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

[WSC4]

On 10/12/2023 at 9:26 AM, UCyborg said:

Got Panda running on XP x64, though it seems PSUAService has trouble starting on its own (it still deleted ProcessHacker.exe without that service running), but it runs after running it manually, may tackle this another time. Either way, you need to install Application Verifier 4.0. And .NET Framework 4.0 too of course if you don't have it yet, the antivirus' management interface uses it.

The banner should read: Got Panda running on XP x64

That is fantastic.  Well done.  I could never have done that, and I have never heard of the Application Verifier program.  It looks like a program for programmers.  I had a quick look and there is a lot of reading:

Application Verifier is a runtime verification tool for unmanaged code that assists in finding subtle programming errors, security issues and limited user account privilege problems that can be difficult to identify with normal application testing techniques.  Link to full Summary and Overview of Application Verifier

I'll study what you have done and will try and give it a go when I have more time on the weekend.  

Panda Security should offer you a job.  :-)

Edited November 1, 2023 by WSC4
Made it more readable with explaination and a better link

[Saxon]

19 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

FREEAV.exe

From the Belgian IP.

[mina7601]

19 hours ago, VistaLover said:

In any case, "the more the better" , interested MSFN members can try both for themselves!

Kindest regards ...

Both links gave me the same installer with a size of 88.86 MB.

[Dixel]

3 hours ago, mina7601 said:

Both links gave me the same installer with a size of 88.86 MB.

Then it gives you a different file from your IP, because I got 88.87 MB, like @Saxon.

[AstroSkipper]

18 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

All horses back! The download manager in Opera on my Android tablet shows a wrong file size. Now, I am back at my desktop computer, and the file size of FREEAV.exe matches nearly the one you posted: 93181864 B (88.9 MB). I already corrected my posts. So this time, we seem to get the same offline installer regardless of our location. 

Kindest regards, AstroSkipper

To be more precise 93181864 B corresponds to 88.8652 MB ≈ 88.87 MB ≈ 88.9 MB. So, @VistaLover, @Saxon and @Dixel are definitely right.  In general, rounded values are not really suitable when it comes to comparing files. It is better to take the value in bytes (B). 

Edited October 12, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[UCyborg]

11 hours ago, WSC4 said:

Never heard of Application Verifier 4.0, and it looks like a program for programmers.

It is.

I revised the post, gave the whole procedure a second try from the beginning, went smoother this time around.

[AstroSkipper]

On 4/29/2023 at 6:02 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Panda Free Antivirus

Panda Free Antivirus (recently also called Panda Dome) is a cloud-based antivirus application designed to protect the user without wasting resources. It is extremely light as all the work is done in the cloud. Panda Free Antivirus provides fast protection against the newest viruses thanks to its cloud-scanning from Panda servers. Even the most recent version of Panda Free Antivirus is still compatible with Windows XP (SP3 32 bit editions only).

Features:

• Antivirus Protection - Real-time protection against all types of malware and spyware. Schedule periodic scans and/or scan your computer on demand.
• USB protection - Protect your PC by preventing the automatic execution of malware from USB drives. Scan all USB drives upon insertion.
• Panda rescue kit - Free PC recovery system. Run an advanced scan of your PC or create a rescue USB drive to boot and clean those infected computers that won’t even start.
• Multimedia/Game mode - This mode ensures you play or watch multimedia content without disturbance from your antivirus while remaining completely secure.

Homepage: https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/homeusers/free-antivirus/

Version number: 22.01.01

Date of release: 15.09.2023

Previous versions:

• 22.00.01 released on 01.04.2023

System requirements:

Compatible with: Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP (SP3 or higher, 32 bit only).

As already confirmed by @WSC4 and @UCyborg, Panda Free Antivirus is unfortunately not fully compatible with Windows XP 64 bit editions .  The installer doesn't seem to detect the already existing .NET Framework 4 installation. A .NET Framework reinstallation via the installer also fails. If you still want to use Panda Free Antivirus under Windows XP 64 bit, you need to make some changes for the installer to work properly, which @UCyborg has described here: 
https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/?do=findComment&comment=1253877 
Whether Panda Free Antivirus will run properly under Windows XP 64 bit is still unclear and has to be confirmed. In any case, everything is without guarantee and at your own responsibility. 

