Windows 7 anti-malware products compared

[MrWhoopee]

If you set Avast properly, you will get no unnecessary popups; or any popups, if you so desire (I personally like to know if Avast has blocked anything).

The only pop-ups I want to see are the ones telling me something has been blocked or is unsafe. I don't like the increasing amount of configuration Avast requires to suppress the sounds and unnecessary alerts, and I've never like the registration requirement, particularly when I'm on the clock. The AV-Test results where the final push I needed to try Panda. It required no post-install configuration or registration and, so far, it has been completely invisible, just like the perfect house-guest.

 

[King Arthur]

I have had popups from Avast advertising their paid solution numerous times even though I have all such frivolous popups completely disabled. I haven't come across any recently, but one popup was one too many and has left a bad taste in my mouth so to speak.

Contrast MSE, where the only advertisement it shows you is a "suggestion" ad for IE when you install MSE that is otherwise simple to close since it's just an ordinary window from whatever browser is set to default on the system.

windude99 also brings up a nice point about false positives. It is fact that Avast and other third-party AV suites have had false positives before that have at times completely hosed a computer. MSE has, at least in theory, a far smaller chance of a Windows-killing false positive because the people behind MSE are also the same people who work on Windows.

windude99 also mentioned a very important point about IT security that bears repeating: Proper security begins with you, the user. The user is the first and foremost line of defense against malware of any kind. AV suites are not and should not be considered nor relied upon as the first/primary/only line of defense, they are insurance against the one-in-a-million chance that a piece of malware might slip by a responsible user.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I've installed Panda Cloud AV in a few places where the users kept getting Potentially Unwanted Programs (e.g. conduit toolbar). MSE is still good for troubleshooting other issues. But I really don't like MSE's heuristics:

http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/308472-mse-worries-6.html#post2573490

 

[A Guy]

We can certainly argue this ad nauseam, but no one is right, it's only opinions. Avast has never caused me any problems, nor have I ever had a virus. The same might have been true if I was using MSE.

Some would prefer an AV that does not nag at all, and has a lower chance of causing problems. It's a matter of preference, or tolerance level. Unless you get infected (and then infect others), then your choice is right for you.

The bottom line is you don't get infected. You would of course need other security programs as well, or you might currently be infected, and wouldn't know

I use Avira Antivr with the active guard turned off as a 2nd opinion. It too doesn't have anything to do on my system, as no virus has found me.

A Guy

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I have had popups from Avast advertising their paid solution numerous times even though I have all such frivolous popups completely disabled. I haven't come across any recently, but one popup was one too many and has left a bad taste in my mouth so to speak.

Contrast MSE, where the only advertisement it shows you is a "suggestion" ad for IE when you install MSE that is otherwise simple to close since it's just an ordinary window from whatever browser is set to default on the system.

windude99 also brings up a nice point about false positives. It is fact that Avast and other third-party AV suites have had false positives before that have at times completely hosed a computer. MSE has, at least in theory, a far smaller chance of a Windows-killing false positive because the people behind MSE are also the same people who work on Windows.

windude99 also mentioned a very important point about IT security that bears repeating: Proper security begins with you, the user. The user is the first and foremost line of defense against malware of any kind. AV suites are not and should not be considered nor relied upon as the first/primary/only line of defense, they are insurance against the one-in-a-million chance that a piece of malware might slip by a responsible user.

It's odd you are getting ad popups when I haven't on three different computers once I shut off the popups.

 

[andrew129260]

Lady Fitzgerald

The problem with avast is the registration. I used to install avast for peoples PC's I have fixed, to return a year later and discover it unable to update as the registration is not re-registered.

Simply put -Average computer users are stupid. I can write up guides on how to do it, tell and show them how to do it, and it still does not get done. I can write up guides on how to be careful when they install software, how to use functions of windows etc. People don't care. They want their internet and thats it. And when it comes to people like that who refuse to learn I stop helping them. Or keep taking their money. Because I have done my part and they will not do theirs.

The registration process for avast is ridiculous and completely unnecessary. I used to love avast, but even turning on game mode and turning all pop ups off, I still get ads from avast in my bottom right hand corner.

Switching to panda has been great so far. My only complaint is it has no notifications unless it found something. Problem is, I would like to know when its updated so I can at least confirm its working. Installed it on a few client pcs and all is well.

Avast can be better in detections as they are slipping, its good and I still like it- but it really needs to stop with all the ads.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Lady Fitzgerald

The problem with avast is the registration. I used to install avast for peoples PC's I have fixed, to return a year later and discover it unable to update as the registration is not re-registered.

Simply put -Average computer users are stupid. I can write up guides on how to do it, tell and show them how to do it, and it still does not get done. I can write up guides on how to be careful when they install software, how to use functions of windows etc. People don't care. They want their internet and thats it. And when it comes to people like that who refuse to learn I stop helping them. Or keep taking their money. Because I have done my part and they will not do theirs.

The registration process for avast is ridiculous and completely unnecessary. I used to love avast, but even turning on game mode and turning all pop ups off, I still get ads from avast in my bottom right hand corner.

Switching to panda has been great so far. My only complaint is it has no notifications unless it found something. Problem is, I would like to know when its updated so I can at least confirm its working. Installed it on a few client pcs and all is well.

Avast can be better in detections as they are slipping, its good and I still like it- but it really needs to stop with all the ads.

