Are there any non-Microsoft made operating systems that can run XP programs?

[ARKdeEREH]

My current computer is XP. I bought it about a year ago after six years of putting up with vastly inferior, but newer operating systems from Microsoft that were very troublesome to use and literally crashed to the point of needing to be replaced every year.

I would like to continue to use XP as it is reliable and all my programs run great with it, but I am a little concerned by all the recent hype regarding Microsoft's end of support for XP.

I recently read that Google created a new operating system called Chrome OS. It doesn't sound like it runs much, if any software, but it got me thinking that maybe there is a viable alternative to Microsoft.

Are there any operating systems (newer than XP) that are NOT made by Microsoft, but can run software designed for XP without issue?

The most important program that I have is Family Tree Maker Version 16. If I am going to get a computer it is non-negotiable that Family Tree Maker works. I also have several computer games including the Baldur's Gate series, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Civilization 4, Sims 2, and Doom 2. While it is not absolutely necessary that the games work, it would certainly be very ideal if they did. The version of Family Tree Maker that I use cannot work on Macs nor can any of the games as far as I know.
Another program that I use often, and which I would ideally like to find a non-Microsoft-made OS capable of running it is Microsoft Access.

[Greg]

Erm fucking go to win 7/8 already. XP is a peice of shit and you know it you need to step into the damn decade and upgrade as your lagging way behind

[Ken]

I have some very old/ancient games that I play and run in "Compatibility Mode" in Win 7 and Win 8.1 Pro.
Source below will have a visual example on how-to...

[Daniel]

Honestly, Windows XP was the best OS to date. That being said, I own a Windows 7 tower and a Windows 8.1 laptop. I don't have really any issues on W7 (except one I caused) and I strongly don't recommend W8 because there is so much of a learning curve.

The software you have that is designed for XP is just that, designed for XP. It may be that the manufacturer has ported it over to Chrome OS or to OSx, and if that is true, then it SHOULD be as simple as grabbing your save data from one computer and taking it to the next. Look in to the website for whomever produced the family tree software and see if any other OS's are supported. It will probably be that you must buy a different version. If you go to W7, you can just hit a few compatibility buttons and should be able to run the software.

I'm not advocating Windows, it's just where most of my knowledge lays. I'm probably going to buy a Mac once I absolutely have to (why spend the money) unless they fix the issues with W8.1.