A little protection after the end of Windows XP support

[Buzzbee]

It's not the end of the world. A little caution on the part of the users will go a long way.
Most viruses and infections in computers are self inflicted by either clicking on links in emails or being fooled into going to websites that install a malicious code. Some is even unwittingly downloaded along with "free" software. To give yourself protection from a malicious attack, set up a password protected administrator account on your computer.Then ,for any web browsing or any connecting to the internet whatsoever, set up a standard user account. If software tries to install on your computer from that point on, windows will ask for your password for the administrator account. If you do not provide it,the software can not be installed without your consent.
Hint: this is all done in the control panel area named users and groups or users and family or something named to that effect.

Under no circumstance should you log onto the internet under an account with full admin rights,it is an open door to infection!!

PS use almost any browser but internet explorer as it has the most vulnerabilities. Also consider removing java as it is a security risk that will no longer be supported. The chrome browser has its own built in version of a flash player that will be constantly updated with the browser updates,so I would think it is a safer bet than IE.

[riverbee]

windows XP?  i know some are still using this, ditch it and upgrade if you can.

internet explorer? dump it and use firefox.

[Slowmodem]

windows XP?  i know some are still using this, ditch it and upgrade if you can.

internet explorer? dump it and use firefox.

All my computers are XP and I've had some people give me their XP computers.  I'll drive them until the wheels come off.  I hate Windows 7.

[Perry]

All I've got is Windows XP, so if all of a sudden y'all don't see me for a while, you'll know why. (when y'all stop dancin that is). 

[riverbee]

perry, so that would explain some pc problems you have been having? .......

[LazyBkpr]

If you think win 7 is bad.. and it was... wait till you hit Win 8...  everything has changed. now you have APPS like a stupid phone I refuse to upgrade to..   all the old ways of navigating are gone.. its a whole new ballgame, and I REALLY dislike it.

   I had to get a new phone... and the young fellow was trying to get me to buy one with internet and all sorts of different gizmos on it...   I told him I wanted it to ring when someone called me, and I wanted to be able to call someone...   Wasnt that what a phone was for?   He looked at me like I had three heads....  When I can't get a decent basic phone anymore I will revert to the landline.  I guess I am this way about a lot of things.  Even my truck..  I dont want bluetooth, and XM and all the fancy stuff. Rubber floor mats, roll up windows and sheet metal that lasts more than three years before it starts to rust..  Maybe a CD player... its a truck, I intend to put it to work, not cruise hollywood trying to impress my friends because I can afford a 60,000 dollar vehicle.
    I want a good base truck, a good basic phone, and a good basic computer.   All need to be user friendly.. As I get older I find that user friendly is aimed at tech savy youth.    I feel that if I buy a computer, it should be supported by the manufacturer until "I" decide I don't want to use it anymore.
   Trucks are MADE to rust out now. They want you to buy a new one every five years. Computers are meant to last two years, then be replaced.. if you don't replace it they FORCE you to replace it..
   Before long me and my horse will be getting along just fine and I won't have to worry about all the new fangled cr@p that costs me more than a house payment to maintain.
    /end rant     

[Perry]

I had to get a new phone... and the young fellow was trying to get me to buy one with internet and all sorts of different gizmos on it...   I told him I wanted it to ring when someone called me, and I wanted to be able to call someone...   Wasn't that what a phone was for?   He looked at me like I had three heads....  When I can't get a decent basic phone anymore I will revert to the land line. 

I feel exactly the same way. I have all sorts of text messages sent to me that I don't know how to access or respond to, and I don't want to.
I also have voice mail messages on my phone that I don't know how to access, and don't want to.
If my phone rings, and I can, I answer it, even if I do it through my veil. If not, when I'm done, I have managed to figure out how to look up who called and I then return it.
While there is a definite advantage to owning a mobile phone, it does not mean that I am accessible 24/7. Sorry. 

[LazyBkpr]

I had to get a new phone... and the young fellow was trying to get me to buy one with internet and all sorts of different gizmos on it...   I told him I wanted it to ring when someone called me, and I wanted to be able to call someone...   Wasn't that what a phone was for?   He looked at me like I had three heads....  When I can't get a decent basic phone anymore I will revert to the land line. 

