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

[AstroSkipper]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:47 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Avast Free Antivirus

The most used and very often recommended antivirus program for Windows XP is probably Avast Free Antivirus, and that for years. It is supposed to use advanced algorithms for detecting viruses, malware, spyware and other threats in real-time. The Core Shields are: File Shield, Behavior Shield, Web Shield and Email Shield (only Outlook and Thunderbird are supported). Furthermore, it is supposed to protect against rootkits, and it offers additionally a Software Updater and Wi-Fi Inspector. Avast Free Antivirus still protects Windows XP owners with regular virus definition updates. But Avast no longer provides program updates, new features, bug fixes, or support for Windows XP. It was tested by AV-TEST and achieved a detection rate of almost 100% in November and December 2018 (see below).

Key Features:

• Real-time protection against malware and online threats.
• Automatic analysis of suspicious files with CyberCapture.
• Network scanning and Wi-Fi security with Wi-Fi Inspector.
• Behavioral monitoring with Behavior Shield.
• Comprehensive scanning with Smart Scan.
• Creating a Rescue Disk for emergency use.
• Browser cleanup to improve online security.
• Password management with autofill feature.
• Game Mode to optimize computer performance during gameplay.

Homepage:

https://www.avast.com/windows-xp-antivirus

https://web.archive.org/web/20181120211126/https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Version number: 18.8.4084.0 (18.8.2356)

Date of release: 15.11.2018

System Requirements:

A PC with 256 MB+ RAM and 1.5 GB of hard disk space. Avast Antivirus is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP SP3.

Version history and release notes:

Review: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/1406757/avast-free-antivirus-2018-review-the-best-free-security-suite

Tests:

Avast in general:

https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/manufacturer/avast/

https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/summary-report-2018/#avast

Screenshot with the final test results from AV-TEST:



Screenshot with the Product of the Year 2018 award from AV-Comparatives:



Avast Free Antivirus 18.7 & 18.8 in detail: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-10/december-2018/avast-free-antivirus-18.7--18.8-184902/

Download links:

Online installer: https://install.avcdn.net/av/avast/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_online.exe

Offline installer: https://install.avcdn.net/iavs9x-xp/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

Avast VPS update for versions 12+: https://install.avcdn.net/vpsnitro/vpsupd.exe 

Avast Uninstall Utility (Avast Clear) in the correct version of 18.8.4084.0: https://web.archive.org/web/20181116091922if_/http://iavs9x.avg.u.avcdn.net/iavs9x/avastclear.exe

How to uninstall Avast using Avast Clear:

Sometimes it's not possible to uninstall Avast the standard way using the Add/Remove Programs in control panel. In this case, you can use the uninstallation utility Avast Clear:

• Download avastclear.exe on your desktop.
• Start Windows in Safe Mode.
• Execute the avastclear.exe.
• If you installed Avast in a different folder than the default, browse for it. (Note: Be careful! The content of any folder you choose will be deleted!).
• Click REMOVE.
• Restart your computer.

Screenshots:











I only used Avast Free Antivirus for a very short time. The version of Avast I had installed for years was Avast Premier. Unfortunately, I have a split opinion about Avast. On the one hand, it's great that Avast offers such a program for Windows XP at all, although this operating system was abandoned by Microsoft in 2014. And then also free of charge and with real-time protection. That is rather rare. Avast continues to roll out definition updates for this old version on a regular base. Furthermore, it has an excellent detection rate of almost 100%. On the other hand, I had various problems with Avast. Exceptions that were set for alarms of the background guard were simply ignored. Avast partly operates according to its own standards and does not always respect the user's settings, which I rather consider as disenfranchisement of the user. I don't like that, and it's simply a no go. Another bad habit of Avast, and unfortunately that of many other manufacturers, is to offer features that are apparently free. For example, SecureLine VPN. In fact, you have to pay for it. I find something like this to be more of a cost trap. That's why I didn't list this feature above. And I had serious problems to uninstall Avast completely. That was actually another no go.  Furthermore, I don't like the disk space consumption of Avast products which is always very high.  One main reason for that is probably the implementing of (unnecessary) features or those which only can be used if you pay for them. More details about problems in terms of Avast, you will find here:

Despite all points of criticism, Avast Free Antivius is a program offering a very good protection and definitely an option for Windows XP, but I personally can't and won't recommend it here due to my reservations and experiences from the past.

