News - Registry hack enables Windows XP security updates until 2019

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Registry setting will trick Windows Update into thinking the system is Windows XP POSReady.

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Read more.

I'm totally surprised you would post the instructions for this lol... Not having a go at all. Just surprised :P

I can't ever see this going wrong because manually patching the registry of your operating system to tell it to act like a version it isn't where files and components are missing is great practice /sarcasm

Yeah I have to agree this sounds like a terrible idea, you might get erroneous updates, missing dependencies or a false sense of security - many components from full XP are probably missing and still unpatched.

Microsoft has sent a statement to ZDNet - suggesting the hack is a bad idea for end users:
"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."

Well, if you do this, you do it at your own risk. Sounds fair to me.

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Originally Posted by ZaO

I'm totally surprised you would post the instructions for this lol... Not having a go at all. Just surprised :P

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So am I.

I found this interesting, though.

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However, this continued security update doesn't change the fact that Windows XP users could benefit from a more recent version of the OS which will be more secure overall, according to Microsoft. It is also possible that Microsoft could make Windows Update changes to block security updates accessed via the above hack.

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They could, yes. I have no doubt it's technically possible, and probably trivial. And legally justifiable. I wouldn't argue MS aren't entitled to do that.

I would question if it's a good idea, though.

If MS were to block this, it will look vindictive. It will look like yet another MS attempt to force users to go where they don't want to go, like forcing MUI on W8 users and trying to foist Kinect and always-on connections on XBO users. MS saying they cannot continue to "support" XP users indefinitely, when it involves on-going development costs is one thing. And fair enough. Deliberately locking them out of security patches they've done anyway, is another.

Warning people doing this that it's not intended for them, and clearly warning "it's at your own risk" .... absolutely fair enough.

Blocking it deliberately, though .... more bad PR and adverse user reaction.

Personal statement of interest .... I have several XP systems, and I have no plans, or intentions, of upgrading them to any later version of Windows. I have every intention of not doing so.

Nor will I be applying these registry patches, or the updates they would enable. I'm perfectly content, for reasons some members here will have seen before, with my XP system's security and stability, as-is, and see nothing, personally, to gain from doing this, and risks attached to trying it. So I won't be. Other XP users may well have a different situation, and I'm not recommending my approach to them.

Avast are still supporting xp with their security software. I'm not sure how good that is in comparison to actually having updates from ms. But it's something to think about if you're running xp I guess. Avast is very decent for a free av too :)

Microsoft will probably use this as a good excuse to release a Windows Update which will brick XP rigs using this reg hack. In turn making a lot of people upgrade their OS to Windows 8..

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Originally Posted by Sparx

Microsoft will probably use this as a good excuse to release a Windows Update which will brick XP rigs using this reg hack. In turn making a lot of people upgrade their OS to Windows 8..

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A LOT of systems old enough to be XP are old enough to either struggle to run W8, or be completely unable to do so. For instance, I have P2-550Mhz machine with 256MB memory and a 20GB disk. It is perfectly adequate for what I use it for, but putting W8 on it? I don't think so.

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Originally Posted by Saracen

A LOT of systems old enough to be XP are old enough to either struggle to run W8, or be completely unable to do so. For instance, I have P2-550Mhz machine with 256MB memory and a 20GB disk. It is perfectly adequate for what I use it for, but putting W8 on it? I don't think so.

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and if crytpo locker reduces my machine to dust in a fortnight's time I may have no choice but to break out el P4 XP Pro and start over again!