http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/18/wi..._security_hole/

Man, I'd heard they'd fixed that already. Not good for Win7 if MS doesn't fix it before release.

Don't fix anything... give me back Windows 95B (just make it really 32BIT or 64BIT and don't change much of anything else)

x64 on Win95 would be nuts, especially on your rig and if the OS code was optimized and multithreaded.

I would like for xp's to be restored like the way you want xp's to be, how about a Windows XP Professional for you? Everyones happy.

Windows XP Can't Be Killed

@ AdavancedSetup:

Hmm. Reading this article... I wonder if it means that they would no longer provide updates and support for XP or does it mean something else? I also don't understand what they mean by downgrades.

XP "Experience" was much of an experience. They shouldn't start downgrading it yet. I have never seen an apple get a new version of software, which is a little different.

They eventually will kill updates for XP, but probably not for another year or so at least. Downgrade is basically the option of contacting Microsoft after purchasing a new computer that has Vista installed on it and trading the Vista for a copy of XP with a license from MS. They've offered it for quite some time and many OEM's (Original Equipment Manufacturers) like HP and Dell take advantage of it offering new PC's with XP pre-loaded instead of Vista, even though Vista is the current version of Windows. I love Vista myself, but many are still stuck on XP, and others (like AdvancedSetup) prefer much lighter operating systems like Windows 95.

@ Exile:

So if they kill updates to XP, won't that make XP much more vulnerable when they don't release updates anymore? Ugh! That mean's well have to get a new computer, oh joy joy! And what about all those people with XP still? :/ It's kind of angering (for lack of a better word) I mean so many people use that computer OS and I know they are two operating systems ahead now, three I guess with the one after Windows 7, but shouldn't they still have the updates available for all OS's that are out that have had updates?

Thanks for explaining the downgrade to me

I loved Windows 95

You got it, but at the same time, it's relatively normal. Technology (specifically PC's and TV's) is one of the few industries where over time as the products become better and more powerful, the price also drops instead of increasing. That means in a couple if years if/when you buy a new computer with a new OS, it should be more powerful, less expensive and have more features than what you're using now .

@ Exile

I know its relatively normal, but are they seriously killing updates to XP? Won't that make the computers vulnerable? :/

Will they at least notify people somehow when they do this I wonder?

They've always done it this way. Many people still grumble because Windows 98 isn't updated any more. I don't think they'll send out notifications (they might though). But I'm sure there'll be reports all over the web about it.

@ Exile

Oh.

I suppose then it would be safer to get a new computer then vs. risking vulnerability from a lack of updates then? I assume there would still be vulnerability risk since they wouldn't be updating anymore. Ugh.

Then you gotta transfer all your files over and wipe the system off before you get rid of the computer to recycle or whatever. I bought this program last year called DriveScrubber by iolo Technologies. I hope that that would do the trick. I hope my permission to use the CD won't run out by then. I haven't even used it yet, hah.

Yahoo yahoo.

Edit: (Yes, I am still up. Getting off after this post!)
Found this! : http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-v...de-advisor.aspx And apparently all the versions available for sale only come with Service Pack 1, and as far as I know Vista is up to SP2. ah well, shouldn't be a huge deal to just download the update if I do indeed upgrade.

Maybe I can just update this computer and not have to get a new one. Hopefully its that simple

It can be that simple as long as your hardware is capable of running the new version. By the time you needed to upgrade Windows 7 would be out though: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta. Who knows, by the time XP is no longer supported (yes that means no new patches for vulnerabilities if any new ones are discovered), then you might want a new PC anyway and only have to spend a few hundred to get a really decent one.

@ Exile

ah, that's true. If only they'd just keep up with the updates, wouldn't have to worry about a new one. This one is perfectly good still

I wonder how we'd get all our files transferred over. I'll worry about that when the time comes

External hard drives are a good option. They've gotten pretty cheap. As far as support, it's hard to expect MS or any other software maker to continue supporting a program from 8-9 years ago when they've still got 2 new OS's to support, plus the server versions that many companies use. All that time making and testing patches requires labor that could be otherwise used on supporting the newer products that they are still making money on by selling them.

