Antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP working in 2023 and hopefully beyond

[Multibooter]

On 6/28/2024 at 9:19 PM, AstroSkipper said:

I am definitely not interested in collecting malicious files.  I don't put that kind of filth on my disc.  Thanks to good real-time protection and my online behaviour! 

My archive may contain 7 different builds of this rare ancient version of Kaspersky, perhaps 5 of them for servers, perhaps 2 for WinXP. For 3 of these builds, FTP links to kaspersky.ru with pw may have been commonly known. One server build of this ancient version is still available at an abandoned site of a former distributor of Kaspersky, together with corrupted trash, and is at archive.org.

The server version of my ancient Kaspersky unfortunately does not install under WinXP SP3 (tested), it requires at least Win2000 server.

Edited June 30, 2024 by Multibooter

[Multibooter]

2 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

I always use RunAsDate from NirSoft for this purpose.

Thanks!

I checked the link, RunAsDate "... doesn't change the current system date and time of your computer, but it only injects the date/time that you specify into the desired application."

datechanger.exe, in contrast, changes the system clock date + time until the program is loaded/run (if I remember correctly), then immediately sets it back, also runs under Win98.

Old and simple Trouble in Paradise, whose runtime could be set by datechanger, is maybe the only freeware with an expiration date. RunAsDate looks quite useful for more sophisticated software, e.g. for trial versions which have a built-in expiration date, so that you cannot first-install it past that date. Thanks again for hinting to more current software!

Edited June 30, 2024 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

1 hour ago, Multibooter said:

Thanks again for hinting to more current software!

You're welcome! NirSoft tools are great. I use many of them for many, many years. Most of these tools are still XP-compatible and even get updates from time to time.

Edited June 30, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Multibooter]

On 6/23/2024 at 5:07 PM, AstroSkipper said:

I am definitely not interested in any Kaspersky version, regardless of whether they are old or future. I never liked Kaspersky, 

In order to shed some more light onto the hullaballoo around Kaspersky, I have looked a little into it, here are my two cents:
1) Kaspersky Anti-Virus 18 does NOT install under SSE-only
I have attempted to install 2 builds of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 18 on my SSE-only Inspiron 7500, neither of them installs under SSE-only.
I initially tried to install the current build digitally signed OK 24Dec2017 and available at
http://arc-products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/homeuser/kav2018/18.0.0.405abcdef/english-0.3439.0/323224f2/kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe
I got the typical SSE-only err msg: "Kaspersky Anti-Virus [18.0.0.405.0.3439.0] has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."
I subsequently attempted to install the earliest build of v18 which I could find, digitally signed OK 12Jul2017, and got a similar err msg: "Kaspersky Anti-Virus [18.0.0.405.0.1298.0] has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience"

2) I tried to extract both installers. Below are the extraction details from the 164MB installer of 24Dec2017:
- WinRAR v5.61 (30Sep2018) extracts 95 files and 2 folders, altogether 23MB
- 7-Zip v9.20 extracts 88 files and 19 folders, altogether 136MB, with differing file and folder names
- 7-Zip v23.01 (20Jun2023) also extracts 88 files and 19 folders, but adds an err msg:
  "Warnings. There are some data after the end of the payload data" when extracting \Product\crypto_ssl.dll
i.e. Kaspersky 18 uses a proprietary SFX which cannot be extracted completely with WinRAR or 7-Zip
I definitely did NOT like the warning msg by 7-Zip v23. My ancient version of Kaspersky can be extracted Ok by 7-Zip v23.
BTW, the above shows that 7-Zip v23 could also serve as a security tool.

3) When my ancient version of Kaspersky, updated with current signatures, scans the installer kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe, it indicates that only 2 files were scanned, i.e. that it could not look into the installer, even if WinRAR and 7-Zip could partially look into it, which is exceptional.
When I subsequently virus-checked the file with Kaspersky Anti-Virus v6.0.3.837 under Windows 98, with signatures of 1Apr2014,
Kaspersky COULD look it the .exe and checked 1531 objects.
This led me to suspect that some files, e.g. kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe [the installer .exe of Kaspersky Anti-Virus v18], are intentionally not checked by Kaspersky.
Possibly the instructions of what to check and what not to check are contained in the signature updates of my ancient version of Kaspersky. Maybe certain files are flagged as "safe", to speed up scanning, or to skip doubtful stuff?

