Can WinXP Pro 64 run all 32bit apps?

Doh..... I'm a stupid dummy..... followed the instructions on the Definitions D/L page and tried to "run" the update file.

Finally said frack this noise and rebooted to make sure MSE install was "well baked". Shut-down menu suddenly included option to "install update and restart"..... so I hit that. Now I'm watching laptop install 44 updates!

I have a bad feeling about this..... I sure hope I don't have to deal with that damn WGA crap again......

Let's see what happens.

Wolf
 
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I had Windows Update turned off at first... then I changed the setting to "download but let me choose". It looks to me that when I installed MS Security Essentials the setup program reset this to Automatic. So, when I thought I was installing the MSE Definitions and restarting, the OS was actually installing all the updates it had downloaded earlier.

The machine is now running noticeably slower and the MSE Definitions are still not installed and won't update by any method I have yet tried. I even D/L the 32 bit version of the Definitions to see what would happen and I get the same error. "Not a valid Win32 App".

So now I'm reading on how to fix that issue.
 
I figured "in for a penny, in for a pound" and decided to let MS Update run to it's heart content..... 135 updates, reboot.... then 10 more, reboot, then another one, then 3 more..... finally seemed satisfied.

Strange that about 30 of these updates were related to .NET Framework.... I had just D/L, patched, and updated all these right off the MS pages just a few days ago.

After all this, Security Essentials still would not update the Definitions either through the program, or by manual method. (still got "not a valid Win32 App").

From previous reading, one likely possibility in my case might have been bad Registry entries, so I ran CCleaner on the machine.... this made no difference so far as MSE is concerned. Along the way I had also read from a few folks that MSE had seen it's better days and wasn't really much protection any more. So I uninstalled that and deleted all the associated files I had collected.

Not sure if it was the MS updates or the CCleaner, but something changed..... I was now able to run the AVG install which appears to be functioning normally. Next I will try to get Malwarebytes installed.
 
So far, Malwarebytes is a flop. Seems to install normally, but at launch just spits out "Unable to connect service" error box. This is a common error for x64 OS users since V3.5 came out and I haven't found a fix.

I eventually looked up Services.msc and found that MBAWservice was not present. Found MBAWservice.exe in the install directory and double clicked it..... "Not a valid Win32 App". (I'm getting tired of seeing that msg).

In the past 20 years I probably saw that particular error less than 5 times..... but on this x64 OS I see it all the time..... with programs I know are fine because I've installed these on the x32 machine a few times.

Perhaps XP Pro x64 isn't all it's cracked up to be?
 
Yes Liz...... I read that many times. I got a news flash for you...... MS no longer supports Windows XP.

What does that mean anyway....... "not support"

I know I support YOU :b
 
no longer supports xp, means no more security updates, not that xp will disappear, :)

I have no 64bit xp to test malwarebytes on, you could just run the 32bit one, but you will not be getting a full scan.
 
With all the trouble I had installing AVG, I'm not too eager to uninstall it to test if Panda will even install let alone if I like it.

I've given MB all the time I'm going to for now.... tried newest and much older versions.... none will install and run. The Support tool is useless. I either need to figure out how to cure this "not a valid win32 app" error that appears on several EXE files, or I would need to manually edit every registry entry needed for Malwarebytes..... :*(

On the bright side however, my old versions of MsOfficeXP, Winamp 3.0, Winzip and the command line add-on all installed and appear to run fine.

As expected, IE8.0 STILL isn't worth running..... LOL
 
No, I've never used it b4. Do you use it? Have you used AVG in the past? How do they compare?
Yes I have used it in the past. I found it very good and it has very high ratings. This is one of the places you can compare all of them:

https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/real-world-protection-test-jul-aug-2019-factsheet/

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

Hover your mouse cursor anywhere on the graph and you can read the performance data. You can also check past result.
 
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I followed that 2nd link Janice, and since XPforever did not post troubles I D/L the mseinstall.exe and ran it...

Flakey install told me my Firewall was still not activated (even though it had been throughout) and I should turn it on manually..... well, it was all the time.

At end of install it insisted I need to update Definitions.... makes sense. Progress bar never made it more than 20% after many attempts. Did a web search and ended up here to manually D/L Definitions....

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...the-latest-definition-updates-for-microsoft-s

Once D/L was complete I ran the file...... "not a valid Win32 app"

Joy
Just use avast or AVG or if you like lightness use ClamWin with ClamSentinel :p
 
Very strange that I had not received any e-mail notifications of replies here since my last message on Monday.... I also am still waiting for e-mails from the Malwarebytes Forum, which should have happened a few days ago.

I'm still learning about WinXP Pro 64....

I just read Elizabeth's post related to "scannow", but the laptop is currently busy running Chkdsk..... so I'll try out the scannow cycle later.

Also kinda weird that when I tried to run "Chkdsk C: /f /r" the /f option was not recognized.... this was after booting with the install CD (I created after actually installing from USB).

I'm still seeing "not a valid Win32 App" on some things..... and MBAM is still not resolved.

Along the way I also see that in File Manager the Search option doesn't work properly..... won't find files that I know exist in certain directories. (I copy/pasted file name in and SEARCH still would not find the file). I know this is true for the Windows Dir, and for the Docs&Settings Dir.

Makes me wonder what all else is wrong with this OS that I just haven't stumbled across yet.

Had an issue with a AV program I had installed and removed (I thought) earlier called Comodo...... I think that software is spyware. It didn't come with an uninstall file, so I had to run the winbloze Add/Remove. Then strange Comodo box popped up threatening me with all sorts of warnings if I actually remove it..... I kept hitting YES.

After that, I had to manually remove the Program directory, the icons, and edit the registry, so the "uninstall was worthless...... A few days later I see there's still a Comodo directory in the Docs&Settings Directory.... Could not delete it since "being used by another program". What program???? Nothing showed up in Task Mgr or Services.....

I booted with a Linux based file manager and deleted the directory, but when I restarted winbloze it recreated the Comodo Dir again..... this is like one of those damn web pages you can never escape without unplugging your machine!!!

Found out then, it had also re-created the actual install Dir under Program Files...... I had to boot to Safe Mode with DOS prompt to finally get rid of that damn thing. That's all fracking weird!!!

Anyway..... XP64... hmmmmfffff

Thanks for the replies.... I'll have to check back more often
Wolf

Update: Now running the Scannow, but I don't expect much of an improvement..... the DLLcache on the laptop is over 500M, and the newest file is stamped 2/7/2014. (I don't think any 3rd party affected them)
 
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