Happy birthday, Windows XP!

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

I was using XP until very recently when my old computer blew up and I had to get a new one. It came with Windows 7 installed on it, and I still want to strangle the moron who decided to install it in Finnish instead of English.

In my honest opinion buying pre-assembled and installed computer is dumb move.

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Windows 7 is a little too flashy for my liking and it's trying to hold my hand a little too much. Uh, dude, this is my computer, ergo this is my C:\ -drive and yes, that means that I can install stuff in there without asking permission from an administrator that doesn't freaking exist!

Then tell it to STFU and do what I want. Being held from hand is not mandatory. You can do so unless moron who installed your operating system opted to lock you out somehow.

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Also, building DirectX in the system was just genius. Why oh why would I ever want DirectX 9 on my computer when it already comes with DX 11? Uh, because some of my favorite games require it and refuse to launch without some necessary .dll files it came with? Nah. Impossible. Why would you want to play some stupid old games? You don't want old. You want new! New, flashy, bling-bling! And what's a "classic" anyway? Sounds like some stupid novel. Who reads books when you can have new, flashy, bling-bling?

I don't see problem here as I can install whatever version of DirectX into it if I want. So far Win7 has been wonderful if you wan't to run some older games.

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Otherwise it's OK. I even like many of its simple improvements to some basic programs like Paint and Movie maker. And after I got used to its interface, it wasn't that bad. I suppose I can live with this.

[Skybird]

UAC in Win7 can be switched off completely if desired. But I would not recommend so, since it makes it much easier for malware that managed to bypass your security shields.


It is also recommended to not browse or run usual operations from the administrator account, but from a user account with limited rights.

Note: be default you get released into the admin account once you have installed Win7. However, Microsoft does not tell you that this Admin-Account already is a limited rights admin account, if you really think you need full Administrator rights indeed, you have to manually unlock them by functions that lay somewhat hidden and are not self-advertising.

Use the default Admin account to install and arrange your system. Then have a user account and manually limit its right for all programs as much as is possible for your needs and purposes. Have both accounts protected by solid codes. Do all your everyday stuff from that limited user account only, especially browsing.

Use payware Virus Scanner and Firewall suites. Use an additional Malwared Scanner specialised to run alongside a Virus Scanner. Limit browser options. Do not install Java. Avoid Active Scripts as much as possible. Keep all your software up-to-date, Secunia PSI helps in that as far as non-games are concerned.

Switch on brain before going online.

All this is no guarantee that btrohble doe snot find you. But it helps to reduce the probability.

In case of infections: do not repair, but format and reinstall.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

I

I don't see problem here as I can install whatever version of DirectX into it if I want. So far Win7 has been wonderful if you wan't to run some older games.

Yes. Cannot remember to have had any problem with stuff wanting older DirX versions.

[the_tyrant]

PSA: please PLEASE move off IE6, the web development world thanks you

You know, windows xp was hated early in its life, people said it hogged memory, and called Luna "fisher price UI". However, sp2 made HUGE improvements to the os. At the time, people even wondered why Microsoft didn't just call it windows 05 and sell you another copy lol.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

In my honest opinion buying pre-assembled and installed computer is dumb move.

I was so sure someone was going to say that already when I was writing that post. To which I have but one answer: there are many things which I can do, am willing to learn and have time to spend. Assembling a computer that to me is primarily a functional work station is not one of them.

Then tell it to STFU and do what I want.

Which is exactly what I did, thank you very much. The point was that I never had to tell XP to STFU.

I don't see problem here as I can install whatever version of DirectX into it if I want.

So do I. So I did. The fact still is that I first had to find out what the problem was, then go download and install a separate package and then have it work. It didn't accept me installing the required DX along with the games' installer much like, I don't know, XP always did. This is how I found out about it being directly build in in the first place.

Seriously, I said it's OK and pointed out a few things I didn't like. That's no reason to chastise me.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Which is exactly what I did, thank you very much. The point was that I never had to tell XP to STFU.

Because XP did not have that security feature. Mind you, it is a security feature, like there are also some more security features that 7 has and XP not.

Seen that way, W8 is superior to W7 in certain internal memory handling security features as well, I read. I must admit it although I have no love for W8. But by feature descriptions on memory, it should be better equipped to battle some trojan and rootkit issues haunting XP and W7.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Because XP did not have that security feature

Or it expected me to have a brain.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Or it expected me to have a brain.

UAC is a major security feature man

The idea is, you should not run your os as an administrator all the time, instead, you should run as a limited user, than escalate to administrator when needed.

This is a common feature in all OSs, and it does do a lot for security

[GT182]

Has any one gotten Windows 8 and installed it? I saw on CompUSA that it's 59.00 for the upgrade... and that it will work for XP too. I don't think I really want 8 but would like to hear if it's as good as MS says it is.

What I really want is 7 with 32 and 64 bit. I'm hoping the price for 7 Pro comes down now seeing 8 is out.

I like my XP but now I'm having too many problems with it, and now I have to do a reinstall.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by GT182

Has any one gotten Windows 8 and installed it? I saw on CompUSA that it's 59.00 for the upgrade... and that it will work for XP too. I don't think I really want 8 but would like to hear if it's as good as MS says it is.