When I checked kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe under WinXP with my not-yet-updated updated ancient version of Kaspersky,
a similar huge amount of objects was reported as scanned, in contrast to the just 2 objects reported as scanned after updating the signatures.
This is quite a strong indication that the signature updates contain a flag to the scan engine not to look into certain files.

Comparing the number of objects scanned by my ancient un-updated version vs my ancient updated version
could perhaps be a very easy method of identifying Russian spyware, on the assumption, right or wrong, that Kaspersky hides Russian spyware.

The 2 screenshots below were deleted on 11Sep2024. The posting with the screenshots was archived at

http://web.archive.org/web/20240911232807/https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/page/69/

4) My two cents: current Kaspersky 18 may perhaps contain or hide Russian spyware.
Kaspersky may protect Russians from Western spyware, given the relation between Eugene Kaspersky and the former KGB.
By analogy, Western antivirus software may possibly hide in a potentially analogous manner Western spyware and may possibly protect Westerners from Russian spyware.

A tiny number of items scanned in a container, e.g. in an installer .exe etc, may or may not be a flag for a suspicious file scanned, or for a suspicious or poor virus-checker, or for both. It would be interesting to see which containers cannot be scanned by Western antivirus software.

Maybe it would be worth while moving some archived stuff into a separate category, "Suspicious - no virus flagged, but cannot look into the .exe".
I have seen a lot of such files, some may be innocuous, some maybe not.

Using both Western AND non-Western antivirus software seems to be useful to keep the computer clean in an era of cyber conflict. Kaspersky Anti-Virus should remain accessible, being probably the best check against WESTERN spyware. Modern Windows may or may not contain, hide or facilitate Western spyware

An old SSE-only computer may be much more resilient to infections by modern spyware, modern spyware may not install or run.
The detection of a particular modern spyware, however, may be disabled also in SSE-only computers by special instructions contained in signature updates, which may apply equally to Western and non-Western antivirus software.

My ancient version of Kaspersky definitely does not contain spyware and is still my preferred virus-checker,
even if it may not detect all Russian spyware, if any, in my downloads.

Kaspersky 18 may be useful for identifying Western spyware. But using Kaspersky 18 may be risky, except on a dedicated standalone computer.

I have used a lot of "maybes", these were my two cents only

 

Edited September 11, 2024 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

19 hours ago, Multibooter said:

In order to shed some more light onto the hullaballoo around Kaspersky, I have looked a little into it, here are my two cents:
1) Kaspersky Anti-Virus 18 does NOT install under SSE-only
I have attempted to install 2 builds of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 18 on my SSE-only Inspiron 7500, neither of them installs under SSE-only.
I initially tried to install the current build digitally signed OK 24Dec2017 and available at
http://arc-products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/homeuser/kav2018/18.0.0.405abcdef/english-0.3439.0/323224f2/kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe
I got the typical SSE-only err msg: "Kaspersky Anti-Virus [18.0.0.405.0.3439.0] has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."
I subsequently attempted to install the earliest build of v18 which I could find, digitally signed OK 12Jul2017, and got a similar err msg: "Kaspersky Anti-Virus [18.0.0.405.0.1298.0] has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience"

2) I tried to extract both installers. Below are the extraction details from the 164MB installer of 24Dec2017:
- WinRAR v5.61 (30Sep2018) extracts 95 files and 2 folders, altogether 23MB
- 7-Zip v9.20 extracts 88 files and 19 folders, altogether 136MB, with differing file and folder names
- 7-Zip v23.01 (20Jun2023) also extracts 88 files and 19 folders, but adds an err msg:
  "Warnings. There are some data after the end of the payload data" when extracting \Product\crypto_ssl.dll
i.e. Kaspersky 18 uses a proprietary SFX which cannot be extracted completely with WinRAR or 7-Zip
I definitely did NOT like the warning msg by 7-Zip v23. My ancient version of Kaspersky can be extracted Ok by 7-Zip v23.
BTW, the above shows that 7-Zip v23 could also serve as a security tool.

