Protect your PC with Avast Free Antivirus for Windows XP

While you can still download Avast Antivirus for Windows XP, we have discontinued our support for this version of our antivirus. While it will still protect you from malware, as its virus definitions (how we identify which files could contain malware and which are safe) continue to be updated, the antivirus itself lacks many of the features and improvements enjoyed by people using Windows 7 or later operating systems. It’s better than nothing, but if you want true online protection, we recommend upgrading to a more recent version of Windows with better Avast compatibility.

Unfortunately, Windows Defender is not built into Windows XP, nor is it included in installation. Rather, you would need to download Microsoft Security Essentials for first-party protection, which is both outdated and offers only an extremely basic level of security. We highly recommend using a third-party antivirus to protect your Windows XP PC.

Avast is one of the best antivirus apps for Windows XP, even if we’re not technically supporting it. For one, we’re one of the few remaining Windows XP antiviruses still offering a product with up-to-date virus definitions, which means we can still keep you safe from the latest, most dangerous online threats. Additionally, we’re one of the most trusted Windows antivirus regardless of the operating system you’re currently using. Finally, our antivirus comes with advanced features, such as rootkit scanning and removal, and tools that remove adware from your system.

We fully encourage you to upgrade your Windows XP: regardless of which antivirus you use, your data will get better protection with a more up-to-date operating system, like Windows 10. However, if you do choose to upgrade from Windows XP, you will need to uninstall and reinstall your antivirus software, which you can do for free. Useful if you’re planning to migrate to Windows 10 and you want to use Avast Antivirus for Windows 10. If you have a paid version of our product, Avast Premium Security, you will need to input the activation code again to retain your paid features.