Just a general query

[em1500uk]

hi em1500uk,

I've noted two things:

• No link was provided for vendor uninstall tools for a specific a/v vendor.  You can get these tools you need here:  http://singularlabs.com/uninstallers/security-software/  As it appears you are planning ahead for this move to Avast!, that is only proper.  First step in removing the old a/v is to use Add/Remove to uninstall it, then reboot, and then run the vendor uninstall tool, and reboot once again. 
   
• You can get the version of Avast! where a listing is posted for all versions of Avast! here, including the Endpoint versions:  http://www.avast.com/download-software
  Here, at least, with this link, you can see what you are getting when you click without having to go to c|net downloads to get it (I avoid c|net downloads totally, always go to the vendor page only).

Suggest running the vendor tool at least twice to ensure all old remnants are removed, reboot after each time.  A run with sfc /scannow will not hurt either before installing the new a/v.

As for the C++ version, craigb and DavidR has you sorted out.

EDIT:  You can also ask here about the newest version of Avast.edu, which is free.  I personally do not know where this link is, but someone else here will know.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - I have uninstallation instructions from the Avira site and I have a link to get their registry cleaner directly from them, so hopefully in that area I should be OK Glad I'm not the only one that doesn't bother with CNet. I've not been to that site for downloads in many years. Normally go to FileHippo or the vendor site these days anyway.

Two questions with regards to your post: one what on earth is sfc /scannow (guessing it's a command prompt thing, but I don't really know how to use that) and two what is Avast.edu all about? Obviously it's another version as you say, but I've never even heard of it!

Another thing that has worried me about moving from Avira to Avast is wondering whether Avast will grind my PC to a halt so it's unusable and wondering whether or not I will be able to receive the updates for it due to the fact that I have a dial up connection My connection speeds lately (over the last month or so) have been 44kbps or 45.2kbps but for some time before then they've been up and down, lowest being about 21.6kbps. I take it that the cloud services that are included in version 7 will have to be disabled and I'll have to do updates manually, as I'm presuming the cloud services will be no use to me due to my connection speed and not being online all the time? I don't mind setting off an update myself as that's what I do with Avira currently and it manages it, but the updates most of the time now are really small, like 200kb or so, but that's probably cos my mum checks for updates several times during the day when she's in. Sometimes a big update gets released and it struggles and I have to download a file via a broadband connection, then bring it home and perform a separate update using the file and that works. I'm just curious to know what an optimum set up for someone on dial up would be?

I am very sorry for all these silly questions, but I'm only an average PC user and this is the only PC I have and just don't like the idea of things going wrong. I know some things (but not a lot!) and despise having to sort problems out with it. Guess I just want an easy life

[em1500uk]

Any replies to my last post would be good... Thanks in advance

[DavidR]

Avast is relatively light on resources.

I have never used avira, so I don't know exactly what areas it covers. I have had avast for over eight and a half years now and have only had broadband for the last two, so I'm well aware of the difficulties with dial-up, but that wasn't a problem for me and using avast.

Avast does incremental updates so the updates are measured in KBs and not MBs, probably averaging out at about 100KB. There are on average two auto updates for virus definitions during the day, avast also uses streaming updates so that more urgent signature updates are released rather than waiting for the next auto update. These are generally very small so far today I have received 23 of those ranging in size between 1KB and 35KB. Most of these were delivered shortly after I booted earlier today.

There really isn't much optimising to do in relation to do with dial-up, I would leave it on the default settings and see how you get on with those.

[em1500uk]

Thanks for the reply DavidR I'm only concerned as I feel that Avast is my only best option for an AV program right now and I don't want to be left with no AV program on my system at all, or left with one that I can't update. I simply refuse to go on to Avira's version 10 or the newer 2012 version as both seem riddled with problems these days and I'm not familiar with AVG, but apparently that's rubbish and I don't know of any other free AV programs that I could use, hence why I'm considering a move to Avast very soon.

You say a lot of the streaming update files were picked up on your PC starting up, will this affect my system loading time and will having the cloud services and automatic updates on affect my internet speed/browsing due to the connection speed being so slow in the first place?

[DavidR]

As you can see from the image a bunch of them (which were available but my system was off) about 9 from 1KB - 6KB which shouldn't be much of an issue.

The regular auto update check happens shortly after boot and that is likely to be more resource intensive (CPU and RAM than internet connection), if your system has a reasonable CPU and qty of RAM (which it does seem to be reasonable) that shouldn't be a problem. If it proves to be an issue there are manual changes to settings to delay it until later after the boot. But lets not get tied down with that right now unless we need to cross that bridge later.

[mchain]

hi,

Here is the link for Avast! .edu:  http://www.avast.com/education

There is an application form to fill out.  Note that this is an Endpoint solution, you can get that at the link provided earlier.

[em1500uk]

As you can see from the image a bunch of them (which were available but my system was off) about 9 from 1KB - 6KB which shouldn't be much of an issue.

The regular auto update check happens shortly after boot and that is likely to be more resource intensive (CPU and RAM than internet connection), if your system has a reasonable CPU and qty of RAM (which it does seem to be reasonable) that shouldn't be a problem. If it proves to be an issue there are manual changes to settings to delay it until later after the boot. But lets not get tied down with that right now unless we need to cross that bridge later.

