First installation of Kaspersky Free: the software asks for a licence key?!

[MariuxReloaded]

Hello everybody ?

As the title says, there's an issue with Kaspersky Free (latest version 21.13.5.506): a friend of mine wanted to give Kaspersky a try, but then she told me that the software wasn't enabled and that a licence key was required ?

That's why I've installed Kaspersky Free (we're Italian, so we downloaded it from the Italian webpage https://www.kaspersky.it/downloads/free-antivirus) on my old laptop, since I'm using Kaspersky Premium on my main computer, in order to understand what was going on.

The conclusion is: yes, after installing Kaspersky Free even on my laptop, it asked me to log in to My Kaspersky account, which I did, and then it required a licence key to validate the activation. There is no way to bypass this request, the program is stuck on the licence window.

My questions are: do we need a licence key for Kaspersky Free, even if it's free? If so, how do we get it?

Thank you very much in advance ?

[MariuxReloaded]

UPDATE:

 

After trying and failing again, I've noticed that the program, after logging in with my My Kaspersky account, says: "It's not possible to use the free version of Kaspersky with this account." ???

On my friend's laptop, instead, since she has never used a Kaspersky software before, first the software asked for a My Kaspersky account, which she created at the moment, then it failed many times to connect to the activation server until Kaspersky Free was enabled, at last, but with a Kaspersky Standard 30-day trial period ??????

[MariuxReloaded]

Hello everybody ?

After 3 days, no one here can give me a proper solution to this issue? ?‍♂️

Do I have to start thinking that the impossibility of activating and using Kaspersky Free "for free" is a sneaky way to push users to buy a licence, in order to have Kaspersky fully working?

It's not a problem for me, since I'm a 11-year happy user of Kaspersky and I've always paid for it, but for people like my dear friend, which first just wanted to give the software a try through the free version, before eventually buying a licence, it would be really disappointing to claim that they can use a free version of Kaspersky and then face this kind of situation ?

[harlan4096]

Probably Kaspersky Free is not available yet in Your country region, that's why it can't be installed/activate for free ?

[MariuxReloaded]

2 minutes ago, harlan4096 said:

Probably Kaspersky Free is not available yet in Your country region, that's why it can't be installed/activate for free ?

Then why offering it as eligible for the download through the official Kaspersky website of my country? ??

 https://www.kaspersky.it/downloads/free-antivirus

[harlan4096]

Ok, I just checked that download, and You are ok, KF 21.13 (last version) for Italy is fully available, so there should not be any issue to use/install/activate as Free ?

[MariuxReloaded]

4 minutes ago, harlan4096 said:

Ok, I just checked that download, and You are ok, KF 21.13 (last version) for Italy is fully available, so there should not be any issue to use/install/activate as Free ?

Yeah, theoretically, but actually the problem exists: as I've already said, my friend was forced to enable a 30-day trial period of Kaspersky Standard, in order to use the program, while I couldn't not enable anything, since the program was saying that the free version of Kaspersky could not be enabled with my My Kaspersky account ?‍♂️

[harlan4096]

I've found this:

 

https://support.kaspersky.com/help/Kaspersky Free/Win21.13/it-IT/226833.htm

 

https://support.kaspersky.com/help/Kaspersky Free/Win21.13/it-IT/210122.htm

[MariuxReloaded]

6 minutes ago, harlan4096 said:

I've found this:

 

https://support.kaspersky.com/help/Kaspersky Free/Win21.13/it-IT/226833.htm

 

https://support.kaspersky.com/help/Kaspersky Free/Win21.13/it-IT/210122.htm

That's exactly what my friend and I did on Monday.

