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Hello All,
I’ve been on Win XP for over 10 years now. Initially, I accepted the automatic Windows updates but stopped after a short time.
I have Avast, spybot , Malwarebytes, etc in place protecting my system. On occasion, mostly when searching for MIDI files, I hear the siren come on alerting me of malicious activity, but Avast takes care of the problem.
Should I be concerned about Windows ending XP support next month ?
Percy
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Hi Percy
Windows are ending support only, but the O/S will continue to work fine.
In my view, Windows XP was one of the best, if not the best operating system Microsoft ever produced.
Your A/V security systems seem to be looking after you OK. They should still provide periodic updates for new threats.
Bottom line: If it's doing everything you need, stay with it if you like.
(Be aware also that Windows 8 has a big learning curve)
HTH
Kind regards
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Percy, if you want to keep XP I would complete all of the XP updates then do a complete backup of your computer. I suggest using Acronis for that however there are other backup programs available.
Although MS is stopping support for XP they will be still offering their XP anti-virus program MS Essentials for another year. You should check if Avast will support XP after April.
I have read in CNET that over 30% of the computers in use still use XP with a large percentage of those being in industry. They reported that not only does industry not want to pay for a new OS but all of their current programs run on XP thus they may have to purchase all new programs, something they do not want to do. Thus I think XP will be around for a little while longer after April.
Having said that I believe your best option is to upgrade. If you have XP programs that you still want to run I suggest that you get Win 7 Pro as your OS. It has a XP emulation mode and in fact I have an old but still useful Win 95 Corel PhotoPaint program that I am using on Win 7. Every XP program that I have tried including MS Office 97 is running on Win 7, however I have not tried any games on it.
I feel your pain as although I have one Win 7 computer it is my offline music and photography computer. My wife, son and my Internet computers are all XP. I am planning on upgrading my wife and my systems if money is available after our April Florida vacation.
Good luck.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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"Should I be concerned about Windows ending XP support next month ?" Not if you believe they've covered every foreseeable exploit and vulnerability that will be found in the future. In that case you're fine.  It depends really on what the machine is used for. Is there data on there that needs to be secured? Any transactions taking place on it? Is it on a network where it exposes other machines to vulnerabilities? There are thousands of businesses out there running XP still. I suspect they will be targeted before home users, if that helps. If it is not on the internet it may run forever, but if it is, be careful.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Gentlemen,
Thank you for all the sage advice. All options will be considered; time is running out though and I need to get moving on this issue.
I did read online that a new Windows version of XP is coming out sometime later this year in response to the many users dissatisfied with Win 7 and/or 8.
Percy
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Hi Percy
Yes there will certainly be a new Windows - anticipated to be called Windows 9.
It certainly won't be XP, although it might work a little bit like XP. There has been talk about April 2015, but in reality, it will be when it will be.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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I find that Win 7 Pro is a lot like XP whereas Win 8 is a PITA, IMHO. Win 8 is MS’s attempt to be like an Apple iSomething OS but I, as well as a number of others, think that MS fell flat on it’s face. Win 8.1 tried to revert back to a Win 7/XP start like desktop as an option but I didn’t like it at all, but YMMV.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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My husband likes to still use his XP but I've got him to switch to using Chrome instead of IE - I don't know if it makes that much of a difference in safety once support stops but maybe little less vulnerable....?
Don't be afraid of Win 8. I was totally lost at first. Now that I've been using it awhile, I love it and I don't have a touch screen. It's really not that bad at all and I'm surprised that I like it so much. But I really do. Now 8.1, I don't know because I read some horror stories of problems with upgrading HP computers and haven't jumped into that pool yet.
Josie
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Good point Josie, using IE in XP means using IE8 as the last supported version. MS isn't making the newer IE versions compatible with XP. At least that's my finding so far. Same thing with the whole .NET framework. Newer web based applications we are developing will not run correctly on IE8. But will run correctly in Chrome/FF on the same XP machine. That machine will not run IE9 or above. MS is up to IE11 now, so IE8 is getting left behind. Believe it or not we had a problem with a new website for a company last week that still has IE7 on many machines! The site displayed OK but admin features were not playing nicely. They thought it was an issue to upgrade all those machines to IE8; wait until they realize all those machines will need new OS's pretty soon. But that's an issue for the MSP guys downstairs, not my concern. The biggest issue with XP isn't with the people actually knowledgeable about its age/lack of updates, but rather for the people that just ignore the issue and continue on as if nothing changed. (like the company above). A newer browser can help for sure. Chrome, FF, anything but old IE versions..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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...I accepted the automatic Windows updates but stopped after a short time...
That alone makes you already considerably vulnerable. There have been *MANY* of the "Critical Updates" issued that addressed and corrected issues with the OS that were found to be exploitable. Why would you voice concern for lack of support at this juncture when you were not taking advantage of the support when it was in place? --Mac
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Bob, (RHARV), who is to blame for all this, who but?
I type my posts in Word and posted my last reply before I read yours.
My use is very typical- some transactions and some sensitive data, but not part of a network.
I had the same anxiety when I switched from MS DOS to Win 95 to Win 98 and now to
the next upgrade.
