The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Thanks I'll look into it. Hubby has shown interest in the Netbook so I'll need security if I let him near it. I'll also set up a limited account for him. He uses Facebook so you know I have to take precautions.

Facebook isn't the problem. User ignorance is.

A limited account is the way to go on XP. Set it up for him, password protect the Administrator account, and don't tell him what it is.

Limited accounts can run installed software but not install stuff. Malware generally requires Administrator rights to do what it does, and bounces off if the user isn't running as Administrator.

The biggest change MS made in Windows starting with Vista was making a Power User (Limited User under XP) the default, and requiring extra steps to become Administrator. Up till Vista, the user at the keyboard was assumed to be Administrator with all powers to do anything. The NTFS file system which made it possible to have Administrator and normal user accounts was introduced to consumers in Win2K. I've wished over the years that MS had made ordinary user the default with Win2k, but we had to wait for Vista for it to happen, and Win7 to polish it and make it easier to deal with.
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Dennis

[Blossom]

I think some people are just prone to make mistakes on security issues. He's been pretty good as long as I have the protection in place he hasn't caught anything in years.

Can I just say how much I hate windows updates on XP. I've been downloading IE8 for hours now. Windows updates won't run without it. It just loops. This sucks.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I think some people are just prone to make mistakes on security issues. He's been pretty good as long as I have the protection in place he hasn't caught anything in years.

As long as you have the protection in place.

Can I just say how much I hate windows updates on XP. I've been downloading IE8 for hours now. Windows updates won't run without it. It just loops. This sucks.

What updates? XP has been out of support for years, and XP itself no longer gets patches, and hasn't for some time. I have MS Office 2007 under XP, and it still sees the odd patch.

The last major XP revision was Service Pack 3, and there were a handful of patches after that. If you have XP SP3, you are about as well protected as can be. Run a decent firewall, use something like Qupzilla as the browser, and run as a Limited user, and you ought to be safe enough.
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Dennis

[Blossom]

I haven't ran updates since 2012. It's been just sitting on a shelf. I got IE8 installed now working on getting the last updates.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[BetterRed]

I have a recollection of XP getting a post EOL security update when that major ransomware malware struck a year or so back. I don't think it was publicised much. Some key corporate users (e.g. DoD) pay MS for continued security support. Replacing embedded target acquisition systems on capital ships is something you'd rather not do.

Because recent versions of Qupzilla were getting too slow I recently switched my 'calibre server browser' to Edge. I use calibre version 2 server, it doesn't require an 'advanced' browser like the version 3 server, so Edge is fine. I only need minimal functionality, Edge can do that - and do it fast.

BR

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I have a recollection of XP getting a post EOL security update when that major ransomware malware struck a year or so back. I don't think it was publicised much. Some key corporate users (e.g. DoD) pay MS for continued security support. Replacing embedded target acquisition systems on capital ships is something you'd rather not do.

The update I recall wasn't for XP specifically. It was for Internet Explorer, and affected all versions, including ancient ones like those on XP. So folks running XP got a surprise when a critical update appeared, but it wasn't for XP itself.
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Dennis

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The update I recall wasn't for XP specifically. It was for Internet Explorer, and affected all versions, including ancient ones like those on XP. So folks running XP got a surprise when a critical update appeared, but it wasn't for XP itself.
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Dennis

Maybe under the covers it was a patch to IE, but MS presented it as a patch for XP ==>> https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/down....aspx?id=18770

As did http://www.techadvisory.org/2017/06/...tting-updates/ and http://www.itsecureservices.com/2017...curity-update/

BR

[BetterRed]

So, suddenly Win10 is telling me I can't install software I didn't source from the MS Store. Sure enough the setting in Windows update had been set to that - WTF, that wasn't me.

Then I recalled I had installed the Windows 'app' (how I detest that non-word) that collects data from my Fitbit gadget. It was the first thing that I have installed from the MS Store.

Anyone know if this is normal; that when you install something from the MS Store, Windows will assume all installs will come from there - for evermore. Bloody cheek.

BR

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Maybe under the covers it was a patch to IE, but MS presented it as a patch for XP ==>> https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/down....aspx?id=18770

As did http://www.techadvisory.org/2017/06/...tting-updates/ and http://www.itsecureservices.com/2017...curity-update/

<shrug> IE is built into Windows, and part of the OS, with components that are part of IE getting use elsewhere as well.