I wouldn't call average computer users stupid. Unbelievably ignorant on how to use computers, yes, but most aren't really stupid. I've found many times people who seemed to refuse to learn are actually being overwhelmed because the person teaching them was overestimating their existing knowledge. I used to work in warehousing. When NT first came out, we had been using main frame dumb terminals for very basic data retrieval. We all got sent to classes supposedly on how to use the PCs that were going to replace the dumb terminals. The class immediately dove into how to use NT. Most of us in the class didn't even know how to use a mouse. I was the only one who spoke up and said I had no clue what the instructor was talking about and that probably no one else did either. The instructor was pretty upset to find out I was pretty much correct. When she asked what we were doing there, we responded that our bosses had sent us there. The entire FUBAR was a result of uninformed expectations of what the course was intended to do and what our skill levels were.

There have been times I've had a problem with how to do something and when I asked for help, I would be completely confused by the advice I received because the person giving the advice assumed that certain things were common knowledge and that I would already know that so he didn't bother to include them in the directions, then would get impatient with me for getting confused. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received for writing reports, memos, or tutorials came from an otherwise useless boss I once had. His version was to assume the person reading the report, etc. was a total idiot. The message I took from that was not to assume what appears to be common knowledge for me would be so for the person reading the report.

Moving off that belabored subject... I'm not particularly crazy about having to reregister Avast once a year but, frankly, it's only once a year and it's not that big a deal. As far as your customers not wanting to deal with it, you would be perfectly justified in taking their money; heck, they may even prefer it that way. I used to all the repair and remodeling work around my house. I've gotten too old for most of that and now prefer to pay someone to do it for me.

I'm still having problems understanding why people are getting popup ads when I'm not. It has to be a settings issue.

Btw, one's setting can be backed up.

I'm not trying to discourage you from using Panda; I'm just baffled by the number of problems people are having with Avast.

 

[andrew129260]

I hear what your saying. Unfortunately, I do assume the people reading my guides are total morons. It doesn't seem to help. I just think people are to lazy to care and that's what it comes down to. These people can use a web browser with no trouble, use their mouse and know where the start menu is. So they are not as braindead as someone who is totally new to everything. But I get what your saying.

As for avast, I don't know ether, but I have tried it in several virtual machines and it just keeps happening. Although my avast in the VM just got a program update and it restarted, so maybe things will change. I will keep an eye on it and possibly install it to another vm to see if I can replicate ads with it being all those notifications turned off.

Also I want to point out by disabling the notifications it effectively makes it act like panda does the way it is now. Which I don't like. I would like at least a popup when the definitions are updated, especially when a threat is found as well! (even though I know panda is a cloud AV, so it does not really use definitions. But it has in the logs when it synced with panda servers) so something like that would be appreciated. I will have to see if that is implemented in the new beta.

 

[Indianatone]

I personally have no idea why people like Avast ?
Cheers.

Because we get to pretend to be pirates, and the sexy virus lady voice is just so damned HOT!

Agreed, I have used Avast for many years and always have it set to pirate "mode". Also I like the color scheme and have never had an issue with it on any of my machines. I have disabled the Avast online security browser app as I did not like the pop ups whilst browsing Amazon. I use Malwarebytes as I own 4 pro licences bought in the last few months on sale. I also use common sense and watch what I am doing and where I am and download only from a few sites like File Hippo, Sourceforge etc. You do have to pay attention with Avast for the yearly registration but it is easy. In all honesty most members of the public cannot use a computer properly and are scared still of screwing it up. Most of them have trouble setting clocks on VCR's etc. Oh the times I have spent on the phone with a client whose cable box was on and TV was off and then the TV was off and the cable box was on and they could not figure it out. People are not stupid they either get technology or they do not.

 

[ThrashZone]

I personally have no idea why people like Avast ?
Cheers.

Because we get to pretend to be pirates, and the sexy virus lady voice is just so damned HOT!

:roflmao:

 

[King Arthur]

It's odd you are getting ad popups when I haven't on three different computers once I shut off the popups.

It really is odd and it's the biggest complaint I have with Avast, rather unfortunate really.

Do understand though that I do respect Avast's capabilities as an AV suite. I do use Avast as we speak on my Pentium 4 Windows XP machine for the reasons I stated earlier because, while I do prefer MSE, Avast happens to be the better/right tool for the job on my XP machine.

Put another way: My first suggestion to someone would be MSE as I've said earlier, but my second suggestion after that would in fact be Avast if MSE would be inappropriate for the situation. I do prefer MSE, but I also give due credit to Avast.

 

[TVeblen]

Popups: are we talking about the notifications that pop up by the taskbar to tell you that your virus definitions have been updated, or there is a new program available, or that you would really, really like the paid version?
Really?
When I think of pop ups I think of "would you like to stop what you are doing and do a survey instead?", or "click the dancing monkey to win a prize".
A notification is different than a pop-up.

 

[King Arthur]

For clarification and to answer the above query: When I mention "popups" I mean the popups that are advertising Avast's paid solution and other such useless crap, I've had a couple come up on me randomly and each time I thought I had gotten adware or something (system scans suggested nothing of the sort). I do have these popups disabled in config, but obviously they aren't being honored.

As for the actually informational notifications, those I appreciate (who wouldn't?).

 

[windude99]

For clarification and to answer the above query: When I mention "popups" I mean the popups that are advertising Avast's paid solution and other such useless crap, I've had a couple come up on me randomly and each time I thought I had gotten adware or something (system scans suggested nothing of the sort). I do have these popups disabled in config, but obviously they aren't being honored.

As for the actually informational notifications, those I appreciate (who wouldn't?).

Have you tried reinstalling Avast?

 

[King Arthur]

I did indeed reinstall Avast several times. As I mentioned earlier I've had to remove Avast occasionally because it was simply eating too much CPU and thrashing the HDD too hard to get any practical work done.

Avast hasn't misbehaved in a while now so it has that going for it at least, but it's getting blown out of the sky if it so much as sneezes in the wrong direction.