Which Anti-malware Products Still Work with XP?

[benali]

I mainly use other systems but have a few old XP SP3 instances I support. They reside on single-processor P-IV's and are current with Windows Updates.

I upgraded Avast! on one machine to version 7 (v 7.0.1466) and it messed up XP. So I did a Windows Restore to just prior to the upgrade and Windows was fine.

Similarly, I upgraded Ad-Aware to version 10 (10.2.17.3686) on another machine and it also messed it up. Again, a Restore corrected the problem.

I would guess that some of the free anti-malware vendors are no longer testing the new releases of their products on XP (since several subsequent Windows releases have left the XP architecture behind).

Which free anti-malware products is anyone using here today with SP XP3? And are you using the current versions of those products? (I prefer not to use MSE.)

Thank you for your advice.

[-pops-]

According to Avast http://www.avast.com...s-download#tab4 their software will work on Windows XP. Similarly with Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoft...._aware_free.php

You may wish to carry out an online A/V scan using http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ to ascertain that your machine is not infected already and that this infection is preventing the correct installation of the A/V programs you want to install.

[benali]

Thank you for your reply.

Both PCs have had numerous scans by various products and I feel confident they do not have malware. Products I regularly scan with include Malwarebytes, ClamWin, Avast!, Ad-Aware, and Spybot S&D.

Yes, I know both Avast! and Ad-Aware say they still work with XP. But my sequence was this -- PC works fine, a System Backup, upgrade to new product, now PC operates very poorly, Restore to the System Backup, now PC works fine. I am posting here because evidence I have collected indicates these products no longer work with XP reliably even though their vendors post otherwise.

If anyone uses specific current anti-malware on XP SP3, please post with product and version number. Please note I am on P-IVs w/ 512M so products must perform adequately on single-processors.

Thank you.

[Belatucadrus]

I'm currently running two XP SP3 machines one is using avast! 7 with no problems, the other has Outpost . You may also be interested in this old thread, the list is a little out of date with some having been dropped and a few new ones have appeared.

[benali]

Thanks, Belatucadrus. Based on your input I'll try updating to Avast 7 on another XP machine. Maybe there was some sort of anomoly on the machine it failed on.

Hey, that's a great list of AV products you posted! I've saved that page for future reference.

I investigated further about Ad-Aware. It's actually working, but it performs so slowly on the old single processor P-IV @ 2 ghz, you can't tell. It pretty much locks up the screen while it performs its updates. So my conclusion on Ad-Aware is that v 10 still works under XP but is impractical on an older machine.

Thanks.

[Lamb Chop]

Ok last night just before shut down Avast updated to new version 1466 etc. Didnt reboot as was closing down.

today boote dup and all hell broke loose has taken me 4 hours to get the computer working. some may be me

being impatient as did safe mode restore and then it hung several times. Then uninstalled Avast in safe mode and tried

again - could not get past windows starting up again and again. Even though supposedly got rid of Avast. So went again for

umteenth time and did a restore back even farther 3 days and got it going finally now I cannot uninstall Avast although it is showing

up as being there.

So am about to go to Major Geeks and see if they still have the uninstaller I saw there once. Just checked

in here to see if it was me or had anyone else had a problem.

[Lamb Chop]

Ok www.majorgeeks.com had the tool to uninstall all versions of Avast and it worked fine and seemingly now does my computer.

Actually the previous version had a fault and I had had slowing down - it told me twice verbally it had updated etc. Is

this not a case where terrific programs dealing with one and then adding all sorts into a paid version and the free

one is then not so good? Rings a bell

Anyway had a look to see what is best on 2 sites and both had Avast as top and sorry to see Comodo as not so hot.

So trying Cloud Anti- virus. They both said M$ one is quite good too.

Also just noticed again have 2 versions of Firefox up when I should only have one as didn't call it up again. And this

was happening too before I uninstalled Avast. Weird. Happened with other programs like IDM to get down the

new versions.

[-pops-]

(I prefer not to use MSE.)

Thank you for your advice.

Why not?

I've been using MSE all through Vista and W7 on numerous machines without problems and it does function on XP.

I don't visit the less salubrious parts of the Internet - I don't know whether this would make MSE less effective but then, that is a risk with all A/V systems.

[Lamb Chop]

Ok since last here spent all my time installing then trying to uninstall Panda Anti Virus - all because it has to register \before you can use it and then I got a drop out - still waiting for last bit to fix - ie rewire the house by Telstra first to computer then to kitchen - hope that fixes it.

Anyway dont bother with this takes forever to get rid of because it keeps trying to register.

Then uninstalled 424 registry items and 544 files and at last maybe get some work done all day mucking about with Avast and drop

pits - just seems to be when I most need to be connect other days goes all right mainly and get it back quick smart.

Ok give in will try MSE which I take it is Microsoft? and Gizmo says not a lot of stuff to slow you done and does a good job.

Pops so hope it does as blooming heck - what a day. yesterday bad enough my mechanic told me my much loved 22

year old car needs trading in as close to melt down and if it does lucky to get $50 as is should get $2K. So on top of all

have to go the round of finding a blooming new car - will try for SUV as higher and I am having trouble getting into saloon

as left leg is the worst and locks up muscles after shopping and walking a lot and these 4wd are all the go so pricey.

Mechanic said try RAV4 or XTrail. Only have just 1.9 clearance on the garage see.

BTW this started off a discussion with my hubbie who said back in UK all cars carry a book listing all the owners issued by

vehicle registry in Wales and have t send it in to get new tax disc etc with insurance papers and I said no way the book is that issued

with new car and not able to know how many owners - who is right anyone care to say? :D

[benali]

Lamb Chop, thanks for posting about your difficulties with the latest Avast. I am going to test it on another machine but am preceding very cautiously (doing a System Backup just prior to install, and not performing any other changes on the system until I am convinced Avast v 7 is working ok).

I have installed Ad-Aware 10 on a couple old single-core P-IVs now and have given up on their latest release. It performs so terribly it is unusable, from a practical standpoint. I've concluded to my own satisfaction you need at least a dual core to handle it.

About MSE... I prefer to have Windows integrity checked by a different party than the OS vendor.

[benali]

Ok, I was able to confirm the Avast v 7 problem under XP SP 3. See this thread at the Avast Forum. Not a simple problem, but fixable.

My conclusion -- if you run XP SP 3 on P-IV's, I suggest caution before installing or upgrading to Avast 7 and Ad-Aware 10.

I've decided to ditch both products and try Outpost and other AV products kindly linked to by Belatucadrus.

Thanks.