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

[dmiranda]

7 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

The last ClamWin version  0.103.2.1 is from June 2021

But it works and can still download definitions, give or take a few occasional errors. Somewhere in this forum, couldn't find it, mentioned an xp compatible version of a more current clamav.

But I'm happy with clamwin, so I have not tested.

[AstroSkipper]

7 minutes ago, dmiranda said:

But it works and can still download definitions, give or take a few occasional errors. Somewhere in this forum, couldn't find it, mentioned an xp compatible version of a more current clamav.

But I'm happy with clamwin, so I have not tested.

Thanks for reporting here! Glad to hear ClamWin is still working. I use it in an old Windows ME partition which I haven't booted for a long time. This partition only exists for historical reasons. But thanks again! 

[Saxon]

16 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

I forgot to mention that the last compatible version of ZoneAlarm for XP was the version 14.3.119.000. Here is a link where the EOL of ZA was announced: https://support.zonealarm.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001849832-Is-the-Windows-XP-operating-system-still-supported-by-ZoneAlarm-products-

Cheers, AstroSkipper

@AstroSkipper, thank you for the professional, more than well-written reviews in outstanding English, it helps us save so much time! What would we do without you!  Now I'll not waste my time with that dodgy FW.

[Vistapocalypse]

On 7/8/2023 at 5:17 AM, Saxon said:

I'll test older versions then, report back!

@Saxon Have you been able to locate a suitable version of Comodo yet? I want to refurbish my Vista x86 system and would like to hear about that firewall. 

[Tommy]

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[Monroe]

On 7/9/2023 at 5:22 AM, AstroSkipper said:

Subject: ZoneAlarm

@Monroe Are you still using ZoneAlarm on Windows XP? 

AstroSkipper

Just checked the site out today, missed your question. Well that was some time ago that I posted about ZA and you remembered. Yes, I am still using v 4.5.594.000 ... which was the last version to be just a firewall and then they started adding the anti-virus program. As I remember things seem to slow down after the anti-virus was added from the complaints posted everywhere. People just wanted a simple firewall back then and many stayed with the 4.5.594.000 version at the time. I may be the only one left still using that version with Windows XP.

April 12, 2004 - Last 4.0 Branch version / Firewall only

4.5.594.000

    Fixed ID Lock display issue
    Added in-client Security Scanner support
    Routine maintenance items

May 24, 2004 - New 5.0 Branch started / Antivirus Monitoring was added.

5.0.590.015

    AlertAdvisor - Provides automatic program configurations
    Antivirus Monitoring - Helps manage other security solutions by alerting you when your
    antivirus protection (even from another vendor) has been disabled or is out of date
    Alert Viewer - New Alert viewer functionality organizes log details by feature category
    Various other enhancements for increased reliability of operation

 

[AstroSkipper]

1 hour ago, Monroe said:

Just checked the site out today, missed your question.

Thanks for reporting! And no problem! There was no hurry. 

1 hour ago, Monroe said:

Well that was some time ago that I posted about ZA and you remembered.

I'm afraid I can't forget that easily. 

1 hour ago, Monroe said:

As I remember things seem to slow down after the anti-virus was added from the complaints posted everywhere. People just wanted a simple firewall back then and many stayed with the 4.5.594.000 version at the time.

I can remember very well. This antivirus feature, no one wanted to have seriously. 

1 hour ago, Monroe said:

Yes, I am still using v 4.5.594.000 ... which was the last version to be just a firewall

So you still satisfied with this version in 2023, and it works as it should? Do you use the IPv6 protocol? 
 

Edited July 12, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[Monroe]

2 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

. 

So you still satisfied with this version in 2023, and it works as it should? Do you use the IPv6 protocol? 
 

