AstroSkipper

What do you mean by a regular SATA disk? O&O Defrag can execute the TRIM command only on SSD devices, and only if these are supported, of course. HDDs connected via SATA or IDE (PATA) can only be defragmented, logically.

@jaclaz Who is @LiveXP and what does your post have to do with TRIM under Windows XP? @AstroSkipper

Hello @Karla Sleutel! Here is the official statement from Brave: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/11197967945613-Sunsetting-support-for-Windows-7-and-8-8-1 Cheers, AstroSkipper

Here is a link explaining what Trimcheck actually does to prove whether a TRIM command was performed successfully or not: https://www.thessdreview.com/daily-news/latest-buzz/trimcheck-does-your-ssd-really-have-trim-working/ Maybe, it is useful for you to shed more light on this matter. Greetings, AstroSkipper

@Dietmar FYI, there are already three other threads on the subject of TRIM under Windows XP here in the forum. I don't know if you have looked through them yet. Here are the links: https://msfn.org/board/topic/181729-ssd-toolkit-for-xp/ https://msfn.org/board/topic/184168-trim-on-nvme-disk-under-winxp/#comment-1231474 https://msfn.org/board/topic/173482-can-windows-xp-pro-x86-safely-trim-an-ssd/ Cheers, AstroSkipper

I updated my post about 360 Total Security Essential 8.8.0.1119 to further specify the multiple antivirus engines (actually, there are five of them) used by this programme. One of them is the Avira AntiVir Engine which I will go into in a next post very soon. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Thanks for your reply! At the moment, it's absolutely no fun to have a conversation anymore. I only see messages telling me to wait x sec until I can reply where x is an integer growing with attempts to respond in a timely manner.

I found two links (German websites) abour TRIM under Windows XP: https://www.pcwelt-forum.de/threads/trim-bei-win-xp-ausfuehren-geloest.514205/index.html https://www.die-oswalds.de/blog/2019/09/25/windows-xp-und-die-ssd/#:~:text=Windows XP unterstützt noch kein,TRIM-Support vom OS überflüssig. And you can try out the manufacturer's tool Samsung Magician: https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/support/tools/ PS: Thanks to this new annoyance called Flood Control I had to wait 1400 sec to post this reply. No chance to reply as usual. Always a message about a too short time frame blablabla. I am really glad to be a normal member.

@Dietmar I forgot to ask whether TRIM is activated on your SSD at all. Try this cmd command to check it: fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify. If the output is 1, it is disabled. To activate TRIM use this command: fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0. Or, use a tool like SSD-Z if your SSD drive is supported.

Glad to hear that this tool is working under Windows XP. BTW, I use O&O Defrag Professional 17.5.559.0, too. A great defragmenter (although SSD drives do not need to be defragmented)! In any case, the best I ever used to optimise HDDs under Windows XP. But I do not use SSDs under Windows XP. Maybe, you try a tool from the manufacturer, in your case Samsung, to trim your SSD. If such a tool also failed, you would know that presumably a trim is not possible under this configuration (hardware and OS). Or, try to perform a trim using a Linux Live System via DVD! Linux works often much better if hardware problems occur. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Hello @Dietmar! Trimcheck does this job. I don't know if it is XP-compatible. But I think you will see it when starting this tool. The last/latest version is Trimcheck 0.7 which you can get here: http://files.thecybershadow.net/trimcheck/ Older versions are also available there. Cheers, AstroSkipper

The scan engine used in Wise Anti Malware comes from Avira. It has been used by many antimalware programmes in the past, such as 360 Total Security by Qihoo. To look at the whole thing in more detail, I made a small (legal!) modification to Wise Anti Malware 2.2.1 out of purely technical interest, which I will not go into here due to existing forum rules. With this modification, the programme was able to download the latest virus definitions with the notification "Updating", from which the local file local000.vdf was created with a size of approx. 107 MB. Here is a screenshot of Total Commander: Loaded by the service WiseMalService.exe, which initially took up only 29 MB of RAM, it now occupies around 800 MB of RAM, as can be seen in the next picture with the help of Process Hacker: Unfortunately, however, the scan engine of Wise Anti Malware could not be started again. Conclusion: a functioning Avira scan engine is missing and probably no longer available. As far as I know, Avira has stopped supporting 32-bit systems for some time. Read, for example, here: https://partnernews.sophos.com/en-us/2022/10/products/end-of-support-for-avira-32-bit-scan-engine/ That's probably why third-party providers like Qihoo have also removed it from their programmes. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Yep! I see it that way, too. Thanks for your research! Best regards, AstroSkipper!

