Dave-H

Thanks, it will be in a while now, but I will report back!

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind! I was just thinking that making another Chromium browser the default, even a very old one, would be a better starting point than doing it with Internet Explorer.

Thanks. What I was thinking of doing, as I still have Google Chrome 49 installed on the XP system, and it does have the mechanism to make it the default browser, is to try making that the default browser temporarily, check that works properly with links, and then go through the registry changing all of its entries to point to Thorium instead. Does that sound like a plan?

That's correct, no pages will open at all, even internal ones like settings. They just crash. Here's the registry keys' contents you asked for. Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\AnimExtensions] "."="dxmasf.dll,150" ".asf"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".asp"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".asx"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".nsc"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wax"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wm"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wma"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wmv"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wmx"="dxmasf.dll,150" ".wvx"="dxmasf.dll,150" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\Extensions] ".mka"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".mkv"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".webm"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".mp4"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".mov"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".3gp"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".oga"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".ogg"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".ogm"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".ogv"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".ts"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" ".m2ts"="{B98D13E7-55DB-4385-A33D-09FD1BA26338}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command] @="\"D:\\Program Files\\Thorium\\ThorLoad.exe\" \"%1\"" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\ddeexec] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\ddeexec\Application] @="Thorium" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic] @="WWW_OpenURL" Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\command] @="\"D:\\Program Files\\Thorium\\ThorLoad.exe\" \"%1\"" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\ddeexec] [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\ddeexec\Application] @="Thorium" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\ddeexec\Topic] @="WWW_OpenURL" Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ThoriumHTML\shell\open\command] @="\"D:\\Program Files\\Thorium\\ThorLoad.exe\" \"%1\"" Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Thorium\shell\open\command] @="\"D:\\Program Files\\Thorium\\Chrome\\Application\\Thorium.exe\" \"%1\"" As you can see, I've called the loader file 'ThorLoad.exe'. This is its entry in StartMenuInternet. I didn't generate that, the system presumably did. It has no '%1' at the end for some reason. Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\ThorLoad.exe\shell\open\command] @="\"D:\\Program Files\\Thorium\\ThorLoad.exe\""

Ah, now I remember from the ProxHTTPSProxy testing! I tend to always put quotes around paths if they have spaces in them simply out of habit as you have to in Windows Explorer command lines. I've always assumed it's some ancient compatibility bug dating from DOS file names! I have found cases before where putting quotes around things actually stops them working though, especially in INI files. I've checked all the registry entries, and compared them with those in HKLM.reg and HKCR.reg supplied with Thorium, and all seems to match, other than the fact that I'm calling the loader, not Thorium.exe of course. All the file associations seem to be correct, and run Thorium correctly when used. What is not working is running Thorium from embedded links in documents. I can launch a PDF file, for instance, absolutely fine from the right click 'open with' dialogue, and it opens correctly in Thorium instead of my default PDF reader. However, if I launch a PDF document in the PDF reader, containing links, and then click on one of the links in the document, which worked fine in 360Chrome, it opens Thorium incorrectly. I get this - And if I try to open a page, even an internal one like the settings page, I get this - The registry entries which seem to determine what runs when a web link is licked, seem to be HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https. If I put the 360Chrome run command in the shell\open\command entry, 360Chrome opens links fine. If I put the Thorium loader command in the same place, it doesn't open Thorium properly. I really cannot understand why. I don't know how important the --single-argument switch is BTW. I tried adding it, and it made no difference.

Now I'm even more puzzled. The reason why the Profile= line entry didn't have quotes around it was because it didn't have quotes around it in the original 360Loader INI file. I've tried using your corrected code, and it doesn't work, Thorium runs but does not use the correct User Data folder, and creates a new one in D:\Program Files\Thorium\Chrome\Application\Default. It should be in D:\Program Files\Thorium\Chrome\User Data. And I'm sorry but I have no idea what the 'Space Bug' refers to! Sorry to be so thick.

OK, I'm back again, and would like to solve this annoying problem with running Thorium from links in documents. This is what I'm using in the loader INI file at the moment, [Setup] AppName=Thorium [FileToRun] PathToExe=.\Chrome\Application\$AppName$.exe Parameters=--user-data-dir="D:\Program Files\Thorium\Chrome\User Data" --no-proxy-server /high-dpi-support=1 /force-device-scale-factor=1 --disable-component-update--use-angle=d3d9 --ignore-gpu-blocklist [Environment] Profile=.\Chrome\User Data That works fine to run the browser with the correct parameters from a shortcut or command line, but not from a link in a document. I remember @AstroSkipper you were saying something about using a different method of defining the User Data folder location? I'm sorry, but I didn't really follow what you were suggesting.

Yes, I will keep on using Malwarebytes 3.5.1 until I think that the definitions it's using are too out of date to be effective protection. I'm open to suggestions for alternatives, I don't even mind paid options as long as the subscription is not too expensive. I would like to protect the XP installations on my main desktop and on my netbook. The one security program I never had any luck with in the past was Avast/AVG which I just could not get to work on my desktop (the main service refused to start, and the cause was never identified). I could try it again, and I do have an account with Avast (I use it on my smartphone). I don't know how usable it is on XP now though.

Surely now you're much better off using Thorium or Supermium on XP. At least they're using relatively up-to-date Chromium versions.

1.0.39678 is indeed the last pattern version I have. I too was very annoyed at the lack of notice of this. I always knew pattern update support would be ended at some point, of course, but always assumed we'd get at least a few weeks notice when it was about to happen. Just suddenly pulling the plug like that is very unprofessional in my opinion, especially for those like me who are still paying a subscription for the service!

