AstroSkipper

Well, unfortunately, you can't always be lucky. In any case, a well-researched, detailed investigation of the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

Panda Dome is cloud-based, so there are no downloadable definition updates. WiseVector StopX has been abandoned, so you can't get any new definition updates. It is AI-based and only partly based on local definition updates. Furthermore, such downloadable definition updates were never offered anyway. For MWAV - eScan Antivirus Toolkit, have a look here: And here is the direct download link to the definition updates: http://www.microworldsystems.com/akdlm/download/tools/esupdatebd.exe Cheers, AstroSkipper

The links will probably change from time to time when an update or upgrade is due. I extracted the link to the offline installer from the online installer.

Have a look here: There is a download link to the offline installer. It's my most recent post. BTW, Panda Dome has been updated to the version 22.00.01.

You're welcome! The list with working security programs is most important and will be maintained by me as regularly as possible. I also count on members who notice that a program has been updated or abandoned. When I created this thread, I already added the tag "Antivirus" and others, so the search function should be able to find my thread. Therefore, it shouldn't actually be a problem. Thank you very much! Most of your listed programs are already on my internal list, though. But, any help is welcome! Thanks again! Much appreciated!

This thread and my new thread are quite different. So no need to close this topic! Maybe, there are members who prefer to post here as they always did. My new thread was not intended to make this one redundant. I think we will still see how things develop.

I have installed Malwarebytes Premium 3.5.1.2522 on my Windows XP computer and use its real-time protection. There is a three-layer protection: Web protection and Exploit protection are permanently activated, Malware protection only if I surf unknown or a bit dirty websites. So my real-time protection is a bit on-demand due to my underperforming computer.

Thank you for the flowers! I'll try to do my very best.

Ok! I totally forgot that. Same happened to me with the most recent New Moon some days ago but only once. Therefore, I did not pay any further attention to it.

You're welcome! Such a thread has been a need of mine for quite some time.

