Will Firefox still be a safe way to surf the web using a Windows XP computer after Microsoft quits supporting Windows XP?
Windows XP is still my favorite operating system, but Microsoft will quit supporting it in a few days. As I understand, soon after that using Windows Internet Explorer to surf the web on a computer running Windows XP will (or may) make the computer vulnerable to hacking. Will it be the same for using Mozilla Firefox on a computer running Windows XP? I think I saw an ad for Google Chrome boasting that they'd continue to support that browser for use on a Windows XP computer. I believe Google said they'd keep releasing patches to keep Chrome secure. Can anyone confirm that, and more important, will Mozilla keep Firefox secure? Also, should I remove Internet Explorer from my Windows XP computer when Microsoft quits supporting it?
Note-- I'm posting this with a newer computer that runs Windows 7 64 bit.
Soluție aleasă
Firefox will continue working with Windows XP. At best, in the near future I could see the system requirements getting bumped up to Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (the requirement is SP2 at the moment). The security patches in Firefox are the same, regardless of the version of Windows used.
Bear in mind that without security updates, the operating system itself will be insecure. What browser and security software you use won't change that.
Internet Explorer is a system component and you shouldn't attempt to remove it in Windows Vista and lower. Starting with Windows 7, there's a way to sort of uninstall it from Control Panel.
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Soluție aleasă
Firefox will continue working with Windows XP. At best, in the near future I could see the system requirements getting bumped up to Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (the requirement is SP2 at the moment). The security patches in Firefox are the same, regardless of the version of Windows used.
Bear in mind that without security updates, the operating system itself will be insecure. What browser and security software you use won't change that.
Internet Explorer is a system component and you shouldn't attempt to remove it in Windows Vista and lower. Starting with Windows 7, there's a way to sort of uninstall it from Control Panel.
Thank you for your helpful reply. Should I just disconnect the Windows XP computer from the internet? What are the risks if I don't?
In anticipation of the possibility I might have to disconnect that computer from the internet, I've switched most of my computer activity to my newer Windows 7 computer. I'm starting to think this is Microsoft's way of making me buy a new computer, or at least a new operating system, every few years.
I've done something similar before -- I still use a Windows 98SE computer to keep track of my checking account and write checks. That computer hasn't been connected to the internet for at least five years.
david78209 wrote:
Should I just disconnect the Windows XP computer from the internet? What are the risks if I don't?
That would be a good idea.
Worst case scenario, hackers discover unpatched vulnerabilities that allow them to completely take over your system. Have a look at the numerous such security updates that have been previously released, and you get a good idea why no longer having such patches would be a bad thing.