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Other => General Topics => Topic started by: jeth on April 25, 2009, 06:42:18 AM

Title: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: jeth on April 25, 2009, 06:42:18 AM
Is there a way to set up Avast to run only on demand?

I have an existing complete intrernet security suite (from CA, by way of my ISP) and would like to keep that as my primary firewall and protection  mechanism, but still be able to run Avst manually to do an additional
scan.

But I don't see an option t0 not have Avast start up automatically when Windows starts.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: Lisandro on April 25, 2009, 02:02:38 PM
Certainly avast is not intended to be run only on demand.
It loads services and drivers at boot time. Maybe you can try (without a conflict) disabling services and, even, the drivers with Autoruns.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: jeth on April 25, 2009, 03:52:36 PM
Thank you very much for the response......

My reasoning for the approach is this......many security suites such as CA which I use, as well as a different one my daughter uses, provide a "vault" where you can store critical data values that you don't want to transmit, either from mail, when browsing the web, or from messaging applications.  Depending on the setting, they can simnply replace the secured data with asterisks or provide you a prompt to allow or disallow sending of the information.

And since multiple firewalls running at the same time can cause conflicts, excessive slowdown and other problems, it's best not to do this.

But Avast has often picked up viruses that other applications miss, and vice versa, so it's handy to have it on hand for an on demand check.  For example, I was having a problem with some trojan that was preventing me from getting to security sites (not Conflicker, it turned out).  It also prevented the Microsoft MSRT tool and Spybot from running.  Merely changing the name of the Spybot executable allowed it to run and find a couple of items that had been missed by other scanners.

After that was fixed, MSRT was able to run and it found still one other item that others missed (Aleuron-C). 

It's really impossible for everyone to catch every new piece of malware immediately, so running multiple ones on demand very often will pick up things that a single A/V application misses.

Thanks again for the response.... 
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: Lisandro on April 25, 2009, 04:01:33 PM
I understand and share your will of layered defense.
I'll suggest, on contrary, avast as resident and MBAM and SAS as on-demand scanners.
On July, avast will release it's own firewall too.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: jeth on April 25, 2009, 04:26:50 PM
That's interesting news......

I used Avast for many years, then added the free Zone Alarm at one point.  I added a paid version of ZA on my own machine and left the free one on my kids machine.  Eventually, one year when ZA wasn't available locally, I tried CA.  The next year I found that my ISP, Optimum Online (aka Cablevision) provided the full CA suite for free, so that's what I am running now.

When you have about 40% or your pension retained for the medical coverage plan, you have to try and find the least expensive alternatives you can.  Rarely, you get lucky; I refilled a prescription yesterday for a heart medication and a month's supply only cost me 80 cents! Another however, that I have to get by mail because it's a recurring item, costs me the maximum copay of $50. 

Thanks for info abut future firewall.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: DavidR on April 25, 2009, 08:36:33 PM
The main problem as I see it, by hacking avast terminating services and blocking low level drivers, you don't turn it into a on demand AV but cripple it as even to do on-demand scans it requires a number of services to run.

Any AV has to have the latest signature updates or its worth as also lessened and in order to even do manual updates the update service has to be running.

Yes it is possible to get around all of these possibly by creating batch files to kill services, you would also have to have another batch file to enable the required services to do on-demand scans and another to enable the service to be able to update the virus signatures.

So as you can see it isn't a simple task, avast is designed to be a resident scanner and crippling it really isn't advisable IMHO. I also believe avast is better than CA's AV and it is possible to get a free firewall like PC Tools Firewall that should also be up to the job with SAS and MBAM (also free) to act as on-demand scanners.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: Lisandro on April 25, 2009, 08:58:41 PM
Yes it is possible to get around all of these possibly by creating batch files to kill services, you would also have to have another batch file to enable the required services to do on-demand scans and another to enable the service to be able to update the virus signatures.
Besides, the user need to disable avast self-defense module, which is put the computer at risk...
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: jeth on April 25, 2009, 09:07:34 PM
I'm not sure how much risk is involved; the CA Internet Security Suite is pretty comprehensive, especially with it's firewall.  The privacy functions are especially useful in that it protects against transmission of critical data values.

Like many such applications, it takes a while for it to learn your approved applications, by prompting you every time a new one wants to access the internet.  Even if you have approved a particular program, it will prompt you again if that program is updated even though the filename and location remain the same. Somehow tracks changes to previously approved programs.  This is good in case someone manages to overwrite a good program.  If you know you didn't do an upgrade, you know enough not to give it approval again. 

It's just that since no single AV program could be expected to catch everything, it doesn't hurt to run others occasionally.
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: DavidR on April 25, 2009, 09:15:41 PM
For occasional scans there are a) on-line scanners and b) AVs that are specifically designed to run as on-demand only.

On-line Virus Scanners and other useful Links Security-Ops.eu.tt (http://www.security-ops.eu.tt)
Title: Re: Running Avast on demand only
Post by: Lisandro on April 26, 2009, 12:10:09 AM
It's just that since no single AV program could be expected to catch everything, it doesn't hurt to run others occasionally.
Use on-line scanners and MBAM or SAS for a second opinion.
If you install a second antivirus, sooner or later, you'll have conflicts and troubles.