Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: pancakegeorge on July 10, 2004, 10:22:17 AM
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Hi
I'm looking for new anti-virus software and came across a recommendation for Avast!.
Currently I'm using Norton 2003, don't particularly want Norton 2004 and am not impressed with Symantec service.
Does anyone have access to a compatibility chart for Avast! and other products (e.g. firewall etc).
I'm using XP pro with:
- Zonealarm pro 4 (5 doesn't seem stable yet)
- Pest Patrol 4
- Adaware 6 and Adwatch 3
- Spybot search and destroy
If anyone has any recommendations and ideas, or any issues regarding running any of these with Avast!, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks.
On Edit:
Email program I'm using is The Bat! v2
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I'm running the following on XP SP1:
ZoneAlarm 4
Winpatrol
ProcessGuard
Trojanhunter
SpywareGuard
Spybot's TeaTimer
For email I use Thunderbird and Opera's M2
...and I have had zero problems running with Avast. Everyones system is different though. The only way to see if it will "play nice" is to try it. ;)
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Thanks NAMOR - I know what you mean - just trying to save any potential headaches :) by seeing what people think.
When I installed Zonealarm 5, it took me a day to discover why diskeeper could no longer get sole access for checkdisk - thought the partition was in trouble and didn't initially think to check the zonealarm update. Wasted loads of time before discovering a revert to v4 solved the problem.
A renewal for Norton might be cheaper, but it seems like time for a change!
;D
Cheers...
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A renewal for Norton might be cheaper
But, like you yourself said: I am not impressed with Symantec service.
Neither their compatibility, technical support, etc. etc.
Wellcome to avast.
You give me a light for incompatibility into ZoneAlarm 5.
I'm experiencing some trouble with defragmentantion but I think it was not related to ZA.
I'll do more research. 8)
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you might find some info at:
http://www.execsoft.com/diskeeper/faqs/faqs.asp#gq0 (http://www.execsoft.com/diskeeper/faqs/faqs.asp#gq0)
There were also references at Zonelabs with a couple of work-arounds - if I find them again I'll let you know. One of them was to disable one of the Zonealarm start-up services, perform check disk and then reset - not my idea of a good thing cos I'd probably forget to restart the service or something equally stupid :)
On Edit:
I just took a quick look at the Zonelabs forum - seems version 5 is not the most popular, but there is supposed to be an update soon. ZA v4.5 looks like it's best just now, so I'll try that with Avast! for the moment.
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pancakegeorge
Just make 100% sure that you've fully uninstalled Norton AV before you start to install Avast!
You may have to go to the Symantec site to get their program to fully remove NAV2003.
I got rid of Norton some time back and have been one happy camper eversince. ;D
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pancake,
Zone Alarm 5 still is a bit buggy although it has been running fine on a W98 machine. It did not fair well on an XP. I use an older version of ZA and also have Sygate.
Avast is a wonderful AV that as far as I am concerned .... is better than the headache of Norton.
I usually run antispyware programs such as SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard which are resident running.
Adaware is a good manual scanner for spyware, as is Spybot SandD.
Process Guard is a nice addition, and also consider a cookie filter of some kind.
Remember, that if you use Avast Home, then you need to install a script controller since only the Pro version has one.
I use either Script Defender or Script Sentry.
Browsers are another area for vulnerability.
Independent replacements for IE:
Mozilla and Firefox are top contenters with Opera running a third (only because it displays banners ads unless you "register" it....at a cost of about 39.00US. Not worth it. Green Browser has been used by forum users with great satisfaction.
Some nice IE overlays are Avant and Enigma.
You can add on so many things depending on your wishes from proxy filters to mail filters and beyond. ;D
Good luck.
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I'm using XP pro with:
- Zonealarm pro 4 (5 doesn't seem stable yet)
- Pest Patrol 4
- Adaware 6 and Adwatch 3
- Spybot search and destroy
I'm not using Pest Patrol, but I use the others. No problems. I'm using WIn98se, but I guess it should be OK with XP too....
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pancakegeorge,
Your wise in getting rid of Norton. As others have stated it does cause alot of problems. I use Avast Home along with either of 2 different firewalls: Sygate 5.5, or Outpost 1.0 which are free. I use other malware protection and Avast co-exists with them just fine on my pc. ;)
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Does anybody else use Webroot Spy Sweeper or am I the only one?
I haven't seen it mentioned and it catches almost all changes. I can't even add a Favorite without a reminder. I'm using the free version and the pay version has even more functions...
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I use spy sweeper v3.0 (i used v2.6 in the past), it is proberly the best out there but it is something they want you to pay for to constantly get updates, so i uninstall and reinstall every week or so, because the one free upgrade they give u upgrades to there current full version.
