14 DAY TRIAL // Windows XP is no longer receiving updates and security patches from Microsoft, but thanks to a registry tweak that we first reported on Friday, everyone still running this particular platform can get a number of fixes straight via Windows Update.
But as far as Microsoft is concerned, no matter how hard you try it, Windows XP cannot be configured in order to remain completely updated and stay secure, so upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8 remains your only option.
Redmond says that the trick, which changes Windows XP's ID to Windows POSReady 2009 (an operating system that still receives updates until 2019), doesn't help much because all the updates you receive aren't intended for desktops computers running the full version of XP. As a result, you might get a false sense of security, but your system is still vulnerable to attacks, Microsoft said in a statement.
"We recently became aware of a hack that purportedly aims to provide security updates to Windows XP customers. The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers," a company spokesperson said.
"Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP. The best way for Windows XP customers to protect their systems is to upgrade to a more modern operating system, like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1."
Microsoft might really have a point this time. Basically, the registry hack we told you about takes only a couple of seconds to apply and configures a Windows XP installation to be recognized as Windows POSReady 2009. As a result, you get updates for the embedded version of the operating system, and not for the full version of Windows XP, which isn't clearly the best option when trying to remain secure.
But at least, you still get some updates that could help a little bit when trying to deal with bugs and other performance issues.
The problem for Windows XP users is that most of the security vulnerabilities found in the operating system are mostly affecting desktop versions, so getting the updates for the embedded build doesn't help much if we're talking about such a scenario.
Indeed, moving to Windows 7 or Windows 8 is the best option in most cases, but as usual, some people can't simply give up on Windows XP, so this kind of tricks might really come in handy.