Windows XP SP1 is not a secure operating system. You really would be safer on the web if you could update to SP3 or at least SP2. Maybe you can get help with that on a Windows site such as Windows Secrets Lounge: Windows XP | Windows Secrets Lounge.

With respect to Firefox 12, it's got a few known security issues now, and more will accumulate...

Firefox is the name. Foxfire is a bio-luminescent fungus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxfire_(bioluminescence)

i cannot b/c a long time ago i had problems w/comp. and a 'geek' friend partitioned my HD into C and D. fine, right? wrong. he put windows and all related windows stuff onto 'D'. and put my pix's and stuff like that on 'C'. so...when i d/led sp2....all my 'C' pix's and stuff disappeared. gone! my printers were even gone! my cameras were gone! even my external HD was gone! nothing showed up! all gone!!!!! when i went into F8...it was still all there. but ya can't work in F8! so 'geek' friend had to delete sp2. thats why i have only sp1. i contacted microsoft and ya should well know what their answer was.....REFORMAT! no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oops! sorry....my bad! in my area there is a beautiful golf club...(i don't play golf)...near by. its called 'FoxFire'. i make this 'oops' all the time and i apologize for the blooper.

now that i apologized....do you have any kind of an answer for my problem? will i still be able to have FireFox as my browser? if i don't update to 13?

Firefox 12 will not delete itself from your computer, at least I don't think it will, so you will have it for a while. Make sure to turn off automatic updating.

Regarding your hard drive, I wonder whether a tool like Partition Master could swap things around successfully? I've never used it for anything drastic, so maybe ask around on some forums for guidance. http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

thanks for the info. i'll go there and check on it. i am willing to d/l sp2....but dear 'ole comp has a problem with it. altho i am done with windows/IE/microsoft.....i really do like this FireFox browser! ok....i am somewhat comp ok....but not entirely....how do i shut off the auto updates? and why is it that the new '13' can't/isn't compatible with sp1 also? why didn't the creator put sp1 into the package? i can't be the only one out there to have this problem....that they can't update to sp2 or sp3. life in comp land is never perfect.......?!

Mozilla probably has some documentation on why SP2 and later, but I can't recall reading about it. Between the wiki, the support site, the bug system and various blogs, details like that can be hard to track down sometimes.

To change your update settings, check here:

orange Firefox button or classic Tools menu > Options > Advanced > Update

thanks....i did what you said and changed it to "check for updates........"

i know what you mean about the blogs...etc. thats why i am here and not there. its way too confusing and none answers my questions...or helps solve the problem. i went to that web-site and there is some software called EaseUS that says you can change the letters in the partition. but then...it gives me a thousand different versions and i don't know which one to order/d-l/or whatever....too much input....too many choices...i am totally confused. these software companies must think all comp people know what they are doing...and in my case thats not true....my learning came with trial and big error! so....there is one out there that may help me....but which one and am i brave enough to do this on my own? i dunno!

they have one thats for "windows server"....am i that? all i have is a 32bit 512ram windows xp sp1 home edition with IE 6...(yup, 6...don't laugh) with my HD partitioned to 'C' and 'D' with an external HD labeled as 'H'....and cameras and printers....etc. i am so confused! sherriey

On Easeus, I got the one that's free for personal use. It was handy when upgrading the hard drive in my computer, but I just needed to resize things, I didn't need to switch them around. You probably should try the Windows forum I mentioned earlier.

Even with your partitions switched around you, should be able to install SP2 and 3. If not (or you can't figure it out), taking your computer to a reputable local repair shop, they should be able to get it working. Using multiple partitions usually is best reserved for when you need it and when you know how to work with them :) Running windows so far behind on updates is horribly insecure.

Firefox 13 is compiled using Visual studio 2010 (instead of 2005). This gives better performance and less memory usage, but also requires a modern operating system to run.

well, maybe so...on your comp...but i did see my own and witnessed what i earlier wrote. i had a very good comp tech (geek friend) from the local university work on it and i know what i saw and what happened. he is good at what he does. i have no question of that or he wouldn't have been messing with my comp. so its not a question of not knowing what he was doing. i am the dumb one here.....and i don't mess with what i do not know about...i let others with the knowledge do it. i know my comp is way out dated and i realize the consequences. but it is as it is....for now. when i can AFFORD to send it to a comp REPAIR shop....i may try this. thanks for the thought. as far as not knowing how to work with partitions.....i believe i am not that dumb. there is a reason why its partitioned...its b/c I wanted it that way! don't judge lest you know! thanks for the repair shop advice. i will look around and ASK QUESTIONS to see if this is at all possible.