Security Wizard Recommendations (win95-all)

The bad news is that PCs running Windows 95 cannot be effectively defended against modern malware attacks.

That’s not your fault. It’s Microsoft’s fault for two separate reasons:

First, Windows 95 right from day it was released was full of faults and loopholes that allowed virus, trojans and other malware programs to get into the system.  To be fair to Microsoft, many of threats didn’t exist when Windows 95 was created. However today they do exist and Windows 95 PCs are easy prey to these malware programs.

Second, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 95 on 31 December 2002.  That means that any fault or bug discovered in Windows 95 since that time has not been fixed and, as far as Microsoft is concerned, never will be fixed.

And there are plenty of these unfixed faults in Windows 95. Worse still they are well known to hackers and internet criminals who are prepared to exploit them.

To be perfectly honest your best bet is to get another PC running a more modern version of Windows.  For most Windows 95 users that’s the best advice even if it unpalatable.

However we recognize that a significant number of Windows 95 users simply cannot afford to buy a new PC or even a newer version of Windows.  So for these users we have put together the best advice we can for securing your PC.

Option 1: See if a simple version of Linux works on your PC

 Linux is a free operating system that’s available in many different versions.  It’s very secure system and has many fewer security issues than Windows systems.

The problem you face is that the hardware on your Windows 95 PC is likely to be old with a slow processor and very limited memory.   This hardware is not sufficient to run modern versions of Linux such as Ubuntu or even its less demanding cousin Xubuntu.

There are however two small cut-down version of Linux that are worth trying.

The first is Tiny Linux and it will work even with the 16 or 32 MB of memory that’s typically found in the oldest Windows 95 PCs.

Tiny Linux can be downloaded from here:

http://tiny.seul.org/en/

If you have 64MB of memory or more then you can try Puppy Linux.  It’s got many more features than Tiny Linux and is actively supported.  You can get it from here:

http://www.puppylinux.org

Linux is a good option if it works but I don’t want to get your hopes up as there are many issues:

• Installing Linux requires some technical knowledge. Not a lot but sufficient to rule out many average users.  For example most Windows 95 PC’s won’t boot from a CD. Indeed many don’t even have a CD drive.  Installing and booting Linux from a PC without a CD drive is possible but challenging.
• If you use a WinModem for dial-up connection to the internet then that modem probably won’t work with Linux.
• Linux is very different to Windows so even if you get Linux working most of your Windows programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express will not work.  Linux offers alternative programs that will do the same job but you will have to learn how to use these programs as they work differently to the Microsoft products. Furthermore it is unlikely you will be able to import your old email and other data from Windows into Linux.

So the barriers to getting Linux working to replace Windows 95 are high.  However if you can hurdle those barriers you will end up with an excellent secure system that is not only safer than Windows 95 but safer than many later versions of Windows as well.

Option 2: Install the best defenses you can

Although it is not possible to fully defend a Windows 95  PC against modern malware attack it is entirely possible to improve your protection.  The result might not be perfect but it sure beats not having any protection at all. 

If you combine this improved protection with the disciplined use of safe computing practices you will have a reasonable chance of avoiding infection on your Windows 95 PC.

(2a) Reinstall Windows 95

Because Windows 95 is so vulnerable to infection there is a real risk that your PC is currently infected. To guard against this possibility we suggest you undertake a fresh installation of Windows 95 and then back that up using a drive imaging program.

This achieves two things:

First, it means that you have some certainty your computer is not infected.

Second, if in the future your PC ever becomes infected you can use the drive image to restore it to a pristine, infection free condition.

In order to be sure that a new Windows installation removes any trace of malware infection you  need to format your hard drive and do a "clean" install of Windows 95. This unfortunately will mean that all your existing e-mail and other data will be erased in the process.  So before you do anything you need to back up your e-mail, documents and other data to some form of removable media such as floppy disk ,CD, DVD, USB drive, ZIP drive or whatever. You can find a Windows 95 backup guide here.

Once backed up you are ready to do a clean install. You can find details instructions how to do that here

When you have completed the new installation of Windows 95, restore your backed up data and then create a drive image of your clean system using one of the free drive imaging programs here.

If you feel these steps are beyond your skill level then seek technical assistance.

(2b)  Install a firewall.

  A firewall is necessary if you are connected to the internet in order to prevent hackers from using the internet to get break into your PC. A firewall is of particular importance to Windows 95 PCs as that operating system has well known flaws that hackers can easily exploit to take control of your PC. 

If you have a broadband connection to the internet using a router provided by your ISP then you probably already have a hardware firewall in the router. Most routers have a firewall as an explicit feature or implicitly if the firewall uses NAT (Network address translation) for is operation.  If in doubt, consult your ISP or router manufacturer. 

If you don’t have a firewall in your router or you use a dial-up connection to the internet then you should install a software firewall. 

Most modern firewalls won’t work on Windows 95 but there are some older versions that will. 

Our top recommendation is the free version of the ZoneAlarm Firewall v 2.6.  This is a very old version of ZoneAlarm but it the last version that worked with Windows 95.  It is no longer available from the developer but can be downloaded from here: 

http://www.oldversion.com/ZoneAlarm.html  (2.8MB) 

Installing and configuring a firewall requires a certain degree of technical ability. If in doubt, seek assistance.

(2c) Update your browsers. 

  One of the most popular ways for internet criminals to infect your PC is to exploit the flaws in internet browsers.  So you need to update your browser the latest version that will work with Windows 95. 

Internet Explorer can be updated 5.5 service pack 2.  Microsoft no longer support or supplies this product but you can obtain it from http://browsers.evolt.org/?ie/32bit/5.5_SP2. 

Even better we suggest you no longer use Internet Explorer but switch to Firefox.  The last version of Firefox that works with Windows 95 is 1.5.0.12.  While not as secure as more recent versions of Firefox, it is a much more secure than Internet Explorer 5.5.   You can obtain 1.5.0.12 from here: 

http://www.filehippo.com/download_firefox/2743/ 

The first time you run Firefox under Windows 95 you will get an error message: 'This program performed an illegal operation'.  Restart the PC and then rerun Firefox and it will work fine. 

Once installed we suggest you download and install the following free Firefox add-ons for additional security: 

• Firefox WOT add-on:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3456
• Firefox NoScript add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

The WOT add-on works by providing you with security rating of websites you visit as well as websites that appear in search engine lists.  We strongly advise you only to visit sites rated “Green” by WOT. 

The NoScript add-on disables JavaScript and other browser features that can be used by hostile websites to exploit weaknesses in your PC.  Some perfectly legitimate sites wont function correctly with NoScript enabled but it can easily be disabled on a temporary basis. 

Even if you use Firefox we recommend you still should update Internet Explorer as it has flaws that can be exploited even if you are not using the product.

(2d) Install an anti-virus product.

There are very few anti-virus or anti-malware programs that work with Windows 95.  However one will and it’s an excellent product too -  avast! Antivirus 4.8 Home Edition. This includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-rootkit capabilities and many other security features as well. 

But this capability comes at a cost. You will need at least 32MB of memory and ideally 64MB or more. Your PC will also slow down considerably with avast! installed.  However this is a small price to pay for the additional security. 

In order for avast! to work on a Windows 95 PC you will need to install some DLLs that are needed by the program.  The DLLs you need are:

• ws2help.dll 
• WS2_32.DLL 

These can be downloaded as ZIP files from http://www.dll-files.com and when downloaded, need to be unzipped and placed in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM. 

That done download avast! From here: http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html 

Please note that avast! is free only for home use.

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