Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

[Hansoon]

We have very old irreplaceable software running exclusively with Windows XP, 64bit. The workstation has originally a HDD. Since this drive is over 8 years old, I would like to replace it. If possible with a SSD, but one is hearing that it would be a bad idea under WXP. Could that be true?
What's your experience, guys?

Hans

[rthonpm]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

XP doesn't have the built-in wear levelling that newer operating systems have for SSD's so while it may work, you'll likely see the drive wear faster. Your bigger issue is going to be whether you even have a SATA adapter in something that old. IDE SSD's were made but they're tough to find outside of no name Chinese manufacturers now and they are pretty flaky.



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[ridgemill]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Personally, I would not recycle an old system.

Instead, I would use a newer system; but install a hypervisor like VirtualBox or Hyper-V.

[Hansoon]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Personally, I would not recycle an old system.

Instead, I would use a newer system; but install a hypervisor like VirtualBox or Hyper-V.

Thanks, that dino software needs a Microsoft MSDE SQL server and I cannot believe that it will be possible to install it within a hypervisor.

Hans

[rthonpm]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Thanks, that dino software needs a Microsoft MSDE SQL server and I cannot believe that it will be possible to install it within a hypervisor.

Hans

I highly doubt the software would care what it's installed in as long as it sees a supported NT build number in the OS. The distinction at the software level between a physical and virtual install is negligible unless there is an actual hardware component required for the software to work.

The biggest issue is going to be finding install media for the OS and software that reliably run and are not OEM licensed.

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[Gift]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

We have very old irreplaceable software running exclusively with Windows XP, 64bit. The workstation has originally a HDD. Since this drive is over 8 years old, I would like to replace it. If possible with a SSD, but one is hearing that it would be a bad idea under WXP. Could that be true?
What's your experience, guys?

Hans

I think these comments are over-dramatized. Wear levelling on modern SSDs is done in it's controller and is not depending on any OS.
TRIM won't work, that's true but as long as you won't write hundreds of GB of data per week it's not a huge issue.

I'd pick a SSD with good components. I think the Crucial MX series is worth checking out - never had one failing so far.

[slimslob]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

We have very old irreplaceable software running exclusively with Windows XP, 64bit. The workstation has originally a HDD. Since this drive is over 8 years old, I would like to replace it. If possible with a SSD, but one is hearing that it would be a bad idea under WXP. Could that be true?
What's your experience, guys?

Hans

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and port the software over to a newer OS. Windows 11 might even run it in Compatibility mode.

Have you checked with the software company to see if the exclusive part might just be the 64bit?

Is the software company even around anymore? If they are they should have a newer version.

Almost worst case is you will have to export the DATA, back up to external media, and import it to a newer software.

Since it is 64bit, that would male it XP Professional x64 edition code bane anvil released released in April of 2005. It was replaced in January of 2007 by Windows Vista. Microsoft ended mainstream support for XP in April 2009. Since it is now 2023, the computer is over 16 years old and liable to crap out entirely. What will you do then?

Sometimes old systems reach an end of life. I once had a customer who owned a commercial nursery. He got seedlings ready to plant for farms through the western US. He had dozens of green houses. He had and original "True Blue" IBM PC that maintained the environment of each greenhouse, an inventory of all the seedlings, where they were to be shipped and when they were to be shipped. He had written the program himself in Lotus Symphony got DOS. There were a number commands in Symphony that he had used that simply were not available in windows based software.

[rthonpm]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

64-bit XP was just a stripped down version of Server 2003 R2, which was built off the same codebase as XP Service Pack 2.

With something like this app, being built off SQL Server 7, it's likely it won't run on a newer OS. There have been enough changes to the underlying OS that it won't pass even compatibility checks.

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[techsxge]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

May i ask what software we are talking about exactly?
as rthonpm already said most of the time it is unlikely that any software this old will run on newer Systems. Perhaps you can upgrade to a Windows Server 2012R2 to catch up in some sort. But running anything newer i dont think you will have much success. It will depend on the software though, so please give us a name if it isnt something your customer wrote for themselve.

[Hansoon]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Thanks guys, I've been through all thinkable solutions. The software company who wrote this Merchandise and Accounting Software wants by any means to sell their latest & greatest. But that will cost me around 12,000 dollars, not only for the newer software, but also because my database needs conversion to their new system. At the same time, they want me to shove me a mandatory update and service contract for 500 USD monthly down the throat.......

Since the old system does exactly what we require and everybody in the office knows to work with it very well, I see no need to change. We have a dedicated modern workstation with XP and a almost new HDD already since one year in use for it, all going well. But I would love to have an SSD instead of the HDD. That's all.

Hans

[tsbservice]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Hans it's understandable and I wouldn't pay a bucket with money to those robbers.
I would cosider some softwares that may help with migration, here is the one I found although never tested:
Paragon Drive Copy 14 Special Edition for XP - Overview

[rthonpm]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Any compliance requirements that the customer needs to abide by? An end of life operating system for something that mission critical that likely stores sensitive information would probably fail you on an audit without some major compensating controls.

Even without compliance requirements, keeping that machine on a regular network segment is asking for trouble from a security perspective. XP is over 20 years old, there is no hardware made in the last five to ten years that will support its install. Modern ciphers are out of the way since you don't have TLS 1.2 support and you're allowing SMB1 as well through this device.

At least convert the system into a VM if possible and limit access to it by every means you can so that only the staff that need access are able to get to it, even better if they need to go through a terminal server or some kind of jump box.

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[HelenaBravo]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

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[tonerhead]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Hans: What I would do is image your current system, go out and get ssd and use it. If it fails, you still have the image. You didn't state the size of the IDE hdd, believe it or not, you still can get new IDE hdd's but they are from discounters like Newegg, etc.

[techsxge]

Re: Windows XP, 64bit with a SSD?

Thanks guys, I've been through all thinkable solutions. The software company who wrote this Merchandise and Accounting Software wants by any means to sell their latest & greatest. But that will cost me around 12,000 dollars, not only for the newer software, but also because my database needs conversion to their new system. At the same time, they want me to shove me a mandatory update and service contract for 500 USD monthly down the throat.......

Since the old system does exactly what we require and everybody in the office knows to work with it very well, I see no need to change. We have a dedicated modern workstation with XP and a almost new HDD already since one year in use for it, all going well. But I would love to have an SSD instead of the HDD. That's all.

Hans

at this point is is only out of Curiosity wanting to know the name of the software