Antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP working in 2023 and hopefully beyond

[modnar]

I have searched for 22.03.01 version of Panda and everywhere I find only 22.03.05. I have 22.03.01 installed on my computers (via online installer when it was new) but never managed to find offline installer. 

@AstroSkipper Instead of your 21.x.x version, I believe 22.03.01 would also be fast on your computer. Would you help me find it? I just can't seem to locate it anywhere, including the archive.org.

[AstroSkipper]

I have most installers in my archive. But try first this site: https://panda-free-antivirus.sooftware.com/windows/download/401339

Edited June 1 by AstroSkipper

[modnar]

18 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

I have most installers in my archive. But try first this site: https://panda-free-antivirus.sooftware.com/windows/download/401339

Thank you. By the way I had to download it with Supermium, click on FreeAV.exe on site doesn't do anything in latest Serpent 52.9.

[AstroSkipper]

9 hours ago, modnar said:

Thank you. By the way I had to download it with Supermium, click on FreeAV.exe on site doesn't do anything in latest Serpent 52.9.

Works in Mypal 78, but not in New Moon 28 and Serpent 52. The reason lies in this poorly written function performDownload (line 26, column 119) within the download.js script on the sooftware.com server:

function performDownload(num) {
    event.preventDefault();
    ...

Strictly speaking, of course, the variable `event` (line 26, column 140) is not defined that way. But Mypal 78 and Supermium seem to be able to handle it. The function performDownload should actually have been constructed this way:

function performDownload(event,num) {
    event.preventDefault();
    ...

New Moon 28 and Serpent 52 are very sensitive to things like that.

Edited June 3 by AstroSkipper

[AstroSkipper]

Subject: Panda Dome

I had a few brief issues with Panda Dome 22.03.05 today. The PSANHost.exe process crashed three times. A quick restart after clearing all temporary files, and everything is back to normal. The PSANHost.exe process, which is part of Panda Dome, is known for causing problems from time to time, but to use that as a reason to declare Panda Dome’s demise - as has been celebrated in another thread here - is completely unfounded and lacks any factual basis.  Problems with this process often occur when updates are being downloaded in the background from the Panda server. And you don't have to reinstall Panda Dome right away. First, a thorough analysis is necessary.  Anything else is just amateurish, unscientific chit-chat.   Anyway! Panda Dome has been running completely normally again for hours.

Edited 21 hours ago by AstroSkipper

[modnar]

13 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

First, a thorough analysis is necessary.

Please do, Mr. Iwearblackglassesinthemiddleofthenight.

I don't see any other antivirus available for XP anymore, do you? Your analysis would also be needed to fix Avast and its belabouring of the Client Server Runtime Process (csrss) service. I find Avast better than any other really because of its 3 point protection.

In the meanwhile I purged and re-instated all certificates, 2x uninstalled Panda with their uninstaller.exe and clean-installed 22.03.01 (22.03.05 is slow to start here too). So far so good.

Edited 8 hours ago by modnar
So far so good.

[AstroSkipper]

36 minutes ago, modnar said:

Please do, Mr. Iwearblackglassesinthemiddleofthenight.

Is that supposed to be a touch of humour?  I’ll take it that way, then.  My thorough analysis has already been finished in terms of Panda when I wrote my previous post.

36 minutes ago, modnar said:

I don't see any other antivirus available for XP anymore, do you?

No one with real-time protection. Except some unknown, paid ones from untrusted countries.

36 minutes ago, modnar said:

Your analysis would also be needed to fix Avast and its belabouring of the Client Server Runtime Process (csrss) service. I find Avast better than any other really because of its 3 point protection.

I had a long, long go with Avast in the past. The last XP-compatible version is totally bloated and crap, even Avast Free Antivirus. I wouldn’t even bother analysing the tiniest little thing anymore. Avast has been a thing of the past for me for years. 

