WinXP and Firefox

[+PiiSami71]

Hi,

I'm still using 12 years old computer with Windows XP and Firefox 52.9.0 (latest available on XP). After today I can't see any logs and map in any geocaches page. Description is ok and I can log a cache without problem. Do I really finally have to upgrade my stuff to newer hardware and Windows 10 or is there any way to get things still working :)

Everything works fine with my work laptop (Windows 10).

Is there any other users with Windows XP or am I the only one getting too old :D

PiiSami71

 

[Keystone]

Since this post doesn't identify a website bug or a feature suggestion, I've moved the thread.  Support for Windows XP ended a long time ago, and website developers (like Geocaching.com) are moving forward using modern tools and code that require more current operating systems.  Along the way, old things break for XP users when new enhancements are added.  A good example of this is the new "Search Map."  XP Users need to use the "Browse Map."

[+arisoft]

44 minutes ago, PiiSami71 said:

Is there any other users with Windows XP or am I the only one getting too old

 

I have the same setup, XP and FireFox 52.9.0. I have not seen any problems with the site.

 

19 minutes ago, Keystone said:

A good example of this is the new "Search Map."  XP Users need to use the "Browse Map."

 

I have no problems with the Search Map. It is working on XP with Firefox. I think Internet Explorer is not compatible with the Search Map, not the OS.

 

[+PiiSami71]

9 minutes ago, arisoft said:

 

I have the same setup, XP and FireFox 52.9.0. I have not seen any problems with the site.

 

So I'm not the only one. Thank you for helping and I found out that the adblocker was the reason for this. Now everything works just fine.

I still hope some discussion with other XP users...

PiiSami71

[+arisoft]

8 minutes ago, PiiSami71 said:

I still hope some discussion with other XP users...

 

I think there is quite a few of us.

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by arisoft

[+Viajero Perdido]

Glad you got it sorted.

 

So you know, your 12yo hardware may stop working well with certain things.  I just replaced my own 12yo hardware, on which Google Earth hadn't worked in a few years, and on which the new Search map just bombed completely.  I assume the video card was considered too old for modern software to bother with.  (I was using the latest Linux, but even that wasn't enough.)

 

As you may know, you connect Windows XP to the internet at your peril.  But I wouldn't waste $$$ on a new copy of Windows on that 12yo hardware.  The combination of modern OS / old H/W may work no better for you than it did for me.

 

You could always try installing a modern copy of Linux (free) beside your Windows XP, to see how well it works for you.  That's a standard feature, dual boot, so you can choose one OS or the other.

[+and1969]

On 7/12/2019 at 8:43 PM, Keystone said:

Since this post doesn't identify a website bug or a feature suggestion, I've moved the thread.  Support for Windows XP ended a long time ago, and website developers (like Geocaching.com) are moving forward using modern tools and code that require more current operating systems.  Along the way, old things break for XP users when new enhancements are added.  A good example of this is the new "Search Map."  XP Users need to use the "Browse Map."

Keystone is spot on and one of the reasons the "browse map" is retained is to support users with old OS's. Make sure you have the most recent version of FF that works on XP.

 

The other advice about trying Linux is worth considering. I have a EEEpc 901 with Linux as a spare PC and it is still usable. However it is only 32 bit, and many Linux distros designed for old computers are becoming 64-bit only, something worth bearing in mind going forwards.

[+arisoft]

On 7/13/2019 at 1:39 AM, Viajero Perdido said:

As you may know, you connect Windows XP to the internet at your peril.

 

I never connect anything from Microsoft to Internet whether it is Windows 95 or Windows 10. Fortunately it is quite difficult to connect anything to Internet nowadays because almost every connection is NAT-firewalled due to shortage of IPv4 addresses.

 

On 7/13/2019 at 1:39 AM, Viajero Perdido said:

You could always try installing a modern copy of Linux (free) beside your Windows XP, to see how well it works for you. 

 

I just tried Linux Desktop on Raspberry Pi but it was much slower than my old Windows XP computer.

[+Viajero Perdido]

12 minutes ago, arisoft said:

I just tried Linux Desktop on Raspberry Pi but it was much slower than my old Windows XP computer.

 

To the OP, I think he's joking here.  The RPi is an extremely low-cost hobbyist computer, not known for its speed.

 

A more fair comparison, and one I recommend the OP try, is to live-boot some flavor of Linux on the old hardware (booting from USB or CD), and give it a test-drive.  This won't affect anything on the hard drive unless you say "install", at which point XP can be shoved to one side, Linux installed beside it, and you'll get a choice every time you boot up.  Try Linux Mint, MATE edition, as a starting point, or come back and ask for more advice.  Good luck.

[+arisoft]

2 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

To the OP, I think he's joking here.  The RPi is an extremely low-cost hobbyist computer, not known for its speed.

 

Not actually. See this https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-desktop-kit/

 

It is sold for a desktop computer with support for Dual 4K HDMI display. Quad Core CPU@1.5GHz and 4GB RAM. The whole system costs less than a Windows 10 license.