3) When my ancient version of Kaspersky, updated with current signatures, scans the installer kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe, it indicates that only 2 files were scanned, i.e. that it could not look into the installer, even if WinRAR and 7-Zip could partially look into it, which is exceptional.
When I subsequently virus-checked the file with Kaspersky Anti-Virus v6.0.3.837 under Windows 98, with signatures of 1Apr2014,
Kaspersky COULD look it the .exe and checked 1531 objects.
This led me to suspect that some files, e.g. kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe [the installer .exe of Kaspersky Anti-Virus v18], are intentionally not checked by Kaspersky.
Possibly the instructions of what to check and what not to check are contained in the signature updates of my ancient version of Kaspersky. Maybe certain files are flagged as "safe", to speed up scanning, or to skip doubtful stuff?

When I checked kav18.0.0.405en_full.exe under WinXP with my not-yet-updated updated ancient version of Kaspersky,
a similar huge amount of objects was reported as scanned, in contrast to the just 2 objects reported as scanned after updating the signatures.
This is quite a strong indication that the signature updates contain a flag to the scan engine not to look into certain files.

Comparing the number of objects scanned by my ancient un-updated version vs my ancient updated version
could perhaps be a very easy method of identifying Russian spyware, on the assumption, right or wrong, that Kaspersky hides Russian spyware.

4) My two cents: current Kaspersky 18 may perhaps contain or hide Russian spyware.
Kaspersky may protect Russians from Western spyware, given the relation between Eugene Kaspersky and the former KGB.
By analogy, Western antivirus software may possibly hide in a potentially analogous manner Western spyware and may possibly protect Westerners from Russian spyware.

A tiny number of items scanned in a container, e.g. in an installer .exe etc, may or may not be a flag for a suspicious file scanned, or for a suspicious or poor virus-checker, or for both. It would be interesting to see which containers cannot be scanned by Western antivirus software.

Maybe it would be worth while moving some archived stuff into a separate category, "Suspicious - no virus flagged, but cannot look into the .exe".
I have seen a lot of such files, some may be innocuous, some maybe not.

Using both Western AND non-Western antivirus software seems to be useful to keep the computer clean in an era of cyber conflict. Kaspersky Anti-Virus should remain accessible, being probably the best check against WESTERN spyware. Modern Windows may or may not contain, hide or facilitate Western spyware

An old SSE-only computer may be much more resilient to infections by modern spyware, modern spyware may not install or run.
The detection of a particular modern spyware, however, may be disabled also in SSE-only computers by special instructions contained in signature updates, which may apply equally to Western and non-Western antivirus software.

My ancient version of Kaspersky definitely does not contain spyware and is still my preferred virus-checker,
even if it may not detect all Russian spyware, if any, in my downloads.

Kaspersky 18 may be useful for identifying Western spyware. But using Kaspersky 18 may be risky, except on a dedicated standalone computer.

I have used a lot of "maybes", these were my two cents only

 

Thank you for your test results and for trying to shed some more light on the Kaspersky issue! TBH, your test observations are not really surprising. I have to totally agree to a part of your statements as Kaspersky of course contains and hides Russian spyware which I already wrote many months ago.  And that's why the BSE in Germany recommended to remove existing Kaspersky installations and to avoid this software years ago. However, I cannot agree at all with some of your other statements or assessments.  The categorisation of Western and non-Western antivirus software is simply inadequate and does not accurately reflect reality. The terms Western and Eastern need to be considered in a more differentiated way. Lumping American and European software together is completely wrong, just like Russian and Japanese software. As I have already made clear in several posts, there are clear laws regarding data protection and security in the EU, for example, and especially in Germany. And this is also monitored.  However, due to the NSA's thirst for knowledge and influence, I also have considerable reservations about American security software. Besides Russian "security" software the same applies to Chinese ones. In dictatorships and other non-democratically run countries, there is no data protection and security. If a German or other core European manufacturer were to incorporate spyware into a security programme, it would be the downfall of this company, as this would violate both European and national laws. And one thing is clear. This would come to light quite quickly and would have bitter consequences.  