The time has finally come. Definition updates for Malwarebytes Premium 3.5.1, the last XP compatible version, have finally ended. https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/315390-resolved-malwarebytes-351-not-updating-definitions-again/?do=findComment&comment=1653739

Thanks! I am about to go away for a few days, so I will have to take this further when I get back on Thursday evening. Cheers, Dave.

I'm not sure how to get that 'open with' context menu available on a link, but it certainly works fine with files in Windows Explorer. However, if there is a link to a file (or a web address) in an e-mail in my e-mail program, clicking on that opens Thorium incorrectly. The same happens with a link in a Word document or PDF file. The environment variable doesn't need to be there in the INI file of course, I was just slavishly copying the original file! The User Data folder path is of course in the switches. I will remove the [Environment] section.

Thanks @NotHereToPlayGames and @AstroSkipper. I am actually now using the loader file that came with 360Chrome to load Thorium, with a suitably edited INI file of course. [Setup] AppName=Thorium [FileToRun] PathToExe=.\Chrome\Application\$AppName$.exe Parameters=--user-data-dir="D:\Program Files\Thorium\Chrome\User Data" --no-proxy-server /high-dpi-support=1 /force-device-scale-factor=1 --disable-component-update --use-angle=d3d9 --ignore-gpu-blocklist --single-argument [Environment] Profile=.\Chrome\User Data It seems to work fine, and saves me having to append all the start-up switches to the command lines in the registry! Running it this way makes no difference to the problem though, a command line from the registry does not launch Thorium properly, but exactly the same command line in a shortcut or a 'run' command works fine! This is what I can't get my head around. I added the --single-argument switch to see if that made any difference, but it doesn't.

Done (I hope!) I can't do anything about the order the posts appear in. The forum software just puts them in strict chronological order.

Same issue I'm afraid, Thorium will still not run properly from e-mail links. That's a great program though, I love the way you can just undo what it's done with a singe click!

I'm afraid I have no idea about this. IIRC there was a report made about some links posted, which may or may not have been connected, but now I can't even find that, so I'm afraid I'm as puzzled as everyone else as to what happened here!

Thanks! I already tried this utility - https://github.com/SiL3NC3/PortableRegistrator It produced the same errors when Thorium was run from a link. I will try the one you suggest, especially as it is designed specifically for XP!

I am trying to replace 360Chrome with Thorium as the default browser on my Windows XP installation. Neither browser has a native in-built mechanism to do this of course. I did it with 360Chrome by editing the necessary registry entries, and it has always worked fine since I did that, opening the HTM and HTML files from Windows Explorer, and opening links in e-mails and documents. I'm now trying to replicate that with Thorium, but I've run into a puzzling problem. I've managed to get files to open in Thorium absolutely fine, but what I cannot get working is the opening of links in e-mails and documents. I've been through the registry entries, and everything looks OK, but when I click on a link in an e-mail message say, Thorium opens but it's badly malfunctioning. Immediately I get two pop-ups telling me that two extensions have crashed (Trusteer Rapport and uBlock Origin). All the other extensions seems to be OK. More seriously, if I try to open any tabs, even internal ones like the settings, they immediately crash, with 'Error code: 0xC0150004'. This is one of those useless codes which just tells you that something went wrong, without telling you what the problem actually was! The registry entry which controls what opens when links embedded in messages are clicked seems to be (for HTTPS) HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https. If I change the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\command entry, the program which opens changes. At the moment it's set to run 360Chrome, which opens and works fine. If I put the equivalent string in to run Thorium, it opens but malfunctions as above. Putting exactly the same string into the 'Run' box and running it works perfectly! Has anyone any clue what's happening here? This makes no sense at all to me!

Ah, right. My instructions still apply, of course, wherever the 360Chrome User Data folder is!

FWIW, I just use the latest standard Google Chrome on Windows 10. I used to use Firefox there, but Chrome has the big advantage that it now syncs with my installations of Thorium and Supermium on XP, which is great! This would not of course be a configuration that anyone concerned about privacy would want to use, but it's fine for me. @DrWho3000 If you want to use Thorium on Windows 10 that's your choice of course. I assumed you'd already done it, but if you haven't, you need to find Thorium's User Data folder, which should be in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Thorium (I think, I don't keep it there!) Rename it in case you have to restore it, to say 'User Data Old'. Then find the equivalent User Data folder for 360Chrome, which again should be in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\360Chrome. Copy and paste the whole User Data folder to where the Thorium one was, run Thorium and see what happens. Good luck!

The files are in the User Data\Default folder. Passwords are in the 'Login Data' file. The Cache is in the 'Cache' folder, not surprisingly! I don't know where cookies are stored, but I'm sure a quick Google search (other search engines are available) will tell you. If Thorium is much slower using the user data from 360Chrome than it was before, try disabling all the extensions and see if it speeds up. You may have had extensions in 360Chrome which don't play well with Thorium. It took me a bit of tweaking to get that right, but using the 360Chrome data was a good starting point, and all my bookmarks and saved password data carried across fine.

Sorry, my faulty memory! The last two updates I quoted were delivered by Microsoft Update on Windows XP. I also at that time had Office 2010 installed on the Windows 10 side of my multi-boot machine. I carried on getting updates on Windows 10 for quite a while after the updates stopped on Windows XP. Apologies for the confusion!

The very last two updates I installed from Microsoft Update for Office 2010 were on 26th September 2020. They were KB4092435 for PowerPoint and KB4484487 for Outlook.

When I first installed Thorium (and Supermium) I simply replaced their user data folders with the one from my 360Chrome installation. This worked fine and almost everything came across OK. It's all Chromium, so that should work, at least as a starting point.