On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:52:42 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message ,
writes:
On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:10:27 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message ,
writes:
[]
More importantly XP is an abandoned product. If microsoft thought it
was of value they would support it. I never saw an expiration date on
any microsoft product I bought when I bought it. Them killing it at

Have they started putting them on any _current_ products?

some arbitrary date in the future is fraud. I can understand not
supporting it but if they refuse to activate it for a paid up
customer, they are the ones in the wrong and a hack is just justice.

Only _if_ the customer bought it from them, perhaps?

Or if the customer bought a used computer with a valid COA sticker on

Microsoft would, I presume, claim your gripe if any is with the person
you bought it from, not with Microsoft.


So If I buy a bottle of Coke with a dead mouse in it, I should blame
7-11?

it. That is probably where most reloads come from. I know when I get a
used PC, the first thing I do is wipe the hard drive and reload it
before I will even plug it into my network.

I might try to rescue drivers, if it has unusual hardware. Obviously I'd
scan any such for malware and the like.

My success at rescuing drivers from an existing system has been pretty
unsuccessful but you can usually get them from the manufacturer.
Dell used to be very good about that but now they seem to have joined
the Microsoft brigade of "screw you if you didn't buy it recently"
people.
I have collected a very good assortment of drivers tho.


To the poster who said the only real answer is to get a new W/10
machine, I guess he does not know w/7 is still supported fully, as is
8. Ten only makes sense if you think you want a big tablet.

I too have little time for the "ditch anything but the latest" brigade.