Compatibility for either XP SP2 or Vista

[UltraO]

Okay, I have a computer which I made a clean install from and removed vista and installed the XP x64-Bit edition, and I need to install Norton 360 v2.0. The problem is that the installer claims that it can't support this version of the OS, or that it is incompatible. Now I know this is bullls***! (Probably some co-operation with MS to make XP unsupported but they won't defeat me!! )

Anyways if I am running it under "Windows XP" compatibility mode, it says that it needs at least Windows XP SP2 to be able to run, and refuses to install :angrym: . So I wonder if it is possible to update the compatibility menu so I can pick "Windows XP Service Pack 2", or maybe fool the computer in another way to be either XP SP2/SP3, Vista or Vista x64!

Anyone knows?

Thanks

[cluberti]

http://shop.symantecstore.com/DRHM/servlet...;ThemeID=106300

It's technically only a 32-bit product even if it installs on x64 Vista, as certain features are 32bit only. They (Symantec) didn't make a 64bit version until 3.0 - there's no conspiracy, so take off your tinfoil hat. If anything, blame the vendor for releasing a product in 2008 without any x64 OS support. From the 2.0 page linked above:

System Requirements

	* Operating system: Windows® XP Home/XP Pro/XP Media Center Service Pack 2 or later, Windows Vista®** Home Basic/Home Premium/Ultimate/Business/Starter Edition
	* Phishing Protection feature requires Microsoft® Internet Explorer® version 6.0 or later or Firefox® version 2.0 or later
	* Email scanning supported for POP3-compatible email clients
	* Online backup feature requires high-speed Internet connection

Hardware Requirements

	* 300MHz or faster processor
	* 256MB of RAM minimum
	* 300MB of available hard disk space

Required for All Installations

	* Standard Web browser
	* DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive
	* Internet connection

**Additional Windows Vista Requirements

	* Must meet minimum Windows Vista operating system requirements
	* Phishing protection feature available only on 32 bit Explorer

Also, to tack on some more bad news, if you're going to run XP x64 you're going to have to find a different antivirus product, because no version of Norton 360 supports x64 XP - Norton 360 v3.0 only runs on x86 XP or Vista or x64 Vista (not x64 XP or 2003).

[UltraO]

Ok thanks for the reply and info.

But are you sure that they just claim that it doesn't support XP x64, and that the installer just refuses to install on Windows XP x64? Because for example when I was running Windows 7 on another computer I had to check "Windows Vista" in the compatibility tab to install Norton 360 v2.0. So I'm pretty sure that all I need is to fool the program to think it is either Windows XP SP2/SP3 or Vista or Vista x64. If I am correct Norton Internet Security 2006 or so had support for XP x64 and then they removed it??! But does anyone know HOW to fool a program to "run" under another OS?

[cluberti]

Ok thanks for the reply and info.

But are you sure that they just claim that it doesn't support XP x64, and that the installer just refuses to install on Windows XP x64? Because for example when I was running Windows 7 on another computer I had to check "Windows Vista" in the compatibility tab to install Norton 360 v2.0. So I'm pretty sure that all I need is to fool the program to think it is either Windows XP SP2/SP3 or Vista or Vista x64. If I am correct Norton Internet Security 2006 or so had support for XP x64 and then they removed it??! But does anyone know HOW to fool a program to "run" under another OS?

Windows 7 and Windows Vista share the same kernel and driver architecture, so working on Win7 when a product supports Vista is expected. However, XP x64 is *not* the same as XP x86, in fact it's Server 2003 (and the 64bit variant) - also, XP x64 is *not* like Vista x64 or the x86 XP. You can be fairly certain the product doesn't work on XP x64 because they didn't want to spend the development time to make it work, as it has a different kernel and architecture than the other products they do support. Even if you were somehow to get it to work, the networking and security APIs are different between XP x64 and Vista, so it's likely a lot of the features wouldn't work either. Also, Norton 360 v1.0 and v2.0 are *not* built on Norton Internet Security, they were their own product codebase with features actually ported over to the Genesis codebase (1.0 took features from NIS 2007, 2.0 took from NIS 2008). N360 v3.0 however is the same codebase as NIS 2009, but that's because NIS 2009 was built from the Genesis codebase and the old NIS code is basically dead.

If you want to keep bashing your head against the brick wall that is N360 on XP x64, I wish you luck. Hopefully you're just doing this as an experiment, because otherwise I would strongly recommend considering products other than Symantec/Norton anyway, just from a product quality standpoint.

[UltraO]

Ok so it might work, but probably not? Well I would like to give it a try so I am still wondering how to fool the program to think it is running under a different OS, because if I am right Windows Server 2003 and XP can pretty much run the same applications because aren't they sharing the same like you wrote kernel and driver architecture? So I mean I could install the program by having an option to pick "Windows XP SP2" instead of "Windows XP(no service pack at all ). And that was what I asked at the beginning! HOW DO I MAKE IT THINK THAT IT IS ANOTHER OS LIKE WINDOWS XP SP2 because if I pick XP(no SP) it will say "You need Service Pack 2 or higher".

Edit: Heh sorry, it looks a little bit weird but I'm desperate :x

Edited May 17, 2009 by UltraO

[cluberti]

...because if I am right Windows Server 2003 and XP can pretty much run the same applications because aren't they sharing the same like you wrote kernel and driver architecture?

Yes, 2003 x86 and XP x86 are basically the same, and 2003 x64 and XP x64 are basically the same, but 2003 x86 and XP x86 are really not like 2003 x64 nor XP x64, therefore a product working on the XP x86 version isn't guaranteed to work on the x64 version of XP - although they have the same product name, they are not alike.

HOW DO I MAKE IT THINK THAT IT IS ANOTHER OS LIKE WINDOWS XP SP2 because if I pick XP(no SP) it will say "You need Service Pack 2 or higher".

Sorry, I'm not aware of an application or shim that hides the fact that the OS would be XP x64 from an installer. Perhaps you should be asking this in the Application Installs forum; moving there.