It may well be obvious for some, however judging by some of the advice being given (i.e. relying on virus software is all you need) its certainly not so obvious to many others.

For those of us that have been around for awhile we went through all of this propaganda when MS stopped supporting 95 and 98 but we continued to use it untill our machines were unable to cope..

I have 2 puters running XP and they are both doing very specific jobs and I will continue to use them untill they need updating with better hardware..

At that time I will decide where I need to go from there..

KevinC wrote:

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I think we should warn the users of Win 7 and Win 8.1 that their operating systems are full of holes too. After ten years Microsoft is still fixing problems with XP, so please don't think it will be an easy ride with 7 or 8.1. Currently my fleet of Win 7 devices are receiving at least two security patches each week. Good thing Microsoft aren't marketing appliances or motor vehicles.
For those folk who have looked for alternatives and been confused by Linux, I've just installed (fresh install on an old spare computer) Zorin 8. It's remarkably similar to Win 7, but if you want to try it, you need to be patient and accept that it's not a direct duplication of the Windows product.

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 Kevin, if you want to flog the linux line you best go to the Linux thread and add your input instead of hijacking microsoft threads..

 

The shame of the situation is that those who probably most need the advice don't read or understand threads of this nature.

So far the title has caught the notice of a couple of Windows user who seem to be on top of things and the obligatory Linux salesman (crikey they must lead a lonely life)

 

"ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."

 

 

KevinC wrote:

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 Now, are you going to ask me not to offer assistance to other forum users when I have information they may not?

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Not at all Kevin, only that you offer information relevant to the topic, in other words if I ask for advice re a Windows problem its far from helpful when people simply see it as an opportunity to try to beat the drum for Linux etc, when I have a puter problem the last thing I need and want is someone telling me to (see the light) and adopt a minority operating system.

KevinC wrote:

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"when I have a puter problem the last thing I need and want is someone telling me to (see the light) and adopt a minority operating system."

So it would seem a lot of intentions have been misunderstood here. Let's not push this to the point of making bad blood. We'll start afresh.
Forget that L***** operating system that I should never have mentioned. What was the problem you were referring to that we might be able to help you with?

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If you haven't done it already reading the first post may well give you a clue Kevin.

No Santa, no idea what your problem is.

However the article you refer to is just a filler by a journalist who needed something to expand her quota of copy. It's a story for amateurs and doesn't give anyone any information of value.
Of course anti-virus and malware software is a band aid for XP. But it's the same band aid for Win 7, Win 8.1, Mac and others (yes viruses are written for Mac and most other operating systems including mobile phones. The reason a fix is distributed by the various firms is because a number of users have already been hit. There isn't a fix that comes out before the problem is seen.
I consider it poor journalism to single out one system as being at risk, and in the same article suggest that going to a more modern system will be beneficial. Why should we update to a new system that so far isn't proven, and possibly have to update our hardware as well, when there's still useful life in what we already have? We are too often advised to renew and replace while the product in question still has useful life left.
If you are one who has updated to Win 7 or Win 8.1, then that's fine. Keep up your anti-virus and malware software and you'll only get as many infections as most other people. If you've chosen to stay with XP then that's also fine. Keep up your anti-virus and malware software and you'll only get as many infections as most other people.
If you've chosen to go with one of the less frequent systems then that's fine. There aren't as many infections around for you, and when they strike there'll be someone who'll write a suitable fix. If you use cloud based storage, your data will be read by other people. Everything you put on the Internet is recorded, even the bits you don't want recorded. Your data on your home computer is only safe when the device is switched off. The cloud never gets switched off.
It's up to you to choose whatever system gives you the security you desire. Please take everything into consideration and hopefully you'll make the best choice for yourself.

But if anyone who happens to read this forum thinks he or she will be safe because they've left XP and gone to something more modern, they're dreaming!

My computer runs XP PRO, My Laptop runs Win 7,

Of the two, I prefer the XP OS by miles,

The win 7, Is complicated and hard to use, Well for me any way,

I run Malwarebytes and Avast, Both the Free Versions, So I dont get Infections,

Like every thing else, All these systems have built in Obsolesence, Microsoft has sold you XP. Thats it, They cant make any more money out of you for XP,

To make money, They have to get rid of XP and sell you a later version of their OS, Then they charge you again for their latest and greatest, Bugs, Warts and all,

I started with 98, then went to 2000, I still have it on my old computer, I whacked a new set of bigger cards in it,

Its now just as fast as my new Whoopie Doo Quad Core 960 GB computer with the XP pro,

The new cards I put in the old computer took it out to its Max, But it runs XP Pro and 2000 by Partition,

I got sick of getting charged $200-00 or so dollars every time it got a bug or virus in it, And it came back still virtually the same, Still with things wrong with it,

So I took a course at Tafe, Repairing and Building computers, $480-00 for the course, I can fix my own computers now or update them as I see fit,

Which I have done to the old and new computers, I bought my new computer before I did the course, Other wise I would have rebuilt the old one to the stage of the new one,

or better, Terrabite Harddrives and Rams are under $100-00 each these days, Havent priced a mother board, But I cant see them being very dear either,

My last power pack was $120-00. The rest is just installing bigger cards,

Cheap fix for your computer, Get your computer running quick again,

Click on Run, Type in CMD, Then enter, You will get a black window that comes up, At the end of the words, The flashing cursor,

Type in, netstat -ano, then press enter, There is a space between Netstat and ano, and a minus after the Space and before ano, 

Then click on processes on the window that comes up. You will have a list of numbers, Come down the column to listening, Then established,  Write the number

down to the right of the second listening on the bottom of the column of numbers, Thats the PID number,

Right click on task Manager, Click on the number you have written down,,  then click on End Process, 

You will get a screen that comes up, Warning that you will stop your computer from working, Click YES in the box,

In the left column all the letters are the same, till you get down to the listening number and established and then it changes,  The one on the right column is the number you need,

Do not click on any of the numbers in the left column above the bottom listening number, You will delete your system, the ones you need,

If it has avast in the left column, one of your numbers,  do not click on it, Thats Avast streaming, Or what ever your antivirus is, The name of your antivirus will be shown there, In the left column,

Any other numbers, that you have written down, Click end process,

 

Its built into your computer system, It does it for you, It sorts out the Hard drive and fixes any problems in your Hard drive, Or people that are hacking your computer,

-- Edited by Mr B2 on Tuesday 25th of March 2014 05:26:43 AM

For those that are interested I got asked today to set up a desktop with XP for a specific job so I dug an old machine out of the pile and checked, the last time it was updated was 10/11/2013 so I put it online and got 73 updates that needed to be installed..