I have a computer expert friend who is trying to convince me that if I continue to use this computer which has XP as it's OS that I will be increasing my risk of being hacked and my identity stolen whether or not I have a firewall and virus protection. He says that the anti-virus software vendors will discontinue updating their virus definitions for software designed for XP. Also that new software of all types will no longer run on an XP machine.

I like XP as it has been a very stable platform for my level of computer use and I hate to see microsoft abandoning it.

---

Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

It depends on who to believe.

XP still used by 28%

XP users to face perpetual Zero Day

A statement from the first link: -

"Microsoft's chief operating officer, during Microsoft's Financial Analyst Meeting last week. Turner said that Microsoft hopes to reduce that 21 percent number to 13 percent by April 8, which is when Windows XP loses product support by Microsoft."

---

Well i have two XP computers in the lab, one for the HPLC machine and one for the UV/Vis spectrometer. But since neither is connected to a network let alone the internet, i think they're safe.

---

Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

What I have learned is that many hackers are holding onto any exploits for XP, and not using them, until Microsoft stops support. By not using them now, they may go unnoticed until it is too late.

Steve

---

Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Unless anybody has seen any statements to the contrary from the vendors, I would think that when MS stops providing security updates to XP, that would be when the anti-virus folks would be more vigilant, and their sales might actually increase.
I should not think they would stop supporting XP when MS does.

Just my opinion, until proven otherwise.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

...The simple truth is that Microsoft is part of a worldwide cartel that comprises themselves, the memory makers, the microprocessor makers, motherboard makers, hardware manufacturers, and the software training companies. Every new version of Windows that is released is calculated to ensure that corporates HAVE to upgrade across the board, with new kit, extra memory, new training etc etc. Everyone makes a lot of money.

Well... I never thought I'd see such an open admission from you that Windows is primarily for the benefit of Microsoft and the Microsoft share-holders and their surrounding support industry rather than being good for the users...

Well done ;-)


IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin

(Note, on this forum, no other OS words other than Microsoft were used in this post... Disclaimer: A non-Microsoft OS that cannot be named was used in the making of this post.)

All my humble personal opinion as always...

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

... rather than being good for the users...

[...]

(Note, on this forum, no other OS words other than Microsoft were used in this post... Disclaimer: A non-Microsoft OS that cannot be named was used in the making of this post.)

All my humble personal opinion as always...

SO WHAT!!!!!

ALL Corporations are for the benefit of the Board and the Shareholders.

The only other alternative is State Control. IE: Benefit of THE STATE and their Bureaucrats. ...

In the world of computers and IT, you do still have a choice of Freedom as in "Freedom of speech", in the same way that hopefully you can enjoy freedom of thought still. Software is available that puts the user first. No Marketing distortions. As one practical example, note that this post is via software and equipment completely free of Microsoft influence. Another example is that these very forums are implemented using one of those unmentionable ways of Freedom...

Also, do you not still have freely independent charities?...

However, this is a "Windows XP" thread so such things must not be mentioned lest I cease to exist on these forums... :-(

All I dare say is that there are other ways other than Microsoft.


IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin


All merely my mere opinion as ever...

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

You are correct.

This Thread should only be about XP and its future!

So... There is a market and a desire for the "Look-and-feel" for an OS to survive apparently unchanging for 10 or 20 years?

Or is it that you have not seen anything better than Windows XP?


IT is what we make it...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I have a computer expert friend who is trying to convince me that if I continue to use this computer which has XP as it's OS that I will be increasing my risk of being hacked and my identity stolen whether or not I have a firewall and virus protection. He says that the anti-virus software vendors will discontinue updating their virus definitions for software designed for XP. Also that new software of all types will no longer run on an XP machine.

I like XP as it has been a very stable platform for my level of computer use and I hate to see microsoft abandoning it.

Windows XP's support discontinues on April 8th, 2014. Yes, many avid XP users will be upset about the end date, but at that point it will be over 13 years old!

The good news is that most anti-virus vendors I've read about have pledged support for XP for at least another year beyond XP's expiration, and my guess would be they may extend that as they watch throughout the year what the trend is for upgrading.

Additionally, if you are behind a decent router with NAT-T, or a hardware-based firewall, and practice safe computing, most people will be perfectly fine if they continue to use the OS.

In general, I say if you're happy, keep using it. However, I would also suggest that if you're just keeping XP because you're afraid of change, you should at least approach a new version of Windows with curiosity, as Windows 7 really isn't all that bad. I've personally found it more responsive than XP on nearly every machine I've installed it on, including an old Pentium 4 without HyperThreading.

You are correct.

This Thread should only be about XP and its future!

So... There is a market and a desire for the "Look-and-feel" for an OS to survive apparently unchanging for 10 or 20 years?

Or is it that you have not seen anything better than Windows XP?

Most people are simply afraid of change. It is said that change only happens when the pain of not changing is greater than staying the same.

Who knows? Maybe a Linxu distro will be the way for Bob to go. I would say that it is up to him if he enquires, and shouldn't be up to you to push and peddle in his thread while trashing the competition. I would hope you can leave it at that.

My biggest concern is whether my anti-virus vendor will continue to provide new definitions for the software I have installed on this computer. I have a laptop with Vista and it is OK but I guess I am settled in my ways and am comfortable with XP. I don't buy new games and such very often and I am not a big participant in the social networks having only a facebook account that I don't visit much.

As long as I will be able to continue to use Goggle Chrome to access the places I visit and make the online purchases that I have up until now I will probably postpone getting a new primary computer to use. I think my current one is too old and slow to effectively use windows 7 or vista.

