SP2 flaws uncovered

[kjbrack]

I say if you don't like it, don't use it. If you think you can build a safer OS go for it. I think the most stable, less vulnerable for virus attack OS out there would be Windows 3.11 for a more modern computer that can surf the web do email connect to a network. Now sure you want to go for the ultimate safe setup from virus attach I’ll go up in my attic and pull down my Commodore VIC-20.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Nilfennasion]

Am I supposed to be impressed?

Put this in your pipe and smoke it: every version of Windows from 3.0 to XP is configured by default as an open relay. Spammers literally make their income off Microsoft's back, and all it would take to change that is for Microsoft to publish information on how to change a few defaults. As I have said before, Bill Gates hates both DVD and the Internet because they aren't propietary to him, and the behaviour of both he and his company are consistent with being hell-bent on the destruction of the latter.

Frankly, some of the defenses of Microsoft bring to mind images of kindergarten children. "Microsoft is responsible for a large fraction of the network garbage that is killing the Internet." "Is Not!"

[vitualis]

Well, I know well enough that my data isn't safe on ANY OS which is why I back up my data. I have never had my data disappear simply because the OS went down to such a degree I needed to reformat the HDD. I have had data disappear because of hardware failure, but that is unavoidable regardless of OS.

As for system crashes, I've had Linux crash more often on me than Windows XP! Try to do some multimedia type things with Linux and buggy, poorly written software and drivers will bring the OS down... it doesn't matter how stable the "core" is.

To be perfectly frank, WinXP SP2 is "safer" than any other modern version of Windows but you would have to be a fool to trust it explicitly. That's why I have a third party virus scanner and firewall as well.

Linux and MacOS are probably intrinsically safer but their safety is also in part due to obscurity. They just aren't much of a target by an anarchist.

I don't use a computer because the OS is cool and nifty. I use it to complete TASKS. It doesn't matter if you've designed the most stable and foolproof OS in the world if no software "I" want to use run on it.

I don't consider myself a computer "expert" but I've used PCs for a pretty long time. If you know what you are doing and set up your computer well, Windows XP is stable and pretty safe. Default settings are definitely insufficent but the default settings of EVERY OS is insufficient. Windows is designed to make it easy for the user first and security second. Linux is the other way around, though it is getting better ... then again, perhaps not. Lindows/Linspire is easy to use but I would argue that its default security settings is no better than WinXP SP2.

Regards.

[Vanderlow]

Funny it didn't give me a shit load of services notice. All I did was elect not to install the firewall which it clearly asks on startup.

Actually you can reinstall Windows XP without a reformat. just boot up into windows install and install XP over itself with reformating - its an option.

[kjbrack]

vitualis

Excellently Put!!!!

I agree 100%