Been using XP Pro for the past three years on my home PC, but the outdated embedded CA security certificates store is becoming a pain, so I decided to set it aside until I can fix the problem permanently. Few days ago I bought a used Win 7 PC off Ebay, and will be using it in the interim, as someone on a forum said its security certificates store is still updatable, and when using chrome/chromium-based browsers it does not throw up 101 security errors. I used Win7 couple years ago at public library and copy shops, so I can get it on the internet, but that is about the extent of my skill...looks like I will be starting over from scratch. I will be buying a couple instructional books, but still expect to be needing a lot of forum guidance.
Hello
- Thread starter Epsilon7
- Start date
Hi Epsilon7.
XP Pro was my favourite for a long time too cause it was so manageable. Got a lot of games and stuff for it that I'd really like to play again but I'm too unsure about the security of it now to take the risk.
Anyway welcome to the forum and hope I can help if you need it.
XP Pro was my favourite for a long time too cause it was so manageable. Got a lot of games and stuff for it that I'd really like to play again but I'm too unsure about the security of it now to take the risk.
Anyway welcome to the forum and hope I can help if you need it.
Hello Foobitzer, and thanks for the welcome. I have been using XP Pro for at least three years now to explore the net, watch videos, and do forums. That's about six hours a day, at least six days a week, or around 6000 hours total. To date I have had three PUPs, likely picked up downloading software from MajorGeeks, Softpedia, etc., which either Malwarebytes, Superantispyware or AdwCleaner (I forget which) discovered and dealt with. Despite the near constant and hysterical threats from M$ (and their army of parrots), no malware has ever been found on my PC. As I bought it used off eBay, the first thing I did was have a taxi haul it to the local computer shop for a full-on malware check. While that was happening I got a MikroTik wired router and had a computer tech that does housecalls come in and set up the SPI & NAT. When the computer shop was finished (zero malware) I got it home and hooked it up. First thing I did on the internet was download and set up software firewall, antivirus, Malwarebytes, etc., which is where the PUPs came in, but was soon found and sent to the pound for some euthanasia. Lastly, I used XPlite to cut the size of XP down to around 935 MB (less bloatware, less exploits).
Because of all the flak I got from M$ parrots at raymond.cc and bleepingcomputer over the next year, I decided to take the PC back to the shop for a yearly malware search&destroy. A full year later my PC was still clean, and the year after that. So where are all them bigtime viruses, rootkits, trojans, keyloggers, etc., that M$ has been promising me for the last 7 or 8 years, and why hasn't my PC turned into a zombienet and ate my brains while I slept? My conclusion is that this EOL/EOS is mostly just a marketing ploy to cattle-prod the herd into buying the newest rendition, and if you take reasonable precautions, you got nothing to fear from XP Pro. That said, being the paranoid sort, I do reserve online banking/shopping and email for MX Linux in LiveCD mode....because there is no such thing as being too careful. I don't do gaming, so I know nothing about that, but if you follow my method, I expect XP Pro will be safe for that. As I said before, the only real problem I have had is the CA nazis and their embedded/outdated security certificates store which blockades me from about half the internet when I use a chrome/chromium based browser. The solution to that is either install a 'master' security certificate that overrules all the others (one ring to rule them all) like many businesses do, or get an MITMproxy able to strip out the SSL/TSL crap. Unfortunately, Commissar Newsom has decreed lockdown, which has the computer tech refusing housecalls, and since I expect the lockdown to last at least through November, I am putting XP Pro aside til this problem can be fixed. In the interim I will be getting a used Win 7 PC, and I could use some help choosing the right PC, as the one I got turned out to be junk. Basically I just need to know what parameters to look for. All I need from a Win 7 PC is to be able to watch online movies, TV shows and Youtube videos without stuttering, glitches, and freezing....which is where the one I got before failed miserably. Other than that, I just need it to surf the net without the 101 security certificate errors, and according to Google, Win 7 does not have that problem, plus its embedded security certificates store is still update-able.
Hello Epsilon7.
Yes I discovered long time ago that Softpedia was one of the kings of Pup's and problems so I've avoided it since.
Basically my system is:
Operating System
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Core i7 4790S @ 3.20GHz 42 °C
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM
32.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz (9-10-9-26)
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. B85M-G (SOCKET 1150) 28 °C
Graphics
VX2452 Series (1920x1080@60Hz)
2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (MSI) 30 °C
Storage
1863GB ATA ST2000VM003-1CT1 SCSI Disk Device (SATA ) 27 °C
1863GB ATA ST2000VM003-1ET1 SCSI Disk Device (SATA ) 29 °C
2794GB Disk drive (USB (SATA) ) 41 °C
4657GB Disk drive (USB (SATA) ) 30 °C
465GB Disk drive (USB (SATA) ) 29 °C
Optical Drives
TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-222BB SCSI CdRom Device
Audio
High Definition Audio Device
With Trend Micro Maximum Security, it also incorporates Windows Defender, and Malwarebytes and CyberaGhost VPN for protection, especially now MS has dumped support for it at the beginning of the year.
