I run sidux on half of my computers, but I do run XP on some (because of some software I have to run). I'm not worried about these, but I do have one system that is running Windows 2000 and it will be difficult to migrate it to a different OS. It's connected to the internet. Is it relatively safe to continue to use Windows 2000? I've really had no issues, but it seems to me that the system is responding a little slower nowadays and I'm not sure if it's just perception or if I have a rootkit, virus, or other malware installed.
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It's relatively safe to run windows 2000 if it's behind a router with a hardware firewall.

Sometimes just to be extra safe I'll install zone alarm too, just because it works pretty well.

Other than that I find windows to be just about as safe as the person running it, as long as you do a few basic security things, first, hardware/router firewall, second decent antivirus, avg is fine for most people. nod32 is good if you want to pay. Well, it's excellent, not just good.

If kids or teenagers access the computer though, forget it, all bets are off, their fondness for trading stupid things via IM or whatever makes protecting any kid/teenager infected system almost impossible.

Of courses, as I've now found by helping my friends, using firefox removes most spyware install issues, and, if you can do it, using thunderbird email client set to view emails in text only mode removes almost all virus related risks. But even in regular mode using thunderbird is much safer than outlook/outlook express. I explain to people that the blue e actually stands for evil, and to never use it, except for running windows update, and a few sites that require say windows media player plugin or something.

See the antivirus and spyware thread for links and recommended products.
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techAdmin's advice about teenagers is IMPORTANT for all users of Windows and "importander" for all who use those OS "connected to the internet".

Maybe it's safer to use only Linux/OSX "connected to the internet" and let Windows without any contact to the bad world outside.

I used Windows 98 from 1998 to 2006, but I installed Kanotix/sidux because it wasn't possible to make this OS safe enough with an Internet connection. Of course you can use Windows 2000 behind a router with a hardware firewall.
But even if you use it with Firefox/Thunderbird you should use a few add-ons. In Firefox you can use ABP (Add Block Plus) and NoScript.
In Thunderbird you should use also ABP and please use Edit-> Account settings -> server settings -> Fetch headers only. So you can see the sender of a mail before his message arrive. It is also possible to let your Internet provider scan your mailbox on their server before you'll get them on your pc.
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Sounds good. Thank you both for your input. My kids are not teenagers yet, so I'm safe.... for a while.

;)
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