Hi
I was unsure where I should post this , as I think it could relate to more than one topic area..
Which could be under Email, Anti Virus , Windows XP, or Malware problems /or possible removal.
I wonder if anyone could advise me.
I still use Windows XP even though updates for it stopped some years ago. and as time went on.. I was not longer able to find any Antivirus program
that would still work on Win XP.
Although that has been the case, I have still managed to generally use Win XP OK for general average easy type browsing for what I need my computer for..
I also use Firefox and Chrome browsers... (which as far as I know had been updated to its last usable version)
I have been ok for some years using this.. and tried to be reasonably careful on what websites that I would visit and used quite limited video usage with it.
as well as using it for emails.
I did get one patch not to long ago when, my computer did not seem to be running too well... and I suspected it may have had a virus...
In the Past I have had some help on this forum in helping me check for viruses upto a few years after Win XP stopped their updates.
But last time I asked if anyone could help me...I was told that the forum no longer would help in checking for viruses for XP users.
In the past again, upto a few years after XP updates ended... I was still able to use some AntiVirus programs and they often found and removed malware for me if any problems were found.
BUT then a few years later... IT seemed that all the AV programs that I tried, no longer would work on Win XP at all..even the long term well known ones at the time....
so I went some time without being able to have my system checked... which I did find frustrating...
But Laptop computer seems to have reasonably rectified itself over time and still runs ok...
UPTO about 2 to 3 or upto 6 months ago... I was able to use two EMAIL services OK....
and then one of them about 6 months ago or so... PROTONMAIL... STOPPED working for me altogether where I was unable to log in ok..
I made enquiries with Protonmail and they informed me that they had made changes where it would only work on newer Windows versions...
Maybe from windows 7 or 10 or more...BUT for a short while they offered me a older version url that continued to allow me to use
their service... BUT that only lasted for a few months... Upon asking them again... They did not really explain why it would no longer work..
and seemed to think it should have done...
So I wondered if it may had been down to my computer having a malware spyware / AV problem..
I then also had started using... Mail com email which I had used prior that was still working ok for me...
BUT I am sorry to say that a month or two after... THEY did the same thing as Protonmail and made changes where I was no longer able to access
their services./ system. Upon querying them.... THEY then again offered me another option that was offered or shown somewhere on their email log page
so I was able to use another of their URLs to log into my email account...But I am sorry to say that only lasted a short time of a few months.
BUT in the last 3 to 4 weeks... I can NO longer log into any of their email log in websites...
I can now only only check my proton or mail .com emails on a mobile phone...using safari...
Again I questioned Could it be a malware or AV problem that I may have on my laptop....
SO I then did a online search to see if I could find any sort Antivirus that may still work on Windows XP...
and to my surprise I found a couple of wesbites that offered AV programs for Win XP...
That seemed to suggest that they had been specially created for OLD XP users... which I think has been created quite recently..
BUT I had been unable to find any such service for or over a few years prior..
I tried a couple and they seemed to work..or at least did appear to function ok... (That were from services whos other older versions under their names that I had used in the past some years ago and had usually worked ok in finding malware etc). BUT they did NOT find any viruses when I ran their present new versions, that I ref to....
However one did find a series of other issues on that it found on my system...and one seemed to suggest.it could do like a form of clean up to remove or rectify certain files etc.BUT I only used them to do initial checks to see if it found or located any viruses, and I was was NOT willing to risk using it for anything else , such as removing certain files etc...
So I ended up uninstalling thesoftware.
I cant recall which one found the extra problems... BUT the ones I tried or used from this websites list was ....
AVG and AVAST...
I would have to reinstall and run them again to remind myself and double check which one did what ever. !.. or found the faulty files etc...
This was wrote or created in Nov 2022.
The 5 Best Antivirus Softwares for Windows XP How to Stay Protected When Using Windows XP
Five years since Microsoft officially retired Windows XP, the OS is still very much in use. Which is not really surprising considering how popular it was. But still, we cannot ignore the risks that come with using this Operating System. Without any patches being installed, It can be really easy for attackers to hack into your system. And we have already seen how hackers can utilize system vulnerabilities to cause huge damages. This is why my first advice to anyone using Windows XP is always to upgrade their OS.
However, I understand that for some this may not be a viable option. This could be due to lack of upgrade costs, hardware limitations or Work environment limitation. There are still several institutions like schools and hospitals that still rely on Windows XP. In such cases then you will have to resort to different methods to ensure that you are protected. And my best recommendation is the installation of an Antivirus software.
It is the first program I install on any new machine and considering that I am always using the latest version of Windows then it should say a lot to you whose Operating system has not seen an update since 2014. Unfortunately, some of the Antivirus Software that may be considered as the best overall may not be necessarily the best for Windows XP because there is always the chance that they too have stopped supporting the OS. Which makes the process of choosing the ideal Antivirus for your XP system a task in itself.
Fortunately, we have rounded up a list of 5 of the best Antivirus software that still receive updates from their developers. We will highlight the major features of each so that you can make an informed decision on which is the most ideal.
But even before that, there are some other measures you can take to improve the overall security of your XP machine. First, ensure that you have upgraded to the latest service pack 3. Also, ensure that you have installed all the patches released by Microsoft before they ceased support for the OS. Additionally, using a supported browser can help you maintain some level of security when surfing the net. You can check out our post for the best browsers for Windows XP.
But now to the matters at hand, which are the best Antivirus programs for Windows XP.
https://appuals.com/...for-windows-xp/
https://windowsrepor...service-pack-3/
https://www.avg.com/...xp-antivirus#pc
https://www.avast.co...ws-xp-antivirus
I later have since tried to find another suitable email service that could work ok on Windows XP...
I found one websites listing suggested the best email options..
BUT I cannot find one that I am happy with, as they seem maybe either Cloud based or Russian / foreign
that I think may only work on newer windows versions or I just dont want to use any cloud based one or that may require me to agree to certain things..
in ref to things like their data protection..or maybe certain cookies that I dont like the look of.
https://www.lifewire...ccounts-1356641
CAN I ask if anyone maybe able to advise me as to a best option Without suggesting to me to having to update to a newer Windows software version.
or can anyone recommend another good email service...
I have tried and used yahoo and gmail in the past , but no longer will use them after they brought in their data protection laws..
With the email companies... Could it maybe be down to them now becoming clould based rather than them running on older type servers..
where they may no longer function on older windows versions at all anymore..
OR should they normally also be able to offer an older prior alternative...
Thank you in advance...
Edited by dowsp, 17 January 2023 - 10:56 AM.