Lowdown on Windows XP?

[PEV]

I use windows xp home edition. Its is no longer supported since April 1st.

A friend says it wil still be OK security wise for about a year as long as my AV and firewall are up to date?

Comments please?

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Ray, most security vendors are saying they will be giving support for up to two years, no doubt one of our security guys will have more information regarding that, however have you given serious thought to backups should you get caught out?

 

Have a read of the advice I gave to GeordieLad, take note of his original idea and why I advised the way I did, and have a think about it, here :-

 

http://extremetechsupport.com/threads/16157-WinXP-Final-Updates#.U0LXz1fDWng

[Starbuck]

I use windows xp home edition. Its is no longer supported since April 1st.

It's the Windows Updates that you will no longer receive.

So M$ will no longer search for and fix any security holes or bugs in XP.

Your Anti Virus software will still work though.

Depending on your security vendor you will still have cover from them for some time to come.

MalwareBytes AntiMalware has announced that it will continue support for XP as long you are still using it.

 

These Anti-Virus Software Products Will Continue to support XP after the End of Support

 

 

AVG: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years.

 

Avast: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Avira: Support will end on 8th April 2015

 

Bitdefender: Support for home-user products available until January 2016; support for corporate products available until January 2017

 

Bullguard: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Check Point / ZoneAlarm: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Comodo: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Emsisoft: Support available until at least April 2016

 

ESET: Support available until at least April 2016

 

Fortinet: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

F-Secure: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

G Data: Support available until at least April 2016

 

Ikarus: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

K7 Computing: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Kaspersky Lab: support will continue at least until 2018 for consumer and at least until 2nd part of 2016 for business products

 

Kingsoft: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

MalwareBytes AntiMalware: Will support users for life.

 

McAfee: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Microsoft (Security Essentials): Support will end on 14th July 2015

 

Microworld: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Norman: Support available until at least January 2016

 

Panda Security: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Qihoo 360: Support available until at least January 2018

 

Quickheal: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

Sophos: Support will continue at least until 30th September 2015

 

Symantec / Norton: Products support Windows XP, no end-of-life decision has been made yet

 

Tencent: No end of support announced; support available for at least 2 more years

 

ThreatTrack / Vipre: Support available until at least April 2015

 

Trend Micro: Support will end on 30th January 2017

 

Webroot: Support available until at least April 2019

[PEV]

Thanks guys. So no need to panic for a year or so?

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

There can be no sure answer to that Ray, but no different to say the same for any other operating system. The real safeguard is always a full backup regardless of the operating system involved.

If anything does go wrong, a backup is the rescue back to safety. Remember, it may not be a bad malware attack, a worn out duff hard drive is just as disastrous.

 

If not afraid of a screwdriver and basic practical skills, have you seen my tutorial for cloning the entire system to a spare hard drive?

 

Here is the tutorial :-

 

http://magazine.freepchelp.uk/making-a-cloned-hard-drive-using-macrium-reflect/

 

Nev.

[Dokie]

Hello! Very good information. I agree with all the posters. I have had great success with two free software programs when restoring my OS to a new HD or restoring the OS to a existing one. They both work very well and I feel that they work just as good as cloning the drive, but I sure don't disagree with Nev. Having a cloned HD with your OS on it in a drawer is great way to be sure ,with very little effort you can be back up and running with just a little effort. I use these freeware programs to create back up images of my OS.

Macrium Reflect and Paragon. You can also use them to clone your Hd if that's what you chose to do.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Dokie

[Guest RossMcGibbon]

I would just like to add to this, as long as your computer had all the updates so far then you are in a good position. If not you can still download all the XP updates manually. But either way I don`t think that is the biggest problem in terms of security. The main causes of Internet malware comes from exploit holes in software like: Flash player, Adobe Reader, Java. So if you keep these up to date that will protect you the most.

[Dokie]

I would just like to add to this, as long as your computer had all the updates so far then you are in a good position. If not you can still download all the XP updates manually. But either way I don`t think that is the biggest problem in terms of security. The main causes of Internet malware comes from exploit holes in software like: Flash player, Adobe Reader, Java. So if you keep these up to date that will protect you the most.

Hello! I would just like to add that I agree 100%. If you maintain a back up image of your OS, you will always have a way out. I've been there and done that. Lots of freeware programs that will do that for you! I like Macrium Reflect!