Risks of using Internet with WindowsXP in 2020s?

[JuanMena]

Exactly what are the risks of using an old laptop for internet browsing?
I can't seem to find proper information other than "huuur it will infect with virus"... but ain't that the risks of any computer capable of Internet browsing?

Having this question because I'm trying to update and download stuff in a WinXP lap, and I'm tired of connecting and disconnecting my USB from my Win10 lap to the old one back and forth everytime I need to transfer files. And I was wondering if I can just simply connect the old laptop to Wi-Fi and just download what I need.

Is it as risky as "once you load Google you're fucked" or as risky as common sense is? That is, don't download pirate software, don't browse sketchy sites, etc.

EDIT: Also, would like to use the old laptop to download and save and view PDF files.

 

[SylverReZ]

-snip-

Don't use your credit card to pay online, as older browsers are riddled with vulnerabilities. And also, use an antivirus. ClamAV supports Windows XP and has the latest up-to-date virus databases.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

The problem with using XP on the internet in modern times is that XP is extremely vulnerable to all sorts of viruses and malware now that it doesn't receive security updates anymore. The reason this is a problem isn't because "oh no my XP machine has viruses now ", it's that those vulnerabilities can lead to other vulnerabilities elsewhere on your network, even if those other devices are more up to date and have active security. Even sites you think are safe or you've never had problems with previously could still happen to unknowingly host bad ads or scripts that may not cause a problem on modern systems but could on something old like XP, Vista, 7, 8, etc etc. Don't forget there are still thousands of companies and government PCs using XP that still warrant "unsavory" people releasing malware or viruses for, and they could unwittingly hit you as well, even if unintentionally.

The general "just don't be an idiot" rule is applicable, but especially so when it comes to not visiting sites unless you're 100% sure they aren't serving bad ads or scripts. I would use adblockers and script blockers on any browser you use unless absolutely necessary to access a site to keep those possibilities down to a minimum, and personally I would setup a guest network for internet that's isolated from all other devices on your network just to be safe, especially if you plan on this being a daily driver for something.


That said...will you realistically get any kind of virus or malware if you take no precautions at all and just say fuck it? Probably not. But better safe than sorry these days.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

that is a really interesting question. I have a xp machine that is boxed right now due to lack of space where I live. I have some games installed there, all cracked, so probably it is not a "clean" machine anymore. Judging from what you guys told above, when I finally decide to activate the machine, it is better to keep it offline.

 

[TraderPatTX]

If your laptop was built during the XP era, it may not even connect to your router. If your router is a few years old and it does connect, I doubt browsing the internet would be possible. Most companies dropped support for WinXP years ago, so finding a browser modern enough to render websites today would be your biggest challenge.

Is the laptop too old to upgrade to Windows 7? Not sure how much better that experience would be though, but companies still supported it a few years ago.

 

[Kwyjor]

Even sites you think are safe or you've never had problems with previously could still happen to unknowingly host bad ads or scripts that may not cause a problem on modern systems but could on something old like XP, Vista, 7, 8, etc etc.

But that's a problem with running an outdated browser on the outdated operating system. There wouldn't be a problem with an up-to-date version of Firefox or whatever on XP, presumably – but of course official Firefox stopped supporting XP a long time ago. A bit of Googling suggests forks like "Mypal".
https://msfn.org/board/topic/181835-all-browser-for-windows-xpvista-always-being-updated/

In any case, it seems kind of improbable that a site would provide an exploit for an outdated browser and one that also exploits Windows XP. Bandwidth is limited and it seems unreasonable that a site would hold exploits for all possible combinations.

My concern would be non-browser-based exploits that can attack an XP machine directly – but I'm not sure how that would happen either. Presumably an attacker would just have to keep pinging random IPs? Do attackers still do that?

 

[JuanMena]

The problem with using XP on the internet in modern times is that XP is extremely vulnerable to all sorts of viruses and malware now that it doesn't receive security updates anymore. The reason this is a problem isn't because "oh no my XP machine has viruses now ", it's that those vulnerabilities can lead to other vulnerabilities elsewhere on your network, even if those other devices are more up to date and have active security. Even sites you think are safe or you've never had problems with previously could still happen to unknowingly host bad ads or scripts that may not cause a problem on modern systems but could on something old like XP, Vista, 7, 8, etc etc. Don't forget there are still thousands of companies and government PCs using XP that still warrant "unsavory" people releasing malware or viruses for, and they could unwittingly hit you as well, even if unintentionally.

