Support for Windows XP has ended

[USRanger]

Title says it all.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26884167

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Time to install XP to see how fast it gets pwned 

[Bizman]

I find it funny that everyone seems to think that since support for XP ended yesterday, it will be highly vulnerable today. Yesterday was the last Patch Tuesday for XP. I haven't heard of anyone who had worried about XP's vulnerability the night before the next update. If the updates of yesterday were as good as those released previously, XP should be adequately patched for at least a month instead of a day. Or, if yesterday's updates are deemed mostly useless yet being on par with those of the last twelve years, has XP been ultimately vulnerable right from the start? Have we been cheated for a dozen years, or is this hype Microsoft's way to scare us to buy a new operating system to computers which either are prone to break in the near future or get unbearably slow with the update, in either case driving people to pay for the OS itself and later get the same OS included in the new computer they're going to buy in replacement of the old one?

Just waiting until someone will get the royal idea of releasing malware as "Unofficial XP post-support updates"

[eagl]

Just waiting until someone will get the royal idea of releasing malware as "Unofficial XP post-support updates"

That would be a great trick to use to distribute malware.  I bet it would work for years.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I find it funny that everyone seems to think that since support for XP ended yesterday, it will be highly vulnerable today. Yesterday was the last Patch Tuesday for XP. I haven't heard of anyone who had worried about XP's vulnerability the night before the next update. If the updates of yesterday were as good as those released previously, XP should be adequately patched for at least a month instead of a day. Or, if yesterday's updates are deemed mostly useless yet being on par with those of the last twelve years, has XP been ultimately vulnerable right from the start? Have we been cheated for a dozen years, or is this hype Microsoft's way to scare us to buy a new operating system to computers which either are prone to break in the near future or get unbearably slow with the update, in either case driving people to pay for the OS itself and later get the same OS included in the new computer they're going to buy in replacement of the old one?

Just waiting until someone will get the royal idea of releasing malware as "Unofficial XP post-support updates"

The point is that researchers worry that malware makers have been saving up 0 day exploits that will now be released when theres no danger of being patched. Also new 0 day attacks may appear when malicious coders reverse engineer future security patches. Many of them will also affect XP with the exception that there won't be a fix for XP anymore.

[Bizman]

The point is that researchers worry that malware makers have been saving up 0 day exploits that will now be released when theres no danger of being patched. Also new 0 day attacks may appear when malicious coders reverse engineer future security patches. Many of them will also affect XP with the exception that there won't be a fix for XP anymore.

Exactly. No one knows for sure except the malware makers and they won't tell before it's too late. BTW who do the researchers in question work for? Microsoft, perhaps? XP has been claimed to be full of wormholes ever since Vista was released seven years ago. If it really were that bad, everyone would have dumped it long ago. According to what I've experienced in cleaning average computers is that most malware comes through other than Windows' flaws. Files in Java folders have been the most contaminated by number. A great deal has been found in Temporary Internet Files. Flash Player and Adobe Reader have brought their share. Not to mention the mouse finger clicking on the ad saying "your computer is slow"...

I'm not saying that XP should be used till the end of time, I just dislike the threatening and scaring attitude in the media.

[Denniss]

There are still two XP embedded versions with support up to 2016 and 2019. If a major exploit is found it may find it's way back into the desktop Win XP, one way or the other.

[BaldEagl]

I kept using Win98 until there were no more AV programs being built for it (several years after support ended).  I never got a virus or malware due to my OS being unsupported and don't expect anything different with XP unless you suddenly get wreckless with it.

[palef]

Lenovo is working with MS to support XP in China for the 200 million users there. All you needed was the right mass of bodies with pointed sticks to continue support then?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60037012/microsoft-deal-for-xp-support-in-china

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Lenovo is working with MS to support XP in China for the 200 million users there. All you needed was the right mass of bodies with pointed sticks to continue support then?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60037012/microsoft-deal-for-xp-support-in-china

Any Microsoft OS can have an extended support even after end of product life, for money. Lots of money. And some companies actually shell it out.

[USRanger]

Why do people make malware and viruses?  What do they really have to gain by ruining peoples' PCs?  Shouldn't they be using their knowledge to build real programs?  I just don't get why these sickos put so much time & effort into making this crap.  I'll never understand.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Why do people make malware and viruses?  What do they really have to gain by ruining peoples' PCs?  Shouldn't they be using their knowledge to build real programs?  I just don't get why these sickos put so much time & effort into making this crap.  I'll never understand.

The average malware networks earn their makers around 100 000 dollars per week in advertisement etc. income. Maybe that's why? And the best part is that all the money comes from completely legit advertisers. They pay their taxes and nobody can touch them while they kick it up in the Bahamas.

[USRanger]

I understand that part of it, but there's also so much out there that was designed solely for the purpose of ruining peoples' PCs.  It's astounding that there can be so many "evil" programmers out there who get their rocks off making this stuff, not for profit, but for some sort of sick fun.  I also wholeheartedly believe all the AV companies have subdivisions that make the stuff so you will have to buy their product.  It's all just crazy to me.  Sick people.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I understand that part of it, but there's also so much out there that was designed solely for the purpose of ruining peoples' PCs.  It's astounding that there can be so many "evil" programmers out there who get their rocks off making this stuff, not for profit, but for some sort of sick fun.  I also wholeheartedly believe all the AV companies have subdivisions that make the stuff so you will have to buy their product.  It's all just crazy to me.  Sick people.

Just look out there, there are an infinite amount of people who are just plain a-holes and get enjoyment from others displeasure. Starting from schools with the bullying.

[Bizman]

USRanger, if it makes you happier, the amount of "evil" programmers without benefiting financially has been reducing for a long time. The existing ones are mostly schoolboys who'd copy existing code from the Internet. Look at Beavis & Butthead to get a hint of their state of mind. But really, most of the "real" malware makers either make profit of it or practice for doing that.