Kind regards, AstroSkipper

 

On 5/16/2024 at 9:30 AM, Asp said:

I just did this, as Avast no longer works at all on XP, or at least my registration expired and seemed impossible to renew it.

Here is a link to an official website of Avast where is clearly stated that a key for more recent Avast Free Antivirus (including the version 18) is no longer needed: https://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus#windows
Additionally, a screenshot of this website:



Kind regards, AstroSkipper

[Multibooter]

On 6/24/2023 at 4:47 PM, AstroSkipper said:

I'm actually listing all the available security programmes for Windows XP here in this thread, but Kaspersky will definitely not be on my list anymore.

You are missing out on the best.
I have been using under WinXP an ancient version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus plus the current signature update for 10+ years. Kaspersky Anti-Virus is one of my 10-most-used programs, used for virus-checking of downloads. I neither use nor need real-time protection under WinXP, and WinXP is my main opsys.

I have not looked for a more recent version of Kaspersky, because Kaspersky has worked fine for me. Two days ago, after hearing about the US government banning Kaspersky in the U.S., I was worried that Kaspersky updates could become victims of censorship in Europe, just like the Russia Today SAT-TV channels. When looking for info at msfn.org, I came came across your topic and found out that later versions 18 and 19 of Kaspersky also work under WinXP.

Kaspersky v18 and v19 can be downloaded at:
1) https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://arc-products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/* [filter for .exe]
2) https://products.s.kaspersky-labs.com/
  for downloading the English multi-lingual version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2018:
  select Language: French, Country: Canada, Localization: en-US, fr-CA, es-MX

My ancient version of Kaspersky runs under WinXP and can still be updated. It was available for a very brief time at Kaspersky, then it disappeared. It was apparently not archived anywhere, it seems to be a rare file.

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspersky_bans_and_allegations_of_Russian_government_ties (thanks jaclaz, for the link!) "In August 2015, Bloomberg News reported that Kaspersky Lab changed course in 2012, as "high-level managers have left or been fired, their jobs often filled by people with closer ties to Russia's military or intelligence services"" My ancient version, digitally signed in 2012, seems to predate this change at Kaspersky Lab.

My ancient version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus definitely does not contain malware, maybe subsequent versions of Kaspersky are just as clean. Maybe a version of Kaspersky after 2012 can be found, which is readily available, which does not yet contain the supposed malware, which runs under WinXP and for which current signature updates are available.

Alternatively, to counteract hypothetical, supposed or potential spying of v18 or v19, one could create a separate opsys selection on the computer, just containing Kaspersky for virus-checking. Multi-booting is an effective tool for improving privacy.

My ancient version of Kaspersky works fine under WinXP SP2 and SP3 and under SSE-only. Virus-checking files >100MB, however, is very slow when using this ancient version of Kaspersky on an SSE-only Inspiron 7500 laptop, Pentium 3, 650MHz, 512MB RAM.

A major attractiveness of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is that it is produced by a non-Western company. Kaspersky will probably better detect malware created or sponsored by Western agencies. Maybe the cell phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel could not have been supposedly tapped by the U.S. NSA spy agency between 2002 and 2013 if she had used non-Western Kaspersky ? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24690055

Maybe the use by Volkswagen of Kaspersky is related to the desire to protect their business in China from U.S. spying. A user's decision to use Western or non-Western software comes down to whom you want to permit to spy on your computer. Even the use of old Windows XP can be related to the desire of not being spied upon by Western agencies. More recent software is so obviously full of backdoors, calling-home, adware, metrics, etc.

A good browser and a good virus-checker are the two key requirements for the longevity of Windows XP. Win98 died for me around 2014, or rather became a special-purpose opsys for a few programs, when there were no more signature updates for Kaspersky Anti-Virus v6.0.3.837, the last version to run under Win98. AstroSkipper, thank you for dedicating your time and effort to this topic so essential for WinXP!

And I also want to thank Kaspersky for continuing to support Windows XP.

Posted with New Moon under WinXP SP3 on an SSE-only, 650MHz Pentium 3 Inspiron 7500 laptop, virus-checked under WinXP with a current signature of Kaspersky.

Edited June 23 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

33 minutes ago, Multibooter said:

You are missing out on the best.

No, definitely not.  Kaspersky was already discussed here and in other threads very detailed. In the end, it was listed by me here: https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/?do=findComment&comment=1244367 
And that is all I have to say about this matter. 

 

[Dixel]

4 hours ago, Multibooter said:

I have been using under WinXP an ancient version of Kaspersky

Kaspersky modifies original Windows system files, not only it's malicious, it's also illegal in many countries, including the United States your page shows. 

