How to Keep Using Vista After April 11

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My very first post here! We have both Windows 8.1 and 10 running in our household, and Ask Woody has been invaluable in keeping them running with a minimum of fuss. My question is about my gaming computer, which, although having been upgraded a couple of times, is still running Windows Vista 64 bit. I do plan on getting a new gaming computer, but right now it looks like the end of summer at the earliest, and maybe not until Black Friday, as I count my pennies. How do I secure my current computer? Firefox is dropping Vista support soon – is there another browser I can use reliably? I dual boot with Linux Mint 17.3, so I can get by with no internet on Vista, but it would be nice to have Avast and Malwarebytes update regularly. Also, I’m one of those weird souls who likes Vista, and will probably keep it running for years, with or without internets. What is the best way to reinstall and update this system, preferably without taking weeks? Just in case.

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@ Shel

Best for u to make a System Image of yr Win Vista system, eg on a USB-stick or external USB HDD with the Macrium Reflect Free program.

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Thanks, anon. I am already planning on doing this. I have a relatively clean install and Macrium Reflect is ready to go. I am waiting until I know all the updates are done, so probably April 12. I’ve been hinting for a USB external hard drive for my birthday in March.

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You can still use Firefox for almost a year or so if you change to the Extended Service Release (ESR). In the week of March 6 ESR 52.0 will be released. if you change form the regular release to ESR at that time you will stay at the same version, so there will probably be no issues then. ESR 52 will then be supported for almost another year, so that will keep you safe until you change OS. I believe that Firefox is the only browser that will safely support Vista for almost a year. All the other browser makers have already given up on Vista, even before Microsoft stops supporting it.

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Yep, Pim, after April 2018, my old Vista is most likely going to be completely offline. I got the heads up when Chrome stopped its support.

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@ Shel

Fyi, millions of Win XP cptrs are still being run online and offline even though its EOL was in 2014. The main thing that keep most of these Win XP cptrs safe online is a careful clicking finger and a good antivirus program. A careless clicking finger will not be able to secure or keep safe online even Win 10 cptrs.
I hv used a passed-down Win XP SP3 cptr online for a few recent weeks without any problems about virus/malware infection.
Some Win 98 cptrs are still being safely run online.

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I’m aware of some businesses using antiquated, legacy computer systems, online. They rely on the user’s discretion and common sense, as you mention, as well as VPNs. Naturally, keeping anti-virus definitions up to date, and firewall settings fine-tuned, is also essential to them.

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It is not only about user discretion here.
Some well-known worms propagated through different channels than one of the browsers.
Only think about:
Blaster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_%28computer_worm%29
Sasser
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasser_%28computer_worm%29
Slammer (less relevant for most Windows clients, although some run a version SQL Server)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_Slammer

A lot of people running older operating systems are infected and do not have any warning because their antiviruses (if running one) are out of date and non-functional.

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Sadly, there’s a large number of infected “current” computers, out there too, and their users/owners have no idea either.

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+1

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@ ch100 & Kirsty

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/detect-prevent-botnet-malware-infections/

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Firefox is dropping Vista support soon – is there another browser I can use reliably?

@ Shel

You will still be able to use Firefox with Vista until at least April 2018. If you’re running Vista, Mozilla will automatically upgrade you to Firefox 52 ESR, the Extended Support Release version of Firefox, when Firefox 52 is released. That version will continue to get security updates but no new feature upgrades. Mozilla created the ESR track for customers who were unhappy with its decision to ship a new version of the browser every six weeks.

From Mozilla’s statement:

• Mozilla is ending support for XP/Vista in consumer release versions at the end of the Firefox 51 cycle in March 2017 (when Firefox 52 is released). XP/Vista users will automatically be upgraded to Firefox 52 ESR.

• Mozilla has committed to enterprise/corporate to support XP/Vista to the end of the Firefox 52 ESR cycle (the Firefox 52.8 release in April 2018).

• All users can use Firefox ESR.

Since Firefox is open source, someone may release unofficial security updates to Firefox 52 ESR past April 2018 or someone may fork the regular version of Firefox so that it continues to run on XP and Vista.

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So I’m good for about a year. I wonder if any of the more obscure browsers will work after that.

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Thanks to all who’ve commented. I’m very careful about what I click on when browsing. But I have gotten malware from other computers via flashdrives, and twice nasties have piggybacked in with a Microsoft Security Essentials update! MSE is now gone. I rely on Avast and Malwarebytes, and I can keep those updated manually if I go with no internet. For now, it looks like I can stick with Firefox for a good year. If my new computer runs all my games, I may be using Vista only as my backup computer. (Just in case anyone questions its viability as a gaming computer, I can play Fallout 4 on High settings with 30-45 fps. It’ll do Ultra, but then it gets a bit choppy.)

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@ Shel

U should hv scanned the flashdrives with Avast b4 opening them.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/253742/should_i_scan_an_external_drive_for_malware_.html

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Oh, the flashdrive incident happened many years ago when I was in college, and not as tech savvy as I am now. It took me a week to convince the IT people there was a bug being passed around with flashdrives. It started in one computer in the library. They ended up having to take them all down for a weekend.

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Important quote about the WSUS Offline tool:

Modifications in version 10.9.2

– NOTE: This version will be the last one supporting Windows Vista (see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/22882/windows-vista-end-of-support)

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Thanks, jmwoods! I was debating between WSUS Offline and Portable Update, and after watching that video I think I’m going with that. The latest version does still support Vista! You have to hit the Legacy Products tab. Avast and Malwarebytes are good for the foreseeable future – they both still support XP, and I think Malwarebytes still works with Windows 2000. Nothing yet about them dropping Vista.

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