Windows 10 1909 End of Life Question

dalchina said:

@jimbo45 - I use XP in a VM to run an old but perfectly adequate scanner I got many years ago 2nd hand on ebay - has no driver available in Win 10.

Loads of uses for an XP VM -- however for scanners you might like to try vuescan which seems to work for pretty well any sort of scanner -- not free though. (Win XP as a VM is !! if you kept a version of XP).

Note also on XP you can install free the win2pdf printer so you can print docs to pdf and then do whatever you want to them on other systems.

I probably directed the comment at the wrong user -- however there's lots of people who don't understand the use or point of using Virtual Machines !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Were you referring to this link: Install Windows 10 as Virtual Machine in VMware Player
If not, are there better free options?

I've got an unused windows xp disc somewhere.
Some computers came with Windows 7 or 8 with free upgrade or downgrade rights. So there may be multiple discs where I no longer know which disc was for which notebook.

For windows 10 any iso could be downloaded. The oldest needed would be 1809 to be able to use the HP software.

In the fall / winter I may explore options. Are you using the suggested 25 GB for windows 10 64x? If you use XP, 7, or 8.1 are you using similar size?

Thanks to everyone who has responded to my question. Didn't expect so many responses, but then its given me a lot of reading with my morning coffee. Responses to specific suggestions:

@AddRAM - Making a Macrium image. I've been using Macrium Reflect for years. Full image backup every Sunday morning, differential image backup every weekday. Saved my bacon more than once.

@zbook - Skimmed all three links you posted. I'll need that second coffee for sure. Some good information, but it reads like it was written by lawyers (probably was).

@zebal - I struggle with the "newer is better" (seasoned citizen here!) concept. For example, I still have a turntable and a pretty large collection of LPs. CDs (and even those have now been forgotten) never had the "warmth" of an LP so I never switched over. At some point I will upgrade from 1909, just hope to do it at my own pace.
@dalchina - I am blocking upgrades. Was using Sledgehammer but recently found Matthew Wai's solution and am now using that. Allows for a bit more user control. Tried an upgrade to 2004 a few weeks back and it was less than smooth. My laptop is ready for 20H2. As for the possibly "nothing of interest", that hits the nail on the head. From all the reading I've done here on these forums, there is nothing in either 2004 or 20H2 that compels me to want to upgrade.

@jimbo45 - Tried using (VMWare I believe it was called) and the performance on my old laptop was dismal. What did catch my interest was "You can often "Virtualise" running systems via a P2V (Physical to Virtual) conversion program." I'll have to Google P2V and educate myself as that could be a possibility. Thanks.

Homer712 said:

Thanks to everyone who has responded to my question. Didn't expect so many responses, but then its given me a lot of reading with my morning coffee. Responses to specific suggestions:

@AddRAM - Making a Macrium image. I've been using Macrium Reflect for years. Full image backup every Sunday morning, differential image backup every weekday. Saved my bacon more than once.

@zbook - Skimmed all three links you posted. I'll need that second coffee for sure. Some good information, but it reads like it was written by lawyers (probably was).

@zebal - I struggle with the "newer is better" (seasoned citizen here!) concept. For example, I still have a turntable and a pretty large collection of LPs. CDs (and even those have now been forgotten) never had the "warmth" of an LP so I never switched over. At some point I will upgrade from 1909, just hope to do it at my own pace.
@dalchina - I am blocking upgrades. Was using Sledgehammer but recently found Matthew Wai's solution and am now using that. Allows for a bit more user control. Tried an upgrade to 2004 a few weeks back and it was less than smooth. My laptop is ready for 20H2. As for the possibly "nothing of interest", that hits the nail on the head. From all the reading I've done here on these forums, there is nothing in either 2004 or 20H2 that compels me to want to upgrade.

@jimbo45 - Tried using (VMWare I believe it was called) and the performance on my old laptop was dismal. What did catch my interest was "You can often "Virtualise" running systems via a P2V (Physical to Virtual) conversion program." I'll have to Google P2V and educate myself as that could be a possibility. Thanks.

Hi there.

I also use the VM system for making "Bespoke Vinyls" for people -- business is booming currently -- my biggest problem was in sourcing blank Vinyls to cut the music on -- now solved (so long as they aren't stuck on that ship in the Suez Canal !!) . The hardware is brilliant (studio quality) but doesn't run on anything newer than XP -- why should I junk perfectly good hardware capable of years more use just because a newer OS doesn't support it. New gear to do the same job would probably in today's money cost around 36,000 USD / EUR so why bother.

I also make MD's for people (Minidiscs) and obviously create bespoke labels for the MD's and Vinyls. There's more people using MD's than you might think --in fact Retro Music formats are booming again - including tapes - but tapes I'm shying away from - for me they always jammed etc even the "Metal tapes" and digital tape recorders were so hideously expensive that it really wan't worth it -- especially as discs (of any sort) had decent random access. !!

I agree - there's nothing like the sound of a Vinyl -- people who don't get it are missing really great sounds. !!

Cheers
jimbo

Homer712 said:

From all the reading I've done here on these forums, there is nothing in either 2004 or 20H2 that compels me to want to upgrade.

If my old HDD had not been dysfunctional, I would still be using 1903 and waiting to see whether M$ could force an upgrade on my Windows.

Homer712 said:

@jimbo45 "Retro Music formats are booming again . . ." Tell me about it. There's a number of well known internet equipment sites I frequent where turntables, high end cartridges and studio speakers are very hard to come by, and not due to production shortages, just can't keep them in stock. I waited three months for a specific Audio-Technica cartridge that was on my wish list. Then again, maybe us "baby boomers" are just enjoying spending our children's inheritance.

Quote from the guy who owned the "Needle Doctor" for forty years before passing away just a couple of months ago.

"I listen to CDs when I'm in the bathroom, or when I'm putzing around in the kitchen," Raskin told the Star Tribune in 1994. "But when I'm listening to music, I play records."

Hi there
@homer

I loved Audio Technica -- brilliant back then (and still today if and when you can get their products).

Anyway glad you like the old Music formats -- I love some of feedback from Customers who get a nice Vinyl sleeve of their music (even from Spotify etc) and get a bespoke LP sleeve as well -- their kids love those L.P Sleeves. !!

I only do a few a month and I'm definitely not a "baby Boomer" or a "Millenial" so I'm not a "Monster Factory" but in my Semi retirement keeps me still in decent "Business Mode" even if I don't have a Yacht in Monaco. !! (The way things are going currently I might be able to get TWO of those in the near future - although what I'd do with them -- who knows. )!!!

Just loving keeping good music alive and giving it to people who love the older formats.

Why W10 doesn't start cashing in on this type of stuff and release drivers -- who knows -- anyway "XP STILL LIVES ON -- even "Unofficial 2020 SP 5 " - and it's the fastest Windows OS as a VM that you could possibly wish for.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45

Please comment on post #13.