Microsoft Issues Another Windows XP Patch, Despite Lack of Support

[R-T-B]

In a bid to stop what it terms "state-sponsored cyberattacks," Microsoft has released yet another critical patch for its Windows XP operating system. This one is aimed at stemming the tide of what many are calling "WannaCry Copycats." Technically speaking, WannaCry itself is a copycat of a much older idea (ransomware in general), but it was the first to spread so effectively via an unpatched Windows-specific platform bug, and as such has in many ways acted as a global "wake up call" for the industry to get their security act together. The true fix is of course to upgrade, but for those who won't or can't, Microsoft is making select critical fixes available to mitigate the damage.





Microsoft still maintains that Windows XP is an unsupported platform, and emphasizes that fixes for it will be rare. However, the fact that we are getting unsupported fixes at all certainly speaks volumes to the state of the security industry in general, and how much old software there really is running to this day.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Patriot]

If only they would add ryzen and kabylake support to.... the "supported" OS's of 7 and 8.1 ....

 

[R-T-B]

If only they would add ryzen and kabylake support to.... the "supported" OS's of 7 and 8.1 ....

I think we'll need a class-action suit to get that to happen.

And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if there is one brewing right now...

 

[Ferrum Master]

I still don't understand why use XP if you have Linux, especially on a older hardware.

 

[R-T-B]

I still don't understand why use XP if you have Linux, especially on a older hardware.

A lot of it is embedded devices. Try getting some really specialized, strange part (often medical) to work in Linux. I think the only one they have that actually works is some kind of leg-shake sensor I always see in the kernel list when manually configuring.

 

[Duality92]

I still don't understand why use XP if you have Linux, especially on a older hardware.

Let's say you started a big company that uses custom made software, created specifically for XP, changing that software would cost you hundreds of thousands if not millions to get done in 2017, but your company revenue is about a tenth of that.

Or what if it would cause months of downtime and employee adjustement while your business is life critical (like hospitals).

 

[cornemuse]

About 2 dozen 'links'! XP = which one???

 

[Ferrum Master]

A lot of it is embedded devices. Try getting some really specialized, strange part (often medical) to work in Linux. I think the only one they have that actually works is some kind of leg-shake sensor I always see in the kernel list when manually configuring.

Actually those rarely come with internet/update support as such, more like whole ROM images.

Concerning companies with tailored software... well a matter of time... Actually a don't believe these days there are not solutions for any kind of business needs for reasonable prices, they are almost begging to help and get some penny. I wonder why the device haven't kicked the bucket in the first place... We had some ridiculous discussion why in hell X58 is still alive... here we have Athlons and pentium III and IV running the OS.

Really the CPU arch restriction is the killer of XP.

 

[R-T-B]

Actually those rarely come with internet/update support as such, more like whole ROM images.

Good point. I know at least some instances where that is not true, but for the majority, you are correct.

I dread to think what this new era of "Internet of things" will bring though, such as when current tech becomes obsolete and it's fully internet enabled with no updates...

About 2 dozen 'links'! XP = which one???

For customers using Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2003 R2 see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 4025687 for guidance.

Personally, I'd just run Windows Update, though.

Really the CPU arch restriction is the killer of XP.

What restriction? There was an Itanium-64 bit version of XP before normal amd64, remember.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I dread to think what this new era of "Internet of things" will bring though

Skynet, what else? Creating AI is nothing that dangerous, when AI will create another AI then we are screwed.

What restriction? There was an Itanium-64 bit version of XP before normal amd64, remember.

Itanium was an expensive flop... just as Intel wanted Rambus, popcorn Netburst ideas@8GHz, Larrabee and I guess Optane will soon reside in the list. Remember there was a gossip about Wintel paying HW makers not making Linux drivers during that time? I actually firmly believe in that... especially looking at Creative stance during those years.

 

[R-T-B]

Skynet, what else? Creating AI is nothing that dangerous, when AI will create another AI then we are screwed.

Hehe...

Itanium was an expensive flop... just as Intel wanted Rambus, popcorn Netburst ideas@8GHz, Larrabee and I guess Optane will soon reside in the list. Remember there was a gossip about Wintel paying HW makers not making Linux drivers during that time? I actually firmly believe in that... especially looking at Creative stance during those years.

