For XP Users..

XploZiveToyz

All American Un-American
Found a simple hack for XP users to keep getting updates for another five years. Here it is:

With a simple registry hack, you can net yourself five more years of official Microsoft updates for your aging Windows XP machine. Microsoft, though, says you really shouldn’t do it — and that you ought to be a good little boy and “upgrade to a more modern operating system” instead. Read on, to find out how to enable the Windows XP updates — and whether you should do it or not.
The whole Windows XP retirement is becoming a bit of a farce. Microsoft technically ended support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014. But if you were a big company or government with lots of money, Microsoft offered to continue supporting your XP machines — and then, when a zero-day vulnerability was found, Microsoft fixed that, too. And now, it seems there’s an easy way to gain five more years of support.
[h=3]How to give Windows XP five more years of updates[/h]Fire up regedit. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\WPA\. Create a new Key called PosReady. Right click the new key and add a newDWORD with the value 1. That’s it. Now head along to the Windows Update website and you should see a bunch of updates.
This simple hack tells Windows Update that your computer is running Windows Embedded POSReady, rather than Windows XP. POSReady, which as the name suggests is for point-of-sales cash registers, is a variant of Windows XP that was released in 2009 — some eight years after Windows XP was first released. I’m not entirely sure why Microsoft released a variant of Windows XP about six months before the release of Windows 7, but there you go. POSReady will be supported until April 2019.
Windows XP updates just magically appear if you perform a simple registry hack [Image credit: ZDNet]

[h=3]Should you use Windows XP for five more years?[/h]This is what Microsoft has to say about this rather ingenious little hack:
We recently became aware of a hack that purportedly aims to provide security updates to Windows XP customers. The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers. Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP. The best way for Windows XP customers to protect their systems is to upgrade to a more modern operating system, like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
In short, you use the updates at your own risk.
What I can tell you, however, is that Windows Embedded POSReady isreally similar to Windows XP. It makes sense, if you think about it: Windows XP already has the software, driver, and developer support… so why shake things up? Why make the barcode scanner manufacturer target some arcane platform, when Windows XP is already a tried and tested entity? If you’ve ever taken a peek behind the counter, they evenlook like desktop PCs in many cases.
You're welcome! LOL!:D
 
" really similar "

(And just to be clear no I don't have a clue one way or the other and admit it ;)

Hey.. I have an update indicated on the shut down window right now.( Noticed it this morning when I was going to shut down but didn't. - it's been on all day apparently)
What's up with that?
 
Interesting XZT!

My main computer is now W7/64 (want nothing to do with 8!) but I still have two XP machines. One is really retired but the other is in my living room and enables BBC iPlayer and is linked to my printer (pointers to a CHEAP printer server box gratefully received !)

I have looked upon theses machines as "sacrificial testbeds" i.e I want to see how long they run on the internet for before crashing. One runs Avast, hate it after SE*. The other still runs SE but I am going to swap that over to AVG but under protest because last time I looked AVG was as bloated and bothersome as Avast. Again, suggestions for a free, light touch anti-v progg would be welcomed.

*Will SE keep running after the hack? And how EXACTLY does one create a "Key" in the Registry? I have always kept well out of it but now have nothing to lose but time re-installing!

Dave.
 
Ugh... Why? Nothing but the word why..

Because, in my case I have an ESI 1010e interface that was always a bit twitchy in W7 but runs solidly in XP Pro. Then as I said, interested!

Then of course many people will take ANY opportunity to hold two fingers at Msoft! (I love the way these huge companies and many politicians bang on about "market forces"? How can a market be free when all retail computer outlets are given no choice but to offer the latest OS?)

Which I might add jimms, YOU are not running!

This is of course not even considering the UnGreeness of landfilling tonnes of XP computers.

Dave.
 
Because, in my case I have an ESI 1010e interface that was always a bit twitchy in W7 but runs solidly in XP Pro. Then as I said, interested!

Then of course many people will take ANY opportunity to hold two fingers at Msoft! (I love the way these huge companies and many politicians bang on about "market forces"? How can a market be free when all retail computer outlets are given no choice but to offer the latest OS?)

