Which Antiviruses are Known for a Fact to be Working on XP SP3 as of 2019?

[AstroSkipper]

11 minutes ago, FranceBB said:

P.s I saw the whole discussion about Kaspersky, but to be fair, the last thing I wanna do in this historical period is install a Russian antivirus on my computer. I mean... it's probably ok, but these days you never know...

Yep, I totally agree with this assessment.

On 5/8/2023 at 9:59 PM, AstroSkipper said:

And one thing is clear. I won't test any Kaspersky security program. I never liked it and I made bad experiences using it when it was installed in my system. That is years ago, and in these days ... 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Vistapocalypse]

38 minutes ago, FranceBB said:

...it saddens me a bit to see avast end up in the hands of Symantec (which is actually broadcom).

Norton was actually spun off from Symantec before merging with Avast, so Symantec is not part of Gen Digital. There has long been a need for consolidation in the antimalware industry because there were too many unprofitable vendors competing. Now that the typical Windows 10 user simply relies on Microsoft’s excellent antimalware, Gen Digital just might be big enough to survive!

50 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

Yep, I totally agree with this assessment.

I thought you disapproved of “discussions about concerns regarding the country of origin”? You make an exception for Russia, but apparently imagine that China exists to benefit Windows XP diehards. 

[AstroSkipper]

9 hours ago, Vistapocalypse said:

I thought you disapproved of “discussions about concerns regarding the country of origin”? You make an exception for Russia, ...

For me, it is basically irrelevant in which country the software I use was developed. But every rule has its exceptions. What these look like in detail in my case cannot and won't be discussed here for well-known reasons.

9 hours ago, Vistapocalypse said:

... but apparently imagine that China exists to benefit Windows XP diehards. 

China exists to benefit Windows XP diehards?  Nice try!  
As we all know, imagination knows no boundaries. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[NotHereToPlayGames]

9 hours ago, FranceBB said:

it's probably ok, but these days you never know...

If you want to be truly fair, then you have to say that about "all" antivirus programs, regardless of what country it came from.

https://restoreprivacy.com/antivirus-privacy/  (April 2021)

https://tweaklibrary.com/is-antivirus-tracking-on-you/  (August 2021)

https://www.howtogeek.com/540658/is-your-antivirus-really-spying-on-you/  (January 2020)

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/antivirus-tracking-youd-surprised-sends/  (March 2020)

https://www.pcmag.com/news/do-antivirus-programs-spy-on-you  (December 2013, too old to be relevant but listed since PC Mag is a respected source, by most standards)

https://www.securityweek.com/how-antivirus-software-can-be-perfect-spying-tool/  (January 2018, also old, but also the same time frame as most of these XP antivirus programs)

 

"Security" and "privacy" go hand-in-hand.  One has to be cautious that they didn't give up one in order to gain the other.  Just my opinion, of course.

Opinions are like butts.  Everybody has one, doesn't mean everybody wants to hear them.

[AstroSkipper]

1 hour ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

If you want to be truly fair, then you have to say that about "all" antivirus programs, regardless of what country it came from.

Although in Germany the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) warned against the use of anti-virus software from the Russian manufacturer Kaspersky on 15 March 2022 https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Unternehmen-und-Organisationen/Cyber-Sicherheitslage/Technische-Sicherheitshinweise-und-Warnungen/Warnungen-nach-Par-7/Archiv/FAQ-Kaspersky/faq_node.html, I don't really share such concerns. The developers of Kaspersky software would ruin the entire company if they implemented malicious code in their software. For me, it's about a general statement, a sign of solidarity.  And that may not always be fair, however Kaspersky has to thank for that a certain person. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[NotHereToPlayGames]

49 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

I don't really share such concerns.

Front Note:  "you" in the US is plural and I use it here in that fashion.  "you" does not 'equal' AstroSkipper.

 

I agree in the sense that if you "fully support" a program, you don't generally concern yourself with being "counted" by embedded telemetry doing that "counting" and reporting back to The Creator.

But even as such, there are generally Opt-Out clauses where the consumer can decide for him/her self if they want to be "counted" or not.

Some consumers are concerned that their anti-virus has data on them being, purely as an example, both as a church-goer and as a frequent visitor to "Web Site X" (or should I call it "Web Site XXX"?).

I personally follow the philosophy that if you want "privacy" and not be "tracked" online, then you need to pull the plug and live in a cardboard box.  Or something like that, lol.

[AstroSkipper]

OT:

1 hour ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

Front Note:  "you" in the US is plural and I use it here in that fashion.  "you" does not 'equal' AstroSkipper.

I learnt British English. I am not really familiar with the nuances of American English. The problem with "you" is that it has different meanings. "You" can be meant as the 2. person singular or plural. Or it is equal to "one" to express uncertain persons. Therefore, I try to use it rarely or in situations where it is very clear. That's why I prefer very often the passive voice to avoid "you" although native speakers rather prefer the active voice. But, thanks for your clarification!

Eloquentia conatum difficile est.

End of OT.

Edited May 11, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[mina7601]

19 hours ago, Vistapocalypse said:

It looks like Kaspersky Free 2019 is no longer an option for any OS.  I just searched Kaspersky’s website and it was possible to select paid versions of Kaspersky 2019 (evidently offline installers), but the only free version in the dropdown list was 2018. If anyone is interested in those:

https://products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/

Yeah, I noticed that too. That's sad indeed.

19 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

I found an offline installer for Kaspersky Free 19. No official link but a link to a file hoster. I am not sure if I am allowed to post it here.

You can post it in a PM normally. Or, we can ask the moderators, if posting the link in a PM isn't an option for you.

@Dave-H What do you say? Is it allowed to post such links or not?

Edited May 11, 2023 by mina7601

[Dave-H]

If it's a private upload on a hosting site such as Mega or Dropbox it's probably OK.
However if it's on a download site that contains warez it certainly isn't!
PM me the link and I will check it out.

[mina7601]

6 minutes ago, Dave-H said:

If it's a private upload on a hosting site such as Mega or Dropbox it's probably OK.
However if it's on a download site that contains warez it certainly isn't!
PM me the link and I will check it out.

Yes, sites that contain warez aren't OK of course, I was mainly asking about file hoster sites.

[AstroSkipper]

16 minutes ago, Dave-H said:

If it's a private upload on a hosting site such as Mega or Dropbox it's probably OK.
However if it's on a download site that contains warez it certainly isn't!
PM me the link and I will check it out.

Link already sent via PM.

[AstroSkipper]

Kaspersky Free Antivirus 19.0.0.1088

For all who are interested in KFA 19 (not me )! I found a download link to an offline installer for Kaspersky Free Antivirus 19.0.0.1088. I sent the link to @Dave-H to give his assessment whether I am allowed to post it here or not. He found an unwanted program inside reported by MBAM. Therefore, I decompressed (SFX-compressed) and unpacked the installer with UniExtract. Then I analyzed the installer. The installer was repacked by SolidShare. That's indeed a common practice by a lot of these websites. There was an SFX script inside which forced to start the file kur.exe. This file was not original and therefore deleted by me (and also the SFX script). I checked all files inside with MBAM, and they were clean except of course kur.exe, harmless, though, but nevertheless unwanted. I packed the files of the cleaned folder into a new 7-Zip archive KFA 19.0.0.1088.7z and uploaded it for you. Here is the download link: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5b41tc67a29vvbm/KFA_19.0.0.1088.7z/file The installation has to be started with the original file startup.exe. One thing is clear: all at your own risk. The archive is clean, but I didn't test the original files from Kaspersky. And I won't do that as I already mentioned here in this thread. Have fun!

Cheers, AstroSkipper

Edited May 13, 2023 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[mina7601]

3 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

For all who are interested in KFA 19 (not me )! I found a download link to an offline installer for Kaspersky Free Antivirus 19.0.0.1088. I sent the link to @Dave-H to give his assessment whether I am allowed to post it here or not. He found an unwanted program inside reported by MBAM. Therefore, I decompressed (SFX-compressed) and unpacked the installer with UniExtract. Then I analyzed the installer. The installer was repacked by SolidShare. That's indeed a common practice by a lot of these websites. There was an SFX script inside which forced to start the file kur.exe. This file was not original and therefore deleted by me (and also the SFX script). I checked all files inside with MBAM, and they were clean except of course kur.exe, harmless, though, but nevertheless unwanted. I packed the files of the cleaned folder into a new 7-Zip archive KFA 19.0.0.1088.7z and uploaded it for you. Here is the download link: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5b41tc67a29vvbm/KFA_19.0.0.1088.7z/file The installation has to be started with the original file startup.exe. One thing is clear: all at your own risk. The archive is clean, but I didn't test the original files from Kaspersky. And I won't do that as I already mentioned here in this thread. Have fun!

Cheers, AstroSkipper

Thank you! Now I can finally attempt an installation of KFA19. Going to do it now just for @VistaLover's request.

Edited May 11, 2023 by mina7601

[AstroSkipper]

13 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

For all who are interested in KFA 19 (not me )! I found a download link to an offline installer for Kaspersky Free Antivirus 19.0.0.1088. I sent the link to @Dave-H to give his assessment whether I am allowed to post it here or not. He found an unwanted program inside reported by MBAM. Therefore, I decompressed (SFX-compressed) and unpacked the installer with UniExtract. Then I analyzed the installer. The installer was repacked by SolidShare. That's indeed a common practice by a lot of these websites. There was an SFX script inside which forced to start the file kur.exe. This file was not original and therefore deleted by me (and also the SFX script). I checked all files inside with MBAM, and they were clean except of course kur.exe, harmless, though, but nevertheless unwanted. I packed the files of the cleaned folder into a new 7-Zip archive KFA 19.0.0.1088.7z and uploaded it for you. Here is the download link: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5b41tc67a29vvbm/KFA_19.0.0.1088.7z/file The installation has to be started with the original file startup.exe. One thing is clear: all at your own risk. The archive is clean, but I didn't test the original files from Kaspersky. And I won't do that as I already mentioned here in this thread. Have fun!

Cheers, AstroSkipper

BTW, it was not that easy to find this offline installer. It was the only link I found in the internet. Kaspersky must have made sure that the links disappear everywhere. I can't explain it any other way.

Edited May 12, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[VistaLover]

Apologies I'm not participating in this discussion as much as I would've hoped ; dealing with solicitors/lawyers/civil servants/government employees/etc. over inheritance issues in RL currently, all that "torture" sucks the life (and serious money) out of you and, consequently, spare time to devote on internet forums...

In the background, I've been doing my own research, too ...

On 5/10/2023 at 9:13 PM, mina7601 said:

when I tried to open it (on a fully updated XP SP3 and a Vista SP2 VM), it shows "Server returned error 404" error.

... Oh yes, the drawbacks of on-line/web installers and the very reason I detest them vehemently ; they become worthless when the stuff they're supposed to fetch vanishes into thin (digital) air ... I have several archived KFA19 web installers on a spare external HDD that were downloaded at the time the app was current (mid-2018 to mid-2019), which correspond to different localisations/Kaspersky patch levels (e.g [a.b], [a.b.c.d]); download links for these I now simply lost or (the ones I have bookmarked) return 404s...

Kaspersky did publish a FULL offline installer (which, sadly, I haven't archived) for KFA2019 around its initial release, but soon they moved on to a web-installer-only scheme, a practice still kept for the subsequent KFA releases (kfa20, kfa21, targeting Win7SP1+; these two seem to have been remodeled, based on a newer "Cloud" engine/product: Kaspersky Security Cloud, KSC).

Of those stub KFA2019 installers, one (kfa19.0.0.1088ab_en-gb_14833.exe) produced below message:

I guess the same one @mina7601 encountered ...

But another one (kfa19.0.0.1088abcd_en-US_fr-CA_es-US.exe) ended up with a different message:

however, that was a misleading error ; unable to retrieve the now missing files for KFA19, it proceeded to download a web installer of KFA20 (v20.0.14.1085.0.6449.0), which, when executed, threw the error about the incompatible OS - all this was found out via inspecting the log file generated inside %TEMP% ...

A third stub installer (kfa19.0.0.1088a_en-gb_14166.exe) produced, yet again, a different error:

In that last case (resolved by inspecting log files), the stub installer proceeded to fetch a second stub installer of KFA21 (v21.3.10.391.0.2008) which, predictably, failed to install..

My research has also unearthed a 2018 malwaretips post, in which it was documented that the KFA2019 web installers of the era (for en-GB locale) would actually download below list of files/archives:

KFA 2019:

http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/corebases.cab
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/corebasesx64.cab
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/corebasesx86.cab
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/instx64.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/instx86.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/productbases.cab
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/common.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/coreproductnogdpr.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/coreproductgdpr.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/coreproduct.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/coreproductx64.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/eula_en-gb.txt
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/ipm.cab
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/ksde_ksn_en-gb.txt
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/product.cab.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/product.msi.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/rdp_en-gb.txt
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/startup.exe
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/x64.cab.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/ztuu.z
http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/kleaner/InteractiveNew/Global/kleaner.cab

The "http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/bases/kavkis2019/KIS/*" dir appears to be still alive today, as well as access to last archive kleaner.cab, but, as already posted by others, dir "http://dm.kaspersky-labs.com/en-GB/KFA/19.0.0.1088/*" has been now purged   ... 

Some savvy people had concocted self-made "full" (off-line) installers at the time, based on lists similar to the above; I myself have an archived "RePack" which I won't share, because it's only in the Russian locale and made by, well, a Russian repacker (LcHNextGen) of that era...

I haven't yet tested Astroskipper's repacked RePack (), hopefully we'll soon hear results from mina7601 (many thanks BTW ) ...

On 5/10/2023 at 10:57 PM, Vistapocalypse said:

It looks like Kaspersky Free 2019 is no longer an option for any OS

It might not be the case after all ... During my research, I found some posts inside the nsaneforums forum (due to the "dubious" nature of said site, I won't provide exact links), an installation scenario might involve the following procedure:

1. Download the off-line installer for KIS2019 (Kaspersky Internet Security):

https://arc-products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/homeuser/kis2019/19.0.0.1088abcd/english-INT-0.5887.0/3137353438307c44454c7c35/KIS19.0.0.1088_en_full.exe

2. Install the application as required (decline any offers to install newer versions; no other AV suite should be present, all H/W and S/W requirements for KIS2019 should have been observed/applied).

3. After the necessary OS restarts post initial install, try (for good measure) to update the Virus Definitions - you can only do so once without a valid licence; the app may or may not be activated now with a trial (30d) licence, this is at Kaspersky's discretion - if you do get a trial licence, you may continue to use the product fully until the trial ends - else (or after the trial expires):

4. Proceed to uninstall the application; if my "sources" were correct, one of the options offered during uninstall is to "turn the application into Kaspersky Free 2019"; if you select that, upon OS restart you'll end up with a KFA2019 installation; if you don't now have a 365d worth "free" key, you should first create a "My Kaspersky Account" to then get one (YMMV - my sources are from 2019 ) ...