For myself the ZA version still seems OK to me. It stops anything outgoing which happens every now and then and blocks some incoming high threats. I do not use the IPv6 protocol as far as I know. One thing I have been using today that I did not have with Windows 98SE and Windows XP back in early 2000. I started using Windows XP in 2012 ... however, today I am using a VPN for several years now which I feel helps out for added protection. I used to use Proxomitron for many years when Scott Lemon was still living but with the VPN installed I decided to drop Proxomitron for now. I never did fully understand all the code and settings.

When I run an IP check ... I get this information:

What Is My IP Address?

https://whatismyipaddress.com/

IPv6: Not detected

and when I do a check at these two sites I get good results.

https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html

https://www.howsmyssl.com/

So I am no doubt somewhat behind on more modern technology but everything seems to be functioning OK. I was not going to post anything about Malwarebytes but I am still using version 1.75.0.1300. It still gets updates ... just ran it this morning. I don't have it running as a rule ... only check downloads with it and also just to run it sometimes to check for any problems on the computer.

So myself and my old ThinkPad are from days long gone ... but all seems OK except for some of these newer web sites and pages that sometimes make things a little hot.

I will add that about 1 1/2 weeks ago I did download Sygate Personal Firewall v5.6.2808  from your post and had it running for two days. It was good but had a fan failure ... fixed that problem and just put my last backup back on the computer. So ZA is running again. I have Sygate saved on a flash drive.

Good information in this thread / topic.

...

Edited July 12, 2023 by Monroe
sp

[AstroSkipper]

2 hours ago, Monroe said:

Good information in this thread / topic.

Thanks for this nice statement! And thanks for your detailed report! I asked you if you'd use the IPv6 protocol because old firewalls like Sygate or old versions of ZoneAlarm might lack of this feature. But the IPv4 protocol is no problem for them, of course. 

2 hours ago, Monroe said:

I was not going to post anything about Malwarebytes but I am still using version 1.75.0.1300. It still gets updates ... just ran it this morning. I don't have it running as a rule ... only check downloads with it and also just to run it sometimes to check for any problems on the computer.

Are you still receiving most recent definition updates dated of July 2023?  As far as I know, Malwarebytes stopped rolling out those updates for all versions below 3. Please be so kind and check again the date and version of your last definition updates! I tried the version 1.75.0.1300 months ago, and it didn't work for me. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Monroe]

3 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Are you still receiving most recent definition updates dated of July 2023?  As far as I know, Malwarebytes stopped rolling out those updates for all versions below 3. Please be so kind and check again the date and version of your last definition updates! I tried the version 1.75.0.1300 months ago, and it didn't work for me.

Yes ... I should have said 'definition updates' earlier. It was dated for today July 12 ... number 4. I just ran the Malwarebytes update again and it is now - v2023.07.12.09. Some years back the definition updates stopped working for me also. I got in touch with someone at Malwarebytes and he assured me that they had not dropped support for v1.75.0.1300 ... but it just would no longer update. He worked with me for awhile but nothing worked. I would try to update a few times a month and one day after about 8 months I ran the update again and the definition update downloaded and has been downloading ever since. I made no changes to anything on my end, it just started working again. One of the 'Mysteries of the Universe' I guess ... I really wanted to keep this version on the computer so I was happy when it started working again.

Thanks for the information on IPv6. I don't have a lot of knowledge on it so your explanation clears that up. I might go through the ZA version history someday and see when it was added but I'm sure the older version I'm using wouldn't have it ... as you said.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Monroe
sp

[AstroSkipper]

9 hours ago, Monroe said:

Yes ... I should have said 'definition updates' earlier. It was dated for today July 12 ... number 4. I just ran the Malwarebytes update again and it is now - v2023.07.12.09. Some years back the definition updates stopped working for me also. I got in touch with someone at Malwarebytes and he assured me that they had not dropped support for v1.75.0.1300 ... but it just would no longer update. He worked with me for awhile but nothing worked. I would try to update a few times a month and one day after about 8 months I ran the update again and the definition update downloaded and has been downloading ever since. I made no changes to anything on my end, it just started working again. One of the 'Mysteries of the Universe' I guess ... I really wanted to keep this version on the computer so I was happy when it started working again.