Panda Free Antivirus Panda Free Antivirus (recently also called Panda Dome) is a cloud-based antivirus application designed to protect the user without wasting resources. It is extremely light as all the work is done in the cloud. Panda Free Antivirus provides fast protection against the newest viruses thanks to its cloud-scanning from Panda servers. Even the most recent version of Panda Free Antivirus is still compatible with Windows XP (SP3 32 bit editions only). Features: Antivirus Protection - Real-time protection against all types of malware and spyware. Schedule periodic scans and/or scan your computer on demand. USB protection - Protect your PC by preventing the automatic execution of malware from USB drives. Scan all USB drives upon insertion. Panda rescue kit - Free PC recovery system. Run an advanced scan of your PC or create a rescue USB drive to boot and clean those infected computers that won’t even start. Multimedia/Game mode - This mode ensures you play or watch multimedia content without disturbance from your antivirus while remaining completely secure. Homepage: https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/homeusers/free-antivirus/ Version number: 23.00.00 Date of release: 22.12.2025 Previous versions: 21.01.00 released on 15.12.2021 22.00.01 released on 01.04.2023 22.01.01 released on 15.09.2023 22.02.00 released on 31.10.2023 22.02.01 released on 27.12.2023 22.03.00 released in 09.2024 22.03.01 released in 01.2025 22.03.02 released in 03.2025 22.03.03 released in 05.2025 22.03.04 released in 06.2025 22.03.05 released in 11.12.2025 System requirements: Compatible with: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP (SP3 or higher, 32 bit only). Compatibility with Windows XP 64 bit: As already confirmed by @WSC4 and @UCyborg, Panda Free Antivirus is unfortunately not fully compatible with Windows XP 64 bit editions. The installer doesn't seem to detect the already existing .NET Framework 4 installation. A .NET Framework reinstallation via the installer also fails. If you still want to use Panda Free Antivirus under Windows XP 64 bit, you need to make some changes for the installer to work properly, which @UCyborg has found out and described here: https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/?do=findComment&comment=1253877 Whether Panda Free Antivirus will run stably under Windows XP 64 bit is currently unclear and has to be confirmed yet. In any case, everything is without guarantee and at your own responsibility. Activation of the Panda account under Windows XP: Install my package ProxHTTPSProxy's PopMenu TLS 1.3 3V3. Inside the archive, there is a short and a long, more detailed user manual. The user should read it carefully. All in all, installing my package is very easy, and the configuring of the PopMenu is done automatically. When done, start the proxy. Finally, you have to set the proxy in Panda's settings menu. The address is 127.0.0.1 with the port 8079. You need this proxy only once for the activation. When done, you can delete the proxy settings and close the proxy. Release notes: New cloud-based disinfection engine New behavioral analysis engine in the free edition Improved offline protection Process monitor allows seeing Internet connections on a per process basis Improved performance and 50% faster scans Compatibility with newer versions of Windows New interface Ability to manage different licenses Reviews: https://www.experte.com/antivirus/panda https://www.lifewire.com/panda-free-antivirus-review-1356582 Tests: https://softwarelab.org/best-antivirus-software/ https://www.av-comparatives.org/vendors/panda/ https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/manufacturer/panda-security/ Download links: Online installer: https://repository.pandasecurity.com/Panda/FREEAV/193309/PANDAFREEAV.exe Offline installer: http://acs.pandasoftware.com/Panda/FREEAV/193309/FREEAV.exe, credits to @AstroSkipper http://acs.pandasoftware.com/Panda/FREEAV/Promo_pd/FREEAV.exe, credits to @VistaLover Legacy offline installer: http://acs.pandasoftware.com/Panda/FREEAV/Promo_pd/FREEAV_LGC.exe, credits to @AstroSkipper Here is a website where you can get the old offline installer of version 21.01.00: https://panda-free-antivirus.sooftware.com/windows/download/338378 Uninstaller: If you encounter problems installing Panda Antivirus Free and uninstalling it fails or is incomplete, you should use the Panda Dome Generic Uninstaller, which is available here: https://techsearch.pandasecurity.com/PandaKBView?id=kA1Vr00000064QjKAI Screenshot: Screenshots taken from version 22.03.05 under Windows XP: Panda Free Antivirus is based on new cloud computing concept in which services are provided over Internet. This new antivirus scans files through Internet which makes it very light on system resources. It also doesn’t need regular updating of virus definitions as it automatically updates the virus definitions in the cloud (remote server) and scans files using those latest virus definitions. The user should have a good speed Internet connection to fully utilize this new cloud based antivirus otherwise it won’t work. No problem if the user is offline, it’ll still protect the system from virus attack as it stores the virus definitions in local cache as well. The system load of Panda Free Antivirus is very low (lower than it was for example with WiseVector StopX), and the detection rate is supposed to be very good according to my research. I used it for a while, and it is definitely an option for Windows XP. Cheers, AstroSkipper P.S. from 20.12.2025: Important information My current recommendation is to use Panda Free Antivirus 20.02.01 or 21.01.00 on Windows XP instead of the latest version. Reasons for this recommendation can be read starting from this post: https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/page/83/#findComment-1284113

@roytam1Any site where it happens to report? Or under what circumstances happen that crashes? So far i do not experience any crashes here at all. Yep, I would be interested in more details, too. AFAICS, the most recent version of New Moon doesn't crash in my Windows XP system, either.

Thank you very much for the kind words! Thanks for this find! I will check it when more time is available. However, it is a very specialized program whose function should normally be covered by an antimalware program with background guard.

No, I am an atheist. No bible quotes here! You found this link: https://install.avcdn.net/avg/iavs9x-xp/avg_antivirus_free_setup_offline.exe I found that one: https://install.avcdn.net/avg/iavs9x-xp/avg_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe The words antivirus and free have been interchanged with each other. Your link downloads the version 18.8.4084.0, my link the version 17.9.3761.0. Conclusion: AVG is not able to give different installers reasonable names. TBH, I'm not surprised at all! Anyway! Good research and find! BTW, I can't recommend AVG Antivirus Free. It is unfortunately terrible and didn't work properly in my system. Makes quite good BSODs though!

