Hard drive evolution could hit Microsoft XP users

[kicknhorse]

Hard drives are about to undergo one of the biggest format shifts in 30 years.

By early 2011 all hard drives will use an "advanced format" that changes how they go about saving the data people store on them.

The move to the advanced format will make it easier for hard drive makers to produce bigger drives that use less power and are more reliable.

However, it might mean problems for Windows XP users who swap an old drive for one using the changed format.

And source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8557144.stm

This is just for information, as I assume many are, and still will be XP users. I am both at home and at work, and at least one of them will not change soon.

Windows 7, Vista, OS X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and versions of the Linux kernel released after September 2009 will be ready for the harddrive change by the end of January 2011.

One good thing is, more space for us!!!

 

[Cermage]

probably an attempt to finally get people off xp.

don't see much reason to stay on xp nowadays unless you're on ancient hardware.

 

[kicknhorse]

probably an attempt to finally get people off xp.

don't see much reason to stay on xp nowadays unless you're on ancient hardware.

No, it makes perfect sense, and I for one am sad to see them try to push people away from XP.

However, a lot of large companies, the I work at a university, has only just (within the last 9 - 12 months) switched to XP from NT.

So I can only imagine this is now going to change here any time soon at all.

 

[ZeWarrior]

No, it makes perfect sense, and I for one am sad to see them try to push people away from XP.

XP is 9 years old now, its time to move on people. Businesses will obviously have to stay on XP, but there's NO reason why you should be running it if you have hardware that isn't pre-2005/2004.

 

[psycoblaster]

I don't get it. Any OS would need to change for a new type of hard drive. A driver install or an OS update would do the trick, or am I wrong?

 

[ProtoKun7]

I'm still waiting for isolinear chips...

 

[Cermage]

I don't get it. Any OS would need to change for a new type of hard drive. A driver install or an OS update would do the trick, or am I wrong?

ms dropped support for xp ages ago. means no new driver/updates.

 

[psycoblaster]

I don't get it. Any OS would need to change for a new type of hard drive. A driver install or an OS update would do the trick, or am I wrong?

ms dropped support for xp ages ago. means no new driver/updates.

Actually, I remember I have read that XP SP3 will be updated till 2014?

 

[chartube12]

I don't get it. Any OS would need to change for a new type of hard drive. A driver install or an OS update would do the trick, or am I wrong?

ms dropped support for xp ages ago. means no new driver/updates.

Actually, I remember I have read that XP SP3 will be updated till 2014?

Yup, because netbooks still use it by defult.

 

[Cermage]

that was only important security updates iirc.

 

[Richy Freeway]

Except that XP users can use these new drives.

Just needs some jiggerypokery before you can use them.

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/03/10/wd..._windows_xp_4k/

For example.



These drives have been out for months though. Don't know why the press is only just picking up on it.

 

[o0ICE0o]

Me wanty 2 terabites.

 

[Rydian]

To help Windows XP cope, advanced format drives will be able to pretend they still use sectors 512 bytes in size.

When reading data from a drive this emulation will go unnoticed. However, said Mr Burks, in some situations writing data could hit performance.

In some cases the drive will take two steps to write data rather than one and introduce a delay of about 5 milliseconds.

"All other things being equal you will have a noticeable hard drive reduction in performance," said Mr Burks, adding that, in some circumstances, it could make a drive 10% slower.

This along with the post above me means I'm not worried. If performance is really an issue when upgrading parts you'd be using something more than XP.

And yes, XP itself is only getting security updates now, until 2014, and only SP3.

 

[ProtoKun7]

Me wanty 2 terabites.

I want 10 yottabyte harddrives, but no...

Spoiler

1,600th post.

 

[Hop2089]

At least I have a custom laptop running Windows 7, I have no need to upgrade my desktop.

 

[Maikel Steneker]

So what? If all new operating systems support it, there's no real problem. Of course, these hard drives will not be sold to XP users, but that's the problem of the company that sells them. You can't expect XP to be supported with new features after all these years.

By the way, to the people who say there's no reason to stay on XP: what about money? I don't want to spend hundreds of euros for an OS that doesn't do anything better for me. Yes, I could pirate it, but it's still not worth it, especially if I own XP legally.

I personally use Linux only. My kernel is at least older than september 2009. If I would buy one of these hard drives it could be a minor hassle because some of the older distributions I use occasionally don't have a kernel that new on the CD I burnt, but oh well...

 

[Celice]

I like XP 'cause it didn't kill my system

I mean, the system requirements for Vista and up are crazy for what little extra is really done that's worth it. I bought a laptop and downgraded it from Vista to XP, on Vista it could barely run The Sims 2, on XP, it ran SO much better. Its resources weren't completely hogged up.

I'll probably switch a year or two from now to play catch-up with upgrades to keep everything running smoothly. And be using WindowBlinds to make it as much like XP as I can heh.

 

[Jamstruth]

I like XP 'cause it didn't kill my system

I mean, the system requirements for Vista and up are crazy for what little extra is really done that's worth it. I bought a laptop and downgraded it from Vista to XP, on Vista it could barely run The Sims 2, on XP, it ran SO much better. Its resources weren't completely hogged up.

I'll probably switch a year or two from now to play catch-up with upgrades to keep everything running smoothly. And be using WindowBlinds to make it as much like XP as I can heh.

While this was true when Vista first came out now most computers can handle Windows 7 and Vista alonside their extra power requirements. Win 7 is set to be used on netbook for crying out loud. My next PC will definitely get an install of Windows 7 on it and not XP just for DX11 and prettiness sake

 

[prowler]

whywouldyoudothat.jpg


I just downgraded from Windows 7.
So this just means new hard drives are incapable running on Windows XP?
If so, that's fine I don't have any need to upgrade that part of my desktop

 

[Jamstruth]

Enjoy no DX10 on your rig, especially when games start requiring it off the bat. You're gonna have to upgrade eventually y'know. Windows 7 is very nice, I used the beta for quite a while and it didn't slow down my old rig too much, it could run HL2 and other games just as well as it could on XP.