Hi Guys and Gals:

As most of you know, Microsoft has pulled support for Windows XP so I'm looking for alternatives to make use of an old Toshiba Laptop with a Celeron processor. I want to use this machine to contain an old DOS based Database called "Nutshell" or it's newer version, "NutPlus." My thinking is to use the database to keep up with my catalog of songs now approaching 1,000 written and recorded.

I'm tired of having to buy a new version of Windows (or Apple for that matter) everytime they decide to make the users pay for an upgrade (correction of their many mistakes) about every two or three years. I'd like to be free from this monopolistic tyranny, if possible.

My problem is that I'm no programmer and can't get the Toshiba and FreeDOS to recognize a USB floppy drive from Imation so I can use some of the programs and files I saved from years past. (This will save me tons of database setup and reconfiguration if I can just get these things to "shake hands" and let me go about my business.)

Any users out there who can provide clues or solutions to this little problem?

Thanks,

Dave Rice
ASCAP Songwriter

http://www.ShowCaseYourMusic.com/DaveRice/

It would most likely be safe to continue using XP unless you are doing a lot of surfing to websites or getting suspect email that may have viruses. For ordinary computing at home, there is no reason I know of not to use XP.
That doesn't mean I know what I'm talking about though!

Hi Don:

I agree. In fact, my computer connected to my Digital Recorder and 910 Arranger is XP... and it is never exposed directly to the Internet. (I realize that memory sticks can bring in bugs... but that is a fairly minimal risk.)

I'm simply trying to make good use of an idle asset. The Toshiba Laptop XP system crashed and burned because of a bug or malware and I restored it using the original disc that came with the computer... but... it did not have the upgrades needed to make it really effective due to the age of the 7 year old XP system software.

Being the computer "junkie" that I am, I still have an HP System using XP plus an old iMac using Apple's OS 9. Then there is the iPad. (I wish I had used my money more wisely... it is a piece of junk for songwriters.)

The nutshell database is my target for all these gyrations. I've never seen anything easier to use. (...and it's been "paid for" for many years now.

Good to hear from you. I hope you are back on the golf course and taking all their money.

Take care, my friend...

Dave

Dave,

You can still upgrade the XP from an older system - It's just that MS is not doing any more new ones - all the old updates are still there at MS.

Go ahead and update it and then just stay off the net with it as Don suggests.

Bill G

Back playing golf, but donating instead of winning. Getting my handicup up!

I totally agree with you Don. If it isn't connected to the Internet keeping using XP. That way you have a big choice of software you can use to catalog your songs.

I vote for "Stick with XP and stay off the internet" as the easiest option.

But may I demonstrate my geek credentials and explain what is going on?

Running a DOS program in XP is actually running a DOS emulator on top of XP. As long as XP has drivers for the storage device and the format is understandable by DOS as a disc drive device, the your DOS program can "see" the device. The same applies to all the "NT" lineage if Windows operating systems.


However FreeDOS running as the full operating system has to gave appropriate native drivers available so anything new-fangled (in DOS terms) like USB will not be recognised unless some form of DOS driver is available. Because DOS has very limited memory availability then such drivers are very tricky things. To my surprise however there are some people who think it can be done - see http://www.freedos.org/technotes/newsitem/149.html it could be worth a try.