Versions 8 and lower no longer supported

[DavidR]

Stopped updating antivirus signatures
Windows 8.1
Avast Free 23.3.6058
Belarus
What's happened? I've been using Avast since 2000 and it's such garbage

Read the first post from 07 April 2020 again, it is talking about Avast 8 and NOT Windows 8.  So your problem is something else an may well be your location.

So your problem is completely unrelated to this topic, which should be in its own new topic.

I can't understand your logic, if it is so garbage why would you be using it for 23 years !

[alex_2539]

I can't understand your logic, if it is so garbage why would you be using it for 23 years !

It's in the sense of "garbage happened." Never had a problem before and didn't think it was bad.

[DavidR]

I can't understand your logic, if it is so garbage why would you be using it for 23 years !

It's in the sense of "garbage happened." Never had a problem before and didn't think it was bad.

I suggest that you start your own new topic and explain exactly what is happening and or warnings/errors that you are getting.

Given your location, I don't know (as an Avast user) if the issue might have to do with the ongoing situation in Ukraine and sanctions imposed (that too would be off-topic in this topic).

[visionhelp]

Want to share it here also:

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/2108-avast-virus-definitions-update.html
There is a new (vir-def list) update (for download) - December 26, 2023 - for Avast 5, 6, 7, 8. (And for all the versions up to 18+.)
Downloaded 1,964,997 times, until now.

[NON]

Want to share it here also:

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/2108-avast-virus-definitions-update.html
There is a new (vir-def list) update (for download) - December 26, 2023 - for Avast 5, 6, 7, 8. (And for all the versions up to 18+.)
Downloaded 1,964,997 times, until now.

It's not updated, just providing old definitions. And the file is the same as my previous post on your topic.

Timestamp: 2020/04/01, same hash.

[visionhelp]

Oh. OK. Thank You this note.

So, this is staying confusing.
Because the last update in summer this year CAN only be newer as this update from 2020 ...
(This date I still did not realize. Thanks.)
So, with installing this 2020 version, the def-list is 3 years setted back. In my imagine.
And update - from looking from today - it may not be called anymore.
Wouh.
(And I remove the [Solved] note again, in my request post.)

[bob3160]

Oh. OK. Thank You this note.

So, this is staying confusing.
Because the last update in summer this year CAN only be newer as this update from 2020 ...
(This date I still did not realize. Thanks.)
So, with installing this 2020 version, the def-list is 3 years setted back. In my imagine.
And update - from looking from today - it may not be called anymore.
Wouh.
(And I remove the [Solved] note again, in my request post.)

There is no solving what was't broke.
Support for this old version has ended. There are no more updates.
It also doesn't help to  look for support based on a topic that goes back to 2020.

[visionhelp]

I am sorry.
I just did take that for serious:
"avast! Virus Definitions Update December 31, 2023" https://www.techspot.com/downloads/2108-avast-virus-definitions-update.html

[DavidR]

I am sorry.
I just did take that for serious:
"avast! Virus Definitions Update December 31, 2023" https://www.techspot.com/downloads/2108-avast-virus-definitions-update.html

I think that relates to the latest version and or the last time the page was updated, any last versions for a particular version of Avast 'would have to be frozen' otherwise it could break an installation if the old program version didn't support the changes.

You are going to find problems going back so far even if a file repository (unrelated to Avast itself) said it was from a later date.

[visionhelp]

I think it is very reliable to subordinate, that a vir-def list with a date from December 31, 2023 which are presented ´does fit expressivly to the Avast versions 5 and 6 and 7 and 8´, they are the fitting versions and something as "otherwise it could break an installation if the old program version didn't support the changes." is really at all not to expact such.

[bob3160]

I think it is very reliable to subordinate, that a vir-def list with a date from December 31, 2023 which are presented ´does fit expressivly to the Avast versions 5 and 6 and 7 and 8´, they are the fitting versions and something as "otherwise it could break an installation if the old program version didn't support the changes." is really at all not to expact such.

Sorry but trying to justify using outdated and unsupported AV protection makes no sense.
Outdated and unsupported = no actual reliable protection.

[DavidR]

I think it is very reliable to subordinate, that a vir-def list with a date from December 31, 2023 which are presented ´does fit expressivly to the Avast versions 5 and 6 and 7 and 8´, they are the fitting versions and something as "otherwise it could break an installation if the old program version didn't support the changes." is really at all not to expact such.

You are fighting the help we are trying to give (to remain on an old unsupported version of Avast) and we have said finding old versions and or virus defs is going to be difficult.

The one thing you can't do is hold Avast accountable for what some other site prints.  Avast has made it clear what versions are still supported (as has this topic), you either choose to go down that path or not.

[visionhelp]

"Outdated and unsupported = no actual reliable protection.":

That is the reason I do the effort I am doing here. To secure security.
I am not willing - after studying 2 Windows versions each about 5 years - to keep this effort going on.
XP is the last Windows version, where I did this effort.
I do not subdue this conditions of Microsoft, with every new version of Windows to have to face all the extreme changes from every new version again and again.

It is about 2 things, for me an OS is important, Browser and security, at most an anti-virus protection.
Browser for XP still is available.
Anti-virus now is Avast.

I currently am forced to try Avast 18.8. This is effort again.
And if too slow, and does not meet my expectation, this makes me further effort.
This is very forcing al in all.
And no fun at all.


"The one thing you can't do is hold Avast accountable for what some other site prints":

This I do not.
But I take Avast into the responsibility to not to support the vir-def list updates.
Or even to not update the Avast program with for XP.
This further is forcing to me to have to leave XP.
This I just cannot exept.
If it is OK this once saying here.
Thank You.
And thanks the labour trying to help.

[bob3160]

"Outdated and unsupported = no actual reliable protection.":

That is the reason I do the effort I am doing here. To secure security.

Your effort would be better served in updating your outdated Operating System.

[visionhelp]

This is in progress, but with Linux, no more further with Win.