Can no longer compile ESP8266/ESP32 using Arduino IED with Windows-XP

[PeterPan]

I have the same version of the Arduino IDE (1.8.5) on both my window-10 and some older Windows-XP systems. I realize Win-XP is no loner a supported OS, but that fact is I can compile complex Arduino sketched on either system with no problem. This is not the case with ESP8266, and I suspect the ESP34 too. Even with the same board and library installs, Using the same procedure explained in online ExpressIf guidelines, it is impossible to compile anything for the NodeMCU ESP8266 on a WINDOWS-XP system. These ESP sketches compile fine on Win-10. But no matter how simple the sketch, try to include <ESP8266WiFi.h> on a sketch in the windows-XP system and it will fail to find lots of header files deep within the long tree of includes. I thought it was something I was missing, but searching this question online everywhere and all I see are tons of identical complaints, with no useful suggestions from anyone who themselves actually got the same setup to work. I thought it might be the limited path of path/file name lengths, but I think all versions of windows have the same limitations. I've also spent hours copying files and folder around to ensure that every compile error resulting from a header file not found is addressed, even when it means adding whole copies of folders in multiple places the IDE is searching.

Anyway, I still have a few older XP systems that I'd like to keep using as a backup means of compiling my current ESP8266 (and future ESP34) projects. I'm hoping someone at ExpressIf might try the setup I explained, and hopefully cab point to some simple fix. Thanks in advance!

[mikemoy]

I'm hoping someone at ExpressIf might try the setup I explained

Why in the world would Espressif spend the time setting up a PC for such an outdated OS such as Windows-XP?
Let alone a computer that old would probably take 20 minutes to do a first compile.
No, I think its time you pitched those computers and keep up with the times.