I like my RSS Feeds, to the register

Thats what I forgot to discuss with mountaintree16, was backing up here data, since she is a little leary of catching a bug that will mess up here pc. I use Norton Ghost. backed up mine & my wife's pc on a MAXTOR 250GB External USB HD.
So exile360 when you get a chance. She might like to know about that.

Excellent FREE program here for saving an entire disk image of your drive. DriveImage XML

Private Edition: Private home users are allowed to use the Private Edition of DriveImage XML without charge. You are allowed to install DriveImage XML on your home PC. You must not use DriveImage XML commercially. No support is provided for the Private Edition.

I got news email from? gmail? or yahoo? about backing up your HD on there server, up to 2 GB.... why don't I feel safe with that....

because time after time they keep "accidentally" indexing it and publishing private data to the Web.

I walked myself right into that one... thats why I had an un-easy feeling... and it was free..

Hmm. I'll do a little googling on External harddrives later. I really don't know anything about them, heh.

That's true Exile. I never thought of it that way. I just feel like since XP was such a huge step up and a big change from their previous OS's, that there should be more support for it, especially since there are probably a LOT of these systems out there now. I dunno.

I totally understand what you're saying though, makes sense.

But still :/

Vista and 7 are pretty big jump from XP believe it or not. I realize that people get used to what they've been using, but change is inevitable, just look at cars these days compared to 8 or 9 years ago, not only do they look different, but their internal systems are quite a bit different as well.

@ Exile.

True, very true :/ ::grumble:: lol.

Change is gonna happen whether I grumble or not, haha!

I have used Vista a little bit (my friends and my parents), but obviously not Windows 7 yet. Vista kinda confuses me, but its similar enough to XP that I get it. Plus, generally I am good at figuring stuff out, like how to use a certain type of computer, or use a program (like Pidgin yesterday for example) but obviously for some things I am clueless until I get a little help.

@ yardbird and AdvancedSetup:

I saw this thing on a site... it was either an email or something to do with Dell, I think it might have been a Dell site, can't quite remember.

Offering to backup your harddrive online.

YEAAAHHH right. haha

Yeah, I had a bit of a learning curve with Vista, but once I played with it enough I got used to it and now I love it.

@ Exile.

I bet I'd get used to it pretty quickly too.

I was reading what you guys were saying about Windows 7 and I think someone gave me a link that I read about it on (maybe it was you) and there is no start menu. What the heck is there then? lol. Sounds super confusing

No, there's still a start menu, very similar to the one in Vista, but supposedly in the next version after 7 (presumably Windows "8") there will be no start menu, that remains to be seen though.

@ Exile.

Oh, okay, got confused between the two (7 and the maybe 8).

huh, that'll be interesting to see, no start menu. I wonder what they'd have instead. how would you get to all your programs, etc... lol

if they already have another OS in the making even before 7 comes out, it seems like Vista would quickly become obsolete much like XP will be soon, at least in terms of updates :/

Always has boggled my mind why Windows has to update seemingly constantly. I guess I (mostly) understand now, but its still annoying to me

I don't open random emails anymore because I suspect that is one way I had gotten some viruses that I had. As a result, my PC has been infected lesser than it used to be when I used to open up those emails.

@ Victimized

what kind of emails were they?

did they have attachments or was it just plain text?

Random names of people giving messages they were supposed to send to others or advertisements or urgiong me to download things.

@ victimized

wait so people you didn't know or forwards?

ughh. Did you click on any links or open attachments?

Back on topic for a second, I just found this article on MS Technet regarding UAC in Windows 7 in case anyone's curious.

It was random names of people emailing me something they would email to a friend or something. Others would be advertisements telling me to click this link to download this. I clicked on most of them, but never downloaded them. One of them was for AntiVirus 2009 but I never clicked on that link. Though I always got some random emails after registering my email at bitdefender.com for their free edition, I suppose it was targeted by spam bots.