noticed also there at the Register eZine... Redmond has pushed back the release date of XPÂs final service pack several times, and is withdrawing the operating system from the market in June. Of course, it must support legacy XP software customers for many years to come, and so must patch the OS, as new vulnerabilities and bugs are uncovered. Only, not in service packs.

Quote from World Start Newsletter (dated 3/13/13) "Question: At the present time I have Windows XP. I read that I will no longer be able to use XP in 2014. Is this correct? Can I switch to Windows 7 at that time or will I have to go to Windows 7 before that time. If I have to switch how do I switch to Windows 7? Answer: As I pointed out in this article, you are not alone. Estimates say 40% of Windows users are still running XP. A whole lot of people still use Windows XP. Microsoft is ending support for XP in 2014, but that doesnâÂÂt mean your operating system will suddenly stop working. It just means that Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, fixes for bugs or offer any customer support for the program. The troubling issue is the lack of security updates. Upgrading to Windows 7 is pretty simple, you just purchase the program and install it on your computer by putting a disc in the drive or downloading the program. If your computer is older, you will want to make sure you meet the system requirements for Windows 7. As for Windows 8, unless you are upgrading to a touchscreen computer, IâÂÂd suggest sticking with Windows 7. ThereâÂÂs a bit of a learning curve with Windows 8. IâÂÂm adjusting to it now and really canâÂÂt recommend the experience to others. " end of quote from World Start

PM2 - I just want to clarify that the reason my husband may not be able to get XP drivers for his laptop is not because Microsoft is not supporting XP. They continue to support XP and constantly issue new updates. The issue is that there might not be XP drivers that are compatible with other things in his laptop. Now I don't know enough to know what those things are - is it hardware on the laptop, other software they've installed that doesn't have XP drivers. I don't fully comprehend the problem, but it's not that Microsoft isn't supporting XP. I hope somebody more knowledgeable will correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to give prairiemoon2 incorrect information. I share your frustration that Microsoft would issue software that is so problematic that they even write documentation on ways to deal with the problems. I'm also frustrated when I have to get software fixes from other companies to deal with Microsoft problems. (I just had lots of trouble updating XP on an old computer of my daughters. The updates would not install - and nothing on Microsoft site - or from my computer tech guy's discussions with Microsoft turned up a solution. The solution came from third-party software - recommended to me here on this forum.) Lynn.

Amity - I love DIP and now DIS (I am using the newest, and last, version - Digital Image Suite 2006-Anniversary Edition) I started using it way back in the "Picture It" days. I also have Photoshop Elements 5.0 - and find that DIS 2006 can do everything that PSe does - so MUCH easier though! I have one friend that is using DIS2006 Anniversary Edition with VISTA. eBay has a few copies of DIS2006 Anniversary available for a great price. If you are interested - I would get one ASAP - there used to be a ton listed and now just a few! I am attaching a link to a Microsoft patch. Some users experienced problems, and this patch (if needed) fixes that. I don't know if the "Anniversary Edition" needs it. They released DIS2006, then released DIS 2006 Anniversary Edition later - basically the same, but DIS2006 Anniversary appears to be Vista compatible. I have a few links of user forums (mostly dealing with digital scrapbooking) and tutorials for DIP/DIS. If you are interested in them, I can post the links. I went from using DIP/DIS for simple fixes, to doing some REALLY awesome photo editing. Simple to learn, simple to remember :0) Using edge finder tool to copy raspberries, then "Gaussian Blur" on image - then pasted unblurred raspberries back in, extending over the frame. Curling border, used edge finder tool to copy colored flower, made imgage b/w and pasted colored flower back in: Used "filters" to change the same picture as used above: Here is a link that might be useful: Microsoft Patch for DIS2006 - Vista