It works well and gives me no problems. I know I've gone overkill with 32GB of RAM but I got fed up with everything slowing down and eventually freezing with 8GB so I was determined to fix it permanently.
I watch and download videos from YouTube and edit Vids and upload them to YT as well with no problems.
Internet Download Manager (IDM) is the perfect downloader.
I use Acronis True Image for my backups and it works well with lots of options and tools.
I had a lot of trouble with Chrome so I use Firefox as my browser. I'm happy with it.
Malwarebytes is excellent. I had SuperAntiSpyware as well but had to let it go cause I couldn't afford to renew it at the time, it's really good too.
Thanks for the info about XP Pro. I often thought about the propaganda to get us to update to the newest versions and pondered about taking the risk but always considered safety, security and protection as the main and most important things we can have so I updated.
I'm not going to update Win 7 to 10. Don't like it but I suppose it's what you get used to.
I didn't want to update from XP Pro to Win 7 but I did and love it.
Anyway if I haven't asnwered all you wanted or if you want other info just let me know.
I've haven't been online for a couple of weeks due to unavoidable things hence my slow reply but I'll try to reply to you sooner than that in future.
Thanks for the reply Foobitzer.
I guess the first thing I should ask is where to buy a computer like yours, but it sounds like it is beyond my budget. I will probably just buy another used Dell Optiplex PC off eBay or NewEgg. The current choices are Optiplex 9020 i7-4770 with 16GB RAM, or Optiplex 7010 i7-4770 with 8GB RAM. I assume I should avoid the 8GB RAM PC. I've never seen a used Optiplex for sale with more than 16GB RAM.
My current XP Pro PC is a Optiplex 960 with 8GB Ram, and movies/YouTube videos stutters or freezes regularly on it...even stuff with just talking (Chilling tales for dark nights) gets stuck with the Youtube whirly-disc 3 or 4 times. Those on other forums claim it's because of the Intel CORE2 Quad Q9550 CPU, and that i7 is the minimum for watching videos online. I had thought installing a cheap video card (Geforce GT 710 2GB) would improve things, but it was wasted effort and money.
So will 16GB RAM and i7 4th gen CPU be good enough? I'd need to buy it soon as both are bargain priced, and bargains don't last long on eBay or NewEgg. Is a graphics card required?
The same ole tripe that M$ derides XP Pro with is now being deployed against Win 7. I'll have to actually use the latter at least a couple years before I can debunk it, but as far as XP Pro goes, three years experience shows it to be blather. I do use MX Linux in LiveCD mode when doing online banking/shopping, but only to be extra safe. Yeah, I noticed M$ is soooo desperate to move their corporate spyware/malware infested Win 10 (and be rid of Win 7) they are doing free upgrades. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact their flagship is now under constant fire by the blackhatter submarines!
When Win 10 first came out, everyone hated it, but after a little while of the M$ spin-doctors spinning at lightspeed....now everyone needs it, loves it, and just can't get enough of it. The Win 7 forums at 'windowsforum(dot)com' has been taken over by Win10 fanboys, who also infest many other XP and Win 7 forums with their EOL/EOS zealotry, and Win 8/Win 10 proselytization. Speaking of updates, be wary of that. I'm seeing bad omens on the internet:
www.403tech.com
Google search 'windows 7 forced update to windows 10'. If concerned, I have compiled a list of 'kb' updates to avoid (or uninstall).
I guess the first thing I should ask is where to buy a computer like yours, but it sounds like it is beyond my budget. I will probably just buy another used Dell Optiplex PC off eBay or NewEgg. The current choices are Optiplex 9020 i7-4770 with 16GB RAM, or Optiplex 7010 i7-4770 with 8GB RAM. I assume I should avoid the 8GB RAM PC. I've never seen a used Optiplex for sale with more than 16GB RAM.
My current XP Pro PC is a Optiplex 960 with 8GB Ram, and movies/YouTube videos stutters or freezes regularly on it...even stuff with just talking (Chilling tales for dark nights) gets stuck with the Youtube whirly-disc 3 or 4 times. Those on other forums claim it's because of the Intel CORE2 Quad Q9550 CPU, and that i7 is the minimum for watching videos online. I had thought installing a cheap video card (Geforce GT 710 2GB) would improve things, but it was wasted effort and money.
So will 16GB RAM and i7 4th gen CPU be good enough? I'd need to buy it soon as both are bargain priced, and bargains don't last long on eBay or NewEgg. Is a graphics card required?