---

Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Unless anybody has seen any statements to the contrary from the vendors, I would think that when MS stops providing security updates to XP, that would be when the anti-virus folks would be more vigilant, and their sales might actually increase.
I should not think they would stop supporting XP when MS does.

Just my opinion, until proven otherwise.

Being in the field of AV support, I suspect just the opposite. If Microsoft isn't going to support them anymore they're certainly going to follow suit.

---

My wifes laptop has XP, And Its running Microsoft security essentials. Will MS stop updates for that also?

---

[/quote]

Old James

My wifes laptop has XP, And Its running Microsoft security essentials. Will MS stop updates for that also?

Yes they have stated so.

Keep it so long as free versions of AVG or Avast support it, but if you still run IE8 then drop it for another browser.

Cheers.

Just spotted on the BBC news site. Microsoft extends security fixes for Windows XP to 2015

Microsoft has decided to continue providing security updates for the ageing Windows XP operating system until 2015.

The updates were due to end on 8 April 2014 when all other support for the software is scheduled to stop.

However, the numbers still running the 12-year-old operating system convinced it to provide more help.

About 30% of all desktop computers are still running XP according to figures from research firm Net Applications.

Microsoft explained its change of policy in a blogpost saying the security updates were the only support XP users would receive after 8 April this year.

The updates will cover signatures for well-known malicious programs and will help Windows XP spot when viruses, trojans and other cyber-threats try to compromise a PC. The malware-spotting updates will be provided for Microsoft's Security Essentials and for a wide variety of corporate tools used to protect large numbers of PCs.

The security updates will be produced until 14 July, 2015.

Just spotted on the BBC news site. Microsoft extends security fixes for Windows XP to 2015

Microsoft has decided to continue providing security updates for the ageing Windows XP operating system until 2015.

The updates were due to end on 8 April 2014 when all other support for the software is scheduled to stop.

However, the numbers still running the 12-year-old operating system convinced it to provide more help.

About 30% of all desktop computers are still running XP according to figures from research firm Net Applications.

Microsoft explained its change of policy in a blogpost saying the security updates were the only support XP users would receive after 8 April this year.

The updates will cover signatures for well-known malicious programs and will help Windows XP spot when viruses, trojans and other cyber-threats try to compromise a PC. The malware-spotting updates will be provided for Microsoft's Security Essentials and for a wide variety of corporate tools used to protect large numbers of PCs.

The security updates will be produced until 14 July, 2015.

So as to be accurate, the article actually says that they are going to provide virus signatures for XP until July 2015, not security updates. The article is incredibly poorly written, IMHO, and can make the confusion even worse than it needs to be.

BBC.CO.UK wrote:

However, security patches, regular updates and bug fixes for XP will stop as scheduled on 8 April.

In its blogpost, Microsoft warned users to stop using XP to ensure they stay safe.

Does that sound like a threat to you?

No, it sounds like normal CYA corporate speak. You have to remember that Microsoft sells OSes to the government as well, and as such it is within their responsibility to make certain that everyone knows they are ending support, lest someone insists Microsoft didn't tell them and proceeds to try to litigate against Microsoft for possible loss of data due to theft or hacking or security breaches.

FYI - Even GPL licenses have similar CYA clauses to disclaim any liability.

Despite its age, Windows XP has proved to have a long life on desktops in homes and businesses. This led Microsoft to keep selling it long past the date it was due to be removed from shop shelves. This longevity is partly because of the poor reception that its successor Windows Vista received and because some businesses have found it hard to adapt to the changes introduced in Windows 7 and 8.

They should have been sued for damages over Vista, and the day they listen to end users rather than corporate directors with chequebooks, will be very welcome.

Not sure why. What damages did Vista do? I still have machines running Vista and have not suffered from any damages as of yet. BTW - Vista was not the product of marketing and bean counters over engineers. Vista was the result of many frustrated re-writes of the OS as Microsoft tried to solve too many problems in the OS that, in the end, were not problems needing resolving.

What damages did Vista do?

Physical damage, none, It simply wasn't fit for purpose as they claimed. Under various Trade Descriptions Acts it has to be. Yes we all know people that ran, and do run, Vista without any problems, but the truth remains that the majority of the world had a different experience.

I'd argue that the so-called "experiences" are more like ghost stories than actual experiences.

The bigger part is that MS Marketing have the power to over rule the engineers. Every 2-3 years they insist that whatever the stage of a current new OS in development, whether Alpha, Beta, RC1,2,3, it will go to shrink-wrap regardless, because they think they will lose market share.

No, they need to release products to refresh them, support a changing environment, and to bring income into the company. That's the way every corporation is.

BTW, you own any MS shares? You seem pretty much on their side.

Really Chris? You actually went there? Of all the years you've known me (virtually speaking), you'd accuse me of allowing financial reasons to affect my opinions and judgments? For the record, I do not own shares in any company, including MS. I have always argued through facts and experiences. I have, at times, been on the wrong side of the facts, and usually come around to understanding where I went wrong if provided with a convincing enough argument, but I have never allowed my opinions to be compromised by ulterior motives. I'd understand this accusation from Martin or Guy because of the way they view me, but I thought you knew different.

The OpenCL group has already quit supporting XP as I recently learned. If you have an XP box that was loaded and updated a little over three years ago now (as far as I can tell), you'll probably still have OpenCL support in it. If you've done a fresh install less than three years ago, you don't have OpenCL anymore no matter how you try to update it.

OpenCL support in XP is not directly related to the age with which you installed XP. It is directly related to the age and version of video drivers you use.