Edited July 2, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Multibooter]

On 7/2/2024 at 12:55 AM, AstroSkipper said:

And that's why the BSE in Germany recommended to remove existing Kaspersky installations and to avoid this software years ago.

I have my doubts about the German BSI. Their current head Claudia Plattner is a red-green political appointee, who seems to consider US interests https://www.danisch.de/blog/2023/07/07/die-seltsame-it-sicherheitsexpertise-der-neuen-bsi-chefin-claudia-plattner/ Why did she go to Tulane, couldn't she get admitted to a top university like MIT? She is not listed in the US wikipedia, only in the German wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Plattner

"BSI's predecessor was the cryptographic department of Germany's foreign intelligence agency (BND)"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Office_for_Information_Security
Relying on BSI for anti-virus software recommendations?

Edited July 3, 2024 by Multibooter

[Multibooter]

On 5/7/2023 at 8:39 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Avast Free Antivius 2015 (last version for SSE only CPUs):

This version is the last compatible version of Avast Free Antivirus for Windows XP running on a computer with a CPU that does not have more than the SSE instruction set. It still receives definition updates on a regular base.

System requirements:
Windows XP (with at least SP2), Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 in both the 32- and 64-bit variant. Pentium 3 processor or higher with 128 MB RAM and 2 GB of hard-drive space.

Offline installer:
https://www.afterdawn.com/software/security/antivirus/avast_free.cfm/2015__10_4_2233_
https://www.filepuma.com/download/avast_free_antivirus_10.4.2233-9698/
 

 

Thanks for identifying the last SSE-only version and for the link! I am in the process of deciding on a 2nd virus-checker.

I started with Avast because it has a big virus signature data base. Avast is owned by Gen Digital Inc., which also owns the Norton, LifeLock, Avira and AVG brands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen_Digital
I installed Avast Antivirus 2015 v10.4.2233 (SSE, Free, 17Sep2015) on an SSE-only Inspiron 7500 laptop, but I quickly removed it again, with a partition restore to be safe. Too much calling out to googleusercontent.com etc, nearly on every click.

I then looked for the corresponding Premium version, hoping that the Premium version wouldn't contain that calling-out stuff. I couldn't find the corresponding Premium build, archive.org seems to have archived only a small corrupt file for Premium v10.4.2233, the download fails. Do you have an OK download link for it?

I test-installed the preceding Premium build, Avast Antivirus 2015 v10.3.2225 (SSE, Premium, 28Jul2015)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160129062513if_/http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premier_antivirus_setup.exe
I liked the Sandbox, which is not included in the Free version, although I have not yet compared it to other sandbox programs.
I was flabberghasted when I saw the consent request of the Premium version, similar to the Free version.

The screenshot below was deleted on 11Sep2024. The posting with the screenshot was archived at

http://web.archive.org/web/20240911232807/https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/page/69/

"Nearly every software product you use collects information about you. Search engines, games, everything. We do the same."

The Premium version seems to have issues similar to those of the talkative Free version. I didn't see the opt-out option in the program, maybe hidden somewhere.

I will not keep Avast on my main computers, you also had objections to it. As a new project, I plan to use a dedicated, offline desktop computer only for virus-checking, with both Kaspersky and a supplementary Western virus-checker.

Edited September 11, 2024 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

3 hours ago, Multibooter said:

Relying on BSI for anti-virus software recommendations?

The BSI's job is not to recommend antivirus programmes , but to warn of security risks and dangers , as in the Kaspersky case.  So, I can only say: 

Edited July 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

@Multibooter Avast Antivirus is not a pure offline scanner. You should use a real offline scanner as, for example, eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV) if it works on systems with an SSE only CPU.

