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I'm still using XP but I don't think the risk has increased dramatically in the 2 days since they stopped supporting it, but eventually I think it will become more risky, and I'll switch to something else. I doubt it will be another Microsoft OS since the alternatives available seem to be inferior (I've installed them, tried them, and went back to XP).
Microsoft had to rush out Windows 7 in 2009 ahead of schedule to cover up the image of Vista. Windows 7 backed off on many of the fanciful characteristics of Vista, which calmed down the complainers. Windows 7 was no better than Vista; in fact, I think it is worse. But no matter because three years later we ended up with Windows 8, a real fiasco for the desktop users.
Meanwhile, there are those aforementioned one-half billion users still running Windows XP and Microsoft is clueless has to why this is.
So yesterday, Microsoft pulled the plug on XP. No more fixes, upgrades, or anything else. No patch Tuesday. No re-installs (from what I can tell).
So apparently Microsoft recognizes that not everybody stopped using XP on April 8, 2014 and are providing some limited support not for the operating system, but for anti-malware software to use with it.
Are there any exceptions? Amidst some backlash, Microsoft in February officially extended Microsoft Security Essentials updates for Windows XP users through July 2015. "For enterprise customers, this applies to System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection and Windows Intune running on Windows XP," Microsoft said. "For consumers, this applies to Microsoft Security Essentials." Still, Redmond cautioned that anti-malware solutions on outdated operating systems are limited. Some anti-virus providers will extend support for XP users, but not all.
I wouldn't mind upgrading if the newer operating systems were better, but for John Dvorak and me (and maybe some of those half billion people who also still use XP), they aren't better, they are worse.
Thurisaz
It is pathetic that Microsoft are forcing People (Consumers) to upgrade and spend money.
Microsoft doesn't get it either, but for me it's got nothing to do with money. I already have Vista and Windows 7 and tried them and just found them to be inferior, as did Dvorak. My hardware was fine, so that wasn't the problem either.
thisguyrighthere
I don't get why folks are so hung up on XP. Sure, if you have no money and cobbled together a PC from parts salvaged from some African landfill then I guess you would be happy to run XP on your single gig SDRAM 486DX machine.
"To help organizations complete their migrations, Microsoft will continue to provide updates to our anti-malware signatures and engine for Windows XP users through July 14, 2015," Microsoft's malware protection team said in a blog post.....The reprieve means that for Windows XP enterprise users, Microsoft will continue to maintain -- for the next 18 months -- System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection, and Windows Intune. Meanwhile, for Windows XP consumer users, Microsoft will continue to keep Microsoft Security Essentials updated.
Arbitrageur
I'll give one example, in XP I could set my folder properties once and they were set. There was no such provision in the newer OS where I had to set folder properties 5 times for 5 different types of folders. So in just this one aspect it's 400% less efficient, and there are many other issues. Maybe less advanced users don't see all the problems.
The main use of the Windows operating system has always been desktop productivity. It wasn't so much for watching TV or slideshows with grandma. Windows 8, for sure, has made productivity more difficult by all accounts. While it is nice to know the time without squinting, I do not need my personal photos flashed on the screen for no good reason. Windows 8 is laughable.
There is a risk to continue to use it which goes up over time, but if she doesn't do anything sensitive like online banking it might be OK. I used Windows 2000 for at least a year after support ended and had no problems, in fact I still have an old virtual PC running Windows 2000 which I use for one application because it runs so well on 2000, but I wouldn't use it for online banking.
Sparky63
I hope this is true. I have Windows 7 on my computer but my wife has XP on her work computer. She was in a panic yesterday until I found the update I posted above.
thisguyrighthere
I guess you would be happy to run XP on your single gig SDRAM 486DX machine.
So much of this "I hate Mac OS" or "I hate Windows 8" or "I hate Linux" or "I hate Chrome OS" is rooted in simple ignorance.
I didn't say it was a bug, I said it's 400% less efficient to change 5 defaults when I could just change one default on XP. The least they could have done was made a provision to change all 5 types at once but I never found that and found some Microsoft support person posting saying there was no such thing, I just had to do 5 times as much work with the newer OS. And it took longer than 40 seconds, especially when you consider multiple PCs, reinstalls, etc. and it's just one of many annoyances.
thisguyrighthere
You're looking at a feature as a bug. Just set Folder Options as you want universally then single out specific folders you want viewed differently. Takes all of 40 seconds the first time you log in.
Nice work getting the "advanced users" jab in. Real cute.
Exactly! That's why the article title says "Enjoy Being a Zombie"
Agit8dChop
XP will never die!