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XP and the Internet


mattrix

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I'm planning a clean install of 32 bit XP, and was wondering now that XP is out of updates what is the best way to go for internet security that still supports XP. The hardware is from the XP era, and wouldn't run win7 well

AntiVirus:  apparently comodo now has min win7 requirements; avast is still providing virus updates for XP

Firewall: is windows firewall OK or is there something better that I should look at.

Sandbox: Is it worth adding an extra sandbox like sandboxie?

Browser: chrome and firefox are out. I have issues with both opening and displaying pages, though in different ways. Basilisk is now win7. I like UR-browser but Adaptive Bee claim it is min win7, however I've seen plenty of people who claim it still runs on XP. Has anyone got a recent version of UR running on XP? Or is there something else I should be looking at?

Malware checker: I think malwarebytes still runs on XP.

Are there any other must haves I should be looking at?

I know I'm going over the top a bit, but with no more updates from MS and what ever I choose to install is not likely to be supported much longer I feel I should do my best to take a long term view with security.

Thanks, for any advice you can give.
 

Edited by mattrix
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This happens to be my first post on the Windows XP forum, so any suggestions/additions/corrections from longtime XP users are most welcome.

 

Antivirus: You have avast and AVG which still receive definition updates but which don't receive major app or feature updates.

Firewall: Windows firewall should be enough in most cases but an additional firewall would be better, keeping in mind that XP does not have UAC .

Browsers: I'm actually astonished that you have not heard of the great @roytam1's browsers! They are still supported and work well on XP, but I heard Chrome is being backported to XP. That would take some time. Until then, use roytam1's browsers.

Sandboxes : I honestly don't know (lol) as I don't use any. However if sandboxie works fine, go for it. But if it doesn't, then a smart brain.exe would do.

Malware scanner : Malwarebytes 3.5.1 still runs and receives definition updates. I use it instead of AV on my Vista system.

In addition, update till 2019 through posready updates if you use XP x86, but if you use XP x64, then I won't be very worried as XP is used by less than 1% of worldwide PC's today, making it an unlikely target for hackers and malware.

 

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Actually sandboxes on Windows XP have limited functionality for the reasons I described in the thread below:

 

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/sandboxie-on-windows-xp.433860/#post-2962189

he developer DavidXanatos continued the development of SBIE (I don't know if there is anyone who remembers Tzuk who I also helped in his time in developing his famous software).:)

In the thread above there is a link that will allow you to install the version suitable for Windows XP (5.40).

 

I put my personal security setup:

 

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/what-is-your-security-setup-these-days.111264/page-1612#post-2949465

you might find it useful for some ideas.

Today I am happy that I got the banned in the Pale Moon forum as "my friend" LetMeinDude.

@VistaLover

and two.......

Edited by Sampei.Nihira
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Thanks, there are some things there I have never heard of and will have to investigate.

Of course I've heard of roytam's browsers but I've never used them. It is a monster thread and I haven't had time to go through it.

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37 minutes ago, mattrix said:

Thanks, there are some things there I have never heard of and will have to investigate.

Of course I've heard of roytam's browsers but I've never used them. It is a monster thread and I haven't had time to go through it.

Instead of navigating through a humoungous forum thread, you can just download the unofficial roytam1 browser installer made by @i430VX and run it to have the browser of your choice.

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The paranoid view: There are a couple of things to consider when using Windows XP online. Microsoft definetly put some spyware into it. Your may get very nervous, when you'll monitor, what a fresh installation of Windows XP actually sends over the network. The installation process of Windows XP isn't clean of Microsoft server accesses either. Especially, because you have to activate Windows XP over the internet, or over a phone (which means they get your phone number!). The hosts file, a basic network filter utility on every computer, was infiltrated by Microsoft, which denys now to block their servers. All that wasn't present in Windows 98.

I think the use of a hardware firewall, like a router that you, only you, and no one else has control over, is a solution. There you can block unwanted connections and no one can hinder you doing so.