Edited July 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper

[AstroSkipper]

2 hours ago, Multibooter said:

I will not keep Avast on my main computers, you also had objections to it.

Yep! I had a lot of trouble with Avast. And it is much too bloated. On the other hand, its detection rate is quite good. BTW, one can clearly see that the internet is quite forgetful, as in the case of avast! Premier 2015 10.4.2233. It is therefore always a good idea to establish an own download archive as, e.g, I have been doing this from the very first.

Edited July 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Skorpios]

On Sun Jun 30 2024 (GMT+0000) at 1:55 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Thanks for testing! However, it is quite unusual that the virus definitions of McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.8 with such an old scan engine can still be updated in these days. BTW, for updating the scan engine to version 5900, you can try to use this which I found by accident: https://download.nai.com/products/licensed/engine/intel/5900/ I don't know whether this scan engine update is the right one for your installation, though.

Thanks! It worked well! 

Thank You! Late answer, too many football matches, too much beer...

Downloaded 5900 from your link but haven't started to fiddle with the T43 yet. McAfee is protecting its files and services so it's more to it than just copying the files to the right location.

Made a minitest with that old timebombed Stinger and latest KVRT on the A31. Not impressed considering how old the infected files are... all samples from the same source. I'll try another source during the weekend.

Folder with 5 infected files

 

 

[Multibooter]

21 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Yep! I had a lot of trouble with Avast. And it is much too bloated. On the other hand, its detection rate is quite good. BTW, one can clearly see that the internet is quite forgetful, as in the case of avast! Premier 2015 10.4.2233. It is therefore always a good idea to establish an own download archive as, e.g, I have been doing this from the very first.

I am about to change my mind about Avast Antivirus 2015, after some  more experimenting.

Avast Antivirus 2015 - SSE-only files

The "offline" installer of Avast Antivirus 2015 (both Free and Premier) does NOT contain all required components for installing under SSE-only. During the "offline" installation under SSE-only the installer downloads 2 files, ais_gen_gui_nosse2-7e5.vpx and ais_gen_gui_nosse2_cef-7cc.vpx.

If there is no internet connection, e.g. the Ethernet cable is pulled out from the computer during the installation, the "offline" installation under SSE-only will terminate with the msg "There was an error while installing the product" -> Restart computer, with Avast Antivirus 2015 NOT being installed.

This has two consequences for installing Avast Antivirus 2015 the regular way under SSE-only:

1) You must have an online connection during the installation, during which Avast Antivirus 2015 constantly transmits who-knows-what to who-knows-where. I had to keep clicking continuously on firewall messages permitting outbound connections for completing the installation OK..

2) Whenever Avast decides to remove these 2 files from their server, Avast Antivirus 2015 canNOT be installed anymore under SSE-only and the installer becomes useless trash. The compatibility with SSE-only is nowadays the only reason for installing old Avast Antivirus 2015.

There exists, however, a little trick to install Avast Antivirus 2015 completely offline under SSE-only.

STEP 1: Create a partition backup, Then make a 1st installation with the computer online + permit individually all outbound connections. After the installer msg window finishes displaying "Downloading ..." of the 2nd file, wait with the granting of firewall permissions. Immediately copy the 2 downloaded files ais_gen_gui_nosse2-7e5.vpx and ais_gen_gui_nosse2_cef-7cc.vpx  from the \Temp\ folder of the installer to another folder on a different partition etc. Then restore the partition backup. This STEP 1 needs to be done only once, for obtaining the 2 rare files required by the installer under SSE-only.

STEP 2: Disconnect the internet connection, e.g. the Ethernet cable, then re-install Avast Antivirus 2015. When the window "Question: You are installing an old version of Avast!" is displayed, the installer has finished extracting the installation source.
$$$ -> copy these 2 files into the temp folder created by the installer, so that the installer will not attempt to download the missing files from the server. Avast Antivirus 2015 will then install OK, without attempting to download the 2 files.

The trick with manually copying these 2 files into the \Temp\ folder during the installation also results in a software where the firewall can automatically disable outgoing connection attempts, no constant clicking when the computer is online. The nuisance part of Avast Antivirus 2015 seems to be set during the online connection of the installer  With this installation trick Avast Antivirus 2015 may have become a useful tool under WinXP with SSE-only, especially for retro-computing enthusiasts who do not have my ancient version of Kaspersky.

Edited July 4, 2024 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

1 hour ago, Multibooter said:

I am about to change my mind about Avast Antivirus 2015, after some  more experimenting.

Avast Antivirus 2015 - SSE-only files

The "offline" installer of Avast Antivirus 2015 (both Free and Premier) does NOT contain all required components for installing under SSE-only. During the "offline" installation under SSE-only the installer downloads 2 files, ais_gen_gui_nosse2-7e5.vpx and ais_gen_gui_nosse2_cef-7cc.vpx.

If there is no internet connection, e.g. the Ethernet cable is pulled out from the computer during the installation, the "offline" installation under SSE-only will terminate with the msg "There was an error while installing the product" -> Restart computer, with Avast Antivirus 2015 NOT being installed.

As I already stated, Avast Antivirus 2015 is actually not an offline programme. And there are no more new definition updates since November of 2023. For example, eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV) still receive current definition updates. Did you try it on your SSE only computer?  In the case of eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV), the definition updates can even be downloaded for offline use on a weekly base. 

Edited July 4, 2024 by AstroSkipper

[AstroSkipper]

1 hour ago, AstroSkipper said:

As I already stated, Avast Antivirus 2015 is actually not an offline programme. And there are no more new definition updates since November of 2023. For example, eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV) still receive current definition updates. Did you try it on your SSE only computer?  In the case of eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV), the definition updates can even be downloaded for offline use on a weekly base. 

@Multibooter And if eScanAV 22.x does not run with your SSE only CPU, you can try the previous version eScanAV 14.x which is still available on their homepage. But one thing is clear. The air for systems with an SSE only CPU is now very thin, especially when it comes to antimalware programmes that still receive the latest virus definitions. 

Edited July 4, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Multibooter]

2 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

As I already stated, Avast Antivirus 2015 is actually not an offline programme. And there are no more new definition updates since November of 2023. For example, eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV) still receive current definition updates. Did you try it on your SSE only computer?  In the case of eScanAV Anti-Virus Toolkit (MWAV), the definition updates can even be downloaded for offline use on a weekly base. 

Avast Antivirus 2015 does seem to work offline, it has about 10 million signatures vs about 20 million by Kaspersky.

The signatures of Avast Antivirus 2015 are of 10Oct2023, both after updating online and after updating from vpsupd.exe. When vpsupd.exe is downloaded with FlashGet, vpsupd.exe also has the file modification date [= server upload date] 10Oct2023. Maybe no more signature updates for Avast Antivirus 2015, maybe a final EOL update sometime in the future. The fact that Avast still has the special SSE-only files on their server may indicate that Avast Antivirus 2015 is not quite yet EOL.

Running vpsupd.exe under Total Uninstall lists a huge number of changes and causes my Kerio v2.1.5 firewall to crash, "Windows - Fatal Application Exit", but Kerio is up again after rebooting, everything seems to be OK.

Test-installing eScan under SSE-only is on my list, I just want to finish up with my postings about Avast Antivirus 2015. eScan is probably not Western software but Indian software, even if MicroWorld has their head office in the U.S. Maybe a better classification than "non-Western" would be "BRICS-software". Maybe all dualistic classifications of antivirus software are misnomers, we live in a multi-polar world, there may be no good and bad, only shades of grey. I didn't find an entry for MicroWorld in the English wikipedia. On my dedicated SSE2 virus-checking desktop I intend to have at least one Western antivirus software, next to Kaspersky, that's why I spend so much time with Avast.

 

Edited July 4, 2024 by Multibooter