Windows 9x/Me Security Thread

[Lipper]

Though it's days are surely numbered, Avast AV 4.8.1368 still works on 98/ME and receives updates several times per day.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/6635/

[Lipper]

Editing a post doesn't bump a thread on this forum, so I'm manually bumping that others will know there's new content.

[NothingMuchHereToSay]

There doesn't seem to be that many antivirus for Windows 95 available. What a shame.

[Foxbat]

That's expected the older an OS gets. But, two antivirus programs still support Windows 95:

Avast 4.8

Eset NOD32 2.7

See post #32 for support dates.

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

... 3,182,712 . 07-31-09 . 6:40a Mcscan32.dll ... (engine) IDENTICAL to existing

What version is your Mscan32.dll?

Does anyone have access to 5100eng9x.exe?

Edited July 13, 2011 by PROBLEMCHYLD

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

What version is your Mscan32.dll?

(please note the spelling of the filename: McScan32.dll)

3,182,712 . 07-31-09 . 6:40a Mcscan32.dll

File Properties | Version (under WinXP) ... v5.400.0.1158

File Properties | Version (under Win9x) ... v5.4.00

CRC in WinZip ... c2482d68

MORE INFORMATION ... I was able to search through a collection of McAfee DATs and determined that this file (McScan32.dll) has been identical since around the 5741 release circa 2009 September. In other words this file has been unchanged for almost two years.

SUPPOSITION ... at some point this DLL will again be changed and will likely not work with Win9x any longer even though the 10 year old executables will function as always. The question will likely become, will the DAT files of some future time work with an older McScan32.dll on Win9x? Your guess is as good as mine.

None of this would be necessary if all the antivirus vendors and virus research labs simply agreed on a standard DAT database while keeping their engines and applications proprietary. But that would be just too logical.

Does anyone have access to 5100eng9x.exe?

I couldn't find the 5100 DATs on any hard drives I have stored. But I did see 5090 and 5110. McScan32.dll is identical in both of those releases ...

2,867,438 . 06-09-06 . 5:10a Mcscan32.dll

File Properties | Version (under WinXP) ... v5.100.0.194

File Properties | Version (under Win9x) ... v5.1.00 (probably)

CRC in WinZip ... ca1d76ed

[JorgeA]

Norton Anti-Virus 2002 can still be updated by downloading the (free) Symantec Intelligent Updater package.

But is it kosher to download and use this package?

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

I can confirm that SUPERAntiSpyware version 4.24.0.1004 works on my Win98 (first edition) PC.

Also, FWIW, ZoneAlarm 6.1.744.001 serves as the firewall on my Win98SE laptop.

HTH

--JorgeA

Edited July 16, 2011 by JorgeA

[schwups]

AVG 7.5

Since two weeks the update (offline) of the AVG Virus Definitions is faulty. The definitions file incavi.avm remains in the install.1 folder (C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data\Grisoft\Avg7Data\avg7upd\install.1). I must copy it in the AVG program folder. Restart required

[HardDriv'n]

Don't forget that you could also use Linux to scan Windows. I believe you could make a tiny Linux compatible partition around ~200MB, or maybe even smaller. Then do a minimal install of Debian, Fedora, Arch, etc..

I've done this before, and I didn't even install a desktop environment for the distro.

Add the proper repos for your distro, and from the Linux command line, install the program with a package manager.

Debian, Ubuntu;

apt-get  install clamav

OR

aptitude install clamav

Arch;

pacman -S clamav

Gentoo;

emerge clamav

To update the definitions is something like...

freshclam

To scan...

clamscan /media/Windows/
clamscan /mnt/Windows/
clamscan /media/Windows/io.sys
clamscan <path to folder/file>

NOTES;

This method will require you to have a boot manager installed, like one of the GRUB derivatives for instance. This also won't provide "active" protection, but only clean-up after the fact.

[NothingMuchHereToSay]

http://www.window95.com/windows/antivirus.html

I found this website that seems to have some Win9x stuff in there

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Just a quick update regarding the use of McAfee v6 on Win9x. I extracted the latest DATs v6511 (see details explained above in post #40) ...

..... 640,057 . 10-26-11 . 1:40a Avvclean.dat

..... 445,913 . 10-26-11 . 1:40a Avvnames.dat

. 125,551,486 . 10-26-11 . 1:40a Avvscan.dat

As described previously, just strip the AVV prefix from the default filenames and replace CLEAN.DAT, NAMES.DAT and SCAN.DAT.

The 32-bit engine file, Mcscan32.dll is once again identical to past versions so nothing need be done.

As before, it took a LONGGGGG time for McAfee to initialize and load the DATs (over 5 minutes!). But all went well and McAfee scanned files and folders successfully!

Pretty impressive really because the main executable McAfee file is VSMAIN.EXE v6.01.2000.1 is dated: 2001-11-16. Almost exactly 10 years old.

[Giant2011]

Registered avast 4.8 antivirus on windows 98se until 1 December 2012

[dw2108]

With most support for Win 9x antivirus and antimalware programs coming to an end, I try to keep an eye on some that are still supported.

BitDefender v10 does have VM and on-access protection. BUT it is flaky and will lock files. Also a ram hog unless KernelEX is installed. You have to disable all of it and reboot just to defrag, but it is good for risky surfing. Fortego's ASE still works on 9x + KEX even though most monitors read from the NT event log.

Dave

[Giant2011]

Just install Avast 4.8 I have registered it until December 1 2012