Pale Moon 26 and POSReady2009

Support board for people running on (retail/OEM) Windows XP (32/64-bit).
Forum rules
This is a self-serve support board for our community. The development team can't provide any support for Windows XP (and compatible versions of Pale Moon for it) any longer.
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Moonchild
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Pale Moon 26 and POSReady2009

Unread post by Moonchild » 2016-01-26, 16:10

Because this is likely going to be a common question for this release:

Pale Moon 26.0.0 will not run on POSReady2009
You will receive an error "Unsupported operating system" and the browser will not start.

This includes Windows XP versions that have been "hacked" to get updates from Microsoft (a dangerous thing to do, to begin with, because you've been and are being served updates that are not meant for your operating system version).
POSReady2009 has never been a valid target OS for Pale Moon. See also: http://www.palemoon.org/PM_end_of_WinXP_support.shtml

Please understand:
  • This is a decision that has been made a long time ago for technical compatibility reasons and Pale Moon's intended audience (desktop users).
  • We cannot and will not provide support for an unsupported OS meant for embedded use, or for a supported OS with a wholly untested, unrecommended, and unsupported mix of components from different versions.
  • "Hacked" versions of Windows XP are not significantly safer than properly supported Windows XP versions that no longer get updates from Microsoft. The updates are catered specifically for a different OS version and not for desktop use. In fact, it's quite possible you are more vulnerable to exploits with an untested mix of components than if you had used only retail components.
  • This is a decision that some people think is done on purpose "out of spite" or even rumored "because of a pay-off from Microsoft"... What nonsense! :x
    Please take your drama elsewhere, thanks.
If you fell into the trap of thinking that a registry entry suddenly made your Windows XP a different OS and getting free and applicable security updates for it, then I hate to disappoint you - if you've paid any attention to any of the articles published about this hack, then you would have seen Microsoft's response to it.

How do I get back to a supported operating system if I've previously hacked XP this way?

To do this properly, you have to:
  1. Undo the registry hack
  2. Reinstall Windows XP SP3 on top of your existing installation (a so-called "overlay install")
  3. Reinstall all hotfixes and updates for retail Windows XP from the SP3 point to EoL
Points 2 and 3 ensure that you restore intended and correct versions of all libraries and modules in your Windows that may have been replaced or overwritten with POSReady versions.
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
"Linux makes everything difficult." -- Lyceus Anubite

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Moonchild
Pale Moon guru
Pale Moon guru
Posts: 35477
Joined: 2011-08-28, 17:27
Location: Motala, SE
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Re: Pale Moon 26 and POSReady2009

Unread post by Moonchild » 2016-01-28, 04:12

After deliberation, not to mention some heated debate, I will remove the compatibility check from the browser in the next point release (26.0.1).
This means that the risk of serious incompatibilities and the responsibility for it will rest on your, the user's, shoulders.

My strong recommendation to revert to a retail Windows XP setup without POSReady2009 updates having replaced system components still stands, but in the end it will be your choice to put yourself at risk of losing a Working OS setup in an update meant to improve your platform, which is a real and inherent risk of continuing to mix and match components from 2 different SKUs that Microsoft never tests.
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
"Linux makes everything difficult." -- Lyceus Anubite

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