That being said, Windows XP is still extremly powerful online, especially thanks to the Roytam browsers. You cannot believe how quick Windows XP is on (from today's point of view) poorly equipped hardware. Just yesterday I used the aging Pentium 3 for Ebay business. Any risks? Of course it's an unpatched system since plenty of years and people will tell you, you're crazy to browse the web with such a security risk like XP. All I can say is from my experience, that if you are using the web carefully, don't click on everything, disable Javascript where you didn't ask for it, then you can run the old machines successful over the years without having to use an antivirus program. Depends on your hardware, but an antivirus would slow my machine down too much. Next advantage of old computers is, that you "feel" it, when something wrong is happening. The hard drive makes more noises than it should be. There is no extra power to let spyware run nearby, if it still should be a fluid user experience. Depends on your hardware of course, as a mini pc from back in the days could be calm, too and hard drives got calmer between 2000 and 2005, too. So there is definetly no guarantee that you can rely on your computer getting noisy when it is into troubles. Anyways, you can always monitor the internet traffic to see, if something suspicious is there.

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@Gansangriff, I survived many years with just AV and windows firewall on my old system. But I eventually crossed paths with something nasty and the system didn't completely recover. Hence my thinking I should setup security a bit better this time.

@all:

I guess it will be one of roytam's browsers but I don't know which one. These are all firefox deriviatives, do they have the same issues as firefox 52.9 has with script? If so I might need something to reduce script, is 'noscipt' a good choice?

I'm having trouble with all the acronyms What is BOC? and UXP?

Don't know what light firewall to use, nothing modern seems to work on XP. 

 

 

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@mattrix: Oh dear! How did this happen? What was it exactly, that destroyed your Windows XP? Maybe evil Javascripts? There are cases, where just loading an advertisement screwed up a Windows operating system. Just because the advertisement company was hacked and the attackers spread the malicious software like an advert! That's why blocking everything, you didn't ask for, is important. I still use the old NoScript V5 as a browser addon, but it is reported to break some sites (which I can't confirm). uMatrix is more common nowadays.

UXP stands for Unified XUL Platform. I think this is a program part, that the Firefox used once (however after abandoning UXP, the once bright Firefox was only worth extinguishing...). But the Pale Moon browser was specialised in maintaining XUL. And some of Roytams browsers are based on Pale Moon. Still I highly recommend to ask all questions about the new Windows XP browsers here in the MSFN forum in Roytams Browser thread.

The different browsers have a different look and feel. On the screenshot, you can see a 32-Bit New Moon, version 28.6.0, with NoScript V5 enabled (see the bar at the bottom displaying "Scripts Partially Allowed"). It works flawlessly for everything I do online, but you have to try it for your sites.

Say, what hardware do you use? What kind of processor?

Newmoon.PNG

Edited by Gansangriff
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I see another fan of the green Luna theme :O

Worth mentioning Avast/AVG are owned by the same company and they have a good track record for keeping definitions for older systems, the last Avast client for 2k worked for ages if I remember right

Edited by Koishi Komeiji
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The new system is a celeron @2.5GHz, with 1 GB ram, will be more when I can find some old ram. So technically will run Win7 but ...

On 12/3/2020 at 10:23 PM, Gansangriff said:


Your may get very nervous, when you'll monitor, what a fresh installation of Windows XP actually sends over the network. The installation process of Windows XP isn't clean of Microsoft server accesses either.

Its been years since I have installed XP. I'd forgotten all the post XP configuration on the OS that was needed. Last time I had help. I'm not even sure where to start. The acronyms are killing me, who would have known the WorldMosquitoProject should be stopped?, which of course means to turn off WindowsMediaPlayer.

The software search is not much better, I read good undated reviews only to find the last version of the software is dated 2010. I am not sure if this matters, if it doesn't require updated data,.

I'm thinking of installing Netstalker by Ster Jo. Its not exactly a firewall, so it will still run with window firewall?, but will let me see who's accessing the net.

In short, still trying to work out what I'm doing. 

 

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