It may have been, but my point still stands. XP was portable if you wanted it to be.

 

[MrGenius]

Personally, I'd just run Windows Update, though.

I'm too freaked out to connect my potentially vulnerable/unpatched machines to the internet. But it looks like I can download the updates on my unaffected W10 machine and install them offline. Thanks for the heads up and the links.

 

[Shihab]

I think we'll need a class-action suit to get that to happen.

And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if there is one brewing right now...

We needed a hundred the day Win 10 came out. The only one that was made came too late for an issue that has long been "resolved." Yet here we are, nearly two years later, with each day passing Microsoft's telling the consumers to go f*** themselves, and no one's doing anything.
Except, ironically, the Chinese...

Itanium was an expensive flop... just as Intel wanted Rambus, popcorn Netburst ideas@8GHz, Larrabee and I guess Optane will soon reside in the list. Remember there was a gossip about Wintel paying HW makers not making Linux drivers during that time? I actually firmly believe in that... especially looking at Creative stance during those years.

Sauce?

 

[Ferrum Master]

It may have been, but my point still stands. XP was portable if you wanted it to be.

If you are into certain experiences... you may find and install first Longhorn NT5 versions... (as M$ wanted it and flopped and turned into a rushed hog being named vista) IE even had a proper download manager in one build. I've ran XP last time in winter when playing with my old Pentium III combo... even booted from a floppy drive... after few days I wasn't capable of installing on a SATA drive on that board using various PCI sata cards, SIS, VIA, Promise - all the same (BSOD during XP logo, blame Acorp mobo(Linux even boots from USB and installs fine)), I had so enough vintage childhood experience and flashbacks again, so no no... never again... that's a bit masochism (the thing that worked are certain IDE to SATA cards, to fool the damn thing, so a ran XP from a IDE to SATA converter on a i815 using a SSD... , had to search for an older browser as all of them need SSE2 as a basic need lol)

I certainly do not want it It bsods just as I look at it... (remember half life)

Sauce?

Hmm maybe this?

 

[Shihab]

Hmm maybe this?

This has led me to some interesting linux history, even came by some ties between Microsoft and this SCO, but they don't directly link to SCO's anti-linux move. All there is are speculations. Speculations I'm inclined to believe true, but speculations nevertheless.

 

[Nabarun]

Well, this is admirable. I hate MS, but this I do think is a properly good gesture, no matter the intent.

 

[Naito]

If only they would add ryzen and kabylake support to.... the "supported" OS's of 7 and 8.1 ....

May as well do Windows 3.1 while they're at it too...

 

[Melvis]

But it looks like I can download the updates on my unaffected W10 machine and install them offline. Thanks for the heads up and the links.

Speaking of which, where can I download all these updates for the older OS's? I know someone had a post here on TPU with all the links.

 

[Deleted member 67555]

Quick question..
Where do you download Win Xp free?

 

[Prima.Vera]

Great news for my old Dell XPX laptop.

 

[MrGenius]

Speaking of which, where can I download all these updates for the older OS's? I know someone had a post here on TPU with all the links.

The WannaCry patch links are here:
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-for-all-microsoft-wannacrypt-patches.233492/

The security updates just released Tuesday, CVE-2017-0176(KB4022747), CVE-2017-7269(KB3197835), CVE-2017-8461(KB4024323), and CVE-2017-8487(KB4025218) are here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...advisory-4025685-guidance-for-older-platforms

 

[R-T-B]

May as well do Windows 3.1 while they're at it too...

The day Windows 3.1 refuses to run on my Kabylake, I'll be concerned.

Ironically, it probably runs just fine if you set your HDD to IDE mode and are fine with a 2GB FAT partition. Non-issue.

 

[Ubersonic]

I still don't understand why use XP if you have Linux, especially on a older hardware.

Most of the large users are still on XP because the software/hardware they depend on is incompatible with Vista and higher nevermind Linux, the cost of replacement would run ten times the cost of upgrading the OS. Plus if they moved to Linux there would be additional retraining costs, issues on the domain, etc.

 

[BorgOvermind]

I still don't understand why use XP if you have Linux, especially on a older hardware.

You can't play DOS-era games on linux.

 

[R-T-B]

You can't play DOS-era games on linux.

Yes you can. It's called DOSBox, and you need it on modern Windows too.