I show some photos taken by my friend:

1) Kaspersky Free asked my friend for a My Kaspersky account, which she created at the moment

2) The program failed many times to connect to the activation server

3) At last, the program was enabled, but as a 30-day trial period of Kaspersky Standard, not as Kaspersky Free

[MariuxReloaded]

In my case, instead, the difference in these steps was:

1) Kaspersky Free asked me for a My Kaspersky account, which I already have, because I use Kaspersky products since 2012

2) Kaspersky Free logged in to my My Kaspersky account, but it asked me for a licence key, because "the free version of Kaspersky can't be enabled with this My Kaspersky account"

[harlan4096]

What if You create and try with the new Kaspersky account?

[MariuxReloaded]

21 minutes ago, harlan4096 said:

What if You create and try with the new Kaspersky account?

I don't need a new My Kaspersky account, since I was trying to install Kaspersky Free just to figure out what was going on on my friend's laptop, but, in the end, I guess that the same of situation happened to my friend would occur, because she created a new My Kaspersky account only after installing Kaspersky Free

[MariuxReloaded]

P.S. And, in any case, If I wish to install Kaspersky Free on my secondary laptop, logging in with my My Kaspersky account, I have the right to do so, even if I have already a My Kaspersky account and even if I already use Kaspersky Premium on my main computer

[MariuxReloaded]

Hello ?

Dear Kaspersky team, are there any news about this issue?

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @MariuxReloaded, 

(in our personal experience), every time we've tried to install Kaspersky *Free* on a device that's previously had a Kaspersky paid licensed software using the same email address, it's failed, we've encountered a similar situation to what you're reporting - the only way we've found to avoid the issue is to create a *new* MyKaspersky account - that is, use another email address; we've encountered the situation probaby 10 times because we frequently install Kaspersky Free to help other Community members - the solution is as @harlan4096 has suggested *and* this is the *remedy* Kaspersky support suggests... 

?It's a total PIA = pain it the a*se?

• You have a Premium subscription - why don't you ask Kaspersky support -> https://support.kaspersky.com/b2c#contacts? 

Thank you?
Flood?+?

Edited May 7, 2023 by Flood and Flood's wife
pn

[MariuxReloaded]

26 minutes ago, Flood and Flood's wife said:

Hello @MariuxReloaded, 

(in our personal experience), every time we've tried to install Kaspersky *Free* on a device that's previously had a Kaspersky paid licensed software using the same email address, it's failed, we've encountered a similar situation to what you're reporting - the only way we've found to avoid the issue is to create a *new* MyKaspersky account - that is, use another email address; we've encountered the situation probaby 10 times because we frequently install Kaspersky Free to help other Community members - the solution is as @harlan4096 has suggested *and* this is the *remedy* Kaspersky support suggests... 

?It's a total PIA = pain it the a*se?

• You have a Premium subscription - why don't you ask Kaspersky support -> https://support.kaspersky.com/b2c#contacts? 

Thank you?
Flood?+?

Thank you very much for this clear explanation of the situation ?

Let's hope, then, that my friend will be able to use Kaspersky Free after the expiry of the 30-day trial period of Kaspersky Standard, since she's a new Kaspersky user

[Flood and Flood's wife]

10 hours ago, MariuxReloaded said:

Let's hope, then, that my friend will be able to use Kaspersky Free after the expiry of the 30-day trial period of Kaspersky Standard, since she's a new Kaspersky user

You're welcome @MariuxReloaded

Theoretically (or how it worked in the past) expired Trial subscriptions automatically switched to Free subscriptions, however, please read the documentation:

?Kaspersky Standard: How subscription works: read the section: How free subscription works:

Free trial subscription becomes active immediately when you subscribe. A few days in advance of the expiration of the trial period, you will receive a reminder about subscription renewal. If you do not cancel your subscription during the trial period, after the trial period expires, the subscription is automatically renewed for the next period.

?(In our opinion) the information is *not clear*, we encourage you to log a request with Kaspersky support -> https://support.kaspersky.com/b2c#contacts. 

Please share the information with the Community, when it's available? 

Thank you?
Flood?+?

Additional resource:

Kaspersky Free library

Edited May 8, 2023 by Flood and Flood's wife
pn (ioo)