Easy: stick w/XP or install 8.1?

[Madmordigan]

So I tried a search but didn't find this: I use different hard drives and run XP to play older games. I do other stuff on 7 Pro. I wonder if I installed 8.1 (over XP, on my XP drive) if that would impact gaming. I only have 2GB ram on this thing. Doesn't 8.1 use a lot more ram?

Thank you,

Madmordigan

 

[strollin]

XP uses less RAM than 8.1 but I think you would find that a lot of games that were designed to run on XP may not work with 8.1. I would say, yes, that installing 8.1 on your XP drive would definitely impact gaming.

 

[Madmordigan]

Thank you strollin. I'll buy another drive.

 

[broe23]

Thank you strollin. I'll buy another drive.

Why not just partition the drives and use a proper Boot loader to allow you to pick which OS you want to use.

 

[Madmordigan]

Well I thought I couldn't repartition w/o losing what's on the first part., and since that would mean reinstall OS and all the programs... Figure it's time I get a big drive. Been looking at SSHD for giggles but some say they're noisy, and only Seagate makes them I think.

But I could do it that way. It's just I also would like an SSD drive for when I download risky things (w/I haven't tried yet; like from tor sites). But thanks broe23.

 

[broe23]

You can shrink it down with a Live Linux Distro and use Gparted. SSD's are not noisy. There are no moving parts.

 

[brooksndun]

today in 2016 you can buy computers for nothing..

Amazon.com: xp computer

and just hook up monitor and keyboard/mouse..

also for your for

when I download risky things (w/I haven't tried yet; like from tor sites)

buy the cheapest crappiest lenovo or e-machine or such desktop/laptop and then go all out with it.. no security nothing.. and download whatever you want..

Do not do any banking or anything you have to put in passwords/emails on it.. just only use it for downloading and trying out programs whatever.. never use USB sticks on it nothing.. just try crap out on it .. and no worries what happens to it.. just reformat it again and again if problems..

 

[TechnoMage]

Speaking of the two OS's.....

I myself, finally upgraded from XP Pro, to Windows 8.1 pro/x86, because the 32 bit version of 8.1 is backward compatible with even the old 16 bit games and software.
On Windows 8.1, I'm still playing a game that I bought on a 3.5" floppy disk in 1990. Some would say it's a DOS game, and maybe so, but it plays excellent on Windows 8.1, Pro, X86.

But if you're undecided, install 8.1/x86 on a new drive and keep the old drive for if........

I do a lot of that here, keeping different OS's on different Hard Drives, so one OS never interferes with the other.

You don't have to work hard, just work smart.

"Ve gets too soon oldt, und too late schmart!" author unknown.

Cheers Mate!
TechnoMage

 

[Madmordigan]

@broe23: Interesting. I'll have to research Live Linux, I'm familiar w/Gparted from my Linux Mint. Thank you. The noisy comment was for SSHDs, w/I figure refers to those Seagate drives. I'd be more interested if the SSD in them was more like 32MB.

@brooksdun: Yeah that's what I plan on doing w/a bunch of old dell latitude lappies they were throwing out. Got 2GB of ram for $7 (and am trying to figure out how to use a VM for programs on the laptops). Guess I'll use another latitude to scan and then burn to CD.

@TechnoMage: Hey, good to know! My Mom can't play some card games on her newer 8.1 and I just read the same for my old titles. Re: separate drives - I've read of those who swear by dual and those who curse it but I'll take a hardware solution any day. In fact, regarding your tag line, I'm thinking of using a drive like a mirror b/c I keep reading of problems w/acronis, etc. and figure a complete 'backup' including boot manager is foolproof.

 

[TechnoMage]

I lost two OS's years ago, because I had them on the same HD, and something corrupted the Boot Manager.

So now, every OS that I want to run gets its own Hard Drive. Drives are so cheap any more, that having more than one OS per drive is just foolhardy at best.



The above picture is getting a long white beard, but it still demonstrates how a person can have more than one HD attached to their Desktop PC. It also gives new meaning to the term, 'External hard drive' . If your motherboard has six to eight SATA ports, why not use them?

If I'm done testing one OS, I wipe the drive clean and install a different OS.

As for backups...... I'm still using the DOS version of Ghost, similar to what I got from the authors, back in 1997.
It not only backs up every MS OS since '98, but it also backs up Linux and MS Server.

It will make backups using FAST or HIGH compression, and save to any drive that can be seen by the motherboard.
It is also the only program I will trust to do a CLONE, of one HD to another HD.

Most important of all, is that your Backup/Restore program Must NOT be on your main drive. When that drive goes up in a puff of smoke, that program won't do you much good. For safety, your Backup/Restore program must be on a Bootable Media of some sort.
I have my Ghost backup program on CD's, Flash Drives, and even a SD Flash Memory Card. The 2003 version would even fit on a Floppy Disk, and Yes.... I still have those too. And they work great to back up Windows XP.

I'm currently using Ghost 11.5, which is not supported anymore by Symantec Corp., but is out there in cyber land, for those who want it.

Cheers Mates,
TechnoMage

 

[Madmordigan]

Good to know Technomage. I have Ghost 8.0. Maybe I'll give that a whirl this weekend.

 

[brooksndun]

and am trying to figure out how to use a VM for programs on the laptops)

Why do you need to use VM's on Laptops you don't' care about?

Aren't they already "virtually" going to be used..