Trevor, Mario, and Josie,
I have used Win 7 or 8 on occasion and didn’t really have any issues.
It’s just getting used to the change.
I’m still reeling since the upgrade from BB2013 to BB2014. lol
It’s probably time again to bite the proverbial bullet.
Thanks all.
Percy
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Percy,
The hardest part about doing anything that is new or different is making up our minds to go ahead and start with it.
Sir Edmond Hillary once wrote that the hardest part of climbing Mount Everest was "taking the first step".
He then explained that after doing that, "Providence steps in" and the rest is rather easy by comparison.
All too soon, the new becomes the "good old familiar"...
--Mac
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I use windows xp for my music production, since 2002 the only time I ever updated it was the first day it came out of the box I did a windows update on the internet; I then unhooked it from internet and it has never been hooked up to the internet since, nor have I done any other updates and it still works as good as the day it left the box. I do not have any type of active antivirus on it and I did the audio geeks checklist for making it more audio friendly. The only thing I have done to it was to add more Ram, when I hooked up my zoom R16 board as it began to drain the system and so it would freeze at times the Ram fixed that. I wish they would have stayed with xp, I have not used 8 but I loath vista and 7 to me although they said it went back to the xp model is not the same.. they are to cpu hungry. To me xp was the best version for making music, as it was not cpu hungry at all, and you did not have to be computer savvy to use it.
My TunesPsalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
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If the machine is never hooked up to the Internet, there is less chance of it getting infected.
However, that does not guarantee the situation at all.
I've had to respond to more than one instance of clients' computers that still managed to get infected, due to things like rogue memory sticks, detachable hard drives and the likes.
Awhile back, all the fellow did was copy some Audio Tracks from another guy onto his "DAW which was never connected to the net" in order to participate in an online compilation and add his tracks to it. The virus was embedded in one of the tracks included, which turned out to be an internet download done on another entirely different machine. Traced to one of those almost illegal file sharing scheme sites. One of 'em was in the practice of obtaining "free" beatz that way.
In each instance, these folks just couldn't understand how their system got infected, for the most part, too.
--Mac
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My wife and I are following this subject with deep interest. In my case it's because the medical transcription (MT) and medical text editing (MTE) industry largely runs on XP, IE 8, and Word versions ranging as far back as 2003. Some medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs) have said nothing about upgrading, even though they are liable under the HIPAA Act for breaches of patient privacy to the tune of $25,000 per incident. In most cases individual MTs are responsible for their own systems, yet they cannot upgrade without instructions to do so from their MTSO. It has to do with standardization and network interoperability. We're not really sure what the thinking is here.
In the case of my wife, who is in the banking industry, we know that 85% of the hundreds of thousands of ATMs in the United States run on XP and cannot be upgraded because of dated hardware. This isn't really a secret but, again, we find it difficult to believe that nothing is being done.
Not only has software moved on since XP was introduced, but the bad guys have gotten much badder, too. On the other hand, the bankers are dragging their feet on improving credit and debit card security by going to a chip-and-PIN system as Europe has done. Basically we're all sitting ducks until these situations are acted upon appropriately.
If you really want a wake-up call, read up on the "Uroboros" virus that Russia just launched against Ukraine. It's mainly targeted at governments and industries, but it shows you what is possible for someone who is determined to take advantage of the other party's vulnerabilities.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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On the other hand, "it ain't over 'til its over" may apply.
With that much business still using XP, it may end up that Microsoft does the triple double reverse whammy and decides to continue with XP support, OR it may end up as some sort of third party takeover of support.
Or it could leave everybody hangin'...
--Mac
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...I accepted the automatic Windows updates but stopped after a short time...
That alone makes you already considerably vulnerable. There have been *MANY* of the "Critical Updates" issued that addressed and corrected issues with the OS that were found to be exploitable. Why would you voice concern for lack of support at this juncture when you were not taking advantage of the support when it was in place? --Mac Mac, The procedure to quote someone has changed since the last time I tried it; but I think I have it down. I wasn't taking advantage of the support because after accepting the updates, there were way too many arbitrary changes to my system that had really nothing to do with 'support'. That was a long time ago, however. And that was my point initially. Having survived this long w/o Windows support, do I really need it ? Percy
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There is no "five-second rule" here. I'm jumping ahead of Mac, but if you EVER go online you need every Windows update available as well as a firewall and an up-to-date virus engine. This also applies if you EVER load files of any kind from others. In other words, YES.
If you use any other MS apps, especially Office programs, they also need to be updated for the same reason.
And before any of that, the first three rules of computer security remain:
1. Back up your work.
2. Back up your work.
3. Back up your work.
Just sayin'.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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There is no "five-second rule" here. I'm jumping ahead of Mac, but if you EVER go online you need every Windows update available as well as a firewall and an up-to-date virus engine. This also applies if you EVER load files of any kind from others. In other words, YES.
If you use any other MS apps, especially Office programs, they also need to be updated for the same reason.
+100 --Mac
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Gentlemen,
Well, I've been scared straight. lol
Installation of Win updates scheduled for later today after backup of hard drive.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Percy
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