I know there's many people that don't want to upgrade their computers to Windows 7 or 8 but are worried about security issues so here's the solution.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Unofficial-Windows-XP-Service-Pack-4-Available-for-Download-456361.shtml

I used to do the same with Windows 98, use the unofficial updates long after Microsoft stopped offering updates.

Seems a bit dodgy loading unofficial service packs

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software

I doubt there is many but if there was I would recommend using vmconverter to make a vm of the current system then upgrade to a a newer OS and them you have the best o both worlds.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

I would understand, except I don't believe for a minute that you couldn't just run it in XP mode or in a VM with a little bit of work.

And people who claim it's quite safe to keep using an inherently insecure OS just encourage the idiots who end up blasting botnet traffic all over the place.

I run xp in a virtual machine to give me ie8 for testing websites. Doubt any viruses will filter through to my linux os... But yes vm is the perfect solution of you really need xp, if not, upgrade. 3rd option is just post your username, password, credit card details, private porn pics and nuclear launch codes right here in this forum and then share the link to the page on facebook.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

I started this topic as I understand that some people are unwilling to give up XP or don't understand how to install a new OS without losing all their files etc.

Yes, I agree that XP should be replaced but some members of TV don't have the technical abilities, inclination or need to replace their OS as it just works.

I used Windows 98 for years, missing out on Windows ME [shudder] and waiting a couple of years for XP to stabilise before upgrading. If I went back to Windows I'd rather take XP with unofficial updates than Windows 8 or 8.1.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

I started this topic as I understand that some people are unwilling to give up XP or don't understand how to install a new OS without losing all their files etc.

Yes, I agree that XP should be replaced but some members of TV don't have the technical abilities, inclination or need to replace their OS as it just works.

I used Windows 98 for years, missing out on Windows ME [shudder] and waiting a couple of years for XP to stabilise before upgrading. If I went back to Windows I'd rather take XP with unofficial updates than Windows 8 or 8.1.

No-one is stopping you practising ridiculously insecure behaviour, but don't expect any plaudits for it, and certainly don't expect anything but justifiable criticism for trying to convince people that a hacked update intended for a different OS is "a solution to security issues".

It's just bloody stupid.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

I started this topic as I understand that some people are unwilling to give up XP or don't understand how to install a new OS without losing all their files etc.

Yes, I agree that XP should be replaced but some members of TV don't have the technical abilities, inclination or need to replace their OS as it just works.

I used Windows 98 for years, missing out on Windows ME [shudder] and waiting a couple of years for XP to stabilise before upgrading. If I went back to Windows I'd rather take XP with unofficial updates than Windows 8 or 8.1.

No-one is stopping you practising ridiculously insecure behaviour, but don't expect any plaudits for it, and certainly don't expect anything but justifiable criticism for trying to convince people that a hacked update intended for a different OS is "a solution to security issues".

It's just bloody stupid.

I don't expect a pat on the back for pointing out that there's a way of keeping XP on life support but as I pointed out there's a large user base who will and are still using XP and don't wish to change their OS. That's why I started this topic.

Is it not better to have some sort of updates rather than none? Some of the updates would work across different versions of Windows without any need to hack.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

use visualization on a win 7 or vmware. Allows easy move to new hardware if necessary.

Was a hold-out to Windows 7. Just wanted to stay on XP.

Was forced to use 7. Now I wouldn't swap it for XP if you paid me to.

XP was the last version of Windows that installed to less than 1Gb. Win7 comes in well above 10Gb.

I think MS should come up with a sort of community service dept to keep it maintained, maybe call it Windows Small.

I would actually prefer they put it out as open source, but we know that ain't gonna happen. Aside from the obvious commercial reasons, there is some legendary terrible code in there going back to the 1980s. It certainly would not be in their interest to show how the sausage is made.

That would be the ideal solution, but as you say it ain't gonna happen.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

I would understand, except I don't believe for a minute that you couldn't just run it in XP mode or in a VM with a little bit of work.

And people who claim it's quite safe to keep using an inherently insecure OS just encourage the idiots who end up blasting botnet traffic all over the place.

please tell me more running Win7 or 8 in XP mode.

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

I would understand, except I don't believe for a minute that you couldn't just run it in XP mode or in a VM with a little bit of work.

And people who claim it's quite safe to keep using an inherently insecure OS just encourage the idiots who end up blasting botnet traffic all over the place.

please tell me more running Win7 or 8 in XP mode.

Easier to create a VM and use vmware in Windows 7 or 8

Stupid to install it or rely on it. Get rid of XP.

some people (like me) can't get rid of XP because they use an important old software (requiring DOS platform and expanded memory) in which they have invested over nearly three decades many thousands of manhours which would be wasted.

talking about security patches... yawnnnn... except for installing service pack 3 a few years ago i never allowed Microsoft to dump any of its update garbage

I would understand, except I don't believe for a minute that you couldn't just run it in XP mode or in a VM with a little bit of work.

And people who claim it's quite safe to keep using an inherently insecure OS just encourage the idiots who end up blasting botnet traffic all over the place.

please tell me more running Win7 or 8 in XP mode.

Certainly.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/install-and-use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/forget-end-life-woes-windows-8-xp-mode/

If you keep a windows XP system connected to the internet your PC will be part of a botnet sooner or later. The risk of a direct attack is reasonable small because most internet connections do not allow or support computers on the internet to initiate a connection to your pc, so an attacker has to wait until you connect to him instead. However, this is more easily done as most people realize. Just sending an email with some script code or link can be sufficient, or placing malicious scripts on a advertisement website that a lot of other web sites refer to.

Even if your XP box is not connected to the internet it will not be entirely save if you use usb sticks or maybe even floppy discs to move data around.

It's not supported any more, no security fixes, you're in severe danger of ending up with an infected system compromising everything you do on the machine. Unofficial third party patching is simply not sufficient and may well lead to bugs and vulnerabilities specific to the patch on top of XP ones.

If you must run XP, I recommend doing so in a VM purely for the application you need - certainly no browsing.

If you keep a windows XP system connected to the internet your PC will be part of a botnet sooner or later. The risk of a direct attack is reasonable small because most internet connections do not allow or support computers on the internet to initiate a connection to your pc, so an attacker has to wait until you connect to him instead. However, this is more easily done as most people realize. Just sending an email with some script code or link can be sufficient, or placing malicious scripts on a advertisement website that a lot of other web sites refer to.

Even if your XP box is not connected to the internet it will not be entirely save if you use usb sticks or maybe even floppy discs to move data around.

Actually if you really are naive about security you don't need to initiate a connection.

That's how worms work.

It has been said already that it is irresponsible to be still using XP as it is likely you'll end up a member of a botnet. If you try to install unofficial updates you're almost guaranteeing infection of some kind. I'm fairly sure it is not possible to install an update for a later OS on XP.

On the subject of DOS, you'd be much better off running a pure DOS such as MS-DOS or FreeDOS in a VM under VirtualBox which will give you a 100% compatible environment. The underlying host OS can then be upgraded or migrated to Linux, for example.

Coleco!

My first computer was a Coleco Adam. Used a TV for a monitor and cassette tapes for storage.

Playing Pong on your PC

Good way to practice getting legacy stuff to run.