... Do you have Windows firewall turned on with your MBAM 3.5.1 Premium? I believe MBAM doesn't have a firewall...
Hi imbart:
Yes, I use the built-in Windows Firewall on my Vista SP2 test machine, but I should add that the legacy Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1 is a good choice for me because this machine is rarely connected to the internet (my main computer is a 64-bit Win 10 Pro machine), and I purchased a lifetime / perpetual license many years ago before Malwarebytes stopped selling these lifetime licenses in 2014 so I don't have to pay an annual subscription to run Malwarebytes Premium on my Vista SP2 machine. Unfortunately, the free Malwarebytes (Binsoft) Windows Firewall Control never supported Win XP and stopped supporting Vista as of v4.9.7 (April 2017), but someone else following this thread might know of a reputable third-party firewall that is still compatible with Win XP and Vista.
If my Win XP or Vista SP2 machine was my main computer I'd likely be looking at purchasing one of the security products discussed in ITMS's 19-Jan-2021 thread Security Software for Windows Vista? that comes bundled with a firewall like a legacy Kaspersky v19 product (Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Total Security) or one of the current Panda Dome products like Panda Dome Essential (note that Panda also offers Panda Antivirus Free with no firewall). As I noted in ITMA's thread, I'm not a fan of Avast's business practices (See my comments in JohnJames599's Oct 2020 thread Best Antivirus) but I know many Win XP and Vista users who use legacy Avast products like Avast Free Antivirus v18.8, and I'm guessing you can still purchase a annual subscription and use a legacy product like Avast Internet Security v18.8 that includes a firewall.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
-------------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v2004 build 19041.804 * Firefox v86.0 * Windows Defender v4.18.2101.9 * Malwarebytes Free v4.3.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620
Even if Norton continues to launch after end-of-support on 28-Feb-2021 I assume you would still see warnings and error messages begin to pop up in Norton and your Windows Security Center about a week after you stop receiving updates for SDS (virus) Definitions and other Norton protection definitions on your Win XP machine. See CanadianSteve's December 2016 NIS Downloading All Updates But SDS Definitions; here are images from my own Vista SP2 machine when I stopped receiving SDS Definitions via Automatic LiveUpdates for about two weeks back in Dec 2016 due to a glitch with the LiveUpdate servers:
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
I was just trying to establish if anything at all would be left working with Norton after update definitions finish. I have a 3 licence Norton subscription and use it for 2 devices out of 3 allowed - XP and Windows 10 (Edge) so I believe all I need to do is remove Norton from my XP via my subscription. I will obviously keep it on Windows 10 and upgrade my Malwarebytes 3.5.1 from Free to Premium.
... All files related to Norton's XP related product will probably be kept in an archive somewhere. But, when XP support is finally cut completely, users will have no access to these archives. So the best protection a user who absolutely needs to keep an XP system is to take a drive image of their working system that can be used to recover a system that crashes or dies....
If Norton LifeLock is ending support for Win XP and Vista on or around 28-Feb-2021, isn't the "best" protection to switch to another antivirus program that is still compatible with these older operating systems?
I agree with SendOfJive's 28-Jan-2021 post in imbart's Life After Norton Ceases Support for XP - it doesn't really matter if Norton goes completely dead on or around 28-Feb-2021 (i.e, the product is completely inactivated as if you had no days remaining on your subscription) or partially dead [i.e., the product launches but no longer receives protection updates like SDS (virus) definitions, IPS (intrusion prevention) engine and definition updates, web protection definitions, etc. and the status of the system tray icon eventually turns from green to orange or red].
As SendOfJive suggested, I think it's best to upgrade to a computer with a newer OS, or if that isn't practical, wipe Norton off your system using the Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool in advanced "Remove Only" mode as instructed <here> and use a different antivirus that still supports Win XP and Vista.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
All files related to Norton's XP related product will probably be kept in an archive somewhere. But, when XP support is finally cut completely, users will have no access to these archives.
So the best protection a user who absolutely needs to keep an XP system is to take a drive image of their working system that can be used to recover a system that crashes or dies.
And these systems must not be used online, because hackers will be looking for these systems that they know cannot be protected from the latest malware.
