Microsoft has officially decided to end support for Windows XP after 12 years.
The company has also decided to stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP, according to
For those of you who already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates "for a limited time," according to Forbes.
It should be noted however that the service will have limited effectiveness on PCs that don't have the current security updates.
Essentially this means all devices running on Windows XP will be vulnerable to attacks.
Some of the government agencies, which are still running the Windows Embedded Industry version of Windows XP, will continue to receive updates for another five years, according to Forbes.
A workaround is available for Windows XP users who want to protect their devices and receive updates until 2019. The method involves updates for Windows Embedded Industry, which used to be called Windows Embedded POSReady, based on the Windows XPService Pack 3.
Users can also benefit from the security fixes, as the updates are compliant with the end user version of XP, according to Forbes.
The 32-bit (x86) edition of Windows XP Service Pack 3 is required to achieve the updates.
Backup all important data before trying anything as well. (This site is not responsible for any damage done or data loss.)
How to trick Windows Update:
Step 1: Create a new text document, select the "Edit" option, and paste in:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMWPAPosReady]
"Installed"=dword:00000001
Step 2: Save the document as xp.reg
Step 3: Double click the new file, and the content will then be added to the registry
Windows XP will be able to receive security updates meant for Windows Embedded POSReady once the new registry is added, according to Forbes.
Microsoft has issued a warning regarding the hack, urging users to instead just upgrade to a more modern operating system.
"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. 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," said Microsoft in a statement, according to ZDNet.com. "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."
It is impossible to say if the hack will continue to keep working until support ends for Windows Embedded Industry in 2019, or if Microsoft will close the loophole.
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