Recent Security Updates Hose Windows 2000?

Microsoft ^ | 2010-02 | Microsoft

[Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo]

I just sat down at an old workhorse of a Windows 2000 computer that we've had here - it's actually a very nice rig, which used to be just super stable - and it looks like Microsoft must have issued some security updates which have completely hosed much of the functionality of the user desktop.
 
Some examples: IE6 is hanging badly on what looks to be a change to the Javascript engine - and while this new bug will bring the system to its knees [and even cause the motherboard's CPU heater signal to start beeping], you can't really see the excess CPU cycles in Task Manager, which suggests to me that the problem is deep, DEEP inside of Windows 2000 [deeper even than Task Manager is able to see].
 
And we've completely lost the functionality of the "Print Screen" key - if we try to print screen shots and paste them into Paint or Photoshop, then all we get is black images.
 
Ugh.
 
Windows 2000 has been such a workhorse platform for us over the years - it's a real shame that Microsoft is no longer devoting the $$$s to regression testing their W2K patches.
 
And I was forced to download Firefox 3.6 to get some web functionality restored [did you hear that Steve Ballmer?!? Firefox?!?].

[Mr. K]

regression testing ‘fixes’?

I suggest they are tested and working AS PLANNED

[Domangart]

You can save your fav list and reload it.

[fso301]

Time for you to upgrade.

You can buy a good business class PC with a hyperthreading Pentium 4 for $100 on Ebay. XP PRO is very solid and has all you need in an operating system. You may want to go to Ebay and buy perhaps a Dell Optiplex GX280 or GX620 with 3.0+ Ghz P4 along with a Dell XP PRO restore disk and you are good to go.

[shorty_harris]

I drew the line when XP came out and it included “activation”. I refuse to put up with that nonsense. I still use Win2k (in a virtual machine) for some older windows only apps, but otherwise have switched to Linux and Mac. I’ve been tempted to give Win 7 a try, having heard such good things about it, but I just can’t get over the activation part.

[Lazamataz]

That is the sexiest thing I have ever seen in print.

[illiac]

Thanks....I’m going to try....

[Brent Calvert 03969-030]

When I added mozilla firefox to my pc, all of my favs & everything were automatically copied from windows to firefox.

[illiac]

Thanks....good to know....I’ll change today....

[dila813]

Try Process Explorer

[N. Theknow]

EVERY update hoses Vista!

My computer cannot do a restart without the dreaded gray screen of death "Windows Startup Repair" sending my computer into never,neverland for at least 30 minutes.

Almost 3 frickin' hours this AM to get up and running after an update last night.

[kitchen]

xp-AntiSpy home page, in German. Major Geeks download.

[VeniVidiVici]

Windows 2000 was desupported years ago.

Are you using MSJAVA too?

[My hearts in London - Everett]

FF will transfer your IDs and passwords from IE.

[Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo]

Wow, I was just trying to read a KB article at support.microsoft.com, and the IE 6 window started to hang, and when I went to kill it in Task Manager, I got an error message that I had never seen before:

Unable to Terminate Process
 
The operation could not be completed.
 
The binding handle is invalid.

I have never seen anything like that in IE6 before.
 
And the really weird thing was that Task Manager showed it as using 0% CPU time when it was hung.
 
Micrsoft has really screwed the Javascript engine with one of these recent updates.

[Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo]

Man, for the second time today, one of those hung windows caused Windows Media Player to start skipping in an infinite loop and the whole system crashed and I had to reboot.
 
Microsoft has totally hosed the Windows 2000 app family with one of these updates.
 
I'm going to have to switch all of our Windows 2000 boxes from IE6/Media Player to Firefox/VLC.
 
That is going to be a ton of work.

[ledzep75]

I'm going to have to switch all of our Windows 2000 boxes from IE6/Media Player to Firefox/VLC.

You should have switched years ago! Who runs IE or WMP anymore? I had W2K until 2005, but after XP SP2 came out and Firefox 1.0. W2K was gone! I run W7 now.

[TexasRepublic]

I decided several years ago that connecting a Windows computer to the Internal is a risk, an expense and a continual hassle to keep secure. I still run fresh installs of Windows 2000 and XP on some older computers that are not connected to the ‘net. No need for upgrades, antivirus, firewalls, etc. Life is good. For all Internet access, I run Ubuntu Studio Linux on a dual-core Dell that originally came with Vista Ultimate installed. Life is good.

[don-o]

Both firefox and chrome will transfer your faves from IE.

[OldTypeAmerican]

XP is really pretty good. But I do still use 2000 Pro - mainly for virtual machines. Don’t have to pay microsoft hundreds of dollars for something I’m using on only 1 machine.

[OldTypeAmerican]

For print screen and pretty much any imaging needs - look at “irfanview” - it’s free and just about the best I’ve seen. And I’ve written more than 1 large document imaging system. It’s not quite as good as mine, but it’s better than most. IrfanView.