Windows XP loses MS support tomorrow

[David Root]

Do I need to upgrade to protect my bank accounts access or is this just Microsoft propaganda? One of the Seattle TV stations just brought this up.

I am an internet doofus so I can't judge, other than "who benefits from this?" I have Malwarebytes.

[Phil_S]

IMHO, if you are running a firewall and anti virus, you could be OK indefinitely. Firewall and anti virus are essential. The ordinary stuff provided by Microsoft works just fine. You don't need 3rd party stuff, though some of that is very good too.

I've used AVG Free antivirus and ZoneAlarm firewall with very good results. If you go to d/l these, you have to hunt for the free version. They make it hard to find because they want you to buy the upgrade to the paid version.

OTOH, if you look on Amazon, you can buy 64 bit Win 7 Pro for ~ $120. I think I would not be in a hurry to spend money.

[drew]

Upgrading a system that is so old that it runs XP would be silly, IMHO. You can get new desktop systems for very little money nowadays, and they're much more pleasant to use than old XP boat anchors. Ignore all he whining about Windows 8; if you can deal with going from a car that has the gas filler on the drivers side to one that has it on the passenger side, you can deal with Windows 8. (And anyway, an update is apparently on the verge of being released which will revert the UI for desktop systems to something more similar to Win7.)

[David Root]

Thanx guys. Two dumb questions: 1) How do I tell if I have a firewall? and 2) Is Malwarebytes also an antivirus?

I bought this system used & refurbished 8 years ago and I think it was 3 years old when I got it. It is a DELL Optiplex GX 280.

[JazzGuitarGimp]

I'll be running XP for the foreseeable future. Does anyone know, if I have to reinstall at some point, will I still be able to get the MS updates and Service Packs from MS, or is that going away too?

[sepulchre]

There will be no more service packs - 3 is the last. However, if you have these ready ti install, eg on CD, you're okay. I've been using this system for years on my desktop though it's certainly powerful enough for an upgraded to run on it. I just like XP.

My question is this: When I reformat my hard drive (which is necessary now and then - viruses, etc) and then install XP and the service packs it asks to be authenticated or registered by MS. It's an easy and quick thing to do but will MS continue to do this, to recognize and register XP allowing it to run. I think it will stop working if not registered after a certain period.

[JazzGuitarGimp]

Yes, I understand that SP 3 is the last SP. I've always downloaded it from the MS site when I need it. I do not have a copy of it on my HDD. I also do not have all the thousands of security updates that have been published over the years. So I hope it is MS's intent to still have these available for download, even though they will no longer be creating new updates.

[David Root]

No MS updates unless you have Service Pack 3. If your XP is only the 64-bit version you can't add SP3, so I infer that you would be completely unsupported. How long SP3 support might last I don't know. This from MS Support.

"As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date. (If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates for a limited time, but this does not mean that your PC will be secure because Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates to help protect your PC.)

If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP."

[LeftyStrat]

I don't run Windows, but my concern is some place like say, oh, Target, that is using XP to process your credit card.

A new exploit and their only choice is to upgrade everything, which can be difficult if you have a bunch of legacy code.

[sliberty]

I read somewhere that some huge percentage of the ATM's were running XP. The thing is though, if you are big enough, and willing to pay, Microsoft will still provide fixes. It's general support that is ending.

[galtjunk]

I have 22 point of sale systems running MSDOS.
These old dinosaurs run 24 hours a day and when they do eat a power supply or hard drive, they can be replaced and reconfigured within a minute.
Try that with a windows product.

I have 2 systems running windows 98.
I have a couple of dozen systems running XP.

They will continue to run just fine.

Microsoft just wants more of your money.

[vibratoking]

Windows XP is the most stable OS Microsoft ever put out, IMO.

XP embedded will continue to be supported. The retail version will not be. I heard about the ATMs as well, but those are embedded systems and support will continue for those. I have 2 XP machines at home and I will continue using them in the near term because I am locked to the hardware and I won't pay MS for a new OS. MS is teaching me to not buy any future products from them. I'll probably roll those machines over to Red Hat at some point.

[Phil_S]

Thanx guys. Two dumb questions: 1) How do I tell if I have a firewall? and 2) Is Malwarebytes also an antivirus?

I bought this system used & refurbished 8 years ago and I think it was 3 years old when I got it. It is a DELL Optiplex GX 280.

If this was my system meeting my needs and running well, I would not be bothered by XP's loss of support. As noted above, it is probably the best OS released since MSDOS, though I think Win 7 is also quite good. (Linux/MAC proponents, please lets not debate this on David's thread.)

Malwarebytes is a malware protection and removal tool. It is not a firewall. It is not antivirus software.

To turn on Windows XP firewall: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... s-firewall

For antivirus, see if you can get Microsoft Security Essentials: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... s-download

Your computer really is vulnerable without firewall and antivirus. See if you can get them working. Both of these products should run without creating a nuisance on your XP installation. While no protection product is perfect, these are both worth having. I gave up on 3rd party products a couple of years ago because they were creating too much overhead and conflicts with the OS.

[David Root]

Thanx, O Prince of Insufficient Light!

I'll do as you recommend, and be like they say "Don't worry, be happy".

UPDATE: Windows says the firewall and the antivirus are both enabled and on!

[crbowman]

Upgrading a system that is so old that it runs XP would be silly, IMHO. You can get new desktop systems for very little money nowadays, and they're much more pleasant to use than old XP boat anchors. Ignore all he whining about Windows 8; if you can deal with going from a car that has the gas filler on the drivers side to one that has it on the passenger side, you can deal with Windows 8. (And anyway, an update is apparently on the verge of being released which will revert the UI for desktop systems to something more similar to Win7.)

Don't know about that.
Really depends on what you use the machine for.
A friend of mine just 'upgraded' to Win 8 only to discover that Presonus has no plans to provide Win 8 drivers for his beloved Presonus Firestudio 2626.
Meanwhile my XP machine which I built to be strictly a DAW has not hiccuped once in over 5 years worth of continuous service. Stable as a rock.
If you've got the cash, and time to upgrade everything your system touches then go for it. If not, do your due diligence.