It seems you've missed a very detailed report on that rogue activities. I understand the thread is long, so let me help you find it.

https://msfn.org/board/topic/184730-antimalware-firewall-and-other-security-programs-for-windows-xp-working-in-2023-and-hopefully-beyond/?do=findComment&comment=1261215

 

[AstroSkipper]

59 minutes ago, Multibooter said:

I neither use nor need real-time protection under WinXP, and WinXP is my main opsys.

Finding an offline AV scanner is no problem when it comes to Windows XP. There are enough which are still compatible with this OS. I have already listed a couple of them. In your case, so there are plenty of options beyond Kaspersky, since you don't want real-time protection.

[Multibooter]

1 hour ago, AstroSkipper said:

No, definitely not. Kaspersky was already discussed here and in other threads very detailed.

 

There are many versions of "Kaspersky", just as with "Windows". One may be "good", another may be "bad". The art is to pick the right version for a specific purpose, and the last version is not necessarily the best version. What may apply to v18 or v19 does not necessarily apply to earlier versions.

[Dixel]

3 hours ago, Multibooter said:

There are many versions of "Kaspersky", just as with "Windows". One may be "good", another may be "bad". 

The risks simply outweigh everything else. No one would want to get their Windows files touched. Did you already read the detailed report by our fellow member? 

It's a lot of important system files Kaspersky modifies into the hell knows what!

[AstroSkipper]

33 minutes ago, Multibooter said:

There are many versions of "Kaspersky", just as with "Windows". One may be "good", another may be "bad". The art is to pick the right version for a specific purpose, and the last version is not necessarily the best version. What may apply to v18 or v19 does not necessarily apply to earlier versions.

No need to use a very old AV scanner if more recent ones are available.  When it comes to antimalware programmes, it is not only the up-to-dateness of the virus definitions that is crucial, but also that of the scan engine. The rule really does apply here: the more up-to-date, the better. 

Edited June 23 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Multibooter]

1 hour ago, Dixel said:

Kaspersky modifies original Windows system files

 

 

I had read your findings 2 days ago, when I looked for info about Kaspersky at msfn.org. Your Embedded Systems Security 3.1.0.461 and Kaspersky Embedded Systems Security 3.3.0.87 are not the same as my ancient version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Thanks for your reminder. I have used this ancient Kaspersky AV for 10+ years and not noticed any suspicious modifications, so I doubt that this ancient build modifies any original system files. Nevertheless, I have taken note and intend to make a binary compare of the files on the WinXP partition, before and after installing+running this ancient Kaspersky AV, whenever I will make a clean re-install of WinXP. Such a clean re-install of WinXP may still be quite some time off, however, mainly for the purpose of identifying and documenting with Registry Trash Key Finder v2.9.4 and v2.9.6 the trash keys created by the installation of WinXP and my various software packages.

[Dixel]

3 hours ago, Multibooter said:

I had read your findings 2 days ago, when I looked for info about Kaspersky at msfn.org.

Those were documented by @Ascii2.

 

5 hours ago, Multibooter said:

Two days ago, after hearing about the US government banning Kaspersky in the U.S., I was worried that Kaspersky updates could become victims of censorship in Europe, just like the Russia Today SAT-TV channels.

It very much seems you're trying to fuel the strictly AV topic into political debates, What do the "poor" Russia channels have to do with this thread? How many Western channels Russia allows to broadcast on its territory? Zero.

So please, stop with the nonsense. Why are you so worried about Europe? I thought you were living in the US, not Europe, not anymore? 

[Multibooter]

4 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

No need to use a very old AV scanner if more recent ones are available.  When it comes to antimalware programmes, it is not only the up-to-dateness of the virus definitions that is crucial, but also that of the scan engine. The rule really does apply here: the more up-to-date, the better. 

An ancient, clean AV scanner can be the version of choice if a more recent version contains malware.

I definitely share your concern about the scan engine. This ancient Kaspersky AV scanner:

- canNOT look into about 30% of portable .exes downloaded, but I don't use portables

- canNOT look into very deeply nested files (e.g. a .rar in a .rar in a.rar in a .zip)

- canNOT look into .img floppy disk image files

- canNOT look into the boot sector of bootable .iso etc files

- CAN look into nearly all other .exes

- CAN look into .wim. BTW, until about a year ago, this ancient version of KAV could most likely NOT look into a .wim but all on a sudden it could. I would speculate that this scanning ability was added somehow by the signature updates, with the signature updates also modifying the scan engine. I explicitly have disabled updates of the scan engine because it's the last build of its version and also to avoid any download issues with future signature updates.

