I have a version of Win XP Pro on my laptop that cannot be updated (illegal version or something - bought computer from ebay). As a result, I can only use WEP since I cannot update to the newer standards.
I have my desktop connected to the same router - wired.
File and printer sharing is turned off.
Am I correct that I am risking intrusion on the wireless laptop but the wired desktop remains "safe"?
TIA
Louise
What did you buy it with pirated software for! If that wasn't stated I would get on to the seller. You can change the serial number and update it if you have a search around for "wga crack" for starters. Then you need a serial number changer. If you have not ticked the bit about not allowing the laptop to be used as a gateway then it will allow people in. The wired one is secure if you're using a firewall and should be OK if all the latest security patches are in place. The laptop is probably wide open to those that know, but to casual hacker types it would only be those with a tiny bit of intelligence that knew what to do.
The wireless connection is the weak point on your network, not necessarily the wireless computer. If an intruder breaks your WEP encryption and joins your network, your whole network is compromised.
Even if you don't have file and print sharing, there are multiple ways an intruder can damage your network.
Shortly after I bought it (this is now about 3 yrs ago), I discovered that the seller misrepresented it because it was supposedly still under warranty but was, in fact, a refurb and therefore out of warranty. It's a Thinkpad.
I had already given positive feedback, it did/does work flawlessly. I emailed the seller and got no response. I went back to Ebay and added to my comments saying it had been mis-represented.
The seller had told me it came from IBM with Windows 2000 but it had XP Pro and without thinking, I said great!
At that time I didn't upgrade Windows on a regular basis, finding the upgrades often broke more than they fixed.
Later, I was able to successfully upgrade to SP1 and never thought about it. It wasn't until I went to upgrade to SP2, that MS came back saying it wasn't a registered version, or a legal version, or something like that. Then I began to realize....but not until then.
I'm completely ignorant about serial number cracking etc.
Could you please tell me where is the "bit" to check about not allowing the laptop to be used as a gateway. I can easily do that :-)
TIA
Louise
louise hath wroth:
Welcome to the dark side of computing.
Search for "WGA crack" for the oneline Javascript hack.
A better alternative is to download the patches individually, and simply not use Microsoft Windoze Update. See:
You can also just buy a legal copy of XP Windoze Home Upgrade for about $100 retail and use a serial number changer program that will allow you to activate, authenticate, etc.
windizupdate didn't have what I needed - or so it seemed.
I found an update for WPA on the Microsoft site but when I tried to install it, it said it needed at least SP1. That's when I found out that my effort to install SP1 a long time ago, had also failed.
Windows update doesn't recognize that I don't have SP2 or SP1.
Therefore, I can't do any tricks to try to make either service pack install because it doesn't come up as an available update. My suspicion is that my efforts to install SP2 on a few occasions, have reset something.
Does anyone know how to get windows update to start with a "clean slate"?
Thanks again.
Louise
Yes, but I'm not going to itemize the steps. This is a wireless group, not a Windoze group. See:
I've done this a few times when customers drag in system with corporate serial numbers that can't survive the WGA test (when the serial number swap doesn't work). I've had difficulties going from XP Pro down to XP Home, but I don't recall exactly what broke. Also, you'll have to install ALL the updates from whenever the CDROM was made.
It's an X22 which originally came with Win 2000. But - if I brought it back to 2000, I think there are several programs that wouldn't work.
One of them is speech recognition software which requires XP or 2000 sp4, Firefox itself "prefers" XP, Photoshop CS, Frontpage 2003 etc.
If I brought it back to 2000, I think I would then have to purchase Win XP (might as well be Pro), and upgrade. And then, I'd have to reinstall all my carefully customized programs and utilities.
The hard drive is only 20gig. It seems to me it doesn't make sense to do all this work on this drive. So, am I right that the "answer" would be to install a new hard drive and then install XP Pro directly and begin all over again?
It occurs to me I could purchase a newer model on ebay (I'll use a reputable seller and not "save" a little money this time), bring mine back to 2000 and sell it on ebay!
Then, with a little luck, I'd have the laptop I'd prefer with a larger hard drive and a legal copy of XP Pro and I'd sell a working laptop with a legal copy of 2000!
And then I can move to WPA
This sounds good. Any thoughts?
Louise
snip...
The update that you might be looking for, WPA,
/HC
louise wrote: >... sorry for the slow response The X22 is a great little laptop and if you're set on using WindowsXP just to be able to use WPA, then your strategies sound fine, if only a little time-consuming and expensive. If it was mine, I'd spend $$ to max out the ram. Then I'd make a copy of the diagnostic partition files (do you have a burner installed?) Then I'd download an iso image of a linux distribution like Mandriva 2006Free or Kubuntu and install that instead of using Windows. Free, more secure, seamless integration with all M$ applications and it's just way cooler to play with. __ brought to you wirelessly from an R51- 1836-XXU running Mandriva 2006Free + WPA2
Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.