No you don't.

I have been told so many things when it comes to trying to keep my WIndows XP machine running as it does now after April 8, 2014 that my head is spinning. I hate the thought of paying a lot of money for a new computer if I don't have to. I have no clue how to use Windows 8. I wonder if my Word and Excel programs I wrote 10 years ago will work in whatever the software system is that is now being used. I do worry if Firefox will be supporting Windows XP after April 8, 2014. I have been told if I have anti-virus software on my machine I 'should be' alright. I use ESET's NOD32 and also a paid version of Malwarebytes. I don't know if that will be enough. There are so many unanswered questions. I feel like I'm living with a ticking timebomb! I am not a computer geek, so do not wish to just pitch out my Dell Inspiron 530 with Windows XP before I absolutely have to! Thank you.

i have the same question, but it's about windows 7. will firefox support windows 7?

thank you.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/20.0/system-requirements/

Firefox will continue to support Windows XP SP2 at minimum for the next few releases at least as the developments builds still works.

Other options you have in future is using Linux like openSuSE or Ubuntu for example (I would suggest using say XFce over Gnome 3/KDE especially if you have a older slow system). You can even dual boot with WinXP.

If that was not clear, FF does work well in win7... :) I have not used it that much on win7, so cannot answer about much more complex issues... :P

Thank you for trying to help me.

But "Other options you have in future is using Linux like openSuSE or Ubuntu for example (I would suggest using say XFce over Gnome 3/KDE especially if you have a older slow system). You can even dual boot with WinXP." Please understand that your suggestion is way above my head to understand as I have only seen "Linux" in some articles on the internet and I've never heard of the rest of what you have written here. Is there anything more simple? I just want to know from Firefox how long someone like me who has a Windows XP computer will be able to effectively use their browser? Or will I be prevented from using it after April of 2014?? Thank you.

You certainly will not be prevented from using XP by Firefox after April 2014.

Planning for the longer term you may wish to explore the other possible options.

The Linux route does have an obvious advantage, nearly everything is free as in costs nothing. So you do not fork out for a licence to use Windows or MS Office. Users sometimes forget the cost of the software because typically a computer is bought with Windows pre installed, but if you keep it for any length of time you may then need to consider the costs of upgrades for Windows (IF the machine is even compatible with the new Windows).

Dual booting (May be more difficult with Windows 8) is choosing at startup; or boot time; what Operating System to run. You could for instance retain and use Windows XP and have Linux available if required. The details of dual booting may seem rather complex at first, but if your machine has a USB port it may even be able to run linux off a USB stick.

Whilst it may not be something a complete newbie should try it should not be ruled out as an option I like the introduction in this article

"The reality is that dual booting needn't be a risk, and installation can be effortless. With the latest distributions, you might not even notice the process. All this means that if you've been put off by older installations and those old horror stories of things going wrong, it's time to try dual booting again, and our our aim is to demystify exactly what is happening and give you the confidence to delve into the world of dual boot. link"

Hi John99, Thank you so much for your detailed explanation and I have a better feel and feeling now than previously. I have a few more comments, however, in that my computer is 500GB hard drive. I wonder if my computer will have enough free space (or should it be 'memory'?) to handle installing the Linux operating system? Even so, I would have to find someone to do the installing for me.

Does it cost to purchase Linux itself? Are you able to access your folders of files such as Word and Excel, etc. while using the Linux system, or do you need to install all of them in the Linux system as well as have them on the Windows XP system?

I am sorry for asking so many questions, but until I get a 'better handle' on this Linux I won't be able to move forward in my consideration of installing it on my computer.

I do appreciate so much your sharing your information with me, however, so please know that as I feel quite alone sometimes with the thought of what will happen after Microsoft makes their changes next year and no longer issues their security patch updates.

This sort of topic is not really on topic for this forum. You will have to look for full information elsewhere. However it is problem relating to users of Firefox now that XP is near End Of Life so personally I feel it is ok to offer brief information on the subject.

"Does it cost to purchase Linux itself? "

It is nearly always free, not only as open source but free moneywise.

• http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

" Are you able to access your folders of files such as Word and Excel, etc. while using the Linux system,"

Linux will have no problem accessing the Windows Files and folders.
Open Office or Libre Office would in most cases even be able to read write modify & create MS Office compatible files.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LibreOffice

Libre Office will also install directly on Windows XP by the way.

" my computer is 500GB hard drive. I wonder if my computer will have enough free space"

I have had XP with a recovery console plus a couple of Linux systems on a disk much smaller than 500GB. It depends partly on what you have installed and partly on what free space you either have now or can create.

Note I do not wish to recommend any specific distro but for exmple Ubuntu could be booted from a memory stick (Assuming your BIOS is able to boot from a USB port. Which is likely if the system originally has a 500GB hdd ). That would not normally be used as a permanent solution but would be one way of learning more about Linux

• http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows

You probably have already discovered if interested in Linux that it is a lot more pick and mix than Windows. You choose the type of Linux, and the type of Desktop Environment. There is then quite a large range of software

Hi John99,

Thank you greatly!!! Hugely!! You have provided me so much information to work from. I apologize that I have gotten off topic some, but it has meant so much to me all of the time you have taken to help me, and quite possibly others who are in my situation that still need help like this. I will do more legwork on my own with the links you have provided, which will be great stepping stones for me for progressing to the next step. I am not sure how much memory or space is left on my computer. I am sure that I can figure that out somehow after a Google search about it.

Glad to have helped.

Checking free space is relatively trivial and easy on most computers

• e.g. see this http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000369.htm

Note Windows probably expects about 20-25% of any partition or HDD to be free space. Windows and in turn Firefox may suffer if free space falls too short. I think FAT disks fail to defrag on XP at about 12% free space.

You will probably end up needing to learn about disk partitioning in the near future. A nightmare in Windows, fairly routine in, Linux but definitely something to discuss elsewhere.

• http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_partitioning
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_partitioning

hello,

i'm about to upgrade from win xp pro to win 7. does the latest version of firefox support win 7>

thanks

Yes no problems. Firefox runs on Windows XP(Sp2) to Windows 8

• http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/24.0/system-requirements/

Wow, more wonderful help! John99, I want to set aside a whole day to do nothing but work on this and you haven provided so many tools through your advice and links that I feel I can do it better than I ever could before. I am so glad I posted my comment here! Thank you to Firefox too. There is just no way I am going to go back to IE8! I wish Firefox could somehow offer email or take over Yahoo's email!!!

Thank you again, John99!!!

Hi ariel, are you upgrading your Windows XP computer to Windows 7, or transferring to a new computer? Either way, please make a backup of the Firefox profile folders on your computer. This article will help you locate them: Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data. If you have any difficulty with Firefox on Windows 7, please feel free to start a new thread so we don't clutter up this one.

jscher2000, thank you for your suggestion and advice. What you wrote is also helpful to me. I appreciate it. Thank you!