I feel exactly the same way. I have all sorts of text messages sent to me that I don't know how to access or respond to, and I don't want to.
I also have voice mail messages on my phone that I don't know how to access, and don't want to.
If my phone rings, and I can, I answer it, even if I do it through my veil. If not, when I'm done, I have managed to figure out how to look up who called and I then return it.
While there is a definite advantage to owning a mobile phone, it does not mean that I am accessible 24/7. Sorry. 

   Agreed..  My wife gets all sorts of upset when I shut mine off..
   Perry..   I have tried, and tried, and tried to get my messaging set up..  my wife even tried...  call my cell phone and I don't answer.. you get a message that says  DONT leave a message because I wont get it.

[Slowmodem]

Even my truck..  I dont want bluetooth, and XM and all the fancy stuff.

I have found that an Aux In jack for the radio allows me to plug in my mp3 player and I only use the radio to listen to the news now.  There's never a song I don't like on my mp3 player.

I want a good base truck, a good basic phone, and a good basic computer.   All need to be user friendly.. As I get older I find that user friendly is aimed at tech savy youth.

A car executive (maybe it was DeLorean) once said you can sell an old man a young man's car, but you can't sell a young man an old man's car.  That's been Detroit's (and all of the auto industry's) mantra for a long time.  I don't think it will ever change.

Trucks are MADE to rust out now. They want you to buy a new one every five years.

As a matter of fact, Ford is coming out with an aluminum truck this fall.  Hopefully it will last for a long time.  (I still have a 66 Chevy Truck that is still going.)

[BoilerJim]

Lazy, I wish you would open up a little more and not keep all those feelings deep inside. It's not healthy. 

[riverbee]

"Lazy, I wish you would open up a little more and not keep all those feelings deep inside. It's not healthy.  "

LOL!!!!......

[efmesch]

Not wishing it on anyone but---should you get messed up with XP after Microsoft stops servicing it, remember that there are sites on the internet that can give you help.  Just "Google" your problem and you'll probably find someone else who has had the same problem and got it solved through any one of the computer forums on the web. 
I have been helped several times by a forum called "Daniweb.com". 
Just like helpful beekeepers, there are helpful computer whizzes.

[LazyBkpr]

Trucks are MADE to rust out now. They want you to buy a new one every five years.

As a matter of fact, Ford is coming out with an aluminum truck this fall.  Hopefully it will last for a long time.  (I still have a 66 Chevy Truck that is still going.)

   
   I will be interested to see how that goes...
   However, I have my doubts. The auto industry has had the capability of creating body panels with alloys for a LONG time that are more resistant to rust, and in many cases the metal itself is stronger.
   Why aluminum? it has no memory and breaks/cracks easy. Why not alumanized steel or one of the many stainless alloys? Any one of them would last ten times as long as the mild steel they are using now.
   The answer is pretty simple.  Give me a good truck with few electronics to break and body panels that wont rot away in four or five years and I will own that truck the rest of my life.. they don't want me to own a truck the rest of my life. They want me to buy a new one every four or five years.

   My 89 is 25 years old. It still runs great. Yep, I have had to fix it. put another trans in it, brakes etc etc...  but those are all things I can do myself, and did do myself. I have less than 10,000 invested in the truck right now, counting new tires, transmission, brakes, everything I have had to do to it..   a new truck every five years, with 600 dollar a month payments would have cost me $180,000.00 dollars after making those payments for 25 years in a row.  So, as I see it. I can buy another engine, trans is already done, have the transfer case, front end and rear diff rebuilt. Have it repainted, and still be $170,000.00 ahead of the game. My truck still runs the stock fuel injection, and it gets as good or BETTER fuel economy than the brand new ones.
   My wife didn't figure this out until she FORCED me to go look at new trucks...  that new extended cab Duramax 3/4 ton with Alison trans  was $60,000.00 from the lot...   She hasnt complained one bit about my old truck since then.