I totally agree. As I already wrote, I hate online installers, too. But in your case, you could use the online installer to download all necessary files which usually are saved in Windows' temp folder. When all files have been downloaded, you can save these files and cancel the installation.

Sphinx Windows 10 Firewall Control XP Windows 10 Firewall Control XP is a great firewall from Sphinx in the form of a special version for Windows XP. This firewall allows the user to perfectly control all incoming and outgoing network connections. There is a preset of zones and rules, but you can additionally define custom ones according to your needs. Never again any unwanted or clandestine connections to other servers! Windows 10 Firewall Control XP 7.5 is the last working version in Windows XP. In terms of version 7.5, there are only two versions for Windows XP: the free version Windows 10 Firewall Control XP Free and the paid version Windows 10 Firewall Control Plus XP. Feature comparison: Features listed on Sphinx's homepage: 100% compatibilty with any Windows version from Windows 10 to Windows XP (special Windows XP edition) Easy to use Per-application security settings Light setup ~ 5MB, small memory footprint Automatic applications listing/prompting Permanent network activity monitoring and instant notifications of blocked/allowed network incoming/outgoing events Remote management, remote applications protection Automatic network activity detection and applications listing Strict network activity statistics for every application Zone based network permissions management Flexible permissions settings, 30+ predefined security zones for applications, single click the zones usage Ability to compose new security zones and update/modify the existing zones Detailed blocked/allowed events monitoring, management and logging. Instant notifications Complete IPv6 support Ability to manage applications permissions and control applications network activity locally and remotely Group zone and application permissions management Predefined mode for decreasing expenses of mobile/satellite internet connection Integration with Windows Explorer for direct access permission management Applications connections monitoring and management Automatic Port Forwarding-to-applications management/synchronization Homepage: https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/ https://web.archive.org/web/20151229143305/https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html Version number: 7.5.105.217 Date of creation: 06.01.2016, released in the period from 06.01.2016 to 10.01.2016 System requirements: Windows XP (32/64-bit,SP 1,2,3) and Windows Server 2003 (32/64-bit,SP 1,2) Version history and release notes: Reviews: https://msfn.org/board/topic/174417-sphinx-windows-er-10-firewall-control/?do=findComment&comment=1107771 https://chefkochblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/06/windows-10-firewall-control-review/ Download links: Download link of Windows 10 Firewall Control Free XP 7.5.105.217 (English version): https://www.sphinx-soft.com/download/W10FC7.5/Windows10FirewallControlFree-XP-Setup.exe Download link of Windows 10 Firewall Control Free XP 7.5.105.217 (German version): https://www.sphinx-soft.com/download/W10FC7.5.de/Windows10FirewallControlFree-de-XP-Setup.exe Download link of Windows 10 Firewall Control Plus XP 7.5.105.217 (English version): https://www.sphinx-soft.com/download/W10FC7.5/Windows10FirewallControlPlus-XP-Setup.exe Download link of Windows 10 Firewall Control Plus XP 7.5.105.217 (German version): https://www.sphinx-soft.com/download/W10FC7.5.de/Windows10FirewallControlPlus-de-XP-Setup.exe Older versions are still available here: https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html. In the lower right corner, you can select various older versions from their "Archive". Screenshots: More screenshots on https://web.archive.org/web/20151229143305/https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html by clicking onto the item "Screenshots". The paid Plus version is definitely worth its money. It is very light on system resources. The installer is totally unbloated and its size (English version) is only round about 5 MB. I use it for years, and for me it is the best firewall solution for Windows XP ever. Using Windows 10 Firewall Control XP Plus means to have full control about all incoming and outgoing connections in your system in a very convenient way. Here is a link from December of 2015 where you can compare the Free versus the Plus version and get more information: https://web.archive.org/web/20151229143305/https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/order.html A key for Windows 10 Firewall Control XP Plus has to be requested by contacting the support because it is no longer offered officially. I mention this due to the circumstance that a regular key doesn't work with the XP version. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Malwarebytes Free/Premium Malwarebytes is an antimalware program which comes in two versions: Malwarebytes Premium with real-time protection as a commercial version, and Malwarebytes Free without real-time protection in the form of freeware. Malwarebytes for Windows 3.5.1.2522 is the last XP-compatible version. It doesn't receive program updates anymore but still gets definition updates. Features of Malwarebytes Premium: Malwarebytes Premium offers a very powerful protection, fighting threats that are too advanced for standard antivirus products. It cleans infections, prevents future infections, blocks malicious websites, and hides from malware. Here is a short list of features: Outstanding three-layer protection (ransomeware protection is not supported in Windows XP). Removes malware and spyware. Real-time protection. Automatically finds malware. Stops exploit attacks. Shields against malicious websites. Exclusion list. Fast scan feature. Has a quarantine function Automatic updates. Malwarebytes Premium is a fully-fledged antimalware program (formerly antivirus program), which is sufficient to protect a computer against malware. Of course, other on-demand scanners can also be used, but preferably not those with a background guard, as otherwise, as always, incompatibilities can occur. Malwarebytes Free works like an offline scanner. You can manually scan your computer, partitions, folders or files on demand. It does not offer any real-time protection. Homepage: https://web.archive.org/web/20180516182016/https://www.malwarebytes.com/premium/ Version number: 3.5.1.2522 Date of release: 08.05.2018 System requirements: Windows 10 (32/64-bit) Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) Windows 8 (32/64-bit) Windows 7 (32/64-bit) Windows Vista (Service Pack 1 or later, 32/64-bit)* Windows XP (Service Pack 3 or later, 32-bit only)* Active Internet connection 800MHz CPU or faster, with SSE2 technology 2048 MB (64-bit OS), 1024 MB (32-bit OS, except 512 MB for Windows XP) 250 MB of free hard disk space 1024x768 or higher screen resolution Release notes: http://web.archive.org/web/20200928192157/https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039019013-Malwarebytes-for-Windows-3-5-1-Release-Notes Release history: http://web.archive.org/web/20201028173600/https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005863113-Release-History-News Review: https://www.ghacks.net/2018/05/23/a-look-at-malwarebytes-3-5-1/ Tests: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/manufacturer/malwarebytes/ Download link: https://data-cdn.mbamupdates.com/web/mb3-setup-legacy/mb3-setup-legacywos-3.5.1.2522-1.0.365-1.0.5292.exe Screenshot: Malwarebytes is not compatible with all security programs. In my case, I noticed a total incompatibility with avast! 18.8. That was the reason I didn't use the version 3.5.1.2522 for a long time. Since I got completely rid of avast!, cleaned my Windows XP system deeply and fixed some errors, Malwarebytes Premium is now my preferred antimalware solution, and I am satisfied with that at the moment. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Alphabetical list of programs that have recently been abandoned or should be avoided Name Version Type Date Link Reason Avast Free Antivirus 2015 10.4.2233.1299 AM+ 17.09.2015 Link Abandoned † November of 2023 Bitdefender Antivirus 1.0.21.1109 AM+ 19.04.2016 Link Abandoned Free Edition † EOL: December 2021 † EOS: June 30, 2022 eScanAV Anti-Virus 22.0.60 AM- OF 26.04.2023 Link Free version currently disabled Toolkit (MWAV) Kaspersky Free Antivirus 18.0.0.405 AM+ 27.08.2018 Link Should be avoided † June of 2023 Malwarebytes 1.75.0.1300 AM- 09.04.2013 Link Abandoned Anti-Malware Free † March of 2024 Malwarebytes 1.75.0.1300 AM+ 09.04.2013 Link Abandoned Anti-Malware Pro † March of 2024 Malwarebytes 2.2.1.1043 AM+ 18.03.2016 Link Abandoned Anti-Malware † May of 2022 Wise Anti Malware 2.2.1 AM+ 26.12.2019 Link Abandoned † EOS: After 2019, exact date unknown WiseVector StopX 3.0.7.0 AM+ 03.06.2022 Link Abandoned † January of 2023 Name Version Type Date Link Reason

