Although it’s not a surprise, Microsoft has announced that it will terminate support for Windows XP installations that have not installed Service Pack 3. The support for XP computer running Service Pack 2 will end July 13, 2010. The loss of support means that there will be no more driver updates, security patches, bug fixes and other modifications. Users who still run Windows XP must install Service Pack 3 to maintain support.

Unsupported OS Can Be Tricky

Running an unsupported OS can be tricky, since users won’t be able to get patches and revisions. Although development on the XP OS ended long ago, Microsoft was still providing maintenance releases that closed holes and kept the system as up-to-date as possible.

According to Microsoft, Service Pack 3 can be applied only to computers running the 32-bit version of Windows XP. Prior to installing Service Pack 3, the computer must also have Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 1(a) installed. These service packs are still available from the Microsoft Web site.

If you’re not sure whether your computer is a 32-bit or 64-bit system, you can find out by taking the following steps.
Go to Start > Run
Enter sysdm.cpl and click OK.
This will open a dialog box that will provide additional information about your system. Within the dialog box, select the General tab. If your system is a 32- bit system, you’ll see the words “Windows XP Professional Version XXXX under System. XXXX will be a date, expressed as a year.
If your system is a 64-bit system, you’ll see a slightly different set of words under System: “Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Version XXXX.” Again XXXX represents a year.

Service Pack 3 isn’t used with 64-bit systems, so it’s important to know whether you need the service pack or not. Do not install Service Pack 3 if you have a 64-bit system. Microsoft has provided a different method for patching and updating 64-bit versions of the XP operating system.
The installed user base for Windows XP is still quite large, however more users are adopting Windows 7. Importantly, many of the new adopters are Microsoft’s corporate customers, most of whom have been working with XP for nearly 10 years. In the coming year, Microsoft will likely examine its plan to drop support for Windows XP altogether.

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Everyone who works with a Windows-based PC knows (or should know) about “Patch Tuesday.” Patch Tuesday is the second-Tuesday-of-the-month Microsoft “event” that features security, OS and driver updates to the Windows operating system. Patch Tuesday represents Microsoft’s efforts to cut down on the number of automatic updates users must endure when they turn on their computers. Serious … and I mean really serious… fixes are distributed when they’re available and are rarely, if ever, held for Patch Tuesday.

Will Adobe Sign Up For Patch Tuesday?

Patch Tuesday releases include security updates, driver updates and patches to the operating system that have not been deemed a flat-out, “all-hands-on-deck” emergency. The system has worked relatively well since it was introduced by Microsoft in 2003. Now Adobe says that it may move to monthly product and security updates.

Several prominent attacks against Windows Vista and Windows 7 have been launched using Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader, and users and vendors alike are pressuring Adobe to pay more attention to product vulnerabilities and to address potential exploits faster. Currently, Adobe issues product updates once per quarter. This leaves malware designers significant time to discover and develop attacks using the company’s products.

Another problem for Windows users is that Windows Update does not automatically download and install Adobe product updates. Instead, Windows Update handles only new third-party driver releases. Adobe says it plans to adopt Microsoft’s Security Center Update Publisher (SCUP) by the end of 2010. This move will enable Adobe to distribute product updates to Windows users more quickly and effectively.

Currently, Adobe doesn’t post its most recent product updates on the company’s Web site. Instead, users download an update, then use the Adobe Updater tool to patch the version of the software they’ve just downloaded. One drawback of this approach is that it relies on users to update the product. If users don’t seek out the updates, or don’t allow automatic updates on their computers, the unpatched, out-of-date product(s) will remain.

Since Adobe products are becoming the vector of choice for certain types of attacks against Windows, expect Microsoft to notch up the pressure on Adobe to move to a more regular system of patching, adopt more efficient methods of updating products, and to design products with tighter security controls in mind.

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Last week, Nvidia indicated that users of its GeForce graphics cards should remove drivers contained in package 196.75 that may cause the host computer to overheat and crash. The company has instructed users to install package 197.13, which rectifies the overheating issue. Alternately, users can revert to 196.21, the previous driver release. The driver problem affects Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP users who have the GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, and 300 series desktop GPUs and Ion desktop GPUs.

Driver Maintenance Is Critical

Maintaining drivers for Windows is a critical function and the Nvidia problem illustrates how important it can be for users to keep their driver packages up-to-date. In this particular case, an overheating condition can cause damage to other system components. Some Nvidia users reported difficulty with their automatic fan speed controls. Other users reported that Windows games would hang on computers where the faulty driver update had been applied.

With a driver management software package like Driver Detective, there is no long arc to figure out that you have a driver problem, and no delay in applying the updated driver. Driver Detective searches out new drivers automatically and downloads and installs updates as they are released from the manufacturer. Driver Detective can help you avoid critical problems with your hardware and operating system software.

The alternative to using driver management software isn’t pretty. For each hardware item installed into or attached externally to your computer, you’ll need to seek driver updates manually. This means that you’ll need to go to each manufacturer’s Web site and seek out new drivers, or ask Windows to check for updates. When an update is found, you’ll need to download and install the driver update manually. This kind of maintenance can waste a lot of time, and it isn’t foolproof.

You can also set up Windows to download and install drivers as “critical updates.” Unfortunately, this method isn’t foolproof either, as Windows sometimes selects the incorrect driver, or fails to identify important driver updates. That doesn’t happen with Driver Detective. Driver Detective locates, downloads and installs the correct driver for your computer setup. It also backs up the drivers it has installed. This is important because Driver Detective can immediately tell if a driver has become corrupted and will replace the faulty driver immediately.

Driver Detective is a great way to keep your PC maintained and make sure your computer’s drivers are always up-to-date.

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Things that work are nice, especially when it comes to computers. In the world of technology, however, that’s often not the case. Just when you think you have everything working properly, something breaks or stops working. As a technician, this is one of the most common problems I face. A user had a working device, and suddenly, the device stops working.
There are a number of explanations, but one of the first things I check is the device itself. I make certain that the device is properly connected to the computer, has power and appears to be ready to get to work. If there’s nothing obviously wrong with the device, and I can see the device in the computer’s file system, the next thing I look for is a driver update.

Windows Vista May Not Find Your Driver Updates

Windows Vista can automatically download and install OS updates. Most people configure Vista to do this and assume that they’re covered for important updates, including drivers. That’s not a good assumption. Windows will install important OS updates, but driver updates may or may not make Windows’ list of must-have updates.

You could download and install all of the “important” updates for your computer, and still end up with an outdated or incorrect driver. That’s because Windows distinguishes between “important” updates and “recommended” updates. If you want Windows to install the recommended updates in addition to the important ones, you’ll need to reconfigure Windows Update.

From the Start menu, choose All Programs > Windows Updates. From the left side of the window, choose “Change Settings.” Don’t get confused about the “Install updates automatically (recommended)” button. That doesn’t mean Windows Vista will install “recommended” updates. That’s Microsoft’s way of telling you that they recommend that you install updates automatically.

At the bottom of the control pane, there is a checkbox labeled “Include recommended updates when downloading, installing or notifying me about updates.” Activating this box will tell Windows Vista to include updates to the OS that are recommended but not considered important to every Windows Vista user.

Future updates will include all important and recommended updates, including any new drivers that your computer may need. If you’re unsure about allowing Windows Vista to download and install drivers automatically, you can also configure Windows Update to download updates, but ask first before installing anything. Driver Detective can also help you locate, install and manage all of your computer’s drivers seamlessly.

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