I use adware, bazooka spyware, spybot and spyblaster(i like more then one opinon), avast! and sygate firewall, no conflict problems that i no of.
--lee
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Does anybody else use Webroot Spy Sweeper or am I the only one?
I haven't seen it mentioned and it catches almost all changes. I can't even add a Favorite without a reminder. I'm using the free version and the pay version has even more functions...
Sorry Bob. I used (besides the freewares: ad-aware, spybot, spywareblaster, spywareguard...) Pest Patrol (trial version). You think it 'discovers' more, but are false alarms :-*
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Technical,
how can you be sure there false alarms if you have never used it, i have tested spy sweeper, and it does seem to find "more", but even if you have all the spyware scanners out there you will get infected, there just to many, they will all find certain unique spywares.
Just thought i would have a say, wasn't meaning to second guess you or anything.
--lee
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Technical,
how can you be sure there false alarms if you have never used it
Sorry I was not clear. I was talking about Pest Patrol and not Spy Sweeper ;)
But it was a general conclusion: sometimes the more you detect the most false alarms you get ;D
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Pest Patrol
i have only used pest patrol once, the online scan one, and it found spyware and told me how to manuly remove it, i did so and after deleating the key from my registry i could no longer open anything got an error, pc frozze and would no longer start back up, even if i installed Win98SE back over the top of it, i had to reformat in the end.
I have never used it since......................
--lee
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At last, you agree with me about Pest Patrol ;D
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lee
Try a program called WinRescue98.
If you use it before doing one of those cleanups, you might not have to start from scratch.
For Everyone else, there is a version for each different Windows Operating System. In this case, one size doesn't fit all! :)
Make sure you pick the right one for your operating system.
http://superwin.com/index.htm (http://superwin.com/index.htm)
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Hi lee16 and Technical...read with interest your comments about Pest Patrol...do I discern that you don't recommend this particular software?....I haven't tried it, and, depending upon your response, may not do so...thanks...
As to the original post on Avast compatibility, I've used Avast for over a year and think it's great...never have had a problem (and, if I did, this forum solves them), and recently switched from IE and OE to Firefox and Thunderbird as my, respectively, browser and e-mail client, and Avast took everything in stride. I think you'll be pleased with Avast....I've used both McAfee and Norton previously....Jim
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Hi SlimJim,
Pest Patrol is one of those programs that if your an expert, it's good. Any other time, it can get you into some deep sh*t.
SpySweeper (Even the free version) is totally different. If it says you have some garbage on your system, let it get rid of it.
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Hi Bob...thanks...does SpySweeper do basically the same thing as SpyBot Search and
Destroy (which I have and use)?...If yes, any reason to use both?....Jim
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There is just one reason to use multiple applications to clean a system from viruses, spyware, adware, malware and such, but it is the best reason there is. There is no application that can handle ALL harmfull things. Read the page in my signature.
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Artras is 100% right. They all seem to have their favorites and because of that tend to overlook some of the others. If you use more than one your chances usually increase in getting rid of the max. amount of garbage from your computer. We all know, this is one subject where less is better. :)
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Thanks Artras and Bob...good point....that was an interesting site, Artras....thanks...will save link and study page further.....Jim
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Opps only just seen your post slimjim, first off, Artras's page is very good for cleaning your system, i use it aswell, i personaly have Spybot, Ad-ware, spysweeper and Bazooka spyware to clean my system of spyware ect.
But i use Avast for viruses, with RAV and Trend Micro as online virus scanners.
Also look on Artras's site for the "don't use these" link for the programs you shouldn't use.
--lee
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hi lee16....read with interest the link to "don't use these.....very interesting and helpful...will work my way through the other links, also.....thanks for the suggestion...Jim
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I am only doing the best I can with that page SlimJim :D
Little history:
I am quiet active on IRC (#windows95 at Dalnet) and when the sasser worm game out we got a lot of questions about it. I must admit that at a certain point I got tired of telling the same thing over and over again to help people who got the worm, so I decided to make a little webpage, changed my irc script so I was able with just a few keypresses I was able to redirected people to that page and since then it started "a life of it's own".
It is nice to see/know people still are able to solve their problems with help of that page.
So thanks to all who complimented me with that site and to all of the people who sended me suggestions/tips/hints and such, without that I would not be able to develop the site to what is is now
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I hope, Artras, that you are inclined to keep the site going - it is helpful and much appreciated...You indicated you are active in IRC - I don't know what that is...would you care to elaborate a bit?....Thanks..... Jim