MSE updates on XP end in April

You will no longer be able to install or update Microsoft Security Essentials after April .

As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/end-support-help

Manual download (don't have the NIS links)

x86:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/DefinitionUpdates/mpam-fe.exe
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87342
x64
http://download.microsoft.com/download/DefinitionUpdates/mpam-fex64.exe
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87341

ricktendo64 did you not read the link?

This is not about where to download definition updates for XP. This is about the fact that after April 8th any XP user will not get definition updates for MSE, nor will they be able to download the installer.

This coupled with the fact that XP will no longer give ANY security updates for XP means XP users will have to switch to another av and learn how to lock down their system in other ways if they intend to stay with it.

Good thing I have moved away from XP now. I understand XP is good but if your hardware isn't paleolithic, you should install a newer OS just for security sake.

Makes sense. When MS ends support for XP then MS also will end MSE support for XP. But, according to my info, when one is behind a router and has a Firewall (from MS or any other brand) installed then one should be OK. Although I would like to see MS issue one more Service Pack including the last MSE version.

I still like XP very much.

I liked XP but Windows 7 would be the barest minimum i'd reccomend for anyone to use these days. It's generally what we put on computers at the shop too.

XP is over 12 years old now!

XP users will have to switch to another av and learn how to lock down their system in other ways if they intend to stay with it.

Panda Cloud Antivirus is what I use, and for anyone accustomed to how easy MSE is to use they may also like the av from Panda as well.

Edit:

Many 3rd party antivirus vendors stick around for awhile on OSes no longer supported by Microsoft.

Has anybody calculated how much it costs a political entity like a state government to change all their computers? :huh:

About 25 percent still use win xp, it seems.

Has anybody calculated how much it costs a political entity like a state government to change all their computers? :huh:

About 25 percent still use win xp, it seems.

Here's a story I came across some time ago, detailing what it cost the government of Munich to switch from Microsoft based systems to open source software: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city

"Microsoft claims that, by its estimation, the LiMux project would have cost considerably more than Munich has said. The HP report for Microsoft put the project's price at €60.6m, far more than the €17m Microsoft claimed it would have cost to shift to Windows XP and a newer version of Microsoft Office.

limux-migration-timeline-620px.png?hash=

Munich stands by its assertion that it has cost the council less to drop Microsoft than it would have to have stuck with it, and says Microsoft's figures are based on bogus assumptions.

The final cost will be released at the end of 2013, but in August 2013 Munich said it had cost €23m to shift to LiMux and OpenOffice. Munich says this is far less than the estimated €34m it said it would have cost to upgrade to Windows 7 and newer versions of Microsoft Office.

Where does the truth lie? Well Munich makes a good case for why much of the work carried out during the LiMux project would have been necessary if the council had decided to opt for a newer version of Windows, and how it has saved money on top."

On a personal level, my HP Mini netbook will soon be migrating from Windows XP to either Zorin OS7 or Linux Mint. Projected cost: $0.00 dollars. Timelime: about 30 minutes. Projected savings: about $95.00 dollars.

Being a student with access to Microsoft Academic Alliance has made getting windows pretty easy for me. No such luck on Office, but I don't need MS Office for the kind of work I do anyway.

when one is behind a router and has a Firewall (from MS or any other brand) installed then one should be OK.

just remember, a Firewall works at the 'program' level, not what the program does.

for example; Outlook goes through a firewall, gets tagged as being allowed, that's as far as the firewall cares, scanning the actual emails that come through is the job of an AV.

On a personal level, my HP Mini netbook will soon be migrating from Windows XP to either Zorin OS7 or Linux Mint. Projected cost: $0.00 dollars. Timelime: about 30 minutes. Projected savings: about $95.00 dollars.

If my soundcard was supported in any of the Linux builds I've tried over the years I would've ditched WinXP many years ago in favour of Linux, but no luck so far. And swapping soundcards trying to figure out which would work isn't feasible either.

If I could switch to Linux it would personally save me thousands of dollars because on average a new PC purchase for me has started at the $3000.00 dollar range (wallet raped twice by Dell in the past I suppose), this is due to maxing it out when it's built, buying Microsoft Office, etc., and what I've looked into so far I'd still be in that starting price to get what I want and need and buying off-the-shelf from any random store just isn't going to happen. I'd rather go completely free with Linux if only the soundcard would work.

