Anti-Virus for XP

In this context a recent thread at the Eset forum (about offline installers) might be interesting:
https://forum.eset.com/topic/14705-missing-eset-offline-installers/
Among other things there is discussion in that thread about https://support.eset.com/kb2885/

 

+1 Brummelbaer

Rest in peace XP.

 

Hi, TomAZ. I run xp as my first OS, use it for everything, have for years. Just because I like it better and it runs faster that other win OSs on the same hardware.

Recommend a layered approach to security. For whatever OS you use, use a system virtualizer such as Powershadow (free) or Shadow Defender (not free) and make regular backup images. In other words the antivirus is only part of the setup, as I'm sure you know.

What works here:
Avast but it runs sort of heavy & requires care when installing the free version.
Spywareblaster.
Outpost Firewall 2009, still available but haven't tried to reinstall it for years.
MBAM lifetime lic but installed & run only if needed. Runs a bit heavy.
Sandboxie, free but lifetime lic is worth its weight in gold if you can get one.
Firefox 52.6.0. It is only run in the Sandbox and delete the sandbox when exiting the 'net. Same for whatever browser you use.

About security, "no antivirus or any other security suite is capable...". True, but also true for every microsoft OS.

 

I agree -- and great advice! I also run a layered approach and have never had one problem. And I'm also careful of what I do online and where I go

BTW. . . I do like Avast, but I also think it runs a little heavy. However, nothing that I can't live with.

 

"And I'm also careful of what I do online and where I go"
Good idea, but fwiw, I think common sense is not enough to protect oneself on the net. Malwares are designed to get around ones caution.
That has happened 3 or 4 times here, each time on apparently harmless websites.

If your OS is running virtualized, and your browser is running sandboxed, then when you run into trouble a restart will clean out the junk.

 

Running XP and adding lot of security to compensate, is like letting your home with the windows open and hiring a squad of security guards in case of a breach...i rather close the windows...

Now to answer the OP questions, Shadow Defender coupled to an HIPS or anti-exe is the way to go.

 

guest, no disrespect meant, but I think there are no microsoft OSs that have all the windows closed, least of all win 10.

 

Windows 10 itself is way more secure than XP and it receives regular security updates.

 

As you correctly mentioned this is AV forum not Windows 10 support forum...so every others version are equal and important. Maybe is out of your imagination but yes...people still are using olders Windows version and they want to know something about it...have some issue and ask question. Wilders is the good place for them.

Really?...looking at users with Win 10 and how theirs struggle to understand what is happend in this system and what to do to correctly setup a lot of features I think they are in a big trouble

 

I run Windows XP SP3. I have access to XP Embedded/POSReady security updates and use an AMD Athlon XP 3000+ processor which is decently Meltdown safe, according to Steve Gibson. My layers of security that I have evolved over seventeen years have created defences which have yet to be breached. Needless to say, I no longer use the system where online security is of paramount importance, like online banking and purchasing, not because I think that it would be safe but to use it for security/privacy sensitive functions would not be to do due diligence as far as my bank is concerned.

Using Windows XP is like driving a classic car but I would not drive my classic car from Wigan to the South of France and back with a fortnight's touring thrown in while I am there. Spares for MG ZB Magnettes are non-existent in la Belle France.

 

In term of security, they are safer with default Win10 than outdated XP, and that is all that matters. Now if users don't care to learn their OS to get the best of it, it is their problem.

 

Can't disagree about the safety considerations.
Not because I believe windows A is safer than windows B, but rather because I have not thoroughly tested all of them.
I don't think any of them are safe. If you leave one window open your house is gonna be full of bugs.
Win 10 is a nogo for me. Too leaky, kills second party softwares. Not sure how to lock down win 7 yet. Getting there. After that Linux is next here.

Back to TomAZ's question:
Here, I have windows xp locked up tighter'n a pit bull on a pot roast. That setup above does it, but it isn't the easiest thing.

 

Just ironic to be posting about security when you are using an OS that is completely outdated and no longer being supported or getting any security updates.

 

You will be surprised how many updates for XP I received last time...there were not system updates but nobody can say XP is completely abandoned.
Now I'm writing from Vista but next time I'll give you screenshot from XP updates.
BTW - security is not related only to the newest system build...it's not related to the "herd" of enabled features/tweaks/options also but rather to awareness of what is missing. If you know that - you can build quite secure system.

 

Outdated operating systems without security updates are dangerous, I think it's time to close this thread finally.

 

I've been waiting to see massive RCE exploits from the day MS ended support for XP. But guess what, nothing happened. So IMO it's only as secure as a user behind a keyboard.
I also still maintain few XP systems and I like information that I get from this thread, so I hope it doesn't get closed.

 

Been running XP without anti-virus for quite sometime. Still one of the best OS you can lock down
and take control of IMO. Is it secure? No, but what Windows OS is?

 

I was just about to post the same thing!

 

@TomAZ - XPPro user here - as my main system. Sad that the anti XP police come in and try to hi-jack/derail XP threads. If Wilders were to close this thread ( I hope they don't) then they'd need to close every other thread that discusses software that's not up to date.

First you need to figure out who it is you want to be secure from. I want to be secure from M$'s itself and it's later OS's which are worse with each new OS. As has been implied W10 is a potential nightmare and like others say, nothing is 100% safe online. I'd never recommend XP to anyone unless they're prepared to take extra measures. Other than using Clamwin recently to a check for something, I haven't used AV for years and haven't been compromised. I think prevention is better than cure. What you do online is really important no matter what OS. Good practices, layered approaches.

 

One of the best threads ever on this forum was all about hardening XP but the search tool doesnt seem to find it anymore.