bought any computer gear for quite a while, I had no idea that laptops had become so cheap.

Maybe time for the old clunker to go......

Currently running Windows XP on a desktop that's a bit over 9 years old. Does the job but it struggles somewhat at times and can be slow. This might be a logical time to upgrade I think.
Click to expand...

My Win XP was struggling also with Internet Explorer and then last week I switched to Google Chrome. It is some 10 times faster but at this stage I an uncertain what to do with Microsoft Office Outlook for emails.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

noco said:
My Win XP was struggling also with Internet Explorer and then last week I switched to Google Chrome. It is some 10 times faster but at this stage I an uncertain what to do with Microsoft Office Outlook for emails.
Click to expand...

You might try Outlook Express if Outlook is a problem. Express is a cut down version, but faster and easier to use.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

Noco - I use Thunderbird. It's made by the Mozilla team (aka - Firefox), and free. Does the same job as Outlook.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/


Sorry, I got the monitor and keyboard/mouse link mixed up. Just go to officeworks.com.au and you'll find a Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse combo for ~$50
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

rumpole said:
You might try Outlook Express if Outlook is a problem. Express is a cut down version, but faster and easier to use.
Click to expand...

rumpole or anyone else for that matter, if I switch to Outlook Express how do I transfer all saved emails from Microsoft Office Outlook to Outlook Express.

I I switch to Outlook Express will I lose all from Microsoft Express Outlook?

Also Outlook Express requires your email name @outlook.com ..........how will that affect my current server which is iprimus.com.au
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

noco said:
rumpole or anyone else for that matter, if I switch to Outlook Express how do I transfer all saved emails from Microsoft Office Outlook to Outlook Express.

I I switch to Outlook Express will I lose all from Microsoft Express Outlook?

Also Outlook Express requires your email name @outlook.com ..........how will that affect my current server which is iprimus.com.au
Click to expand...

noco, Outlook Express as a program is basically gone and Microsoft has replaced it with Microsoft Mail for which you need at least Microsoft Vista or Windows 7 operating system.

I suspect you may be fighting a losing battle to keep the operating system you presently have and eventually you will need to upgrade the operating system and the compatible software programs (word processing, email, spreadsheets, etc.) I am no techie but I am inclined to think the server is not going to be the issue, it just receives stuff sent to you and what you send to it. You can probably keep going exactly as you are now but at some stage you could be leaving yourself open to all manner of malware and other nasties.

I know nothing much about computing and realised that not knowing the ins and outs meant getting and paying for on the ground technical help.

Just to clarify, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and all other browsers are just that, browsers. They are not the operating system and it is the XP operating system and Office 2003 software which are no longer going to be supported with security updates by Microsoft or anybody else for that matter.
 
Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

noco said:
rumpole or anyone else for that matter, if I switch to Outlook Express how do I transfer all saved emails from Microsoft Office Outlook to Outlook Express.

I I switch to Outlook Express will I lose all from Microsoft Express Outlook?

Also Outlook Express requires your email name @outlook.com ..........how will that affect my current server which is iprimus.com.au
Click to expand...

If you want to go down the outlook express route, look at this

http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/o...m-outlook-to-outlook-express-HA001094388.aspx

Basically I reckon if it aint broke, don't try and fix it, but if you have a definite reason to get rid of Outlook, Express is an option for a quick and dirty email system. (If it still exists). Maybe try Thunderbird as suggested, but first check if you can import messages, folders etc from Outlook.
 
Yes, noco can do that as can everyone else.

Yet isn't anyone the slightest bit concerned that when Logique raised the issue of XP going, noco posted "I have switched to Google Chrome on the internet in lieu of Internet explorer" implying a possible lack of awareness of the difference between an operating system, which is going the way of the Dodo, and applications which the operating systems support, ie allow them to actually function?

However, "if it aint broke, don't try and fix it" may not apply since if the operating system will not, in the not-to-distant future, be secure then the system is effectively broken.

If I recall correctly, at some stage there could even be an issue with some browsers such as, Chrome and Explorer. Some older Internet Explorer versions which can run on XP no longer receive security patches. Google Chrome will continue supporting Windows XP until at least April 2015, while Mozilla Firefox has no announced plans to stop supporting Windows XP - yet. So whatcha gonna do when that happens?

Anyway, peoples can do what they want.
 
Judd said:
Anyway, peoples can do what they want.
Click to expand...

As I understand, if I want to upgrade from XP SP3 to Windows 8 I have to format my HDD, install the new OS and then manually reload every program plus the data and system settings. Is that correct?

Also maybe some of my programs won't work at all with the new OS. I don't want to find this out when it's too late.
 
rumpole said:
As I understand, if I want to upgrade from XP SP3 to Windows 8 I have to format my HDD, install the new OS and then manually reload every program plus the data and system settings. Is that correct?

Also maybe some of my programs won't work at all with the new OS. I don't want to find this out when it's too late.
Click to expand...

Could be the case. I had a techie shift all my stuff of the old PC and then move back to the new one. I am not going to fool around with something I know little about. Way too dangerous in my view and not a way to save time, trouble or money.

Here is a link to an upgrade adviser from Microsoft. It's how I discovered one of my favourite bits of software which I had used for almost 20 years was now cactus.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor

Sorry, that's the one for Win 7. Here is the adviser for Win 8.1

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8
 
Thanks so much everyone for the replies, it actually helps a lot.

Judd, I would very much like to use a product like Apache Open Office, it looks really good, and claims to be 'compatible with other major office suites'.

Bears further investigation, no question.
 
Logique - you could also open a Google e-mail account, and start using all their (google) free services.

This includes 'Google Drive' - which is very handy. It can do all office word, excel, powerpoint documents etc etc...pretty much everything and it's all online - if that doesn't bother you.

http://www.google.com.au/about/products/

BTW - how much is your budget for the new computer?
 
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