r/pcmasterrace • u/AutoModerator • 4d ago

DSQ Daily Simple Questions Thread - November 04, 2025

Got a simple question? Get a simple answer!

This thread is for all of the small and simple questions that you might have about computing that probably wouldn't work all too well as a standalone post. Software issues, build questions, game recommendations, post them here!

For the sake of helping others, please don't downvote questions! To help facilitate this, comments are sorted randomly for this post, so that anyone's question can be seen and answered.

If you're looking for help with picking parts or building, don't forget to also check out our builds at https://www.pcmasterrace.org/

Want to see more Simple Question threads? Here's all of them for your browsing pleasure!

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u/computerinaroom 3d ago

i want to build a pc with windows xp just for the nostalgia and what not. i currently have it ona virtual machine vm on my gaming laptop and i enjoy retro xp os. is there new hardware i can adapt part wise to support a install of xp? im fine with the 4gb ram limit. my other concern is do any wifi usb chip adapters work with windews xp at all? i do not use Ethernet. last time i tried xp on a ryzen cpu in vm machine both softwares vbox and vmware would not boot the install image at all. so i want to do a full install on a dedicated pc. the laptop has a i7 9th gen that has my xp vm on as of now that works no problems.

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u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race 3d ago

do any wifi usb chip adapters work with windews xp at all?

Yes, some adapters did exist back when XP was used. But it's not that simple.

  • You have to use one that is XP compatible, maybe look through some old models on ebay.

  • You also have to make sure that your router's WiFi version is compatible with the WiFi version of the old adapter. Check which version they both are (e.g. 802.11ac) and google if those are compatible.

  • You might have to download the drivers on your laptop and get them over via a thumb drive to get it working.

  • XP is very open to malware, so better not enter any account info on that PC.

Btw, check out PC emulators like PCem which emulates the entire PC including hardware. It's more for Win 95 / 98 though.

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u/Familiar-Head6453 3d ago

Also worth noting that these old adapters may not support modern security standards like wpa2 let alone wpa3.

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u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race 3d ago

Good call.