Jody Thornton

Well, I'm on Windows 8 right now, and I've had NO issues on my system since I've installed it in December. For a little while I was thinking "Now that I'm done my taxes (for which I needed a newer .NET Framework), I'll go back to Vista for a year, since I loved how it worked and looked." But I'll tell ya, Windows 8 works so smoothly. I have completely forgotten that this system should be half-metro"fied". It just feels like a flatter, leaner Windows 7 (and since I use Quick Launch and non-grouped tasks in the bottom bar, really more like a flatter, leaner Vista) For updates that I'm applying from Server 2012, I am checking the explanations on each, just to make sure what I'm installing. So far so good, but I always could just leave my system at the state it was in January 2016. It really works with no complaint from me or the system.

With Pale Moon, I find the x64 version a tad more brisk (more responsive anyway). But I just figure, if I'm going to use an x64 OS, give me native apps.

I would love to go back, but I want a 64-bit browsing solution. None exist for XP x64. Otherwise I could use SeaMonkey, K-Meleon or Pale Moon/Atom.

No worries. I'll bring it back on topic as of Patch Tuesday.

Also K-Meleon and SeaMonkey are working Gecko variants. The x64 version of Pale Moon also works still.

Most probably far beyond that date , but you have a "wrong" perception, while XP is much less bloated than later systems it is not "light", it's installed size almost tripled (around 1500 Mb vs. 650 Mb) when compared to Windows 2000 (without providing, with the exception of bells an whistles, very few new, useful features). To be fair, even the almost 5x size of Windows 2000 when compared to good ol' NT 4.00 (650 Mb vs. 150/180 Mb) is hardly justified. jaclaz I know, everyone seems to forget how much of a pig we all thought that XP was back then. People who loved XP's RTM release back then are like the same people who embrace 10 now. They hated convention just as much and embraced everything new as well. I could run Windows 2000 on a PII 350 MHz Dell Optiplex with 128 MB. To run XP SP2 in a similar way (with the classic desktop and no visual styles), I found a P4 1.4 GHz with 256 MB of RAM did the trick, so double the RAM, and way more than double the CPU. As an aside, I've setup an HP Pavillion with the RTM version of XP that had a PII 866 MHz CPU, and 512 MB of RAM, and it ran nice. SP2 DEFINITELY slowed down the system.

Perhaps I'm incorrect, but to me Windows 8 seems more "responsive" than Windows 7. It may not necessarily be faster, but stuff seems to load or respond more briskly. Anyway, I'm good with 8. Plus, just a few days away from Patch Tuesday. I'm looking forward to "round two" of trying out 2012 patches.

This is now why I especially like Windows 8 (especially now that it seems I'll be able to use Server 2012 updates with it). Now if I don't us any updates and leave it right at January 2016, I'll be basically on par with NoelC (in the manner that he has ceased updating Windows 8.1 after a certain point) Plus, I can run the x64 build on a pair of Netburst Xeons, so even if I retain this machine for some time longer, I'm all set.

Thank you RyanC. I was wondering what the heck went on. I was REALLY enthusiastic about KernelEx's future for Windows XP.

Two years onward, I'm glad I went with Precise Puppy on that old notebook. It still works great!

Wait a minute. Where are all the KernelEx threads that were here in the last couple of weeks? What happened and what did I miss?

I still use Windows Server 2003 as a file server and an audio distribution server. For the most part, I just connect with a crossover cable, and Internet is usually turned off (except for nightly MSE updates)

Thank you Harkaz. That is very helpful. Boy I might have to just give this a whirl.

Thank you, as that was quite informative. Now can any of those options be defeated? So if I didn't want any PowerShell or .NET files on my system, can I prevent that from being installed? A lot of great additions though. EDIT: I soooooo wish a similar Unofficial SP3 could be developed for Windows XP x64 Edition. It really is a worthwhile OS, but I know there are no update sources still around for it. Sniff!

So I asked in another thread, what exactly is in the SP4. I know there's an extensive thread, but it's just too confusing to go through ...lol So suppose I have Windows XP SP3 installed and all of the post-SP3 updates put in up to April 2014. Now I go install SP4. What changes? (I know it puts in the POSReady 2009 hack. Does it also install .NET Frameworks by default or can I defeat that?) What else does it do to your system?

In truth, I am running Windows Calendar on Windows 8, but since it's natively a Windows Vista application, I should probably post this question here. Are there any web based calendars that will allow 2-way sync with Windows Calendar? I want to be able to synchronize (not import/export but synchronize) my Lightning calendar on my Puppy Linux machine with my Vista Calendar (it is running in Windows 8, but it should be all the same, no?). I use CalDAV on Zoho to sync in Lightning, and that works with aplomb. But there seems to be no way to get the same functionality working on Windows Calendar. The latter supports WebDAV, but I need CalDAV support (and that appears to be the more standardized way of doing things)

Naw! It's all good

So just that I'm clear on its use, basically SP4 contains all patches post SP1 to SP3, plus it implements the POSReady hack. Is that correct? Can you make sure that NO .NET Frameworks are installed at all, or do you have to remove them afterwards? I've read through the SP4 thread, but there are some debates that become difficult to follow ... lol

I miss some of the looks of Vista, especially having customized the captions and start menu colours in the Basic theme. However, Windows 8 is MUCH MUCH faster. Even Windows Mail (a Vista-specific application) is faster still. Windows 8 as it now stands (provided that updates continue) gives these advantages. (a) Since I only use the Explorer-based portions of the OS with Classic Shell (all Metro items are blocked), my OS essentially works like Windows 7, only faster and more modern looking. And since Windows 8.1 improvements don't affect Explorer based portions of the product, I already have what I like about Windows 8.1, but in Windows 8. (b) Since I ungroup the taskbar and restore Quick Launch, it's actually more like a modern-looking Vista. © Now that I have working updates to apply, I have unofficial support, but also no telemetry updates, nor do I have Windows 10 nags. The only disadvantage would be that the loading of the desktop by default is a tad cludgy, only because Classic Shell forces it to happen. But that's a small issue.

Well I'm happy even as it is. Plus this also gives Vista users added hope (since they're in a similar situation). They'll likely be able to do the same with patches from the original Server 2008.

Nope! Won't even bring up a download page. Just says that the Windows 7 version of IE 11 is not compatible with your system. Keep in mind that the original Server 2012 is only supporting IE 10 as well.

And I guess you're covered till Jan 10, 2023 !!! Yes it's what it seems. Now I'll use this thread for month to month results, and see how it goes from there. Even the IE updates go through. And v10, also not as good as 11, still browses most sites (should I need to use it ever)

Well would you look at that. Looks good to me So I guess Server 2012 Updates do install.

Well I got home later than I anticipated, but ran System Restore to create a Restore Point. Then I downloaded six updates (five for Windows Server 2012, and one for Internet Explorer 10). I had shut off the Windows Update service and had cleared the \Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder on a previous occasion, so I started the service and let the folder populate. Then I manually installed all of the updates one by one. (KB3115858, KB3123294, KB3126593, KB3126587 and KB3124280, plus KB3134814 for IE10) Now I had removed IE10 from my system (and even deleted the disk payload for the feature using the DISM command), but I thought perhaps that the IE update would improve security in the IE engine files that may still reside on the system. All updates installed without incident. Now to reboot. Be right back ...

I have noticed, for whatever it may be worth, that WSUS Offline Downloader has dispensed with any inclusion of updates for Windows NT 6.2, as of v10.4. So neither Windows 8 no Server 2012 has been included. How do they expect downloading of Server 2012 patches? Patch Tuesday is tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted.