What browser do you use?

[Vistaar]

That browser was first mentioned here more than 3 years ago (post #300 on a previous page), but this forum was still mainly Firefox diehards in those days. The time to recommend Firefox 52 or Opera 36 for web browsing is gone now, so I’m glad that wither 3 has found something more modern that he can use.

...there are some menus in it that are still in Chinese.

MSFN members NotHereToPlayGames (formerly known as ArcticFoxie) and Humming Owl have both made modified versions with Chinese language and telemetry removed, although I believe they are strictly portable (no installers). I no longer run Vista and therefore can’t recommend one or the other.

The bad news is that the Chinese support for XP and Vista is ending, and new versions of this browser based on Chromium versions higher than 86 will require Windows 7 x64 minimum.

 

[wither 3]

In regards to my comment about Pandora, I solved the problem. I got thinking about things that have changed (without me doing anything) on both of my Vista setups and I remembered I hadn't uninstalled Adobe Flash Player which ceased to be supported like a year or so ago. I uninstalled it and, lo and behold, I can listen to Pandora once again. Yeah!

 

[19jmsr56]

The bad news is that the Chinese support for XP and Vista is ending, and new versions of this browser based on Chromium versions higher than 86 will require Windows 7 x64 minimum.

The 360 Chrome Extreme Browser received an update to version 13.5.2036.0 based on Chrome version 86.0.4240.198 in October 2022, the third update this year. I hope they last until February 2023. I use it as the default browser on my Windows Vista Business 64bit SP2/Windows Server 2008 R1 laptop.

 

[wither 3]

I wouldn't think that the unavailability of new updates will kill our ability to use what we have. I mean, all sorts of software receives no updates on a Vista or even Win 7 system. Hopefully, I'm not wrong.

 

[19jmsr56]

I mean, all sorts of software receives no updates on a Vista or even Win 7 system.

Of the SW that I have installed and use, e.g. it still has the latest updates: 7zip v.22.01, IDM v.6.41.3, Iobit Driver Booster v.10.0.0.65, Iobit Malware Fighter 9, Java 8 update 351, Media Info 22.09, Smart Defrag 8.2.0.197, Total Commander v.10, VSO ConvertX to DVD 7, Wise Registry Cleaner v.10.8.3, PrivaZer v. 4.0.55, Winaero Tweaker v.1.33.0, Revo Uninstaller 2.4.1 Portable.
But e.g. Ashampoo programs froze on version 2016, similarly KC Sumo, Dumo, qBittorrent, FormatFactory, Adobe Reader, Autorun Organizer, K-Lite Mega, Driver Easy, Geek Uninstaller. In my opinion, they are blocked artificially for Vista. But these older versions also work reliably.

 

[Vistaar]

The 360 Chrome Extreme Browser received an update to version 13.5.2036.0 based on Chrome version 86.0.4240.198 in October 2022, the third update this year. I hope they last until February 2023...

All 13.x versions are based on the same Chromium version (your Jul 23, 2021 post #306 on the previous page confirms that). The latest 360 Extreme Explorer v21 based on Chromium 95 does not support XP, Vista or any x86 system. I don’t visit Chinese websites myself, but VistaLover of MSFN wrote an informative post 7 months ago.

 

[19jmsr56]

All 13.x versions are based on the same Chromium version (your Jul 23, 2021 post #306 on the previous page confirms that). The latest 360 Extreme Explorer v21 based on Chromium 95 does not support XP, Vista or any x86 system. I don’t visit Chinese websites myself, but VistaLover of MSFN wrote an informative post 7 months ago.

Hello Vistaar. It is enough for me that there is a reliable browser for Vista for the second year. In addition, it accepts plugins from the Chrome Web Store without any problems. Its predecessor, the Maxthon 5, was hardly usable, when Vista does not support Chromium/Chrome in a higher version than 49. Vista is enough for the last 4 months of safe operation. I will miss OS Vista very much, in my opinion it is not only the most graphically beautiful Microsoft OS, if I do not think of Windows 7, which is practically Vista SP3. My opinion again - Windows 11 22H2 is inspired by Vista in many ways, but that's on a different HW level...

 

[Vistaar]

...it accepts plugins from the Chrome Web Store without any problems.

VistaLover’s post that I linked to above includes a paragraph about Chromium extensions migrating to Manifest Version 3, which requires Chromium 88. I’m not going to ask what you mean by “the last 4 months of safe operation” because I can’t endorse expropriation of ESU updates! I’m certain that wither 3 will continue to run Vista despite the lack of Microsoft patches. Windows XP still has more users than Vista even though no patches for XP have been available for years.

 

[wither 3]

Of the SW that I have installed and use, e.g. it still has the latest updates: 7zip v.22.01, IDM v.6.41.3, Iobit Driver Booster v.10.0.0.65, Iobit Malware Fighter 9, Java 8 update 351, Media Info 22.09, Smart Defrag 8.2.0.197, Total Commander v.10, VSO ConvertX to DVD 7, Wise Registry Cleaner v.10.8.3, PrivaZer v. 4.0.55, Winaero Tweaker v.1.33.0, Revo Uninstaller 2.4.1 Portable.
But e.g. Ashampoo programs froze on version 2016, similarly KC Sumo, Dumo, qBittorrent, FormatFactory, Adobe Reader, Autorun Organizer, K-Lite Mega, Driver Easy, Geek Uninstaller. In my opinion, they are blocked artificially for Vista. But these older versions also work reliably.

I started to respond using a quote which I decided I didn't want. Can't figure out how to get rid of it. I don't if it will show up in this reply.

I'll be using Vista a long time if the mobo components hold up on this system. If the bad boys somehow screw this up, I also have Win 7. Of course that's not being patched any longer either.

 

[19jmsr56]

I'll be using Vista a long time if the mobo components hold up on this system. If the bad boys somehow screw this up, I also have Win 7. Of course that's not being patched any longer either.

Hello. Regarding the quote: it can be deleted after it is displayed by selecting it with the right mouse button and delete.
Windows 7 receives patches just like Vista-Server 2008 R1. It is necessary to have BypassESU-v11 installed, and the latest October updates are also available. More here: Windows 7 – Erweiterte Sicherheitsupdates (ESU) erhalten ist mit einem Patch möglich. Of course, it will also be safe until February 13, 2023, along with Vista/Server 2008, and Windows 8.1. Then we really have to switch to Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 22H2 (only 64bit), or...some linux-distro.

 

[wither 3]

In another thread, we talked about my experience with installing all the Server 2008 R1 updates on this system. One of them screwed it up so I quit doing it. Reminds me that I have all those installation files taking up a lot of space on my system. Need to dump them.

 

[KittyVista]

A little funny how years later now I reply with Mypal (the new unstable version)

 

[Jody Thornton]

When I'm at my girlfriend's place, I use an old Duo Dell Insipron notebook PC with 2 GB of RAM on it. Running Vista Home Basic, I use MyPal 68 as well. The latest revision just days old is becoming super stable. Yes 360 Chrome from the MSFN guys does browse a couple more sites, but I hope that ESR 91 compatibility can be worked into MyPal 68 at some point.

 

[Vistaar]

I use MyPal 68....Yes 360 Chrome from the MSFN guys does browse a couple more sites...

Hello @Jody Thornton, have you heard about the latest version of Supermium from Win32? It’s based on Chromium 119 and yet supports Vista SP2 x86 as well as x64, extended kernel no longer required.

Release Version 119.0.6045.192 · win32ss/supermium

I wonder if your MyPal 68 can download files from GitHub? If not, use 360 (or Windows 8 etc.)

 

[Jody Thornton]

@Vistaar
Windows 8 is definitely my daily driver. I just use Vista Home Basic x86 on an old notebook at my girlfriend's place.

 

[wither 3]

I've been using the Supermium browser for a week or two. Drawbacks- It takes a full 2 minutes and 10 second to launch from scratch. It's also slow in launching some websites. Up ticks- I listen to sites like accuradio.com all day and it is loaded with advertisement. With 360Chrome, a lot of the pictures are decoded and cached as are background pages. It has a memory optimization feature and running that I often find it's using up to 2.5 GB of memory and more in temporary files. Slows the entire system down until the memory optimization is run. Who wants to do that all day? However, Supermium behaves differently and the system isn't slowed down under the same circumstances. Supermium also doesn't provide messages in Chinese. I'll probably continue using Supermium for the future.

 

[Jody Thornton]

I've actually moved pretty much to Supermium on the Vista notebook. It's running pretty snappy considering the paltry 2 GB of RAM i have in it.

 

[Vistaar]

There’s another Chromium fork called Thorium to consider now! Its developer borrowed code developed by win32 that enables recent Chromium to work on XP/Vista (giving proper attribution to its source), but it does not follow that Thorium is merely a Supermium clone. MSFN moderator Dave-H was skeptical at first, but now says he prefers Thorium, which seems to have fewer performance issues. Certain other XP users agree, and MSFN’s Thorium thread has lately been much hotter than their Supermium thread:

Thorium

It doesn’t look like anyone at MSFN has tried Thorium on Vista yet. I regret to say that MSFN’s most active Vista x64 user is still committed to win32’s extended kernel, and is a rather paranoid person with multiple forum accounts who has tried to discredit Thorium’s developer. I would therefore take any such posts with more than a grain of salt.

 

[wither 3]

The discussion at MSFN doesn't help at all.

 

[19jmsr56]

Hi, and I am rustling. On the Toshiba Satellite C660 28-V laptop I have installed Windows Vista Business 64bit, updated to the 2K8 server, the last update March 2024. No virtual, extended Kernell, I prefer clean axis. It has CPU Intel Core i3 2x240GHz, integrated AMD Mobile Radeon HD5450/1024 GB, RAM 8GB, SSD Sandisk 120GB.As I use MSE ver. 4.4.304.0, Browser MyPal 68 v. 68.14.0 64bit, Supermium v. 122.0.6261.85 64bit. Today I was interested in information about Thorium. I installed the Vista 64bit version. I was satisfied, very similar to supermia and graphic mistakes, responding briskly. I verify each installation from a third party. And HitmanPro has found 3 malware in the core of Thorium. After their move to the quarantine, the internet connection was "fell" ... even a restart did not help. So I gave the system recovery, he recovered, and Thorium "flew" from the PC! Non refundable.So I stay at Supermium 122 64bit as the default browser, I will be loaded in about 10 seconds. With Supermium and MyPal 68, Windows Vista was given another chance for a completely safe use if Microsoft provides updates to the 2K8 and MSE server, probably until January 2025 ...