Ah. And since Win 7 came with IE 8 MS will try to push everyone to move/upgrade to (at least) IE 8. Good bye IE 6 & 7. That provides some clarity.
you always hear about the latest vulnerability in IE and it gives the impression that browser is very weak.
now don't get me wrong, I actually think it is, and have not used it for more than 10 years.
but it's no more vulnerable than any of the others.
it suffers from being the oldest so more of its flaws have been found.
I'm sure FF and Chrome have weaknesses, but they benefit from being younger, not yet exploited and from using the experience gleamed from IE exposures.
Maybe IE isn't "no more vulnerable" than other browsers due to the never-ending update patches. However since it's so directly integrated into the system (key point) I think the danger of using it is far greater which has been proven countless times.
People who security test anti-malware and anti-virus software to see how it protects against web-based/drive-by infections from what I've seen in YouTube videos always do so via IE. They don't even bother with other browsers (Firefox, Chrome, etc.,) that may be able to auto-protect the system before the anti-malware or anti-virus would even have anything to do.
I think IE11 with enhanced protected mode enable is a very strong browser indeed.
Microsoft must of decided there were still enough XP users out there. They released this Fix for the Windows XP version of I.E as well.
Win7 is the suggested OS. If I remember correctly, Windows Vista was a step child similar to Windows ME. I had ME on my first laptop.
Oh, and by the way, the Microsoft Update for IE8 just came for my XP machine. Guess MSoft caved to the proletariat.
you always hear about the latest vulnerability in IE and it gives the impression that browser is very weak.
now don't get me wrong, I actually think it is, and have not used it for more than 10 years.
but it's no more vulnerable than any of the others.
it suffers from being the oldest so more of its flaws have been found.
I'm sure FF and Chrome have weaknesses, but they benefit from being younger, not yet exploited and from using the experience gleamed from IE exposures.
Actually it is DESIGNED to be more vulnerable than any others because it comes ready equipped for Active'X.
The FF user has to install a plugin (IETAB I think) before FF will admit Active'X exploits.
I also assume that Chrome avoids Active'X
I've been in 2 hospitals (visiting) a doctor and a dentist's office in the last 2 weeks. They are all still running xp pro.
Poses an interesting legal question.
If you release a potentially dangerous product onto the market, and it is widely purchased, are you liable for the damage it does?
Can you just say, "Well, see, we don't make / sell / support that any more so we aren't responsible for it." ?
I've been in 2 hospitals (visiting) a doctor and a dentist's office in the last 2 weeks. They are all still running xp pro.Poses an interesting legal question.
If you release a potentially dangerous product onto the market, and it is widely purchased, are you liable for the damage it does?
Can you just say, "Well, see, we don't make / sell / support that any more so we aren't responsible for it." ?
No, because it's potential dangerous-factor is mostly due to:
[*]it being around for so long (you can't blame ford if your 1953 truck's easier to steal than a 2014 Lexus (based on ease of hotwiring).
[*]There being more of them (non per-captia number; in the same way you can not blame Honda that more of their Accords are stolen than Tesla Motorcars just because there are more Accords out there.
Just wish I had a 1953 Ford or a 2014 lexus (Lexus being first choice).
For sure, that would be the company line . . . not our fault, get newer stuff.
Didn't work for the ford pinto in the sixties, but did make them money.
Isn't working right now for several car manufacturers in the USA, the feds are pretending to be after them in congressional hearings.
Probably would be a stronger position if the damage was not the fault of known defects in the product.
edit: looks like the pinto stuff was mostly in the seventies.
For sure, that would be the company line . . . not our fault, get newer stuff.
General Motors ("GM") probably wishes they could say a tagline like that with their faulty ignition switches responsible for more than a dozen fatal car accidents. GM knew about it for over a decade and did nothing to fix it. Microsoft has to already know their Windows is vulnerable right out of the box to the initial installation.
Like you doctor and dentist offices I've been to still use XP. My dentist said he plans on using it for at least another 5 years. Microsoft can tell them to update or whatever but making an upgrade statement is far easier said than done when changing will wreak complete havoc upon them with just trying to retrain everyone, let alone other unexpected hiccups.
One of the medical offices here said he was going to have to switch over to win 7. He had been advised by his IT consultant that the expense and potential liability were just too great. Huge expense for him. Gonna make an office visit cost more.
Aahhh well. Mustn't allow my luddite mentality to irritate folks. Win 7 is a good OS. Win 8 will be OK eventually, and win next will probably be a keeper if the pattern holds true.
One of the medical offices here said he was going to have to switch over to win 7. He had been advised by his IT consultant that the expense and potential liability were just too great. Huge expense for him. Gonna make an office visit cost more.
The Obamacare giveth. And Microsoft taketh away.
I've just dusted off 508MB of Hotfix Uninstallers, and given them over to CCleaner.
Can't properly say why, but it actually felt good.
I've just dusted off 508MB of Hotfix Uninstallers
Don't forget the now useless C:\Windows\ie7updates and C:\Windows\ie8updates folders.
I wish I could also send .NET Framework to the hereafter but I need it for a small handful of programs I can't live without.
Well, its a month and counting since microsoft abandoned win xp. No disasters yet.
Well, its a month and counting since microsoft abandoned win xp. No disasters yet.
Except for the disaster precipitating this fix
The disaster that precipitated this fix was a vulnerability in internet explorer, all versions, some of which don't run on win xp. Was introduced thru adobe flash player, if I read correctly. Not a disaster peculiar to or precipitated by win xp. The only issue peculiar to xp was microsoft's decision to not fix xp, which they have now reversed.
One cannot know what goes on in the corporate mind of microsoft.
Maybe this decision reversal was driven by pressure from the government and their big customers.
Maybe by thoughts of liability (my best guess).
Maybe by thoughts about the corporate image if they throw hospitals & banks to the wolves because they didn't buy the newest product.
Maybe out of sheer generosity.
Sort of a negative post, sorry for that, but hey, all this stuff is like an earthquake: It's always somebody's fault.
I think there's one more reason why Microsoft reversed course when it came to updating XP: Maybe Microsoft does not want to alienate any more people than they already have.