What I really want is 7 with 32 and 64 bit. I'm hoping the price for 7 Pro comes down now seeing 8 is out.

I like my XP but now I'm having too many problems with it, and now I have to do a reinstall.

Windows 8 pro comes with downgrade rights I believe

Just get it, try windows 8 for week or so, if you don't like it, downgrade

Its actually cheaper than getting windows 7

[Skybird]

I had no troubles and needs to re-orientate myself at all when going from XP to 7 early last year when getting a new system. Hadling is almost the same.

However, Darren, weigh your praise for XP against this: statistics showed that last month (or the one before) was the first month when the number of PY systems in the world operating under W7 is no bigger than the number of systems running XP. But the number of security issues and rootkit and trojan infections on XP systems is counted to be m ore than twice as high than on W7.

You may not like some details or handlings where you have to make slight adjustements in your ways of how to install a software or do something else (nothing really serious in there anyway), but the truth remains to stay that XP by today'S threat level is a rather unsafe OS, and W7 being very superior regarding inbuild malware defences and security measures that in ordinary operation you do not realise to be there. Frequent Windows Updates do not change this, since XP simply lacks several key technologies and features that W7 has. And in slightly more than one year, free Windows Updates will not be comign anymore anyway, so then you either leave XP anyway, or you get stuck with an increasingly endangered system that also poses a risk to others.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Or it expected me to have a brain.

Some time ago I was reading in a forum on malware, and there was this user who seriously boasted with that the never uses firewall and anti-virus, instead avoids threats by practicing what he called "intelligent surfing."

No, he did not receive much laughs or mockery, instead some very angry replies, and well-deserved, because this fool helps to spread inflections via his system without even being aware of his system being infested, and things like rootkits and drive-by-downloaded malware he obviously never had heard of. You must not even executer some file anymore by clicking or opening something to have these things going active. Just landing on a site is enough - not more is needed.

"Intelligent surfing". Well, I'm all for it. And part of intelligent surfing is to have a firewall, antivirus and malware solution on guard, always. And I mean commercial packages with the full allways-active feature set, not some downgraded testing versions with manually launched HD-scans only.

UAC is part of an overall strategy as well.

Most people whose systems are infested, are not aware that they are infested. Most involuntary members of zombie networks do not know they are part of a zombie network.

I am quite certain that if all subsim-member'S systems would be checked all at once for security breachings and malware being present, a very huge group, probably even the majority would have an unpleasant Aha!-experience.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Some time ago I was reading in a forum on malware, and there was this user who seriously boasted with that the never uses firewall and anti-virus, instead avoids threats by practicing what he called "intelligent surfing."

So now me saying that I don't like being held in hand becomes synonymous to all that?

I can see clearly enough where this is going. And I'm going to follow my own advice from the other thread.

[Skybird]

Hottentot: "The point was that I never had to tell XP to STFU."

Skybird: "Because XP did not have that security feature. Mind you, it is a security feature, like there are also some more security features that 7 has and XP not."

Hottentot: "Or it expected me to have a brain."

Skybird: wondering. Frowning eyebrows and still wondering. Then: "Some time ago I was reading in a forum on malware, and there was this user who seriously boasted with that the never uses firewall and anti-virus, instead avoids threats by practicing what he called "intelligent surfing. (...) "

Hottentot: "So now me saying that I don't like being held in hand becomes synonymous to all that? I can see clearly enough where this is going. "



I don't see the problem. Maybe you see where this is going. But since ""or it expected me to have a brain" I did not even know anymore where it was coming from. The lack of a security feature due to years-earlier release is not linked to that being a brain thing.

I just said that UAC is a security feature. It is meant to limit the spread of an infection due to the current user account having limited rights only, or hinder a malware to gain control of software installed that the user currently logged in has limited or no rights for. That way, the infestation process gets hindred, slowed down. Or the malware must become more active to overcome these obstacles, raising the probability that one of your scanners smells the smoke in the air. - And I did not say that I assume you were that other user from that other forum. I just wanted to make clear that you cannot avoid threats by using your brain exclusively - that you also need some tools and procedures - like UAC for example. You cannot defend yourself against drive by downloads by choosing to surf "smartly", because you do not know which sites are infested. And it is not only the obviously suspicious sites. Unfortunately. That is where that guy simply was wrong, and misled.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

I was so sure someone was going to say that already when I was writing that post. To which I have but one answer: there are many things which I can do, am willing to learn and have time to spend. Assembling a computer that to me is primarily a functional work station is not one of them.




Which is exactly what I did, thank you very much. The point was that I never had to tell XP to STFU.




So do I. So I did. The fact still is that I first had to find out what the problem was, then go download and install a separate package and then have it work. It didn't accept me installing the required DX along with the games' installer much like, I don't know, XP always did. This is how I found out about it being directly build in in the first place.

Seriously, I said it's OK and pointed out a few things I didn't like. That's no reason to chastise me.

Sorry. My dissatisfaction towards pre-assembled and installed computers boiled over badly. Experiences I have had from them are not most positive.