PSA: Are you prepared for Windows XP end of support?

[Larry Browning]

As most of us know, Microsoft is ending support for XP next month, even though XP is still installed and running fine on millions of computers. This means that there will be no more security updates or any updates at all for that matter to the operating system.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...=xp_eos_client

I also ran across and article on what this means and how help protect yourself from the bad guys if you want or need to continue to use XP.

http://www.ghacks.net/2014/01/21/pro...em-april-2014/

[Rick Christopherson]

Contrary to the media hype, most vulnerabilities do not attack the operating system, but the software running on it, such as Internet Explorer. Not getting security updates to XP is not nearly as critical as the hype makes it. Because the percentage of systems still running XP will also drop, hackers will target it less and less.

[Kev Williams]

Sorry, I have to say it:

WHAT support?

Just for my own personal reference, I've had my upstairs office computer get every XP update ever gotten. The computer I'm on right now, which is my main graphics/machine running/email/internet surf machine, hasn't had an XP update since sometime in 2009. Both computers are essentially the same age, same processor speed, ram, etc, they both act identical, as they always have. And I run Microsoft Security Essentials on ALL my computers, and nothing else, and I've never had a virus- last virus I EVER got was in 1999... knock on my head!

My email doesn't get hacked or spoofed. My neighbors don't get on my wi-fi. I don't get viruses-- just my opinion, but all the hype is just to sell new software...

[Bruce Page]

I’m going to keep my XP machine for the CAD and Photoshop software I have on it but take it completely off-line as a stand alone. I’m trying to decide if I want Win7 or Win8 on the new machine. I like the Win7 OS that I have on the shop PC.
Is there any reason to move to the Win8 OS?

[David G Baker]

Windows 7 is still okay but my experience with Windows 8 was very unpleasant for me. Maybe I am old school but the set-up on the computer I worked on was foreign to me. It wasn't the touch screen issue because I used touch screen computers to control satellites for uplinks and downlinks when I was working in TV. If I have to move over to Windows 8 or its next version I will learn to work with it. I liked Windows XP but made the transition to Vista with out any problems. I use Photoshop version 5.5 with out any issues on my Vista computers.

[Jerry Thompson]

What?!!! There is something after Windows 3.1?

[Dave Anderson NH]

Yes Jerry there is. Windows 3.11 For Workgroups

[Fred Perreault]

I have 3 laptops and 2 desktops running Win XP sp3. I downloaded the sp1, sp2 and sp3 updates after they worked out the kinks. They were major improvements, but I have never used Windows Update for anything else, and my units run fine. I am using some favorite programs from 1992 on. The installed base of Win XP is enormous, but they shouldn't be be afraid of any more problems than we experienced at the turn to the new millenium, which was more hype than substance. I still have my DOS manuals, an 11" 4 bit 16 color monitor w/.5 meg Hercules graphics card, an old Eagle IBM compatible w/Intel 8088 processor with less than 500,000 instructions per second on a shelf somewhere. I do not go back to punchcards though.

[Paul McGaha]

We have (1) computer at our house w Windows XP on it. Just use it for surfing, emails, word and excel documents, pictures.

The computer is a desktop and maybe 4 or 5 years old.

It's a Dell I bought from Costco. We haven't had the 1st problem with it.

Is it a big deal for Microsoft to stop supporting Windows XP?

Just keep on using it? When/If it starts messing up get another computer?

PHM

[Brian Elfert]

Windows XP isn't going to just stop working because of the lack of updates unless your computer gets hacked through an un-patched vulnerability. Someone mentioned that programs such as Internet Explorer is what gets hacked. The thing is Internet Explorer is a Microsoft product too and it is unlikely they will keep patching IE on Windows XP. IE on Windows XP would be version 8 at newest which is three versions behind.

[Moses Yoder]

I bought an HP laptop last spring with Windows 8 on it and love it. If you are getting a new system you might as well get 8 and learn it, otherwise you will only be further behind. I don't get very deep into computer maintenance but install all of my own programs and really have had no issues with it. One thing, if you have 8 on a lap top you will definitely want a cordless mouse or the charms popping out from hitting the edge of the touch pad will drive you crazy.

[Pat Barry]

I heard this morning on the news that Microsoft will give you a rebate of $100 on the trade-in of an XP machine toward purchase of a new PC.

[Phil Thien]

Windows XP isn't going to just stop working because of the lack of updates unless your computer gets hacked through an un-patched vulnerability. Someone mentioned that programs such as Internet Explorer is what gets hacked. The thing is Internet Explorer is a Microsoft product too and it is unlikely they will keep patching IE on Windows XP. IE on Windows XP would be version 8 at newest which is three versions behind.

Keep XP, get Firefox, and use Thuderbird for E-Mail. Pretty good setup.

[Bruce Page]

I heard this morning on the news that Microsoft will give you a rebate of $100 on the trade-in of an XP machine toward purchase of a new PC.

I'll pass on that deal. I have about 8k of software on my 32bit XP machine that I can't afford to update to a new 64bit system.

[Andrei Georgescu]

Don't worry. There are millions of Windows users who shut down their updates as soon as they install a pirate version of this software. They have no problem whatsoever, trust me.