Mr. Modem: Windows XP, like other good things, must come to an end

I know you’re probably sick of hearing from us XP-user cry babies, but if Microsoft was losing money on XP, why didn’t they just charge XP users and continue supporting it?

Windows XP was one of Microsoft’s most successful products ever, so MS was definitely not losing money on it. We should all lose so much money.

Microsoft discontinued support for XP because as an operating system, it simply ran its course and it was time for the company to move on — exactly as it had stated it would do.

Microsoft has always announced when product support will end long in advance. For example, Windows 7 support will stop Jan. 14, 2020, and support for Windows 8 will stop Jan. 10, 2023. Better mark your calendar now.

I have been using Internet Explorer 9 and Yahoo! Mail for quite some time. Now, when I try to sign in, IE won’t remember my username and password like it used to, yet it remembers that information at other websites. Can you help?

Here are three quick things to check: First, make sure you have the box checked that instructs Yahoo! to remember your username and password. It appears immediately below the sign-in area and says “Keep me signed in.”

Also, look under Internet Options in Internet Explorer. On the General tab, make sure you do not have it configured to delete your browsing history when you close the browser.

Lastly, on the Content tab, click the Auto Complete Settings button, then make sure you are permitting IE to remember passwords. In addition to those three items, I would recommend upgrading to the current version of IE, which you can download from Microsoft.com (www.microsoft.com).

Are you familiar with Blackphone and Dark Mail, supposedly super-secure email? A friend suggested I use them instead of the more common forms of email.

Yes, I am aware of both, but I just can’t get excited about “privacy concerns” to that extreme. I frequently hear from people who think that by encrypting all their email, their “important” communication will elude prying eyes. Pulleeze!

Here’s your reality check: Everything we do online leaves a trail. If somebody is in a perpetual tizzy (it’s a psychiatric term) about privacy online, they would be better served by not being online in the first place.

Think of it this way: Companies such as Target, Home Depot, MasterCard, American Express and governments that spend millions of dollars every year on security still get hacked, so why would anybody think some dinky product for the home user is going to be more secure?

I think it’s easier to simply accept the fact that whatever we do online leaves a trail, then relax, have fun and enjoy life online. Remember, too, that just because you leave an online trail doesn’t mean anybody is following it. Personally, I welcome all snoops. If they want to monitor my email, they will be bored to tears, which would serve them right.

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Mr. Modem: Windows XP, like other good things, must come to an end."