Which I might add jimms, YOU are not running!

This is of course not even considering the UnGreeness of landfilling tonnes of XP computers.

Dave.

Yeah, you are correct. But I have no reason to update my W7 PC used for recording either. What is the point?

Well, I suppose if you download p0rn on your recording PC you may want some security updates.

BUT, if you have 'legacy' drivers on an interface that runs on XP, you will not need any updates anyway either right?

Just sayin...
 
Yeah, you are correct. But I have no reason to update my W7 PC used for recording either. What is the point?

Well, I suppose if you download p0rn on your recording PC you may want some security updates.

BUT, if you have 'legacy' drivers on an interface that runs on XP, you will not need any updates anyway either right?

Just sayin...

Yes but, Real people with real messy lives like me have a computer in their living room for general use on the net AND to watch iPlayer and because the 1010e was not a success on my W7 music PC it got put on that XP jobbie. MUCH better than the internal AC97 Realtek ***T!

Of course the sensible thing to do would be to use a dedicated XP machine for music with the ESI and buy a new W7/W8 box for the L room and infernalnet. But like I say, life and peeps is messy.

And the bottom line for a very great many folks is we like to say "F U!" Microsoft.

Dave.
 
Question too.. Are theses POS' systems connected to the internet, and just like dedicated DAW's, would they even need further updates?
 
Question too.. Are theses POS' systems connected to the internet, and just like dedicated DAW's, would they even need further updates?
Yes, they are connected because they have to process credit/debit cards and checks from a multitude of banks and financial institutions.
For anti-virus go to majorgeeks.com or cnet.com and download something free from them. I imagine if you look on YouTube you'll find someone instructing how to do this hack. You can use Avast over and over again by simply un-installing it, and then reinstalling it after the 30 day trial period. Fortunately my internet provides free anti-virus as part of it's service. About the only thing ATT does right! LOL!
 
That reminds me, I need to have a look at my Windows 2000 machine, last time I started it the machine did not seem happy.

Alan.
 
Its been about 3-4 years, but I have this old computer that has Windows 98 (I had XP on it for awhile just fine but it was just ever so slightly slow, it was a computer with parts that were brand new between 2000-2002) and I had it on my home network (this was when I was still living at home). It hasn't been my main computer since 2005, so whatever version of Firefox existed then, I just decided to run it. Without any configuration, I went right on the Internet. Made me chuckle that it worked just fine (9x was notorious for needing to set up networks manually), then I remembered the sheer amount of security loopholes that existed with an OS that hasn't had any updates since who knows when.
 
As outlined...Hack may enable Windows XP updates - CBS News

Arguments for moving to or from an OS are subjective at best. As a corp IT dude, we have little choice in the matter due to MS license agreements and constant monitoring from MS. As a small business, you should be sure you have an escape plan, at a minimum. That is, computer problems are not usually a handshake and a how do you do today, they are a shotgun blast to the CPU, hard disk or other key component, rendering the system DOA in a matter of 1 μs. The question is commonly thought of as "so what if I don't upgrade?". Rarely does one think instead, "what if I do not upgrade?". You walk in, boot the computer only to see a nice dark screen...all day. Now what? Can you find a new computer, your install disks and, least thought of, drivers for the new WinH8 ready computer you had to go out and buy so you can begin the life consuming process of jacking in your old XP system from CDs that most likely won't even recognize the old disk...that is assuming it wasn't the disk that kiss-da-baby to start with? If its a home project and downtime doesn't matter, I agree, so what, let the pr0n hacks begin. If your a business though, you need to consult with someone who knows wth and heed the advice. Crossing your fingers that some XP reg hack that, even according to MS, won't apply in part to the consumer XP product, will last until you ride out some imaginary money-saving worm hole in the upgrade expense universe, isn't a business plan. It is a plan to spend many times the cost of a comparatively simple, planned upgrade though. If spending more on the same end result is ftw, then, rock on dedicated XP U-zrz, otherwise, get your copy of Win 7 x 64 PRO before MS completely removes it from the channels and your left with this WinH8-4-non-existent-touch-screens no one owns. Best of luck.
 
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