Posted on 12/03/2014 7:27:21 PM PST by dennisw
Summary: Yes, you still can trick Microsoft into giving you security updates for Windows XP. No, it's not a good idea. You are not protected.
Perhaps the most popular story I've written for ZDNet was the one explaining how you can hack the registry in Windows XP and trick Windows Update into continuing to send you security updates. The basis of it is that Microsoft has an embedded variant of Windows XP and support doesn't end on that until April 2016. The hack makes XP look like the embedded version.
I have maintained a Hyper-V VM on a Windows 8.1 system running this configuration and it does indeed continue to get updates. In fact, it gets updates even when Microsoft doesn't list it as getting updates. In November, the marquee vulnerability fixed by Microsoft was the bug in Schannel, their SSL/TLS implementation. The bulletin and knowledge base article list every supported version of Windows, but not the embedded ones. Even so, it did receive the update:
So no problem, right? Keep running Windows XP, right? For reasons that Microsoft and we have explained repeatedly, Windows XP is not really securable by modern standards. It lacks features like ASLR that prevent many vulnerabilities or at least make them more difficult to exploit. Many steps have been taken in later Windows versions to harden the internals of the operating system against attack. XP, embedded or otherwise, has not gotten these improvements and won't be getting them. If you use Internet Explorer, version 8 is the latest you can run on Windows XP, and it's a pretty crummy browser.
Because of these differences, the fact that Microsoft is not supporting it and the availability of new features post-XP for them to use, many software vendors have ended their own support for XP:
(Excerpt) Read more at zdnet.com ...
I am definitely going to try this!!!
Why?
Because I have an old scanner I like that works with XP. I am about to install a new hard drive and put an XP partition on it just for this scanner. Win 7 for the real OS I will be installing and using on this computer
It’s Dead Jim , STOP USING XP !!!
Microsoft Windows 8 wrecked my computer when it was used to replace Windows 7 (because it was hacked and I got them to clean up the system, or so I thought). Still waiting, since April, for my new Windows 7 disk so I can use something that is reliable for my needs. WAITING!
Called Microsoft several times and got shuffled from office to office, including by the Legal Department, back to the Support Office which couldn’t help me resolve outstanding contract services including a new disk.
I want to know why Microsoft can’t devise a decent Windows program that is both protected and useable. We’ve got a new one in our office and I can’t find half the standard editing commands.
Just because it is “new” doesn’t mean that it works as well as the “old”.
Damned. I love WordPerfect 7 and have it on another computer as a backup. Staying with that winner for home work.
At least this makes sense to me now, but I'm still really ticked off that I can't safely use my old XP computers/programs that I liked SO much better than the "up-graded" ones I have now...
Why does MS discriminate against flat-earth types like me? lol
Windows 8 gets a bad rap from lo-information grippers. All you have to do is download and install to add a start button such as “classic shell” and others and then it is just as good as Windows 7. Because MS left off the start button due to Windows 8 being touch screen/ tablet/ smart phone oriented. Even the 8.1 version screams for a proper start button
Obviously download and install is beyond the reach of 90% of Windoze users
I reckon that the question is, why should an 8.X user HAVE to download anything to return to the functionality of the previous version?
Why did MS decide that all computers needed the ‘smartphone’ interface in the first place?
One problem with using XP these days it has trouble utilizing today’s larger (more code) programs such as Firefox and other web browsers. I am going to be able to open up a lot more tabs with Windows 7-64bit and the 8gb of memory I use with it than with Windows XP.
I just need XP-32bit to operate a favorite scanner. So am about to install it on a hard drive partition
Most browsers, including Firefox, are 32-bit even in a 64-bit OS. There is a 64-bit build of Firefox called Waterfox, which I’ve been using for since the beginning of the year.
Because they went overboard in wanting the same graphical look everywhere including the Microsoft websites/ That graphical look and interface is called Metro which is suitable for touch screen devices such as phones and tablets. Metro works well to condition and brainwash consumers except that it backfired by not providing that familiar start button for desktop and laptop users
I think XP is faster then Windows 7.
I like some things in 7 but it feels slow compared to XP.
bfl
I have the ssme problem with my backup XP Computer.
My scanner is the Linotype/Hell Jade Model.
On Window 7 (XP Mode): I tried that and it would not recognize the Scanner.
Hope you have better luck.
Got it in one, FRiend!! ;)
What Meyer said: "functionality" of the previous version, which in MY case was decidedly archaic, but I had no problems with it, it worked fine, got my work done for me!
I own no touch-screen devices, nor do I want to...I say "feh!" on "Metro" - it justs costs me time to re-learn (or even FIND) basic commands/functions, and costs me money to have to keep up-grading machines/software (not to mention, bribing my princely IT guy to keep 'em running right)...
Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em, < SIGH >
Scanner? I remember those. I haven’t used mine in years; take a picture with your phone and email it to yourself.
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