I realize this is probably a dumb idea, BUT, are there any hosting providers with Windows XP?

I've seen some with Windows Server 16, and I don't even know what that is because I typically use Linux.

I know I could use Qemu/KVM and run my own image on a Linux host, but something bare metal would be ideal.
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Linux
* Origin: IntraServe (intraserve.an (21:3/252)

I realize this is probably a dumb idea, BUT, are there any hosting providers with Windows XP?

I've seen some with Windows Server 16, and I don't even know what that is because I typically use Linux.

I know I could use Qemu/KVM and run my own image on a Linux host, but something bare metal would be ideal.

I should mention I am self hosting my own server in-house, but I'm wanting something off-site for when I'm traveling (I turn off my home servers).
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Linux
* Origin: IntraServe (intraserve.an (21:3/252)

I realize this is probably a dumb idea, BUT, are there any hosting providers with Windows XP?

I've seen some with Windows Server 16, and I don't even know what that is because I typically use Linux.

I know I could use Qemu/KVM and run my own image on a Linux host, but something bare metal would be ideal.

Ok so no one has Win XP servers, but I was able to get Win7 which will have to do.
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Linux
* Origin: IntraServe (intraserve.su.gy) (21:3/252)

Re: Re: Win XP Server
By: Fae Empress to Fae Empress on Mon Sep 07 2026 13:44:50

Ok so no one has Win XP servers, but I was able to get Win7 which will have to do.

I hardly call Win7, "have to do". It's probably the best of the regular series.
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (21:2/101)

On 08 Sep 2026, Mortar M. said the following...

Re: Re: Win XP Server
By: Fae Empress to Fae Empress on Mon Sep 07 2026 13:44:50

Ok so no one has Win XP servers, but I was able to get Win7 which will to do.

I hardly call Win7, "have to do". It's probably the best of the regular series.

not that it's a particularly relevant metric anymore but the current uptime
on my Windows 7 BBS machine is:

3 years, 8 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds

extremely reliable..

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

Hey Fusion!

On Tue, Sep 08 2026 17:35:59 -0500, you wrote:

not that it's a particularly relevant metric anymore but the current
uptime on my Windows 7 BBS machine is:

3 years, 8 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds

extremely reliable..

Goes to show how stable Windows can actually be when they're not forcing updates on you every month. My Windows 11 machine is 12 days, 1 hour, 28 minutes. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/700)

3 years, 8 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds

extremely reliable..

Goes to show how stable Windows can actually be when they're not forcing updates on you every month. My Windows 11 machine is 12 days, 1 hour, 28 minutes. ;)

I'll have you guys know my XP machines haven't crashed in 2 days! :P For real though, I'm starting to like Windows 7 as a server.
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Linux
* Origin: IntraServe (intraserve.su.gy) (21:3/252)

updates on you every month. My Windows 11 machine is 12 days, 1 hour, 28 minutes. ;)

The only issue I have with Win7 here is once in a while a DOS session will freeze, but I think that has more to do with my hardware in the BBS machine that windows. But yeah, been up about 2 years without any downtime.

... He who lives by the sword gets shot with a AK47

--- Renegade v1.44/Exp
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

On Tue, 8 Sep 2026 18:35:59 -0400
"fusion" (21:1/616) <fusion@f616.n1.z21.fidonet> wrote:

On 08 Sep 2026, Mortar M. said the following...

Re: Re: Win XP Server
By: Fae Empress to Fae Empress on Mon Sep 07 2026 13:44:50

Ok so no one has Win XP servers, but I was able to get Win7
which will to do.

I hardly call Win7, "have to do". It's probably the best of the
regular series.

not that it's a particularly relevant metric anymore but the current
uptime on my Windows 7 BBS machine is:

3 years, 8 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds

extremely reliable..

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

I have a RHEL 5 box at work I've been trying to get retired for years.
It's got an uptime of 5 years 142 days. It seemed all fun and games
when people were reporting these long linux uptimes, but you have to
admit, it's just as vulnerable to attacks as Windows, and maybe more so
due to how easy it is to leave ports open for ssh login and obtain
shell access by various methods. Getting administrator privileges on
Windows is probably more tricky.
--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (21:2/101)

On 09 Sep 2026, Nigel Reed said the following...

On Tue, 8 Sep 2026 18:35:59 -0400
"fusion" (21:1/616) <fusion@f616.n1.z21.fidonet> wrote:

not that it's a particularly relevant metric anymore but the current uptime on my Windows 7 BBS machine is:

3 years, 8 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds

I have a RHEL 5 box at work I've been trying to get retired for years. It's got an uptime of 5 years 142 days. It seemed all fun and games
when people were reporting these long linux uptimes, but you have to admit, it's just as vulnerable to attacks as Windows, and maybe more so due to how easy it is to leave ports open for ssh login and obtain
shell access by various methods. Getting administrator privileges on Windows is probably more tricky.

yeah.. i have a couple linux machines i haven't updated for probably half a year, which nowadays is an eternity. they're not internet facing though (just local network). i guess i'll use that as my excuse ;)

my wifi is on a separate network interface from most of my stuff but in theory if someone came over with an infected windows laptop and got on there
it could find and pass along some stuff to the old windows machines. same for the linux machines.

