I am in the same position, I am somewhat amused at the level of paranoia that seems to surround the <QUOTE> NEED <UNQUOTE> to upgrade. At some point there will be an application that I have to have and it will require an update but until then as long as everything works why change?

That being said I spent years providing computer support for a large corporation, I am more than comfortable taking care of my own PC security but I can see how others might appreciate the support provided to a newer OS.

I would still be using my XP computers if they weren't so slow.

People out there a whole lot smarter than any of us when it comes to manipulating xp and programs and using them to discover lots of different ways to take somebody else's money.

I don't think I would use XP for anything having to do with money or personal identity. Its security is just lacking too much now. I give it as much faith as I would a motorcycle helmet for financial protection.

Granted it works just fine otherwise.

I'm still using my XP also and am having no problems (knock on wood,lol)

There's no reason not to use XP on a standalone PC that's not connected to the internet or otherwise to the outside world. XP worked fine last year, the year before,
and works fine today. But that's not the issue. The problem is that It's no longer updated
for security openings and other problems THAT EXIST AND ARE WIDELY KNOWN WITH SPECIFICITY.

If your car has bald tires, you could probably drive back and forth to the store and have no problems. Does that mean you should use these tires for a cross-country trip in rainy weather?

You can probably make a rude hand gesture to someone who cuts you off on the freeway and likely suffer no retaliatory action. Does that mean you can always flip off rude or aggressive drivers with no consequence?

No, of course not, not one of these things are recommended because doing them entails an easily avoidable risk. Using XP is exactly the same, the fact that you haven't had a problem doesn't mean that using it doesn't involve subjecting yourself to an easily avoidable risk. That's why continuing to use it isn't the best choice.

I suppose that is a point of view... In my experience however it is the new and untested that offers the greatest opportunity for exploitation.

What do you view as being new and untested? Hopefully you're not referring to released versions of Windows?

I have to agree with Snidely. Just because you don't currently have problems with an operating system that no longer gets security patches doesn't mean that you're not vulnerable. I don't unnecessarily keep moving up to each new Windows revision, but I will move on when my Vista no longer is being patched.

Snidely.. if this "released version of Windows" doesn't undergo extensive patching and upgrading in the first 18 months it will be the first. I am in no way suggesting that using an out of date OS is a good way to stay safe, simply that if you are aware of the risks and have good security habits the end of support is not the big deal it might appear.

Admittedly my opinions on issue may be tainted since I tend to look at it from a corporate perspective where software and hardware non-compatibility issues can cost vast amounts of time and money to resolve.

cptcosmos, please share with us the experiences you allude to regarding new OS versions having greater security risks than older ones.

i'm not a computer security expert, just an interested user, but I've read press accounts describing the opposite to be true. The bad guys get better at finding vulnerabilities in particular software products the longer they have to work with them. For XP in particular, I've read about a lot of attention given to several now well-known structural problems with the code that Microsoft decided were not fixable without a very disproportionate amount of effort. That (along with the obvious commercial reason) was why support was ended, they felt that the major problems couldn't be addressed. Those specific problems were avoided in later versions.

The vulnerabilities in XP remain as open doors for evil doers to use to gain unauthorized access. Is the risk real and imminent on a daily basis? I don't need or want to find out, it's easy enough to avoid.

I never said safer, I would never argue that. There will be vulnerabilities to be patched any new OS just like there were in XP (I ran an XP install from new and had well over 2Gig worth of patch files clogging up my Boot drive). The question then becomes whether or not the patches in question are timely. Just last week Bloomberg reported that Google was threatening both Microsoft and Apple regarding security flaws in their products that were not, in Googles opinion, being addressed quickly enough.

Bloomberg article

Ultimately your PC's security relies far more on your good habits than it does on any patch from the manufacturer. That being said awareness and good habits can extend the usefulness of an OS beyond its official EOL.

#1 security tool is an informed and disciplined user.

DA

"Ultimately your PC's security relies far more on your good habits than
it does on any patch from the manufacturer. That being said awareness
and good habits can extend the usefulness of an OS beyond its official
EOL."

Amen

Yes, but also No.

Unthoughtful web surfing and indiscriminate link clicking will lead to bad neighborhoods and infections, I agree. But don't forget there are scores and scores of bad guys running bots (roBOTS, or automated programs) that reiteratively try to penetrate connections in every nook and cranny of the web. They look for pipes to crawl up. Armed with techniques to exploit different vulnerabilities, they attack and enter based upon what they encounter. As I mentioned, XP's unlocked doors are well known and exploitation means have been broadly disseminated among the evil-doer community.

When corporate or institutional IT installations are invaded, it usually has nothing to do with someone surfing carelessly.

Jane, hopefully further prayerful language won't be needed.

Some good advice for continuing to run Windows XP: 10 Safeguards for using Windows XP

bugspop-
Interesting article. I only disagree with one point: I don't see a need for paid antivirus. There are several free programs out there that are quite good. I have been using Avast! for 4 years now and find that it performs better for me than Norton or Symantec ever did, and that it is easier to manage/configure.

i am using a modified version of xp, i have a few different ones. i have little interest in anything windows has done since then, i dont like any of the new ones.

the OP said-

"I intend to wait for Win 10."

i intend to do more than stick my little toe in the icy cold linux waters...someday...i will just plunge right in!

so far i have only messed around with linux a bit...then i go back to the XP.