The general "just don't be an idiot" rule is applicable, but especially so when it comes to not visiting sites unless you're 100% sure they aren't serving bad ads or scripts. I would use adblockers and script blockers on any browser you use unless absolutely necessary to access a site to keep those possibilities down to a minimum, and personally I would setup a guest network for internet that's isolated from all other devices on your network just to be safe, especially if you plan on this being a daily driver for something.


That said...will you realistically get any kind of virus or malware if you take no precautions at all and just say fuck it? Probably not. But better safe than sorry these days.

Ok, this is interesting. I didn't knew even ads could infect a PC or Laptop. I'm more familiar with the I got viruses because I intalled this type of scenario. The idea of isolating this XP laptop from the rest of the network might be something to look at in the future.

that is a really interesting question. I have a xp machine that is boxed right now due to lack of space where I live. I have some games installed there, all cracked, so probably it is not a "clean" machine anymore. Judging from what you guys told above, when I finally decide to activate the machine, it is better to keep it offline.

Yeah, yeah... kinda thinking the same now. Suddenly transferring files manually doesn't sound so bad. Besides... it adds to the experience of using old hardware.

If your laptop was built during the XP era, it may not even connect to your router. If your router is a few years old and it does connect, I doubt browsing the internet would be possible. Most companies dropped support for WinXP years ago, so finding a browser modern enough to render websites today would be your biggest challenge.

Is the laptop too old to upgrade to Windows 7? Not sure how much better that experience would be though, but companies still supported it a few years ago.

Yes. Recently got a laptop for a dollar that happens to be a Dell Latitude D600 and it's of course made in the mid 2000s.
Came with WindowsXP Pro and it has an amazing Centrino at 1.6Ghz. Lel. Not the fastest so, even if I install Windows7 on it, it would struggle a bit. Specially because it came with a whooping 1GB of RAM.
Right now I'm installing some emulators and of course it's getting a bit annoying the whole plug/unplug to transfer stuff from my Win10 laptop to this one. But hey! Free Microsoft Office 2007! So that alone is worth caring for. Nowadays using Office is a privilege. I feel special. So I don't want to riak getting it useless just because I'm lazy.

 

[Deleted member 538683]

Exactly what are the risks of using an old laptop for internet browsing?
I can't seem to find proper information other than "huuur it will infect with virus"... but ain't that the risks of any computer capable of Internet browsing?

Having this question because I'm trying to update and download stuff in a WinXP lap, and I'm tired of connecting and disconnecting my USB from my Win10 lap to the old one back and forth everytime I need to transfer files. And I was wondering if I can just simply connect the old laptop to Wi-Fi and just download what I need.

Is it as risky as "once you load Google you're fucked" or as risky as common sense is? That is, don't download pirate software, don't browse sketchy sites, etc.

EDIT: Also, would like to use the old laptop to download and save and view PDF files.

As a person who owns a laptop that came with Vista plus XP and 7 on it, I can assure you it's safe, as long as a few precautions are followed.


1. Use a modern web browser. No brainer, I recommend Blue Moon, Firefox ESR, or Mypal.
2. Have all the security patches from 2001 - 2014 installed. You can get the patches from the "Legacy Update" utility you can set up.
3. Use a modern antivirus. Don't use something like avast! or AVG, those will lag the computer. AVG almost bricked mine. Lucky XP had safe mode!
4. That's all, browse responsibly!

And as a bonus: Get a old version of Acrobat maybe.



[I use a Dell Inspiron 1501]

 

[The Catboy]

I am not going to repeat everything but I will suggest keeping your XP offline and or locked down as much as possible. It's great for gaming and I highly suggest using USB or FTP or other methods to get them on there.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Have all the security patches from 2001 - 2014 installed. You can get the patches from the "Legacy Update" utility you can set up.

It supports setting the POS registry key as well bringing XP to a patchlevel of year 2019. No idea if those updates for embedded systems cover everything on XP and if it is a good idea to apply them on normal XP.
It didn't destroy my installation.
Would be interesting to have (legal!) access to paid XP updates beyond official end. But I doubt MS will sell it to private users.


