ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Microsoft in all their infinite wisdom no longer supports Windows XP and as such there are no upgrades for the Internet Explorer.
As a result sites like Bloomberg News no longer function and those that do work at all do so on a glacial pace.
Any recommendations for a Internet Explorer replacement like Firefox or Google Chrome?
I didn’t like Google Chrome on my main and newer computer as I found it too intrusive….. it got into everything whether I liked it or not.
So what would be the best browser for an aged, but well functioning second computer?
Thanks,
Jeff
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I pretty much use Firefox and have for years. Since it's free trying it is easy and it's not nearly as grabby and acquisitive as Google Chrome. Been a while since I used my XP machine, but my sister-in-law uses an old XP laptop of mine and Firefox with no problems.
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
Hi Jeff,
I decided to try Firefox at your suggestion and it definitely made a HUGE difference.
Microsoft in their ill-advised wisdom decided not to support Windows XP in any way. One would have thought they would support their Internet Explorer, but no, they didn’t.
So fine I have Firefox now and will take some time to learn all its features.
I have had two computers die on me and my tech at Staples said my third computer had a severe motherboard issue and would croak at ANY time, so I bought a new computer, transferred files and waited.
Six years later the near-death computer is still functioning, but with Windows XP it is badly out of date…. but no more.
Thank you!
I think you'll like Firefox, plus they have a lot of free downloadable widgets that add capability, including ad blockers, Flash blockers, etc. when you go and browse them I'm sure you will find some useful things. I have been a fan since they first appeared yeas ago.
I might also suggest signing up for an online backup service, they operate in background so you're always backed up. My current laptop is getting buggy, some video hardware issues so I'm probably going to have to replace eventually, but ye gods I don't want a Win 8.1 machine. It will probably be something still available with Win 7. Maybe when Win 10 comes out it'll be good enough to upgrade, but heck I still pine for NT! There was an OS, stable, configurable, lots of manual admin options so YOU controlled how it functioned, kept processes well isolated. Not that novice friendly but I liked it.
food luck!
Windows NT huh? Now that takes me back. I still like Windows Me, probably the only soul on the planet that did, but whatever.
So far I am delighted with Firefox as it has transformed my elderly computer. Using the “latest available” Internet Explorer 9 everything on the web took forever to load, and sites like eBay displayed each photo singularly.
CNN was a nightmare and Bloomberg News insisted on my updating my browser, which Microsoft wouldn’t permit.
Now problem solved, everything loads quickly and I thank you!
Don’t feel bad about Windows NT, my first computer experience was on a NCR mini-mainframe using IMOS2. Talk about primitive: monochromatic, upper-case only font, you had to manually partition memory for each peripheral unit, and the damn CPU gave off so much heat that it required its own dedicated air-conditioning system.
Thanks again!
I you use Firefox on multiple computers, check out the built-in Sync service. It's very easy to set up and keeps your bookmarks in sync across all systems (you can also tell it to sync most other settings, including saved passwords, if you are brave enough to trust them to a cloud service).
--mika
Well Jeff, my first computer experience was on a DEC PDP-11, followed by an IBM 360/65. On teletype, punch cards, punch tape, and at the end CRT terminals and Tektronix graphing terminals.
Yes, I'm old...
Instead of focussing on the browser you should really focus on the version of your operating system. Microsoft decided to stop supporting XP and they were right. XP was released in 2003 (12 years ago), in the computer world this is almost middle age. XP is really unsecure and without any more security patches it is a dream for hackers. Running a recent version of Firefox on XP will certainly not make your system secure.
You should really consider upgrading to either Win7 or Win8 and both will offer you Internet Explorer 11 and if you prefer you can still run the latest versions of Firefox or Google Chrome, this will be much better than keeping XP. Btw moving up to either 7 or 8 will give you a free upgrade to Win10 when it becomes available.
BTW I am not working for MS, but I am one of their customer, managing the IT environment of an enterprise with about 10000 workstations, migrated last year from XP to 7 :-)
Precisely why I updated to Win 7, which wasn't that dramatic a change. 'Also made the change from MS Office '03 to a newer version since '03 is no longer supported. If I were you I'd spend as little time online as possible and be sure to back up your files. I've "been there/done that" with regard to a virus encrypting all my files.
tournedos: I you use Firefox on multiple computers, check out the built-in Sync service. It's very easy to set up and keeps your bookmarks in sync across all systems (you can also tell it to sync most other settings, including saved passwords, if you are brave enough to trust them to a cloud service).
I am not brave enough to trust the cloud.
Jeff: Well Jeff, my first computer experience was on a DEC PDP-11, followed by an IBM 360/65. On teletype, punch cards, punch tape, and at the end CRT terminals and Tektronix graphing terminals. Yes, I'm old...
Me too, but still too "young" for my Old Age Supplement.
mf22433: Instead of focussing on the browser you should really focus on the version of your operating system. Microsoft decided to stop supporting XP and they were right. XP was released in 2003 (12 years ago), in the computer world this is almost middle age. XP is really unsecure and without any more security patches it is a dream for hackers. Running a recent version of Firefox on XP will certainly not make your system secure. You should really consider upgrading to either Win7 or Win8 and both will offer you Internet Explorer 11 and if you prefer you can still run the latest versions of Firefox or Google Chrome, this will be much better than keeping XP. Btw moving up to either 7 or 8 will give you a free upgrade to Win10 when it becomes available. BTW I am not working for MS, but I am one of their customer, managing the IT environment of an enterprise with about 10000 workstations, migrated last year from XP to 7 :-)
Excellent advice.
My “new” computer, the one I am bearvering away upon right now is a 2009 HP and it runs Windows 7.
The “old” computer is a 2007 HP that was checked out by Staples Tech Service and found beyond repair in 2010. Failing motherboard was listed as the culprit. However it still functions well and is used only as a back-up for the main computer.
Although Microsoft no longer supports XP, I do have Norton 360 on both computers and as the old computer is turned off 95% of the time, it probably is a poor target for hackers. Possible to be sure, but unlikely.
I don’t know that I could still find Windows 7 OS these days and I am not at all sure that a computer that old can handle Windows 8, which I don’t like the look of from the reviews.
As an 8 year old computer supposedly barely cheating death, I don’t feel that it is worth the expense of buying a new OS for.
Lastly, all important files are routinely copied to an external hard drive which I use to transfer files from one computer to the other.
Yes, I know I could network them, but feel this is safer, if more work.
FWIW, for those who don't like the look of the Win8/8.1 metro interface, there is a little free utility called "classic shell" that will bring back your Win7 start menu and usual desktop and hide the modern interface : http://www.classicshell.net/
That's what I am using on my private PC's.
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
OK I installed Firefox and indeed the speed is MUCH better.
However, Firefox displays no videos and the top photos on CNN appear briefly then turns to gibberish. [XsjYTT&44qFjbc_+]
How do I get Firefox to display videos and then, just possibly convert the noise into a photo?
P.S. From what I have heard, I probably will change both computers to Windows 10 when it comes out. My HP with XP came with Vista, so I assume it can handle Windows 10. The Newer HP with Windows 7 should be a walk in the park....