Alphabetical list of programs that need to be tested for compatibility, features and support or whose installers have been lost Name Version Type Link Status Vir.IT eXplorer 9.5 AM-/AM+ Link Further detailed user experiences, Lite/Pro reviews, tests and screenshots needed Comodo Antivirus 12.x.x.x AM+ Link Further detailed user experiences and information Comodo Internet 12.x.x.x AM+ Link Further detailed user experiences Security and information Comodo Firewall x.x.x.x FW Link Further detailed user experiences and information Huorong Internet 6.0.2.3 AM+ Link Further detailed user experiences Security and information Trend Micro 1.2.2.1001 AM- Link Further detailed user experiences, Sysclean information, tests and screenshots needed

Alphabetical list of working antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP All explanations according to this list can be found in the first post of this thread. Name Version Type Licence Date Link 360 Total Security 8.8.0.1119 AM+ F 18.12.2019 Link Essential Avast Free Antivirus 18.8.4084.0 AM+ F 15.11.2018 Link Avast Internet Security 18.8.4084.0 AM+ C 15.11.2018 Link Avast Premier 18.8.4084.0 AM+ C 15.11.2018 Link AVG AntiVirus Free 18.8.4084.0 AM+ F 26.11.2018 Link Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4.18.184 FW F 14.02.2007 Link CurrPorts 2.77 CP F 13.12.2023 Link InSpectre 0.0.6675.8 SC F 21.04.2019 Link Look 'n' Stop Firewall 2.07 FW C 17.10.2009 Link Malware Hunter 1.185.0.807 AM- OF F 17.06.2024 Link Malware Hunter Pro 1.185.0.807 AM+ C 17.06.2024 Link Malwarebytes Free 3.5.1.2522 AM- OF F 08.05.2018 Link Malwarebytes Premium 3.5.1.2522 AM+ C 08.05.2018 Link Panda Free Antivirus 23.00.00 AM+ F 22.12.2025 Link PC Tools Firewall Plus 7.0.0.123 FW F 01.12.2010 Link Process Hacker 2.39 (r124) MF CP O 29.03.2016 Link RogueKiller 15.19.2 AM- OF F 06.11.2024 Link Anti-Malware Free RogueKiller 15.19.2 AM+ C 06.11.2024 Link Anti-Malware Premium Shadow Defender 1.5.0.726 VP C 02.08.2020 Link Spectre Online SC F 08.01.2018 Link Browser Test Spybot – Search & 2.4.40.0 AM- OF F 01.07.2014 Link Destroy Free Edition SUPERAntiSpyware 10.0.1266 AM- OF F 29.04.2024 Link Free Edition SUPERAntiSpyware 10.0.1266 AM+ C 29.04.2024 Link Professional X Edition Ultra Adware Killer 10.7.7.0 SP F 09.05.2023 Link Ultra Virus Killer 11.9.8.0 MF F 29.03.2023 Link Windows 10 Firewall 7.5.105.217 FW F 06.01.2016 Link Control Free XP Windows 10 Firewall 7.5.105.217 FW C 06.01.2016 Link Control Plus XP Zemana AntiMalware 2.74.2.150 AM- F 21.08.2017 Link Free Zemana AntiMalware 2.74.2.150 AM+ C 21.08.2017 Link Premium Name Version Type Licence Date Link

Antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP working in 2023 and hopefully beyond I hereby open a new thread on the topic of security programs for Windows XP. I have been thinking about that for a longer time, and then I decided to tackle this project. Windows XP is a very old operating system and a deeper knowledge of how to make it more secure is very important in my opinion. Therefore, I think it makes sense to get an overview of all the security programs still available for Windows XP. The thread "Which Antiviruses are Known for a Fact to be Working on XP SP3 as of 2019?", where I have previously written frequently about antivirus programs, has become rather bloated and confusing due to many informationless posts, is mainly focused on the topic of antivirus programs for Windows XP and has been completely unstructured from the very beginning. It is good to have such a thread full of different information for reference but there are many posts either outdated, incomplete or off-topic. Therefore, I have decided to start a completely different thread from scratch. I deliberately chose the term antimalware in the title of this topic. In these days, most so-called antivirus programs can not only identify computer viruses, but also trojans, worms, rootkits, exploits, spyware, and so on. Generally speaking: a virus is a malware, but a malware is not always a virus. Therefore, malware is a generic term for any malicious software, including viruses. For many years now, the so-called antivirus programs have actually been antimalware programs. In any case, this new topic here is about antimalware, firewall and other security programs for Windows XP. Under the term other security programs, I include among others security suites like internet security and total security, antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit, anti-exploit, online and offline scanner, ad blocker, protection layer, virtualization, security check and control programs and so on that make the use of Windows XP safer. And to avoid any misunderstanding, the main focus in this thread is on the concept of security. Those security programs that have been officially classified as insecure or not trustworthy are not the subject of consideration here, of course. Furthermore, many of these security programs can no longer be clearly classified in one of these categories due to their multifunctionality. I therefore define the following categories and their abbreviations: AM+ = Antimalware program with real-time protection AM- = Antimalware program without real-time protection SP = Specialized program (focused on one main antimalware function) IS = Internet Security TS = Total Security ON = Online scanner OF = Offline scanner AB = Ad blocker FW = Firewall VP = Virtualization program PL = Protection layer program SC = Security check program CP = Control program MF = Multifunctional program In addition, for the sake of simplicity, I define the following licence types and their abbreviations, reduced to the essentials: C = Commercial (any payment software including shareware) F = Free D = Donationware O = Open source In the second post of this thread, I will provide and maintain an alphabetical list of working antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP which were each presented in a corresponding post here. This list has the following columns: Name, Version, Type, Date and Link. Name means the name of the program, Version means its last/latest version, Type means its license type, Date means its last/latest date of release or creation (in some cases, there is no date of release available anymore) and Link means the link to its corresponding post here in this thread. I will only include programs in this list that receive updates in some form, be it program updates, definition updates or database updates. With the exception, of course, that there are also programs that do not necessarily need such updates. In the third post of this thread, I will create and maintain an alphabetical list of programs that need to be tested for compatibility, features and support or whose installers have been lost and therefore could not be tested. In the fourth post of this thread, I will create an alphabetical list of programs that have recently been abandoned or should be avoided. Some of them should only be used for a while or be avoided due to security reasons. This project is very extensive and involves a lot of work. In-depth research in particular is very time-consuming, but necessary. So be patient, especially if the list of programs fills up slowly! As always: Good things come to those who wait. And just for clarification, I will not check all the programs myself to see if they can be installed properly and work, of course. Here, other members can make a perfect contribution with their knowledge or experiences already made. Furthermore, all the programs I have listed are not necessarily to be understood as recommendations. Basically, they are simply options that are still available for Windows XP. Because we all know that most manufacturers of security software have long since given up on Windows XP. If I personally consider a program to be good, I will express this in its relevant post. More about that here: Any discussions, questions or suggestions about security programs for Windows XP are explicitly welcome. But one thing must be very clear, everything should relate to this topic. Just for clarification, insulting, provocative or completely off-topic posts (especially about operating systems other than Windows XP) will not be tolerated. That means, please stay on topic! This thread is intended to be a well-structured source of information where readers can get ideas on how to make their old Windows XP a bit more secure. If you like this thread, or you find it interesting and helpful, I would appreciate any contribution, be it a comment, a like or an upvote. Thanks for your interest! Windows XP forever! Kind regards, AstroSkipper

Yep! At least, I think so.

I think @D.Draker actually meant @UCyborg but he mixed it up a bit as @UCyborg is from Slovenia. Yep, that's why I am on the sunny side of the street. The motherboard of my old computer is from 2000. Therefore, no problems here to use all old DOS tools. It must be an advantage to be a dinosaur for once. By the way, HDAT2 has always been part of my emergency collection of CDs/DVDs.

No, unfortunately not. I always use the forum search to find a program I am looking for here in this thread. The problem with such a list is its regular maintainance, which is a lot of work, of course. And there are only a few members who would take on such work.

You're welcome! To write about Total Commander was a personal concern for me. Absolutely! I totally agree. Simply unbelievable! I don't know that from any other program. I think so, too.