- a major criteria for anti-virus software is its ability to look into many types of container files. Kaspersky canNOT look, for example, into .uha file types, and I would bet that none of the programs listed in this topic can. I am using sometimes WinUHA to archive incorrectly flagged files, so that a re-check by Kaspersky of archived files with flagged stuff does not generate infection or password-protection messages.

- a major issue until about 3 months ago was that this ancient KAV crashed on certain downloaded files. This occurred with about 1 file for 300 files of stuff downloaded. It was quite time-consuming to identify the culprit file(s), a needle in a haystack. Whenever a crash occurred, Kaspersky created a huge  file, maybe 600MB and requested permission to send the file to Kaspersky, which I always denied.

- a minor issue of this ancient KAV is that it wants to call home occasionally, after very long virus-checks. These attempts to call home are being flagged and denied by ancient Kerio Personal Firewall v2.1.5, installed under WinXP. I did NOT give ancient Kaspersky a default permission to connect to the internet.

One major incentive for test-installing Kaspersky v18 or v19 would be to see whether some of the scan engine issues listed above have been resolved.

Edited June 23 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

10 minutes ago, Multibooter said:

This ancient Kaspersky AV scanner

You are talking about an ancient Kaspersky AV scanner but you didn't provide any information about its version and year of origin.  Therefore, all your statements are rather vague and unspecific. Nobody can do anything with them. When talking about a particular piece of software, it goes without saying that the name, version number, date of creation and a link should be given. Otherwise, any further discussion is pointless. 

[Multibooter]

2 hours ago, Dixel said:

What do the "poor" Russia channels have to do with this thread?

Kaspersky signature updates are hosted on servers, whose owners can easily pull the plug on Kaspersky, no more signature updates, just as the operating companies of European satellites did, pulling the plug on RT TV, no more English-language Russian TV channels in the EU (OT: Arabic-language was not pulled).

My concern is that after September 30, 2024 I will not be able to update my ancient Kaspersky AV because Kaspersky may have difficulty finding servers for providing signature updates internationally.

[Multibooter]

2 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

You are talking about an ancient Kaspersky AV scanner but you didn't provide any information about its version and year of origin.  Therefore, all your statements are rather vague and unspecific. Nobody can do anything with them. When talking about a particular piece of software, it goes without saying that the name, version number, date of creation and a link should be given. Otherwise, any further discussion is pointless. 

I am so sorry, but I do not want to give you any more details than I have done already, at least for now. My ancient version of Kaspersky AV can still be updated with a current signature, probably because Kaspersky Lab has forgotten about this old version. I do not want to risk not being able to update anymore.

The program name is Kaspersky Anti-Virus, the .exe is digitally signed OK 2012. And as I stated before, it was downloaded from Kaspersky, it was available for download for only a very short period of time, and the installer is a rare file most likely not archived or available anywhere, so no current download link.

Any subsequent version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus you can find/download, where the installer or update .exe is digitally signed 2013 to 2015 would be a candidate for checking for WinXP compatibility, potential malware behavior and the ability to update to the current virus signature.

So sorry again, I like your work for this topic!

Edited June 23 by Multibooter

[AstroSkipper]

43 minutes ago, Multibooter said:

I am so sorry, but I do not want to give you any more details than I have done already, at least for now. My ancient version of Kaspersky AV can still be updated with a current signature, probably because Kaspersky Lab has forgotten about this old version. I do not want to risk not being able to update anymore.

The program name is Kaspersky Anti-Virus, the .exe is digitally signed OK 2012. And as I stated before, it was downloaded from Kaspersky, it was available for download for only a very short period of time, and the installer is a rare file most likely not archived or available anywhere, so no current download link.

Any subsequent version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus you can find/download, where the installer or update .exe is digitally signed 2013 to 2015 would be a candidate for checking for WinXP compatibility, potential malware behavior and the ability to update to the current virus signature.

So sorry again, I like your work for this topic!

Ok. But then it does not make any sense to talk about a version which can't be tested from whomever (in any case not from me ). And please don't misunderstand me, I am definitely not interested in any Kaspersky version, regardless of whether they are old or future. I've been through that for a long time. I never liked Kaspersky,  and now, this will not change anymore in the future due to well-known reasons.

Edited June 23 by AstroSkipper