Wise Anti Malware - Abandoned!? First, some information about Wise Anti Malware. It came in two versions: Wise Anti Malware Free which was free of charge and Wise Anti Malware Pro which was commercial. Both versions offered a real-time protection. The differences are explained below under the section Features. Wise Anti Malware was designed to help protect against adware, viruses, malware, phishing, ransomware, spyware and unwanted programs (PUP/PUA). It included Custom, Quick, and Full scanning capabilities to check your computer for signs of malware, adware, etc. Wise Anti Malware was and is compatible with Windows XP. Features: The most important feature of Wise Anti Malware is real-time protection, which is considered as the first guard to defend your PC against Malware threads. It has three shields, Malware detection, Adware detection, and Registry protection (Pro only). Malware shield: Detect and block malware threats by using the extensive databases of the renowned Avira virus scanner. Adware shield: Detect and block AD windows. Registry shield: Detect and prevent programs from adding new startup items into the registry (Pro only). Three scanning modes: Quick Scan, Full Scan, and Custom Scan. Adware cleaner: Removes annoying advertising programs, blocks intrusive pop-up ads, and resets redirected web browser homepages. System Cleaner: Efficiently removes leftover registry entries, temporary files, cookies, and cache files. The paid Pro version had two additional features: Auto-update database Registry protection Homepage: https://www.wisecleaner.com/wise-anti-malware.html Version number: 2.2.1 Date of release: 26.12.2019 System requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 (both 32-bit and 64-bit) Hardware requirements: CPU: Pentium 233 MHz or above RAM: 128 MB or above Disk Space: the minimum of the space for installing Wise Anti Malware is 500 MB Supported languages: English, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmal), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Version history: Reviews: https://www.techno360.in/wise-anti-malware/ https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/Wise-Anti-Malware.shtml Download link: https://downloads.wisecleaner.com/soft/WiseAntiMalware_FullInstaller.exe So much for the facts, which I had already researched some time ago, and therefore did not want to withhold from anyone. With version 2.2.1, all features were made freely available. Thus, the Free version became a free of charge Pro version. Actually great, if it weren't for the word if. I recently installed this version and examined it more closely. Unfortunately, I discovered some unpleasant things. According to the Wise Anti Malware homepage, the main interface should look like this: But unfortunately, the main interface of Wise Anti Malware 2.2.1 looks like that: No information about the last database update! This was apparently simply hidden in this version. Probably for good reasons. For comparison, I first installed the older version 2.1.8, and this entry was still there. After that, I installed Wise Anti Malware 2.2.1. When starting the programme, it should actually automatically download and initialise the scan engine, shown in the next screenshot: Unfortunately, the automatical download of the virus engine didn't happen. Only in the systray icon, when you hover over it with the mouse pointer, or in the tab Malware Scanner, a notification first says "The engine is starting" and after a while "Engine failed to start". And absolutely nothing about updating! These notifications are rather hidden, and the user does not even notice that the real-time protection is not started. This is definitely a no-go. And why do they still offer a non-working antimalware programme at all? At least for Windows XP. I don't understand that. Here are some screenshots to show these notifications: I reinstalled the programme, tried it more times, but nothing changed. Additionally, I followed some advices listed in the FAQ on their homepage. Unfortunately, without any success. Anyway! This version comes with definition updates from 23.11.2018, and the programme is neither able to start its scan engine nor to update its virus database. Therefore, I think Wise Anti Malware is abandoned and completely out of support. If anyone knows more, or the version works on their computers after all, please post here! Cheers, AstroSkipper

Shadow Defender Shadow Defender is an easy-to-use PC/laptop security and privacy protection tool for Windows operating systems. It provides an excellent way to prevent unwanted or malicious changes from being made to your PC/laptop. With Shadow Defender, one can run the system in a virtual environment, called Shadow Mode. And all the attacks will happen in the virtual environment, not in the real environment. If attacks happened, all the user needs to do is to reboot the system. After reboot, the system will be restored to the original state, as if nothing happened. And meanwhile the user can save any selected files and folders to the real environment. Shadow Defender is of course XP-compatible, unfortunately commercial, and its installer is a 30 days trial. Features: Prevent all viruses and malware. Surf the internet safely and eliminate unwanted traces. Protect your privacy. Eliminate system downtime and maintenance costs. Reboot to restore your system back to its original state. Homepage: http://www.shadowdefender.com/index.html Version number: 1.5.0.726 Date of release: 02.08.2020 System requirements: Windows 11 Windows 10 Windows 8, 8.1 Windows 7 SP1 with KB3033929 installed Windows Vista SP2 with KB2763674 installed Windows 2003 Windows XP Version history: http://www.shadowdefender.com/history.html Reviews: https://outwittrade.com/shadow-defender-review/ https://malwaretips.com/threads/shadow-defender-an-unobjective-review.93266/ Download links: Installer: http://www.shadowdefender.com/download/Setup.exe Language files: http://www.shadowdefender.com/download.html Screenshots: Shadow Defender is really easy to use. It has been installed in my system since 2013. However, I only use it when changes in my system are undesirable. I own the latest registered version which I received as part of a giveaway. Cheers, AstroSkipper

