windows xp

Software engineers have been debating whether today's operating systems are slower to respond than their predecessors. It led one site to experiment with running Windows XP on a new computer. After some hassles of getting it going, it turned out ... that XP felt extremely fast to use, albeit with a serious risk of malware infection. The debate started when Julio Merino put together "real-time videos" of an old machine running Windows NT 3.51 (a business version roughly equivalent to Windows 95 for consumers) and a modern machine running Windows 11. (Those of us of a certain age may have to ... (view more)

Russian leader Vladmir Putin still uses Windows XP if official photographs are to be believed. Ironically it might actually be a security measure. The photos released by the Russian state news agency show Putin's computers in his Kremlin office and ... his official residence. In both cases the screens are displaying the toolbar and icons from XP, though the default desktop background image is replaced with a picture of the Kremlin. (Source: themoscowtimes.com ) It would certainly be frowned upon (if not entirely shocking) for senior government officials in the West to still be running XP due to ... (view more)

Beginning Friday, May 12, 2017, reports surfaced of a new Internet worm capable of infecting Windows machines instantaneously. The worm has been dubbed "WCRY" or "WannaCry" because of its malicious intent to install ransomware on the target machine. ... The Internet worm was made possible because of a leaked NSA (national security agency) document which essentially explained how to carry out the exploit. In this case, the malicious software locks computers such that their files are encrypted and cannot be accessed unless the victim pays a ransom (and the culprits then stand by ... (view more)

Microsoft has joined Apple and Google in releasing browser security updates to patch a bug dubbed FREAK. The bug could make it easier for hackers to decrypt data that intercept from website users. The vulnerability of FREAK doesn't allow hackers to ... see data in plain sight. Instead, it allows them to remotely change what's meant to be a secure website connection into an unsecure one, meaning that previously encrypted data would then travel without any encryption. To be of any use, a hacker would need to combine the FREAK exploit with another vulnerability that let them intercept data, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Philip S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I use Windows XP and I often write my data to CD-RW (CD rewritable) discs. The problem is that some computers won't read the discs that I've created, whereas others will. I'm pretty sure the ... problem has to do with the format I'm using when I create the disc, but I'm not sure how to tweak the settings so that the discs are compatible on all computers. I am currently using Windows XP and Explorer to write the discs, using UDF format. Any ideas? " My response: You're correct -- the problem is with the UDF disc format and / or the way that you ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill F. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on how to reset the admin password for Windows 7 and 8 . I have an old Windows XP machine and can't login because I lost my password. Do you have similar steps on how to reset ... the admin password for Windows XP? " My response: The steps to reset the administrator password for Windows XP is different than what what was previously described in the article for Windows 7 and 8. Note that if you can login as the "Administrator" user, you can also use this account to reset any user password on the system. So, the steps below ... (view more)

It's official: Microsoft says that Windows 10 will be free of charge -- but the offer comes with limitations and caveats. The free upgrade offer is part of what could be the biggest change to the Windows business model, ever. Microsoft's comments at ... a launch event this week have been interpreted by some analysts as meaning Windows 10 may also be the last major release of the operating system. Instead, Windows may receive more frequent, but less substantial updates in the future. The Windows 10 free upgrade deal will only apply to consumer versions of Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) and Windows ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I run Windows 7 64 bit on my computer and my wife has an old Windows XP 32-bit PC (Dell Inspiron E521). She's a real stickler about [keeping her PC exactly the way it is, so she can still access all ... her files and programs, but I know it's time for an upgrade and I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 7 64 bit for her] ... I already have on hand all the items I thought I'd need: Windows 7 upgrade CD, more RAM for her PC, two new 1 TB hard drives, a video card, etc. What I'd like to be able to do is make a disk image clone of her old XP hard drive, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Eric H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently purchased a new PC with Windows 8.1. My old PC has Windows XP on it, and I would like to copy over all my programs from Windows XP to Windows 8.1. How can I do that? After I'm done moving ... over all my programs, I want to wipe the old Windows XP PC clean and give it away. " My response: Unfortunately, migrating from Windows XP to Windows 8.1 is not as easy as 'copying' over files from one PC to another. In this case, I suggest you do one of the following: 1. Reinstall all (or some of) your programs manually on the new Windows 8.1 ... (view more)

Earlier this year, a hack was discovered that would allow Windows XP users to continue receiving security updates , despite Microsoft no longer officially supporting the system . However, experts are now warning users that the hack guarantees ... neither security, nor stable computing. Windows XP: No More Security Updates Microsoft finally pulled the plug on Windows XP in April this year , including all future security updates. The problem is that many people still continue to use the operating system, despite significant security risks . The Windows Embedded hack essentially tricks Windows XP ... (view more)