The same ole tripe that M$ derides XP Pro with is now being deployed against Win 7. I'll have to actually use the latter at least a couple years before I can debunk it, but as far as XP Pro goes, three years experience shows it to be blather. I do use MX Linux in LiveCD mode when doing online banking/shopping, but only to be extra safe. Yeah, I noticed M$ is soooo desperate to move their corporate spyware/malware infested Win 10 (and be rid of Win 7) they are doing free upgrades. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact their flagship is now under constant fire by the blackhatter submarines!
Microsoft Windows 10 : Security vulnerabilities, CVEs
Security vulnerabilities of Microsoft Windows 10 : List of vulnerabilities affecting any version of this product
www.cvedetails.com
Hijacked by Windows 10: What to Do (and NOT Do!) If You Catch Your Computer Forcing an Upgrade
Over the past few weeks, countless Windows users have been confronted with an unwanted and often unplanned Windows 10 update. These forced updates have
Google search 'windows 7 forced update to windows 10'. If concerned, I have compiled a list of 'kb' updates to avoid (or uninstall).
Hey Epsilon7.
About 5 years ago I needed a new system and wanted to keep Win 7. I didn't want to buy a package deal because you end up with things you don't want or won't use and they become wasted or you don't get everything precisely as you wanted it and end up dissatisfied and have to make do with what you've got.
I knew it would be a mistake to rush so I researched and investigated my options as to what I wanted/needed. I put it all together on paper and checked and double checked and contacted a tech from a parts supplier to make sure they were what I thought they were and compatible with each other. The last thing I wanted or needed was to put it all together and discover one of them was causing a problem. It all went well together and I ended up what I've got. I bought it all from the from the supplier and the tech to put it together and I got a warranty which was a good option to take. I went for the whole new hog and got a new case and all. It's big with plenty of room to move around and work in. It has performed very well and given me no problems except recently my hard drives became unbootable. Don't know why. It caused me a lot of frustration until I used EasyBCD to set up a boot menu and it's almost back to normal now except for some software I need to install again.That was only a hard drive malfunction. I bought another HD and it was ok but I have a need to find and fix the problem when I get one instead of replacing things I can fix and anyway that's part of the fun I reckon. Otherwise it's been great. All up it cost me around $1800.
With your current system it all depends on your processor speed and the type of RAM and the speed of your internet connection. It all has an effect on the overall performance and your RAM has to be compatible with your Motherboard as well.
The Win 10 vulnerabilities is scary. RE Hijacked By Windows 10 - I installed an update, yes I'm still getting them depending on what software I installed to get back to how I had it after the reinstall of my HD problem, and it installed Microsoft Edge. I looked it up and it's the new replacement for Internet Explorer. I uninstalled it and had no problems but it's definitely something to be aware of.
Thanks very much for the info and Yes I'd like to have the list updates to avoid or uninstall. That would be great.
I've got friends with Win 10 and they weren't happy with it at the start but seem to be happy enough with it now although they are just users and not people like us who like to tinkle, experiment, discover and learn how, why, when etc.
About 5 years ago I needed a new system and wanted to keep Win 7. I didn't want to buy a package deal because you end up with things you don't want or won't use and they become wasted or you don't get everything precisely as you wanted it and end up dissatisfied and have to make do with what you've got.
I knew it would be a mistake to rush so I researched and investigated my options as to what I wanted/needed. I put it all together on paper and checked and double checked and contacted a tech from a parts supplier to make sure they were what I thought they were and compatible with each other. The last thing I wanted or needed was to put it all together and discover one of them was causing a problem. It all went well together and I ended up what I've got. I bought it all from the from the supplier and the tech to put it together and I got a warranty which was a good option to take. I went for the whole new hog and got a new case and all. It's big with plenty of room to move around and work in. It has performed very well and given me no problems except recently my hard drives became unbootable. Don't know why. It caused me a lot of frustration until I used EasyBCD to set up a boot menu and it's almost back to normal now except for some software I need to install again.That was only a hard drive malfunction. I bought another HD and it was ok but I have a need to find and fix the problem when I get one instead of replacing things I can fix and anyway that's part of the fun I reckon. Otherwise it's been great. All up it cost me around $1800.
With your current system it all depends on your processor speed and the type of RAM and the speed of your internet connection. It all has an effect on the overall performance and your RAM has to be compatible with your Motherboard as well.
The Win 10 vulnerabilities is scary. RE Hijacked By Windows 10 - I installed an update, yes I'm still getting them depending on what software I installed to get back to how I had it after the reinstall of my HD problem, and it installed Microsoft Edge. I looked it up and it's the new replacement for Internet Explorer. I uninstalled it and had no problems but it's definitely something to be aware of.
Thanks very much for the info and Yes I'd like to have the list updates to avoid or uninstall. That would be great.
I've got friends with Win 10 and they weren't happy with it at the start but seem to be happy enough with it now although they are just users and not people like us who like to tinkle, experiment, discover and learn how, why, when etc.