G'Day,
I have recently fielded several emails assisting members with using LOGic. For the benefit of all, restated here is much of the detail of those emails. I always answer all emails, but much prefer my assistance with LOGic be provided on this LOGic forum for the benefit of all members, minimising my effort.
Microsft's support for Windows XP ceases on April 8, 2014. What are the implications for my Amateur Radio PCs running Windows XP?
An answer depends on how you use them.
Many of us are still using Windows XP on older PCs, especially configured for Amateur Radio. Usually those with serial ports and parallel ports based on the original hardware designs.
Microsoft failed to successfully sell upgrades to Windows Vista when it was released. Microsoft added security features that changed the "behind the scenes" way programs worked, and totally confused the customer base - especially, corporate customers with thousands of PCs installed.
Microsoft responded by extending the support period for Windows XP - corporate users numbered in the hundreds of millions of copies - and later released Windows 7 with better success. Microsoft extended the "end of life" date for Windows XP to April 8, 2014.
On that date, Microsoft will cease to provided any updates to Windows XP - especially security updates.
The consequence of that fact, is that your Windows XP PC will be vulnerable to any new "security hole" discovered in Windows XP. Microsoft will not plug the hole. Knowing that, the bad guys, will be looking for such systems to exploit them.
If ....
Your Windows XP PC is isolated from the Internet, and is not connected to any other PC in your QTH, you need do nothing. Like an old truck it will keep on working until some vital part stops working, or more likely, some software component is updated to no longer function on Windows XP.
If ...
Your Windows XP PC is connected to the Internet, and by implication, to your shack Ethernet Network, you must ensure it is protected. By all means keep using the "dx cluster", use Telnet, draw data from places you know and trust, but do not surf the Internet in a general sense. Make sure the Windows firewall is enabled, to protect the PC from other systems on your network. Like an old truck it will keep on working until some vital part stops working, or more likely, some software component is updated to no longer function on Windows XP.
What amateur radio services do you trust? For me personally - none. In 2014 it is impossible to know whether or not any service I might use has been compromised or not. Small, under funded, and perhaps under skilled, systems on the Internet are most vulnerable to being compromised without the owner being aware of it.
For example, I use the QRZ XML subscription service on my Windows XP system, but I would not use the QRZ web pages from my Windows XP PCs. I surf the web and download files on other systems, systems with full security shielding, and then transfer the files to the Windows XP systems.
What is full security shielding - for me, the normal Microsoft Firewall, and Microsoft' Security Essentials. That's it. I periodically test my Internet gateway with
GRCs "Shields Up"To extend the life of the your system, upgrade to Windows Vista. End-of-life for Vista is April 11, 2017.
Crikey, you say - why would I want to shot my self in the foot!
Well, Windows Vista has been more about emotion, and uninformed comment and complaint, than any other system in the history of Microsoft Windows.
Simply turn off User Account Control, make your account an Administrator account, and you will be close enough to Windows XP that it does not matter. It works for me.
Peter VK4IU
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