Windows XP future security.

[#1]

I have XP Pro and a few days ago I installed Comodo Firewall Free and I use Avast Free...Comodo works perfectly fine alongside Avast.
Plus Avast have said that they will continue to support XP for at least the next 3 years.
http://blog.avast.com/2014/03/12/avast-will-continue-to-support-windows-xp-for-home-and-business-use...

[#2]

I'm not an IT expert - as in a professional, but have experience of looking after PC's since the MSDOS and all versions of windows etc.
But I have read that many are saying that XP even with the best Internet security package will become increasingly vulnerable. Thy are saying that the people who write the malware will study the updates MS makes to Wind Vista, 7 & 8 etc and reverse engineer the patches to see where the vulnerabilities are in the code and use that to write code to attack WIndows XP .
My main PC is running Win 8.1 now but I have got hold of a legal Win 7 disc with license and will install that on a secondary machine and I have read that you still still get legal copies of Win 7 for about £70  - - evn Amazon seems to be selling it direct ( not some of the dubious other vendors on there) . Seems like a reasonable investment to me to give a PC extended support from MS uuntil 2020.

update - I just read this article and it seems very detailed and interesting :
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2014/apr/11/how-can-i-use-windows-xp-safely-now-its-no...

[#3]

I didn't update my XP for like a year or just over and I never had any problems...and I go to some sites that some say you shouldn't for downloads.
With Comodo Firewall Free and Avast Free I should be alright.

[#4]

Curiously my XP machine updated yesterday - surely that's after the cut-off date? There were five updates - they all looked genuine...

[#5]

Di you not have an update on Tuesday evening or since ? - maybe it took a couple of days to do it

[#6]

I've checked - it was definitely yesterday - "Add or Remove Programs" is showing "Security Update for Windows XP (KB2922229) Installed On 10/4/14"
The computer is left on 24/7 and is set to automatically install at 03.00 each day. I triggered the update yesterday when I saw the icon in the task bar. It must have come in after 3am on 10/4/14...
I can only conclude it took a while to issue this set of updates.

[#7]

My XP drive has installed the last updates from Microsoft & I've now disabled the wireless & lan on it so it can't go online, seeing as I only ever use XP for one purpose that doesn't even involve going online it should be fine 

[#8]

You will still be able to download and install all the old Windows Updates - there just won't be any new ones.
It seems you can avoid scaremongering messages from Microsoft Security Essentials by uninstalling it, downloading version 4.4 and not installing the 4.5 update.