Winapp, microsoft used to offer a version of office at a considerable discount at university book stores, do they not do so now?

Thats a good article, Derek. I read a lot about that question in the last couple of days. Most of the neutral evaluations put the cost of Linux at about 25% - 30% cheaper than windows. But the estimates vary wildly. Nobody does a very good job of estimating the cost of retraining. That was a huge factor every time we just changed the version of ms office. And, nobody can anticipate the rollout schedule that microsoft will adopt next. If they go to yearly subscriptions for apps, and a new OS every couple of years, all the present predictions are invalid.

Fwiw, the IDC report that many use as a reference was paid for by microsoft. Link to it (its a PDF):

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29883

One pro-Linux link:

http://members.apex-internet.com/sa/windowslinux/04-cost.html

Believe it or not, I am not a microsoft basher, I just don't buy in to the idea that they are the only (or the best) game in town.

They have always been the easiest, but that too is changing.

Imho, Piriform would be money ahead to adapt their softwares for Linux.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm gonna stay with xp until its wheels fall off, regardless of microsoft patches.

Would not do that if old HAL the Haunted Computer here was "mission critical", but he isn't.

Probably make the jump to Linux if xp becomes untenable.

just remember, a Firewall works at the 'program' level, not what the program does.

for example; Outlook goes through a firewall, gets tagged as being allowed, that's as far as the firewall cares, scanning the actual emails that come through is the job of an AV.

Excellent point. So, one needs to find a new AV program for XP.

As long as you can find a good av that works and preferably a freebie go with it, however their are commercial av programs where they have a market to support and secure older OSes.

So many people like to say make the switch and update your OS, but lets face it XP will live on allot longer than Microsoft supports it.

XP could still be a good OS purely for offline duty like audio encoding and playback, video encoding and playback, etc., after there's no av's supporting it anymore, and think how smooth it would operate offline without any burdening av installed and all non-critical services turned off.

I'd rather go completely free with Linux if only the soundcard would work.

Are you on a PC or laptop? Also, plug-in play speakers should bypass the sound card problem I would think. Also, the most recent 'stable' version 12.xxx of Ubuntu claims to support just about all hardware. I haven't tested it yet, for some reason the iso was too large to burn to a CD which suprised me and I ran out of DVD's a few weeks ago but it might be worth a try.

Are you on a PC or laptop? Also, plug-in play speakers should bypass the sound card problem I would think. Also, the most recent 'stable' version 12.xxx of Ubuntu claims to support just about all hardware. I haven't tested it yet, for some reason the iso was too large to burn to a CD which suprised me and I ran out of DVD's a few weeks ago but it might be worth a try.

Desktop PC. I'll have to try Ubuntu again if they're supposedly supporting all hardware. My soundcard situation may be unique then again maybe not because it has onboard audio attached to the mobo, and also a separately installed Creative soundcard.

Excellent point. So, one needs to find a new AV program for XP.

Also maybe a firewall and browser setup that works well with the AV.

I use this setup, works well, seems pretty secure:

Outpost FW, v-2009 6.5.1 ... free

Avast! AV, v-2014.9 (latest) ... free

SpywareBlaster v- latest ... free

Sandboxie v-3.76 ... paid but the free version works great if you only want to sandbox the web browser

Powershadow v- 2.6 ... registered.

Powershadow is the biggie here. If all else fails, just shut off the computer and any changes, good or bad, are gone.

If the OS works and outside forces can not change it, it seems it would be safe. What am I missing here?

No sarcasm intended, really just don't see the flaw in that logic.

Arguments invited. :)

Some malwares have emerged that can compromise the BIOS itself, or a hardware called the "Trusted Platform Module" (TPM).

I do not think Powershadow would protect against these.

Afaik, my older computers do not have the TPM so I didn't research that area much.

As to the BIOS, I just use a variety of free apps to watch what the computer is up to.

I may be whistling in the dark here, but I don't see this setup falling to malware, but maybe to incompatibility issues as time goes on.

It will be a hard call for most people. Folk who know what they are doing should be able to lock XP down.

In the computer shop I help out in we are now putting Linux Lite on XP machines that come in for 'cleanups' mainly because the owners are not into security etc.

Obviously we ask permission to do this first!!