Forgive my ignorance in all this. I appreciate that Windows XP will no longer receive any updates or support from Norton from 28th February but what happens to the years of updates already gathered. Where are they kept? Will residual protection remain to provide cover up to the point of termination or should I remove Norton altogether. I am thinking of free Avast either as a replacement or addition. I already have MBAM 3.5.1 as a legacy stand alone scanner which still gets updates on my XP. I am posting this from my Windows 10 laptop.
All: The original article I linked to has been taken down and gives "access denied". Lets all stand by and see if it is reposted and what information it may garner that is different that what was there before.
Chris. I will personally take the time to cross reference your hardware for Windows10 at your request. I run legacy software on W10 frequently without major issues. The first and most major hardware would be your CPU, lets start there.
You might be interested in reading ITMA's 14-Jan-2021 thread Security Software for Windows Vista? in the Norton Tech Outpost. That thread offers suggestions for a few security programs with real-time protection that still receive regular virus definition updates and are compatible with Win XP and Vista, including the legacy Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1, the legacy Avast/AVG Antivirus v18.8, the legacy Kaspersky v18.0/v19.0 (v18.0 for older CPUs that do not support SSE2; v19.0 for Pentium III or newer CPUs that support SSE2), and the current line of Panda Dome products.
SoulAsylum:
...MBAM does offer some protections against known threats as shown here with legacy version 3.8.3. Malwarebytes states this going forward:
Just a clarification that Malwarebytes v3.5.1 is the legacy version for Win XP and Vista - see Malwarebytes employee Erix's post Malwarebytes Support for Legacy Windows XP and Vista Operating Systems in the Malwarebytes 4 FAQs for a download link and further information. Malwarebytes v3.8.3 is the old Win 7 SP1 and higher product that reached end-of-life after Malwarebytes 4.x was released.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
Hello. XP will no longer be supported NOT just updated. Meaning the product core will no longer be supported as well. It will still run on the system, NOT protecting you as if it were still fully supported. Even the intelligent updater will not allow for offline updates
After the end-of-support date, computers running unsupported operating systems will stop receiving product, service and protection updates and virus definitions.
Best practices, and being aware this is a gaming PC, most likely front facing the internet, it is seriously vulnerable, I would NOT front face it on the internet even with the best A/V installed. There isn't any core OS protections being offered by Microsoft and never will be. MBAM does offer some protections against known threats as shown here with legacy version 3.8.3. Malwarebytes states this going forward:
FWIW!! Have you cross referenced your hardware specs to see if this machine will run Windows 10? I still run some legacy gaming titles I've had for ages on Windows 10 regularly. Although they take some tinkering to setup they do still run. Just an FYI!!
Problem is always that old Computers have no updated SSE2 instruction. In that case I use older NIS installers with a new license number from newer NS-product.
I have also various new 2 years old computers running normal XP-Pro SP3 and also WIN7 Pro with Virtual XP-Pro SP3. These “new” computers have all the new SSE instruction and the NIS 2015 running well on WIN7 Pro and XP-Pro SP2. (In 2015: Old NIS 2014 installer with new NIS 2015 license number.)
In 2016 we have NS-Deluxe. This product is running well on WIN7 Pro, but not with (virtual) XP-Pro SP3. Also if the PC have the updated SSE instructions.
My solution was the following:
I have installed on XP-Pro SP3 Computers my old 2015 NIS.exe (version 21.6.032-GE) (GE is for Germany – perhaps your version is marked with US).
During the Installation/updates Norton ask you for a license number. I have take one of my free NS-Deluxe 2016 license numbers for the NIS 2015 installation. The license number will be accepted. After this installation you will get 5 – 6 updates – always with restarts of the PC – and if everything is finished, you will have a NIS 2016 version on your XP-Pro7 SP3 computer. The current version of NIS 2016 is 21.7.0.11.
If you are running a Norton account for example with a 5-License-NS-Version, counting is less pro XP-Pro SP3 installation. Therefore you will see the NIS Installation in your account for every XP-Pro SP3 PC.
My Norton Internet Security 2016 is running on all XP-Pro SP3 PCs without any problems.
----------