FYI, I checked the root cerificates for updates and noticed this: At first glance, it looks like the disallowedcert.sst (revoked certificates) file has been updated. I downloaded it and compared it with the previous version. The contents of the two files are the same. The only thing that has been changed is the file date and timestamp on the server. So, nothing new in the West. Cheers, AstroSkipper

I have tested Malware Hunter in version 1.172.0.790 on my system, and it is still compatible with Windows XP. Accordingly, I updated my article. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Update notification! Malware Hunter has been updated on 18.09.2023 and is now available in version 1.172.0.790. It is still listed to be compatible with Windows XP. Accordingly, I will update my article as soon as I can confirm its XP-compatibility. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Yep! FYI, if you want to discuss modifications, changes, corrections, or anything else related to legacy extensions for UXP browsers more deeply, then you can transfer your discussion about it to my thread Extensions and custom buttons for UXP browsers - Corrections, modifications, adjustments, and special recommendations, only if wanted, of course. That thread was created by me especially for this purpose. In the first post of my thread, you will find more information about it. However, @roytam1's thread here actually aims more at his browser editions, related issues, and rather rarely extensions. Anyway! Talking about legacy extensions here is not totally off-topic, either. Greetings, AstroSkipper

Months ago, I installed and checked 360 Total Security from Qihoo in the version 10.8.0.1541, which I didn't like, though. I wrote about it in the old antivirus thread. Now, there is a brand new version available, 360 Total Security 11.0.0.1042. Maybe, this one? In any case, it has a real-time protection function and is still listed to be compatible with Windows XP. But, be attentive during installation to deselect what you don't want, if that's possible!

That shouldn't really be the case, and I'm sorry about that, but I'm trying to prevent any misunderstandings, given the posts here. It is of course clear that Malwarebytes is no longer interested in old versions. They want to leave the era of Windows XP and Vista behind. If you have read my old posts about how I was treated in the Malwarebytes forum as a Windows XP user, especially by their moderators, there is no need for any further explanation. But there was also a small glimmer of hope where an ordinary member had apologised to me for his behaviour.

My statement about Malwarebytes' lifetime licence was meant only as an explanation why I prefer to use Malwarebytes Antimalware Premium under Windows XP, no more, no less. This kind of licence can't be obtained anymore. If you own such licence, there is no need for any annual premium subscription, though. As far as I know, the current premium licence to be purchased is valid for all versions, i.e. also for v1 and v3. This was always the case in the past, too. So if you buy a licence today, you can also use it for MBAM v3. This is the statement I received in the Malwarebytes forum from the moderators/administrators. But, as always, the proof is in the pudding. To confirm that one has to contact the support. BTW, the lifetime licence was a great "thing of the past", though. It even works with Malwarebytes v1 and will work with future versions under more recent OSs as already mentioned.

Based on my experience a few months ago, Panda Antivirus Free ran very well and did its job without any problems on my Windows XP SP3 32 Bit computer. It used very few system resources, which is very important for my old computer. I would install it again immediately if Malwarebytes one day stopped delivering virus definitions for the versions under Windows XP. Especially, when such a programme is free of charge. BTW, the main reason for using Malwarebytes is that I own a lifetime licence and can therefore use the real-time protection feature.

Since you neither use nor appreciate the use of antimalware programmes, as you stated very often in this thread and in others, and since you actually have never reported new suggestions in terms of security programmes to move this thread forward, except talking about the same, already mentioned programmes or making offtopic notes, I would like to know what you are actually trying to achieve here. This is the second time you have suggested closing/locking my thread. To speak plainly, one simply doesn't do that, and it's not your job in the capacity of a simple member. In fact, it is a disregard for the hard work I have done here and the time I have spent in researching, installing, fixing, writing, structuring and posting, only to help other people who are looking for security programmes under Windows XP. Besides, I don't think you would like to read such statements, as I quoted above only from your last post, in one of your threads. Would you? And It also doesn't matter at all whether you like my thread or not. So please, reconsider your actions here! Thanks! AstroSkipper

The reason is clearly stated in your quote. Forbes Advisor and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are both based in the US. The FCC's recommendation is crystal clear, and Forbes Advisor follows it. What more is there to explain? I think, actually, nothing at all.