Firefox will continue working with Windows XP. At best, in the near future I could see the system requirements getting bumped up to Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (the requirement is SP2 at the moment). The security patches in Firefox are the same, regardless of the version of Windows used.

Bear in mind that without security updates, the operating system itself will be insecure. What browser and security software you use won't change that.

Internet Explorer is a system component and you shouldn't attempt to remove it in Windows Vista and lower. Starting with Windows 7, there's a way to sort of uninstall it from Control Panel.

Thank you for your helpful reply. Should I just disconnect the Windows XP computer from the internet? What are the risks if I don't?

In anticipation of the possibility I might have to disconnect that computer from the internet, I've switched most of my computer activity to my newer Windows 7 computer. I'm starting to think this is Microsoft's way of making me buy a new computer, or at least a new operating system, every few years.

I've done something similar before -- I still use a Windows 98SE computer to keep track of my checking account and write checks. That computer hasn't been connected to the internet for at least five years.

david78209 wrote:

Should I just disconnect the Windows XP computer from the internet? What are the risks if I don't?

That would be a good idea.

Worst case scenario, hackers discover unpatched vulnerabilities that allow them to completely take over your system. Have a look at the numerous such security updates that have been previously released, and you get a good idea why no longer having such patches would be a bad thing.

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