I suppose if you want to call an IE patch an XP patch too, it's fair enough.

There are still rather more XP installations than MS can be happy about. They wanted to EOL XP earlier, but had to change plans because of the revenue XP still generated.

And Vista was a three ring circus. Each new version of Windows historically required more powerful hardware. MS was pushing system vendors to pre-load Vista instead of XP on new systems, but Vista really wanted more hardware than systems then in the pipeline had. The machines wouldn't pass MS's own certification tests. So they created a new layer - Windows Capable rather than Windows Certified - so that OEMs could put the official Windows sticker on machines.

Former Microsoft SVP Jim Allchin was livid. He was in charge of Windows development, and felt that move would lead to an unhappy customer experience and give MS Yet Another Black Eye in the marketplace. Then MS CEO Ken Ballmer said "I had nothing to do with that decision." Maybe not, Ken, but the guy who made that call would have been a direct report, and you damn well knew about it.

Most of the problems I recall with Vista were side effects of trying to run it on systems that weren't powerful enough. Had MS waited six months till the next generation of hardware that could run Vista acceptably was out before trying to switch, many problems could have been avoided. But they wanted to EOL XP and make Vista the new cash cow, so...
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Dennis

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

So, suddenly Win10 is telling me I can't install software I didn't source from the MS Store. Sure enough the setting in Windows update had been set to that - WTF, that wasn't me.

Then I recalled I had installed the Windows 'app' (how I detest that non-word) that collects data from my Fitbit gadget. It was the first thing that I have installed from the MS Store.

Anyone know if this is normal; that when you install something from the MS Store, Windows will assume all installs will come from there - for evermore. Bloody cheek.

BR

Haven't witnessed this myself, I have both applications (no, I will not use the word app) from the store and self-installed. I didn't even know there was a setting for that.

[Blossom]

Progress. After two system restores due to Comodo then Zone Alarm. I'm back on track. Found a firewall and now trying out Avast. Hubby is whining he wants to play with the netbook. It's not even remotely ready. I hate XP. Well not XP but the programs supposedly compatible with it. I did find a nice UI changer to make it look like Windows 7.

Sent from my XT1528

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Progress. After two system restores due to Comodo then Zone Alarm. I'm back on track. Found a firewall and now trying out Avast.

On what system? The netbook?

Hubby is whining he wants to play with the netbook. It's not even remotely ready. I hate XP. Well not XP but the programs supposedly compatible with it. I did find a nice UI changer to make it look like Windows 7.

Which one? The most comprehensive of such products was Stardock Software's Window Blinds.
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Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Anyone know if this is normal; that when you install something from the MS Store, Windows will assume all installs will come from there - for evermore. Bloody cheek.

I don't think it's normal. I did install a few extensions for MS Edge from the Windows Store, but didn't see that behavior.
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Dennis

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

On what system? The netbook?


Which one? The most comprehensive of such products was Stardock Software's Window Blinds.
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Dennis

Sorry trying to pass two kidney stones one on each side so netbook is put up for awhile.

Yes the netbook. I had to restore it twice. I found Revo Uninstaller and clean quite a bit junk programs off afterwards. I found a AV and Firewall and LibreOffice.

The Windows 7 theme is by SevenVG RTM.

I don't think much else can be done at this point.

Sent from my XT1528

[RichL]

Blossom

I've been using my Dell mini Inspiron 910 with Windows XP since it came out with no (particular) problems.

Not real good at explaining things so mostly I'll just list what I use.

Atlantis word processor, Sumatra PDF, Gnumeric for spread sheet, VLC for music, Crap Cleaner for cleaning up the system, Seamonkey for the browser, Thunderbird for mail and Softmaker Office.

Atlantis is the best word processor I have ever used. Free to try and a small sum to buy. Softmaker (free version) is the smoothest operating suite I have used but seldom have a need for it. All the above are on my USB stick.

My windows firewall is on and I use nothing else on the machine. I use one of the online services to check my computer about once a month. I never open an email from a person I don't know, never open a link from people I know. For the rest of it the current set of browsers do a fine job of filtering when set up to do so.

Good day to you.