Release notes:

• New cloud-based disinfection engine
• New behavioral analysis engine in the free edition
• Improved offline protection
• Process monitor allows seeing Internet connections on a per process basis
• Improved performance and 50% faster scans
• Compatibility with newer versions of Windows
• New interface
• Ability to manage different licenses

Reviews:

https://www.experte.com/antivirus/panda

https://www.lifewire.com/panda-free-antivirus-review-1356582

Tests:  

https://www.av-comparatives.org/vendors/panda/

https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/manufacturer/panda-security/

Download links:

Online installer: https://repository.pandasecurity.com/Panda/FREEAV/193309/PANDAFREEAV.exe

Offline installer:
http://acs.pandasoftware.com/Panda/FREEAV/193309/FREEAV.exe
http://acs.pandasoftware.com/Panda/FREEAV/Promo_pd/FREEAV.exe

Screenshot:



Panda Free Antivirus is based on new cloud computing concept in which services are provided over Internet. This new antivirus scans files through Internet which makes it very light on system resources. It also doesn’t need regular updating of virus definitions as it automatically updates the virus definitions in the cloud (remote server) and scans files using those latest virus definitions. The user should have a good speed Internet connection to fully utilize this new cloud based antivirus otherwise it won’t work. No problem if the user is offline, it’ll still protect the system from virus attack as it stores the virus definitions in local cache as well. The system load of Panda Free Antivirus is very low (lower than it was for example with WiseVector StopX), and the detection rate is supposed to be very good according to my research. I used it for a while, and it is definitely an option for Windows XP.

Cheers, AstroSkipper 

Update notification! 

Panda Free Antivirus has been updated and is now of version 22.01.01. Furthermore, I added the link to @UCyborg's post Got Panda running on XP x64 and @VistaLover's provided, alternatve link for the offline installer to my article.

Cheers, AstroSkipper 

Edited December 14, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[VistaLover]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:47 AM, AstroSkipper said:

the file size of FREEAV.exe matches nearly the one you posted: 93181864 B (88.9 MB).

19 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

To be more precise 93181864 B corresponds to 88.8652 MB ≈ 88.87 MB ≈ 88.9 MB. So, @VistaLover , ... & ... are definitely right.

... Since we all know by now that you are a mathematician , some additional attention to detail should be exercised (because mathematics, like physics and chemistry, is an "exact" science); what I did post was:

On 10/12/2023 at 1:46 AM, VistaLover said:

This will get you the latest version of the off-line installer (88.9 MiB),

Notice the unit I used!

https://tecadmin.net/difference-between-megabyte-megabit-and-mebibyte/

So,

93,181,864 B ≈ 88.86515 MiB ≈ 93.1819 MB

It might be, in the end, that your Android tablet was correct , reporting a file size of ≈ 93 MB (if MB was taken at its exact, scientific, value) ; actually, I think Microsoft (and, possibly, other vendors) are mistakenly using MB instead of MiB; Windows Explorer is indeed calculating file sizes in binary prefixes, but it displays the units used in their decimal prefixes; MediaInfo, which can be used on all sorts of files, not just "media" ones, displays file sizes explicitly in MiB:

Windows Explorer's Context Menu:

MediaInfo (simple) Context Menu:

Hope I helped !

Best regards.

[AstroSkipper]

On 10/13/2023 at 5:46 PM, VistaLover said:

... Since we all know by now that you are a mathematician , some additional attention to detail should be exercised (because mathematics, like physics and chemistry, is an "exact" science); what I did post was:

Notice the unit I used!

https://tecadmin.net/difference-between-megabyte-megabit-and-mebibyte/

So,

93,181,864 B ≈ 88.86515 MiB ≈ 93.1819 MB

It might be, in the end, that your Android tablet was correct , reporting a file size of ≈ 93 MB (if MB was taken at its exact, scientific, value) ; actually, I think Microsoft (and, possibly, other vendors) are mistakenly using MB instead of MiB; Windows Explorer is indeed calculating file sizes in binary prefixes, but it displays the units used in their decimal prefixes; MediaInfo, which can be used on all sorts of files, not just "media" ones, displays file sizes explicitly in MiB:

Windows Explorer's Context Menu:

MediaInfo (simple) Context Menu:

Hope I helped !

Best regards.