Thanks again for checking and confirming! Thus, according to your observation, Malwarebytes v1.75.0.1300 is receiving definition updates again. Unbelievable!  I will have to try this out at the next opportunity. Maybe, someone else here in the forum is using this version and can confirm this. 

9 hours ago, Monroe said:

Thanks for the information on IPv6. I don't have a lot of knowledge on it so your explanation clears that up. I might go through the ZA version history someday and see when it was added but I'm sure the older version I'm using wouldn't have it ... as you said.

I had a look at the version history of ZA and searched for announcements. The support of the Internet Protocol 6 (IPv6) seems to have been added only in the version 7.

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[Vistapocalypse]

On 5/7/2023 at 2:39 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Avast Free Antivius 2015 (last version for SSE only CPUs):

This version is the last compatible version of Avast Free Antivirus for Windows XP running on a computer with a CPU that does not have more than the SSE instruction set. It still receives definition updates on a regular base.

[Redaction]

I listed here Avast Free Antivius 2015 only for all owners of a very old computer whose CPU lacks of SSE2 and up. The program itself is very old, but Avast still rolls out regularly definition updates online and offline for this version.

Avast announced yesterday that versions 9/10/11 will stop receiving definition updates in September 2023:

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=324295.0

This does not affect version 18.8, which also supported XP/Vista but required SSE2. For those with SSE-only processors who want real-time protection, Kaspersky 18.0.0.405 is still a viable option AFAIK:

https://support.kaspersky.com/us/common/compatibility/15479

[Saxon]

On 7/10/2023 at 4:39 PM, Vistapocalypse said:

@Saxon Have you been able to locate a suitable version of Comodo yet? I want to refurbish my Vista x86 system and would like to hear about that firewall. 

Thank you for the attention, sorry, I'll not go offtopic. I'm a new member, I obvioulsy don't know how everything works here, but I find it odd why would you want me to, at the same time implying @UCyborg's posts are off-topic. I will post my findings with XP. when I'm finished with them, don't worry. Again, thank you for the attention!

 

13 hours ago, Vistapocalypse said:

Kaspersky 18.0.0.405 is still a viable option AFAIK:

I read through this thread and became a huge fan of@AstroSkipper , for his hard work and findings. I saw numerous times you zealously suggest a very dangerous software named "Kaspersky".  I fail to get why. Why would you want to harm the others? Isn't it against the rules to advise harmful soft, when it's publicly known, declared by the US officials, and explained to you personally multiple times. And again, posting about Kaspersky is also indeed offtopic, since it's been removed by the OP, due to the discovered infection risks and harm it brings.

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-8286

[Vistapocalypse]

1 hour ago, Saxon said:

posting about Kaspersky is also indeed offtopic, since it's been removed by the OP

I do not recognize the OP’s authority to declare Kaspersky “not an option for Windows XP.” For XP users with SSE-only processors, the alternative to Kaspersky will soon be no real-time protection at all. I do not own such hardware myself, nor have I ever used Kaspersky. If others prefer not to use Kaspersky for political reasons, that’s fine with me.

[jaclaz]

4 hours ago, Saxon said:

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-8286

Oh noes, not again.

https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/page/18/#comment-1247635

That particular CVE is definitely not the reason why a number of governments issued warnings and prohibitions about the use of that antivirus.

That one, at the most, can be used to de-anonymize the user in very specific cases (i.e. after a phishing attempt succeeded).

The actual reasons why must (should) be much, much worse (and have not been disclosed), the "original" ban about its use on US government hardware is 2017 (two years before the mentioned CVE), other bans and warnings are 2018 (one year before) and 2022 (three years later):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspersky_bans_and_allegations_of_Russian_government_ties

jaclaz