*shrug* .. i just concentrate on the firewall/router and make sure nginx is up to date. heaven forbid mystic ever has an easy exploit. that's all that's remotely accessable.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

Hey Exodus!

On Tue, Sep 08 2026 22:06:48, you wrote:

The only issue I have with Win7 here is once in a while a DOS session will freeze, but I think that has more to do with my hardware in the BBS
machine that windows. But yeah, been up about 2 years without any downtime.

That's cool!

In my case, not 30 minutes after I wrote that message I had to reboot for my September security update. :|

Regards,
Accession

... Take my advice, I don't use it anyway.
--- AmberEdit/linux 0.8.1
* Origin: thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/200)

That's cool!

In my case, not 30 minutes after I wrote that message I had to reboot for m September security update. :|

ahahha, I'd still be on 10 if they would quit fucking around with NTVDM.
Some of the older doors from like 91 and 92 wouldn't see a path to their config files anymore that worked for years RIGHT before updates. So I dropped to Win7, installed the ONE update it needed to get running on this bare metal system and here we are.

... MODEM - M_onumentally O_verpriced D_ata E_ating M_achine

--- Renegade v1.44/Exp
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

Hey Exodus!

On Wed, Sep 09 2026 20:03:42, you wrote:

ahahha, I'd still be on 10 if they would quit fucking around with NTVDM. Some of the older doors from like 91 and 92 wouldn't see a path to their config files anymore that worked for years RIGHT before updates. So I dropped to Win7, installed the ONE update it needed to get running on this bare metal system and here we are.

As you probably already know, all of my BBS/FTN/server related stuff is all on Linux. My Windows machine is only for gaming and kind of a main family PC that my wife and daughter only really use to update resumes, add money to school lunch, or access other school related things. So in all reality, it's mine. ;)

I'm still keeping an eye on Linux gaming. It may very well already be where I need it with Steam's Proton stuff, but I'm still waiting it out a bit. If MS ever decides to charge me a single penny for anything, I'm making the switch 100%. I have the Win10/11 licenses, I don't mind using them.. for now.

Regards,
Accession

... Take my advice, I don't use it anyway.
--- AmberEdit/linux 0.8.1
* Origin: thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/200)

Fae Empress wrote to Accession <=-

I'll have you guys know my XP machines haven't crashed in 2 days! :P
For real though, I'm starting to like Windows 7 as a server.

When XP came out, invariably some technical team would grow tired of
structured permissions, high uptimes and backups and decide to host
their files on an XP box sitting in the corner. Single drive, no
redundant hardware or power. Then complain when it went down.

It wasn't an XP thing -- as recently as Windows 7, I recall doing an
office move where we were going to reconfigure the office space, move
cubes, and have the office network down over the weekend. Someone would
complain about their source code server running on a desktop that HAD
TO BE UP.



... Take away the elements in order of apparent non-importance
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Nigel Reed wrote to fusion <=-

I have a RHEL 5 box at work I've been trying to get retired for years. It's got an uptime of 5 years 142 days.

I worked in telecom - mostly Northern Telecom PBXes. Those things ran
until you took the building down...

The higher-end models had redundant CPUs and memory. You'd upgrade the
software on one side, flip a switch to run on the new software, test
it, and when you were satisfied, upgrade the other side and flip over
to it. All without dropping a call.



... Take away the important parts
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

When XP came out, invariably some technical team would grow tired of
structured permissions, high uptimes and backups and decide to host
their files on an XP box sitting in the corner. Single drive, no
redundant hardware or power. Then complain when it went down.

I will probably never know how long my XP machines could stay up because I'm away
from home a lot and shut them down. I've used XP to host various things since at
least 2003 and never had a problem. I used to run some popular web sites back in
the day on a dial-up connection. For my important stuff (PBX, Email), I host on Windows 7.
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Linux
* Origin: IntraServe (intraserve.su.gy) (21:3/252)

Fae Empress wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

I will probably never know how long my XP machines could stay up
because I'm away
from home a lot and shut them down. I've used XP to host various things since at
least 2003 and never had a problem. I used to run some popular web
sites back in
the day on a dial-up connection. For my important stuff (PBX, Email), I host on Windows 7.

I thought there was some 28-day issue with XP, at least when file
sharing via CIFS?




--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)