Just got Windows 8, but . . .

[dAnceguy117]

Originally Posted by dragon890x

These quotes are killing me.

haha, right? I wish vbulletin had a visual tool for quote dissection. lol.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

Nope, [using AV software] can't hurt if your concern for obtaining viruses are greater than your computer's performance.

good point. I'm trying to focus on the average user here. I believe the average user has hardware which can very, very easily handle the user's computing tasks. I see one constantly running process as a small price to pay for what could be an incredible convenience.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

Opening or closing a port only does one of two things, opens or closes a port. It doesn't open or close other ports.

very true. power users actually have a lot of control, regardless of their OS.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

When you close a port to fix a problem, you fix the problem. When you patch your system to fit the latest and greatest security model, you become one of the many millions of users who are running the same security. You put yourself on the target for those who develop viruses, aiming to hit a wider audience. You did nothing to fix a problem, you are entrusting Microsoft to fix it instead.

I disagree with part of your reasoning here. yes, having the most recent updates from microsoft makes your system files and settings identical to millions of others out there, and malware developers will work to break these configurations. but if you lag behind in updating, or if you neglect updating at all, older malware which has already been propogated can infect your machine. an older system configuration could have fewer vulnerabilities than a newer one, but the old configuration's vulnerabilities have probably been exploited already.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

My point, putting complete trust into Windows Security Updates doesn't save you from anything. Your protection will be short lived, if it even provides you protection. It doesn't compare to taking manual control of your network's ports or machines. The majority of the problems out there can be stopped by simply adjusting a few settings and keeping a keen eye out for suspicious files and activity.

I still think that Windows updates are a necessity for most people who run Microsoft operating systems. to assume that these updates make a system completely invincible would be incredibly foolish. however, completely distrusting or disregarding updates from your own software vendor might be equally silly.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

Even network administrators have to watch out for updates. Some updates change settings that could bring down a network, or even break a machine's partition (which has happened to me before I had much experience). This is why you should never update a live server's OS without testing the updates before hand. Updating has just as much risk as not updating.

totally, totally agreed. this issue warrants a completely separate conversation.

Originally Posted by dragon890x

I still think that this claim is wrong.

in about 1.5 years, microsoft will stop releasing any security updates for windows XP. many systems connected to the internet will still run XP with those final system configurations. any vulnerabilities left in those configurations will exist forever (unless patched by a third party). malware developers will target these systems, because all of the systems will be vulnerable to the same type of attack. (I could see a pretty wicked DDoS scheme lined up as a result.)

even if you're a well-versed and vigilant user, keeping your system clean will be a hell of a lot of work. if you choose to go that route, I wish you luck.