BleepingComputer.com: OS upgrading thoughts!

This is not a tech question just gathering some thoughts. When MS stops supporting a version of Windows how many feel it is necessary upgrade to a newer OS? My feelings is with a good security suite most would be just fine using their current OS>

you know, the reality of it is, Im willing to bet that those few people still using windows 3.1 have absolutly no problems with viruses anymore. :D

My feelings are the same as yours Phil, in fact, even though updates are still offered for XP, I never use them. I did not switch to XP until March of 2008 and never worried about updates before then while I was using Win98SE.

I agree somewhat, OldPhil, if your current system is running just fine, and you can keep it properly secured, than you shouldn't feel that you must upgrade.

Having said that, an older OS will certainly become less secure as updates no longer become available.


There is a "fun" factor in upgrading to a newer OS and discovering and using the new stuff that it brings and for many, this is enough to tip the scales and they update.

On both of my PCs (desktop and notebook), I'm dual booting, keeping Vista while I move to Win 7 at my own pace. A lot of folks do this since it gives them the best of both worlds, so to speak.

However, you ask when MS stops supporting an OS, and the same would be considered when Apple stops supporting an OS:

if you use the computer on the Internet, then your gradual loss of security updates will put you at risk. Only you can decide how important this is to you.

if you never connect to the Internet or introduce programs or data from another source, the computer and OS will serve you for as long as it can, I would say.

on the security note, you can often find third party security features that are supported by an older OS much longer then microsoft will. And often, the third party ones can be just as effective, if not more so, then upgrading. I mean I use XP home on my laptop, using a third party firewall, and its just as secure as my vista ultimate. I use the same third party security on both. (I dont trust microsoft security if you havent picked up on that yet). but ya no reason why you "have" to upgrade if you dont want to.

Yes, the_patriot09 -

except, once an OS is no longer supported, there will not be an additional security updates for the OS, leaving it vulnerable to exploits that third party security software will not recognize and will not be able to provide protection regarding the security problem.

depends. I use comodo firewall, and it actually covers all the holes that windows security covers, plus more. I typically leave my windows firewall and security features off, and It runs very secure. Each computer has an individual firewall plus my router has a hardware firewall built in, and Im planning on someday making a linux box with firwall to route all my other computers through. My dad used to have that setup and we had no security issues whatsoever. :D

Ah, I'm not talking about problems that a firewall protects.

A security flaw that is identified in, say, Win 98, will not be acted upon by Microsoft, nor eventually, will any other security product since it will take the vendor's time and money to develop the protection and they will not realize any way to recover it. Indeed, many current AV, AS, or Firewall vendors have already abandoned support for W98.


I'd be surprised to find any PC Security expert who will tell you otherwise.

hide that win 98 system behind a linux firewall, and security breach or not its gonna be secure. :D

Once the majority switch to the newer OS most hackers will move to the new OS as well and spend less time on older OS so like most have said have a if your OS runs no problem then wasting money on a new OS which will probably run the same is useless and having a gd antivirus software is the main protection not security updates although they are significant
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Having the best antivirus cannot sve u if u surf the net without takin some precaution
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JohnWho, on Oct 30 2009, 08:17 AM, said:

When this happens you know your OS will not be gd enough to run new technology

This post has been edited by gully786: 03 November 2009 - 06:46 AM

i didnt see anything that win7 offers that is worth upgrading for.ill stick with xp for now.when the security patches stop then i will start to think about it

JohnWho, on Oct 30 2009, 06:17 AM, said:

Actually, running an old OS (like Win 98/98SE) is fairly safe now. It's like a bass-ackwards version of "security by obscurity" in that the security holes in it aren't being targeted anymore. The bastiches have moved on to meatier things. There's probably nothing in the last few years worth of malware that can even RUN on 98, the code's just not there in 98 to hook onto.

The biggest risk is picking up an old DOS-based piece of malware that's been just laying around (as in that floppy you just HAD to check out).

Where the problem lies now for dinosaurs like 98 is finding antivirus/firewall/etc apps that will still run on them.

I'm just poking holes in your argument

As much as I like 98SE, I'm retiring it except for playing old DOS games on an old K6 III+ machine I've kept reasonably "state of the Ark".

I've never had a computer survive long enough for the OS to get outdated and unsupported. If they've made it 4 or more years most likely I'm running Linux on them and that get updated every 6 months.

There's an ancient box in m office which runs our voicemail system. It runs OS/2 Warp. Solid as a rock!