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Welcome to XPforever, a community support wiki for Windows XP.

Over articles. Started in June 2020.

Microsoft doesn't support Windows XP anymore, but we (the users) do. XP forever is a guide that aims to keep Windows XP going for decades to come. By encouraging writing new software and drivers for it. As XP is out of support from Microsoft and now considered a retro operating system be sure to read about precautions for using Windows XP.

Our other wikis : Windows 7 forever (Vista too) – Apple silicon Macs – Encycloplex



Important notices

 * The source code for Windows XP has been leaked. Expect exploits for unpatched security holes to be developed. Be sure to follow the precautions more diligently.
 * Microsoft has discontinued all update servers for Windows XP (along with Windows 2000 and Vista) as of 3rd August 2020. Update: Microsoft has also removed most XP updates from the update catalog too. Use an unofficial collection such as the UO-SP4 pack. A customisable 'update rollup' pack would be nice in the future.
 * The SHA-1 Root certificate expired on the 9th of May 2021. Expect certificate errors and problems installing drivers.
 * With the increasing amount ransomware and cyber attacks targeting computer systems, it is crucial to make regular backups and use sufficient antivirus and firewalls. Don't use Windows XP with any data you cannot afford to lose.

Rules

 * No links to pirated versions of Windows, product keys or illegal leaked source code. If you want a free alternative, check out ReactOS or Wine on Linux systems.
 * Visitors are welcome to edit this wiki to add more information about Windows XP. It is intended to be a community knowledge base providing self support to the userbase of Windows XP.
 * This wiki is primarily Windows XP/Server 2003 and its derivatives (not including Longhorn).
 * Windows 7 and Vista have their own wiki.
 * Windows 98/9X ,Windows 2000/NT and Vintage Windows have pages here too.
 * Anyone with a Miraheze account (or unregistered) can contribute here, the userbox template is available for user pages.

XP Forever is possible
You Can Do This Today.

Hardware
Driver challenges – SATA – SSD – USB – UEFI – NVME – SSE2 – x64 – GPU – Internet Access.

Virtual machines and emulators
VirtualBox – QEMU – GNOME Boxes – PCem and 86box – HyperV – VMWare – Parallels – Bochs – Virtual PC – Apple Silicon Macs – Extended Kernel

Software
Software challenges

Productivity
Scan and copy drivers – Apache OpenOffice – The Document Foundation LibreOffice – Text Editors – pdf – media – Snipping tool for XP

Gaming
Gaming Challenges – Steam – Origin  – Epic Games Store – Games included with Windows XP -- Age of Empires

Communication
Communication challenges – Discord – Zoom  – Slack – IRC – Email – Skype – YouTube – Telegram

Graphics
Graphics challenges – PicPick – ShareX

Utilities
Backup – Defragmenting – Partitioning – NirSoft – List of current antivirus programs

Supports XP
Mypal – 360 Extreme Explorer – MiniChrome – New Moon – Arctic Fox – TS Browser – K-meleon – Otter Browser – Serpent – 2345 Explorer – More

No longer supports XP
Internet Explorer – Firefox – Safari – Chrome – Opera – Vivaldi – Centaury – More

Browser help
User agent spoofing

Updates and security
POSReady (EOL) – SP4  – Backups – Windows Update (shut down) – List of current antivirus programs

XP culture
Why we use XP – 20th Anniversary – Bliss – Yes you can – Like Humans Do – Setup Music – Rover (dog) – Luna – Usage of Windows XP – Codename Whistler – Windows XP related websites

Events

 * August 3, 2020. Microsoft discontinued the update servers for Windows XP, Vista and 2000. Meaning it is no longer safe to use online.
 * May 9, 2021. SHA-1 Root certificate expired.
 * June 19, 2021. This wiki celebrated its first anniversary.
 * June 24 2021. Windows 11 was revealed.
 * October 25, 2021. 20th Anniversary. Possible retro revival and interest at this time. (Like Windows 98 20th Anniversary).
 * January 10, 2023. Windows 8.1 end of life. End of paid extended support updates for Windows 7.
 * Feburary 7, 2036. NTPv3 (Network Time Protocol) will reach the highest date supported. Network time synchronization will no longer work.
 * 19 January 2038 End of 32-bit Unix/Linux time.
 * 31st December 2099. End of BIOS time. Will XP still run in any form by then?