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

When evaluating software or hardware, it makes sense to ignore the popular press, especially the tech blogs and to an extent, consumer opinion. Change is difficult for us humans and the early reviews of XP bear it out. Below is a snapshot of cnet's Windows XP review back in 2001. I got to this page using the web archive. Note that cnet bemoans the fact that a user can only load XP on one computer. Really cnet? And note user opinions: 48% disliked XP after its first several months. Microsoft was roundly criticized for not having an OS that would work across all platforms: computer, tablet and mobile phone. Now Win 8 is negatively reviewed for not having a start button. Anyone remember when the criticism was that Windows had a start button? I use Win7 home premium on this computer and Win7 Pro on my daytrading rig. The next computer I buy will have Windows 8. I am sure it will be fine. Here is a link that might be useful: XP back then

Kudzu9, I think I will have my answer tomorrow morning when I check my ISP useage log but I am now fairly confident my issue is inhouse. Snidely, yes this kid needs the bar raised, and perhaps my daughter too. We are not often fortunate enough to enjoy fireside chats only carefully chosen words. Ravencajun, wow you got me all excited there for a minute or three ha ha. Never knew about router logs till now and a Worldstart tutorial lead me along. That was when I realised I had disassociated the WiFi early today, saved and by doing so wiped the old logs. Only today's activity is visible. But I will keep that neat tid bit for future reference for sure. Thank you. The Dlink router does not seem to offer the amount of information suggested by the Worldstart tutorial though. Cheaper router, less bells and whistles I suppose.

That disc should work. You should actually put the disc in and boot from it to see if it boots and presents the recovery options that it's intended to provide. You can also use a Vista repair disc on a windows 7 machine and a Win 7 repair disc on a Vista machine. All the repair disc does is provide access to recovery options already present on the computer. Those are the same options available if you press the F8 Key during restart. So boot from the disc you made and you should see these options: Start up Repair System Restore System Image Recovery You would need to have a system image somewhere for that option to work. Windows Memory Diagnostic Command Prompt