Edited 8 hours ago by AstroSkipper

[modnar]

5 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Is that supposed to be a touch of humour?  I’ll take it that way, then.  My thorough analysis has already been finished in terms of Panda when I wrote my previous post.

No one with real-time protection. Except some unknown, paid ones from untrusted countries.

I had a long, long go with Avast in the past. The last XP-compatible version is totally bloated and crap, even Avast Free Antivirus. I wouldn’t even bother analysing the tiniest little thing anymore. Avast has been a thing of the past for me for years. 

Well not so good anymore, PSANHost again crashed around 18:35 when it updated. The other times I manually clicked Start Antivirus, this time I let it be and it recuperated on its own. Hopefull it'll work, or something.

Indeed.

Avast for XP is fine, although bloated on the outside I always chose only the 4 shields in "Custom" installation and it doesn't slow down the system hardly at all. If only it wouldn't pester csrss (it usually shows the next day). Just try it OK, for science. You can delete it later.

[AstroSkipper]

53 minutes ago, modnar said:

Avast for XP is fine, although bloated on the outside I always chose only the 4 shields in "Custom" installation and it doesn't slow down the system hardly at all. If only it wouldn't pester csrss (it usually shows the next day). Just try it OK, for science. You can delete it later.

https://msfn.org/board/topic/177099-which-antiviruses-are-known-for-a-fact-to-be-working-on-xp-sp3-as-of-2019/page/23/#findComment-1228779  For science? You're kidding, aren't you?  I suppose you mean for killing my Windows XP installation.  That aside, do you really think I’d do something like that for someone who upvotes personal insults directed at me?  Seriously?  I would suggest to ask your chatty mate. Maybe he can chat up a solution for you. 

Edited 1 hour ago by AstroSkipper

[Dave-H]

Stop the bickering please.

FWIW I'm having the same issue with Panda Dome 22.03.05.
As you say, the main service keeps stopping and then restarting.
I have updated the Windows root certificates and cleared the Windows temp folder.

The first instance of a crash was yesterday, 2nd July, at 1312 my time.

There are other symptoms on my system, which may or may not be related.
Windows Explorer is locking up quite often. It always recovers after being frozen, but it can take a couple of minutes.
The taskbar is completely frozen during that time, although I can still open windows like My Computer.

I have done a manual pattern update of Panda Dome, which did work.
I haven't tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it, as far as I'm concerned that would be the very last resort.
I'd be very surprised if this were the start of any withdrawal of Windows XP support, in fact, Panda make a big thing of the fact that it is still compatible with XP!
https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/best-antivirus-for-windows-xp/

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a support forum for Panda Dome, only the usual chat options.

 

[AstroSkipper]

1 minute ago, Dave-H said:

Stop the bickering please.

Sorry, but facts are facts. Insults are insults. They weren’t sugar-coated, and they weren’t moderated. Not even by you.

4 minutes ago, Dave-H said:

I have done a manual pattern update of Panda Dome, which did work.

From where did you get a manual pattern update of Panda Dome?  And as I already said, there are some regular background updates in terms of catalog things. I think relating to ads and offers which might cause such crashes.

[Dave-H]

Sorry, 'pattern update' probably isn't the right term in this case.
It's the synchonisation of your installation with the Panda cloud data, which it does automatically every day.
I simply forced a manual update, which appeared to work.

[AstroSkipper]

Ok. I was starting to think I’d fallen behind. In any case, Panda Dome 22.03.05 has been running for months without any problems, apart from yesterday – but that was only for a few minutes.

[modnar]

You can also try sending Panda peoplez a report via web-form on their site. I tried and it said I don't have an account although anti-virus is activated. Hypocrites - claming XP support and then this!

P.S.: And crash again at evening update. As the doctorb ordered.

Edited 33 minutes ago by modnar

[Dave-H]

I see absolutely no grounds for assuming that they are dropping XP support.

There could be any number of reasons for this issue, none of them intentional.

Could be an expired certificate, who knows?!

There's only one way to find out, and that's to ask Panda, which I will!