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Forum Discussion
What happens after Windows XP support ends?
I'm not sure I understand how drop box will function or not after doom day in August. My computer is a Windows XP. I cannot afford a new computer at this time. Does the August date mean that I will not be able to access my files that are not synced to my computer? Will I be able to download files? My desktop icon will no longer function?
You can continue to use the website with a supported browser, but the syncing client will cease to work - anything updated on another computer or anything you are sharing through a shared folder will not update on that computer, and any file you add, edit or delete on that computer will not update on the website.
Your only options are to upgrade or to use the website with a compatible browser. Thats it.
Your only options are to upgrade or to use the website with a compatible browser.
No, we also have the option of deciding not to give Dropbox our business. It's called "voting with our feet" and it has caused many a company in the past to regret certain business decisions.
NOT A HAPPY XP USER HERE...
I don't see the point to drop XP as you can't update XP via Microsoft anymore then there are not going to be any support costs for Dropbox, Please just leave it alone..
Yes, a problem is with Corel, but the general acceptance, including Dropbox's acceptance, of Microsoft's evolution of the Windows OS so as to create obsolescence should be unacceptable and discouraged. Why make Dropbox useless to XP users?.
"SUPER USERS" PLEASE DO NOT REPLY. But please tell the gods at Dropbox that you worship about this thread.
Dropbox, I believe you have miscalculated how much loyalty and good will you could create by finding a way to continue support for the desktop client under Windows XP, even if minus whatever "bells and whistles" future versions won't be available to us.
In the other thread on this subject, the last post suggests a small fee for XP users. You have the better part of a month ... see if there is a way to cover whatever costs are associated with supporting the last version of the client under XP and leave us be.
If, as has been suggested, the other cloud services go down the same path of only supporting what Microsoft says they should support, think what value there is in cornering this niche market. You've hopefully read all the posts here that point out the reality that no matter what Microsoft wanted to have happen, there is still a significant XP installed user base. And we're not going away.
It is obvious that we all believe Dropbox is the superior service or we wouldn't be so upset by your decision. I'm sure all of us have recommended Dropbox many times to friends, family and professional colleagues. Positive word of mouth is said to be the most powerful testimonial any product can receive and most companies go out of their way to keep that positive.
Presume that for every post here there are several users who won't, but will be just as likely to grumble to those same friends, family and professional colleagues about your decision. You're turning a significant amount of positive "street cred" into a negative with this one move. Is that what you really want?
Richard P.Super User alumni
Its precisely because Microsoft are not updating XP that its becoming harder and more expensive to support - in development terms, XP is diverging from the standard Windows environment with each update to Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10, to the point where building a client that supports XP as well as the others takes an unrepresentative amount of time and effort. That point has been passed and the decision to drop XP support has been made.
- Richard P.
Dropbox is dropping XP support because it has started to cost them more to support it than the revenue they get from supporting it. Simple really.
And I disagree with your comment about Microsoft "creating obsolescence", if you look at *any* of the alternative operating systems, old operating systems get dropped by their creators.
Apple won't support anything older than OSX 10.11.
If you try and use a 2.2 Linux kernel you are on your own for getting stuff to work.
The world moves on, software moves on, and if you dont move on with it then you get left in the cold. Its got nothing to do with deliberately creating obsolescence and everything to do with dumping baggage that just gets in the way.
I think you just described planned obsolescence.......
Carl G. Thanks for your input and test. Yes you are correct if they expect me to work from home they should supply the tools. However they don't expect it, I prefer it and if I had my choice I would do it every day. I'll live, but I am not happy about it. Not everyone can or wants to migrate from XP to 7 or even 10. Especially finding out that it's not upgrading but wiping and installing. Too many years of collected data and programs stored doesn't make it worth the effort.
- Mark
Super User II
Or not I'm afraid. They will have worked the numbers out and unless you are a paying customer then leaving will save them cash as you are not storing data.
That and less OS's to support = less development costs = less staff = more ££$$€€
I'm a paying customer........
On my Windows 10 desktop, I must run a VMWare workstation running Windows XP so that my beloved desktop publishing program Ventura Publisher 10 will work. Of course, I can access Dropbox via my Windows 10 operating system, but I'd rather access it from XP for my own convenience. Dropbox should not further enable and support Microsoft's irresponsible development of Windows such that the newer iterations of the program will not run superior programs such as Ventura Publisher (despite its abandonment by Corel) that are needed by professionals like me.