Thanks! Of course, I have known all this for a long time. Unfortunately, this is a matter of interpretation and definition. Mebibyte (MiB) did not exist in the past. And many use MB as what MiB is now. Explorer, Total Commander and myself use the following old designation MB. The following applies: 1024 B = 1 KB. 1024 KB = 1 MB. 93181864 B = 93181864 : 1024^2 MB ≈ 88.87 MB. That's what is MiB nowadays. The designation MiB emphasises the binary character of the unit and MB is now to be given only a decimal character. So, I agree with you, the Opera download manager on my Android tablet uses the decimal character of MB (1 MB = 1000 KB) and has, in itself, done nothing wrong. I personally prefer to stay with my old designation MB, which is always to be understood in a binary context (1 MB = 1024 KB). Thus, I am definitely not imprecise what of course is to be expected in science but simply old school. 

Best regards, AstroSkipper 

Edited October 14, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[WSC4]

11 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Update notification! 

Panda Free Antivirus has been updated and is now of version 22.01.01. Furthermore, I added the link to @UCyborg's post Got Panda running on XP x64 and @VistaLover's provided, alternative link for the offline installer to my article.
 

Panda Free Antivirus is still compatible with Windows XP (SP3 32 bit editions only).

Before I had a go of installing this a month ago, I should have looked at the Panda Security Support sites.

https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/support/card?id=84021

Minimum requirements of our Panda Dome products.

        Windows 11
        Windows 10 (32/64-bits)
        Windows 8/8.1 (32/64-bits)
        Windows 7 (32/64-bits)
        Windows Vista (32/64-bits)
        Windows XP 32-bits (SP3 or later)

https://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/downloads/docs/product/help/pd/en/160.htm

The minimum requirements that your computer must meet to install your Panda product are as follows:

Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows XP (32-bit with SP3 or later), Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 11 (64-bit).

However, they do say they supported XP 64-bit for Panda for Desktops and Panda for File Servers.  When was this dated?

https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/support/card?id=40061

Windows 2000 Professional    Windows XP (32-bit Edition)
Windows 2000 Server    Windows XP (64-bit Edition)
Windows Server 2003    Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista (32-bit Edition)    Windows 7 (32-bit Edition)
Windows Vista (64-bit Edition)     Windows 7 (64-bit Edition)

What are the minimum installation requirements for Panda Security for Desktops?

https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/support/card?id=40027

Operating Systems: Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit), Windows Vista (32 and 64-bit), Windows XP (32 and 64-bit) and Windows 2000 Professional SP4..

And way back in 2009 they had this:  Try the Beta version of Panda Internet Security 2009

Panda Internet Security 2009 is compatible with the following operating systems: Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit).

Edited October 14, 2023 by WSC4

[AstroSkipper]

9 hours ago, WSC4 said:

Before I had a go of installing this a month ago, I should have looked at the Panda Security Support sites.

Or, you should have just read my article about Panda Free Antivirus carefully:

On 4/29/2023 at 6:02 PM, AstroSkipper said:

System requirements:

Compatible with: Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP (SP3 or higher, 32 bit only).

But it would be much more interesting to know whether Panda Free Antivirus runs stably under Windows XP 64-bit

On 4/29/2023 at 6:02 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Compatibility with Windows XP 64 bit:
As already confirmed by @WSC4 and @UCyborg, Panda Free Antivirus is unfortunately not fully compatible with Windows XP 64 bit editions.  The installer doesn't seem to detect the already existing .NET Framework 4 installation. A .NET Framework reinstallation via the installer also fails. If you still want to use Panda Free Antivirus under Windows XP 64 bit, you need to make some changes for the installer to work properly, which @UCyborg has found out and described here: 
https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/?do=findComment&comment=1253877 
Whether Panda Free Antivirus will run stably under Windows XP 64 bit is currently unclear and has to be confirmed yet. In any case, everything is without guarantee and at your own responsibility. 

For example, what about the initially reported starting problems of Panda's service PSUAService? 

Cheers, AstroSkipper 

Edited October 14, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[VistaLover]

20 hours ago, WSC4 said:

The minimum requirements that your computer must meet to install your Panda product are as follows:

..., Windows XP (32-bit with SP3 or later), ...

However, they do say they supported XP 64-bit for Panda for Desktops and Panda for File Servers.

11 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Panda Free Antivirus is unfortunately not fully compatible with Windows XP 64 bit editions.  The installer doesn't seem to detect the already existing .NET Framework 4 installation. A .NET Framework reinstallation via the installer also fails.

