Window 7 End Of Life - Should I Migrate To Win10 or Learn Linux?

[cropwell]

I run my CNC on XP. I have disconnected the Internet Gateway and the operating system is free from Internet worries. At the same time, I have access via the network to all my files which I keep on a Mirror RAID NAS drive. I would strongly recommend you do not move to Win10 for the sake of it.

The only problems I have is when the hard drive dies and I have to rebuild from backup and the last time that happened I made sure that all the files I needed (Licences, Configuration files and software) were copied into two places (one being a DVD).

[Voicecoil]

The only problems I have is when the hard drive dies and I have to rebuild from backup and the last time that happened I made sure that all the files I needed (Licences, Configuration files and software) were copied into two places (one being a DVD).

Might an easy solution be to fit a second HDD (ideally a SSD) in the machine and then copy everything across to it (as an image) using say XXCOPY - then if your primary HDD fails, just swap them over?

[AndyUK]

Might an easy solution be to fit a second HDD (ideally a SSD) in the machine and then copy everything across to it (as an image) using say XXCOPY - then if your primary HDD fails, just swap them over?

Something something RAID 1 something something.

[cropwell]

Might an easy solution be to fit a second HDD (ideally a SSD) in the machine and then copy everything across to it (as an image) using say XXCOPY - then if your primary HDD fails, just swap them over?

Done that! The only trouble is that Win XP still needs activation if the OS decides that too much change has occured, and I don't know how long Microshit will keep the activation line going for XP. I suppose it would not be a bad idea to activate the copy system then it is only a matter of specifying the boot drive in the BIOS.

BTW Pixielab closed in 2017 (Owner, operator and director died) and XXCopy is difficult to get. There are other disk imagers, but I have a full copy of Acronis anyway.