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I don’t recommend installing Win XP SP3. I did it, but then both my printers became unusable. I had to wind back to SP2. Make sure you have a restore point so you can wind back too, before you consider this.

Fred Langa’s article claimed that ” For those versions, or in any case where Microsoft’s XP Mode doesn’t work, there are other alternatives I’ll discuss at the end of this article.”. I can’t find alternatives discussed at all – I think he forgot.

I have Windows 7 x64 home premium, which doesn’t have an XP mode option. It would need a rather expensive upgrade to get that, and I’m unwilling to pay out without considerable confidence that the software, and printer drivers, that I used to be able to use will again be available. It might be cheaper just to buy another printer.

In any case, it would be nice for Fred Langa to cover these other options, since my guess is that the vast majority of users have Win 7 Home Premium, so his article will not have been much use to them.

I can’t recall whether I already installed SP3 or not – can anyone tell me a simple way of finding out?

A free utility that has impressed me is Search Everything by voidtools (website voidtools.com). It seems to find files from wildcard filename searches hundreds of times faster than the search facility built in to Windows Explorer on Win XP. I have no connection to the company, just a satisfied user.