philscomputerlab wrote:

Steam games can be run in offline mode! Just got to run them once when being connected.

You have to connect to Steam at least once a month though for offline mode to work. 😉

EdmondDantes wrote:

Would I be able to have a top-of-the-line system and use the last version of Windows that didn't suck (Windows XP) or would I be forced to use Windows Vista/7/8?

That would be Windows 7. Windows XP doesn't offer anything that I can think of that is better than Windows 7.

Well it's interface with many of the settings area is more straightforward on XP. I hate the control panel on Vista / 7

I don't really think the control panel in XP is that nice either. It is bad in XP, and worse in Vista/7. I thought the control panel in 2k was a lot easier to use, but it has been a long time since I've used 2k, so I'm guessing it is just my memory playing tricks on me. 😀

Windows 98SE in my opinion is the best. 😜

But yeah, I prefer the classic layout to these dumbed down versions where you can't find dick.

There's a huge range of "good enough" specs for Windows XP and games, so really "best" is kinda irrelevant. I think around ~2008 or so most games were still DX9 or DX9 compatible, so basically 2008 and under is where you would want to aim for since XP doesn't support DX10 and DX11. Pentium 4's and Athlon 64's could cover all the way up to what 2006? Core2's up through 2008+, early i3/i5/i7's up through 2008+, Phenoms through 2008+, etc etc. Really, CPU isn't a big of a concern IMO if you're going with XP as your OS, it's super light weight by modern standards.

I find XP has the largest range of compatibility in terms of older/newer games and applications, so my "classic" rig is on Windows XP with a Core 2 Duo, 3GB DDR2, a Radeon X800 that I had lying around. Plays most everything from 2006 on down nicely, and it could be stretched even further if I got it a better GPU, but not too concerned since it plays all older games flawlessly with max settings and high AA/AF and anything newer can just be played on a newer machine.

Get whatever CPU you want, load it up with tons of RAM, and a decent 256/512MB GPU and you'll be set.

And if you're getting online with it to browse, make sure you get NoScript, and learn to love it.. It allows you to control what scripts are being run from what sites, these scripts determine how a website functions, but more importantly (IMO) scripts are also the main driver behind web based exploits, which is how you get malware most of the time, and with NoScript you add sites as needed to a whitelist, since every site by default is blacklisted. This means you're basically immune to web based exploits by default unless a site you whitelisted gets compromised. Make sure you don't have Java or Acrobat Reader plugins active either, because they are a primary source of infection as well. So as long you keep Firefox updated, disable those plugins, and you're not the type to download bundled adware applications, or run awesome-picture.exe, NoScript will protect you the rest of the time.

I usually go to intels site and search boards by os to see what options I have, than work from there. Click Current boards or Discontinued boards button to view OS support.

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/des … b/CS-008326.htm

LunarG wrote:

That would be Windows 7. Windows XP doesn't offer anything that I can think of that is better than Windows 7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed … m_Windows_Vista
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed_from_Windows_7
For daily use I personally miss the search function most.

idspispopd wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed … m_Windows_Vista http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed_from_Windows_7 For […]
Show full quote

LunarG wrote:

That would be Windows 7. Windows XP doesn't offer anything that I can think of that is better than Windows 7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed … m_Windows_Vista
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed_from_Windows_7
For daily use I personally miss the search function most.

I didn't say there weren't XP features lacking in Windows 7, only that there are none of importance that I can think of. This is ofcourse different from person to person.

Which search function are you referring to?

Also, I just installed windows xp x64 on my new amd motherboard. Installed the drivers off of the cd and it works great. This mobo I'm using is an am3 asrock

Just watch out for some software like on torrent sites, like kickasstorrents. I use adblock to get rid of them.

There exists an "edit" button, ffs!

ahendricks18 wrote:

Just watch out for some software like on torrent sites

or you could just.......... avoid torrent sites altogether 😀

LunarG wrote:

I didn't say there weren't XP features lacking in Windows 7, only that there are none of importance that I can think of. This is ofcourse different from person to person.

OK, that sounded different in your post.

LunarG wrote:

Which search function are you referring to?

File searching in Windows Explorer. In XP I turn the wizard off and change behaviour back to Windows-2000-like.
In Windows 7 there is the small search box in the top right of Windows Explorer which I try to get used to, but it's much less useful than the previous search function, it doesn't always do what I want (I do programming for a living, but the search syntax is just annoying), and searching seems slower to me. Of course I can use other tools to search for files, but I like to use integrated functions as long as they work. (Of course this doesn't extend to Internet Explorer.)

I've been running machines of DOS>WFW3.11, 95, 98, xp etc on the Internet for years, in the case of win 3 and 95 i'm not using any anti-virus or firewall. I've not been hacked or had a virus that wasn't my own fault for probably 10 years. Currently have Win2k as an on-line games server and externally accessible FTP server. I often browse the net on my 98 machine and my current rig is XP, probably won't upgrade to 7 for a few years yet still too! Ever since owning XP I never did use the automatic update features, the only updates I ever used was the SP's otherwise not at all. All this scaremongering, it is for nothing and no reason.

On my XP gaming machine(s) I just go online to activate games in Steam. Then play them in offline mode 😀 Or get them on GOG which doesn't need Internet.

One thing I haven't quite figured out, which is likely quite easy, is how to have them connect to the LAN to access shares but not have Internet access. Would leaving the default gateway field in the IP settings do the trick?

philscomputerlab wrote:

One thing I haven't quite figured out, which is likely quite easy, is how to have them connect to the LAN to access shares but not have Internet access. Would leaving the default gateway field in the IP settings do the trick?

Does your router allow you to block WAN<->LAN either per-port or per-IP? That would be the easiest way to do it. Breaking things on the system's side (like putting in bogus DNS/gateway/etc) will more likely break connectivity to your LAN as well, versus just WAN-side. Block it at the router and you should be good to go.

By the way, the last Intel Inf Update Utility for WinXp 32-bit is 9.2.0.1030. Up to 6-series (Sandy Bridge) is supported.
But - this version (9.2.3.1022) declares WinXp 32-bit support too. So - it looks like 7-series (Ivy Bridge) is fully supported in WinXp 32-bit. Has anyone tested this?
Tnx.

Good idea obobskivich!

I had a look and couldn't find anything obvious but then found a parental control setting that allows you restriction to the Internet based on time. That should work.

Ivy is supported on XP. And chipsets up to Z77, which all of a sudden I still have at my main computer. 😜

Actually, my motherboard, at XP (non x64) drivers it lists an INF driver update version 9.3.0.1019 😉
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77E-ITX/?cat=Download&os=XP