... If I were asked , I'd definitely say that Panda artificially blocked their Panda Dome (i.e. Free Antivirus) setup from successfully initiating+completing installation under XP SP2 64-bit; if you download the latest off-line installer (via already provided links) and then open/extract file FREEAV.exe with 7-zip, then you'll find below directories:

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\2003\

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\XP\

containing 64-bit application drivers for WS 2003 x64/XP x64; why put them there if the application isn't supposed to install under those OSes? The fact those 64-bit drivers exist inside the installer probably explains why forced installation on XP x64 works; as for the app itself after installation, I'll quote AstroSkipper:

11 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Whether Panda Free Antivirus will run stably under Windows XP 64 bit is currently unclear and has yet to be confirmed.

Regards

Edited October 14, 2023 by VistaLover

[UCyborg]

10 hours ago, VistaLover said:

if you download the latest off-line installer (via already provided links) and then open/extract file FREEAV.exe with 7-zip, then you'll find below directories:

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\2003\

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\XP\

containing 64-bit application drivers for WS 2003 x64/XP x64; why put them there if the application isn't supposed to install under those OSes? The fact those 64-bit drivers exist inside the installer probably explains why forced installation on XP x64 works;

These are indeed properly installed when applying described workaround.

20 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

But it would be much more interesting to know whether Panda Free Antivirus runs stably under Windows XP 64-bit

I have one of the most stable XP installs around (I think), even infamous Mypal 68 web browser with OMTP (Off Main Thread Compositing) enabled doesn't crash it, even when getting to the warning about running out of virtual memory. That install has a pagefile capped at 1 GB. I didn't push it to the very end as no OS will work properly then anymore and a hard-crash might be actually desirable in this case.

20 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

For example, what about the initially reported starting problems of Panda's service PSUAService? 

Can't reproduce again, even with Panda version 22.00.00. PSUAService uses .NET Framework, maybe it's one of those things that actually have an issue with RTM version of .NET Framework 4.0. Subsequent tests were with KB2600211 installed, aka. Update 4.0.3 for .NET Framework 4.

Edited October 15, 2023 by UCyborg

[AstroSkipper]

On 10/14/2023 at 8:23 PM, VistaLover said:

If I were asked , I'd definitely say that Panda artificially blocked their Panda Dome (i.e. Free Antivirus) setup from successfully initiating+completing installation under XP SP2 64-bit;

It almost looks like it! 

On 10/14/2023 at 8:23 PM, VistaLover said:

if you download the latest off-line installer (via already provided links) and then open/extract file FREEAV.exe with 7-zip, then you'll find below directories:

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\2003\

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\XP\

containing 64-bit application drivers for WS 2003 x64/XP x64; why put them there if the application isn't supposed to install under those OSes? The fact those 64-bit drivers exist inside the installer probably explains why forced installation on XP x64 works;

Good observation! 

17 hours ago, UCyborg said:

.Can't reproduce again, even with Panda version 22.00.00. PSUAService uses .NET Framework, maybe it's one of those things that actually have an issue with RTM version of .NET Framework 4.0. Subsequent tests were with KB2600211 installed, aka. Update 4.0.3 for .NET Framework 4.

Thanks for reporting and clarifying! Although I'm not a Windows XP 64-bit user, this is good news for everyone who uses this operating system. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[tekkaman]

On 10/14/2023 at 2:23 PM, VistaLover said:

... If I were asked , I'd definitely say that Panda artificially blocked their Panda Dome (i.e. Free Antivirus) setup from successfully initiating+completing installation under XP SP2 64-bit; if you download the latest off-line installer (via already provided links) and then open/extract file FREEAV.exe with 7-zip, then you'll find below directories:

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\2003\

FREEAV.exe\System64\drivers\XP\

containing 64-bit application drivers for WS 2003 x64/XP x64; why put them there if the application isn't supposed to install under those OSes? The fact those 64-bit drivers exist inside the installer probably explains why forced installation on XP x64 works; as for the app itself after installation, I'll quote AstroSkipper:

Regards

Actually Panda didn't work on Windows 7 32 bit for me either. Errors with dot net as well. Anyways you mentioned you got it working on XP64 by installing application verifier and dot net 4.  I never heard of this application verifier. What does it do  ?