I don't think it is realistic to assume XP will get infected by just plugging in an Ethernet cable (like Sasser worm back then). Pretty much all computers being behind a router/NAT it is not that easy to automatically infect millions of systems. Far more likely you have to be active (use programs that connect to the internet, not only the browser).
Secure supported browser and adblocker should prevent the most automated things like malvertising. A script blocker is a plus, but inconvenient if you want sites to just work (and the protection is non-existent if you whiltelist all sorts of things "because it doesn't work otherwise").

Came with WindowsXP Pro and it has an amazing Centrino at 1.6Ghz. Lel. Not the fastest so, even if I install Windows7 on it, it would struggle a bit. Specially because it came with a whooping 1GB of RAM.

If you can get two modules of 1GB DDR1 RAM the system will profit A LOT. Using a browser nowadays with little RAM is a patience test.
I've a low end laptop from that time (Centrino was luxury model) in semi-active usage; running Lubuntu 18.04 with Pro support until 2028 enabled. Since providing an SSD (mSATA in IDE converter) and 2GB of RAM it kinda works as surf station and typewriter. No h.264 though. And the battery is dead.



Never use unsupported systems for important things. Don't provide personal data and such. XP is not big so creating/restoring a system image takes a few minutes. I've lost track of how often some stupid PC game protection ruined a Windows. Far more often than malware (I've had Sasser infection via dial up and nothing since). My greatest concern would be this:

it's that those vulnerabilities can lead to other vulnerabilities elsewhere on your network, even if those other devices are more up to date and have active security.

 

[Marc_LFD]

I guess if you don't pay for anything or log in to any website then that may work out, but you're really limiting yourself a lot. Just use a Linux distro instead.

Even Windows 7 has been discontinued. Damn M$. Soon it'll be Windows 10 (Commercial: 2025 / Enterprise: 2029).

M$ is making long-time users actually move to Linux by ruining Windows as we once knew. A traditional OS.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I guess if you don't pay for anything or log in to any website then that may work out, but you're really limiting yourself a lot. Just use a Linux distro instead.

This is of limited use when considering PC gaming. And I say this as convinced Linux user. A good XP machine is a nice thing to have.

Even Windows 7 has been discontinued. Damn M$. Soon it'll be Windows 10 (Commercial: 2025 / Enterprise: 2029).

M$ is making long-time users actually move to Linux by ruining Windows as we once knew. A traditional OS.

Supporting old stuff is expensive. No way a company is going to support all old versions for eternity.
I guess there would be a market for a Windows XP 2 -- Small, simple, fast. Without any bloat, without any bundled stuff, just compatible with newer hard- and software.

 

[Marc_LFD]

This is of limited use when considering PC gaming. And I say this as convinced Linux user. A good XP machine is a nice thing to have.


Supporting old stuff is expensive. No way a company is going to support all old versions for eternity.
I guess there would be a market for a Windows XP 2 -- Small, simple, fast. Without any bloat, without any bundled stuff, just compatible with newer hard- and software.

Windows 11 is essentially 10 reskinned with a shitload of bloatware so it's not like M$ couldn't support it, it's just that they want people to use their newer crappy OS. Sigh.

 

[TraderPatTX]

Ok, this is interesting. I didn't knew even ads could infect a PC or Laptop. I'm more familiar with the I got viruses because I intalled this type of scenario. The idea of isolating this XP laptop from the rest of the network might be something to look at in the future.


Yeah, yeah... kinda thinking the same now. Suddenly transferring files manually doesn't sound so bad. Besides... it adds to the experience of using old hardware.


Yes. Recently got a laptop for a dollar that happens to be a Dell Latitude D600 and it's of course made in the mid 2000s.
Came with WindowsXP Pro and it has an amazing Centrino at 1.6Ghz. Lel. Not the fastest so, even if I install Windows7 on it, it would struggle a bit. Specially because it came with a whooping 1GB of RAM.
Right now I'm installing some emulators and of course it's getting a bit annoying the whole plug/unplug to transfer stuff from my Win10 laptop to this one. But hey! Free Microsoft Office 2007! So that alone is worth caring for. Nowadays using Office is a privilege. I feel special. So I don't want to riak getting it useless just because I'm lazy.

If you ever try to do a Windows upgrade, I would suggest shrinking the install cd with NLite. It'll strip out anything you don't need, freeing up resources. I used to use it for XP back in the day. Keys for Office 2007 are easy to come by.

 

[LNLenost]

Exactly what are the risks of using an old laptop for internet browsing?
I can't seem to find proper information other than "huuur it will infect with virus"... but ain't that the risks of any computer capable of Internet browsing?

Having this question because I'm trying to update and download stuff in a WinXP lap, and I'm tired of connecting and disconnecting my USB from my Win10 lap to the old one back and forth everytime I need to transfer files. And I was wondering if I can just simply connect the old laptop to Wi-Fi and just download what I need.

Is it as risky as "once you load Google you're fucked" or as risky as common sense is? That is, don't download pirate software, don't browse sketchy sites, etc.

EDIT: Also, would like to use the old laptop to download and save and view PDF files.

I know there is a program for Windows XP called Legacy Update. Google it ln ur WinXP laptop, download it (ofc the site supports winxp), and follow the steps. It basically replaces your Windows Update app with their one, and you can install all the security patches for Windows 11 onto WinXP. It can also upgrade Internet Explorer and your Windows package (SP1, SP2 etc.).

 

[console]

I love Windows XP because of my favorite all of times for gaming. A lot of people are love Windows XP for to playing games on them around the world.



I recommend use modern internet like Blue Moon, Firefox ESR, or Mypal.

Legacy updates would be help to keep your Windows XP security up to date.


There are security programs still working today are:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.75 (Support Windows 2000, XP to Windows 11) - Update Database only.

SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition 6.0 - somewhere around this version which is last support for Windows XP still update without problems for to protect your computer. Update Database only! Never click pop up small box on lower-right of screen because it will annoy us for ask to replace .exe (Update) only to latest version will cause stop working on Windows XP. Just click on X to close then ignore (do this all of times!).

If you have any important files, drivers, etc on your old Windows XP computer then you must backup files on USB Thumb drives, external hard drives and on disc (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) to protect files.



I tested Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.75 on my Windows 11 and still working and updated Database to latest version. I want to tell anyone that I hate / dislike Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0 and above due to UI designs are so weird and some features are hidden from us. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.75 is best ever due to very light on system performance never lag or slow down.

Very important for everyone about Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.75 will trigger annoy error pop up / failure to update! Because program will search for Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0 or newer to download from servers.

Please un-checked two annoy boxes (On Tab name is Settings) are:

[] Download and install program update if available.
[] Notify me when program update is ready for installation.

Then you will update Database to latest version without problems on Windows XP!

I'm biggest fans of Windows XP and Windows 7 are for gaming.

 

[Micolash]

As long as you use common sense precautions, like only visiting websites that are trustworthy and/or only run or download known & safe software, then you should be fine for the most part.

Though I will say this: when you connect an old obsolete PC, you are basically introducing a weakness into your home network. Hackers (that's if they are interested in your data) can use that weak spot as an entry-point and try to infect the rest of your network/devices.

If you're really that worried, you should look into network isolation and/or use a VPN. (Or don't use internet on that device at all)

Just an FYI, you mentioned that you wanted to use it to view PDFs, PDFs virus/malwares do exist.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

and you can install all the security patches for Windows 11 onto WinXP.

What? How is that supposed to work? Installing updates from another OS? Not even talking about most XP installations being 32 bit and Win 11 is 64 bit.

Legacy Update can set the POS registry key for XP and make sure the latest (public) updates can still be downloaded and installed (and it even tries to enforce the old Genuine Advantage garbage that will nag you if it trips – I would recommend to deselect it from the long list of updates once they are shown… after an hour or so of detection).

To my knowledge publicly available updates stop April 2019. There is an unofficial SP4 and rollups containing all updates… but I'm not sure how trustworthy such things are and if they aren't bundled with malware from the beginning. Of course you could create a DVD (not CD – sorry too big) containing all that including .NET and all XP compatible VCRedist yourself.

 

[Hayato213]

If you really want to take it online keep it on a network of it own, separate it away from your main network.

 

[zonk47]

It really speaks to the skill of the browser gods that their software can act as a vector for viruses. Best there is at passing the buck, the browser gods.

I think the big issue with XP are the hidden keys used by intelligence agencies, that can be used to hack into your system. Not even Microsoft knows of all of them because they are infiltrated. These keys are also present in modern MS OS's (as they are in all the modern OSes in general), but the difference is XP's source was leaked so its keys are all known.

​

I guess there would be a market for a Windows XP 2 -- Small, simple, fast. Without any bloat, without any bundled stuff, just compatible with newer hard- and software.

I take it you mean ReactOS?