Thanks for the info. Never released that the streaming updates were so tiny! Obviously altogether they add up to much more, but even then, as you say, the updates are still KB and not MB which is good where dial up is concerned. Thanks for the info on auto update after start too.

[em1500uk]

hi,

Here is the link for Avast! .edu:  http://www.avast.com/education

There is an application form to fill out.  Note that this is an Endpoint solution, you can get that at the link provided earlier.

Just had a look but I don't think I qualify for that as I don't work in a school or any other educational facility and I'm based in the UK.

[DavidR]

As you can see from the image a bunch of them (which were available but my system was off) about 9 from 1KB - 6KB which shouldn't be much of an issue.

The regular auto update check happens shortly after boot and that is likely to be more resource intensive (CPU and RAM than internet connection), if your system has a reasonable CPU and qty of RAM (which it does seem to be reasonable) that shouldn't be a problem. If it proves to be an issue there are manual changes to settings to delay it until later after the boot. But lets not get tied down with that right now unless we need to cross that bridge later.

Thanks for the info. Never released that the streaming updates were so tiny! Obviously altogether they add up to much more, but even then, as you say, the updates are still KB and not MB which is good where dial up is concerned. Thanks for the info on auto update after start too.

You're welcome.

[em1500uk]

As you can see from the image a bunch of them (which were available but my system was off) about 9 from 1KB - 6KB which shouldn't be much of an issue.

The regular auto update check happens shortly after boot and that is likely to be more resource intensive (CPU and RAM than internet connection), if your system has a reasonable CPU and qty of RAM (which it does seem to be reasonable) that shouldn't be a problem. If it proves to be an issue there are manual changes to settings to delay it until later after the boot. But lets not get tied down with that right now unless we need to cross that bridge later.

Thanks for the info. Never released that the streaming updates were so tiny! Obviously altogether they add up to much more, but even then, as you say, the updates are still KB and not MB which is good where dial up is concerned. Thanks for the info on auto update after start too.

You're welcome.

Will not being connected to the internet at the system start up affect this i.e will the program continually keep looking for updates without stopping do you know? Or will it give up after so long?

[DavidR]

<snip quotes>
Will not being connected to the internet at the system start up affect this i.e will the program continually keep looking for updates without stopping do you know? Or will it give up after so long?

With dial-up in the avastUI, Settings, Updates, Update Parameters, you can set it to I only connect to the internet using a dial up modem. So it should check for the presence of a connection.

[mchain]

hi em1500uk,

Suggest running the vendor tool at least twice to ensure all old remnants are removed, reboot after each time.  A run with sfc /scannow will not hurt either before installing the new a/v.

As for the C++ version, craigb and DavidR has you sorted out.

EDIT:  You can also ask here about the newest version of Avast.edu, which is free.  I personally do not know where this link is, but someone else here will know.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - I have uninstallation instructions from the Avira site and I have a link to get their registry cleaner directly from them, so hopefully in that area I should be OK Glad I'm not the only one that doesn't bother with CNet. I've not been to that site for downloads in many years. Normally go to FileHippo or the vendor site these days anyway.

Two questions with regards to your post: one what on earth is sfc /scannow (guessing it's a command prompt thing, but I don't really know how to use that) and two what is Avast.edu all about? Obviously it's another version as you say, but I've never even heard of it!

I am very sorry for all these silly questions, but I'm only an average PC user and this is the only PC I have and just don't like the idea of things going wrong. I know some things (but not a lot!) and despise having to sort problems out with it. Guess I just want an easy life

hi,

Any advanced user tips given here that will not damage your system is perfectly ok to use.  The reason for running sfc /scannow before installing Avast! is to ensure all protected system files are intact and in their original versions before beginning the install of Avast!  If your system ever reports a corrupt system file now or in the future, this is one way to repair that issue.  Microsoft does recommend this as a step to repair corrupted system files, just so you know.

You are correct, sfc /scannow is a command prompt.  You run this by Start>Run>sfc /scannow  Enter the command "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes) in the run box and click OK button.  If running XP, you will need the installation disc for XP.  /scannow will ask you for this cd disc when run.  If Vista or newer, /scannow will run automatically.

Note that there is a space between sfc and /scannow, ergo, sfc(space)/scannow.  This will take a bit of time to run, so be patient and allow it to complete.     sfc /scannow  (you can copy/paste this command directly into the run box to avoid any syntax issues.)

[em1500uk]

Hi! Just tried that scan now thing you suggested but part way through it said I needed an XP SP3 disc, which I don't have. I only have SP1a! So I just cancelled the process. Hope that's not caused me any bother. I wouldn't have thought so. See, I didn't install this system. My local PC shop did that for me and updated it to SP3.

Is the reason you asked me to do this with regards to the recent tcpip.sys file being deleted on some XP systems. Will that happen to me?! I think I read somewhere that all the XP systems that had been affected had patched versions of this on? I don't think the file I have is patched looking at its properties. I wouldn't have thought the guy in the PC shop would've tampered with it either.

[em1500uk]

Just did a system restore to a system checkpoint a little while earlier, just in case it had messed something up.

I sincerely hope that tcpip.sys file (among other system files) aren't deleted when I install Avast. I really don't want to lose my internet connection or anything else for that matter. As far as I'm aware, my system is clean. There's nothing untoward happening in the task manager or anywhere else...

[em1500uk]

Has the tcpip.sys thing been sorted out does anyone know? I'm going to try moving to Avast tomorrow evening and I really don't want to install Avast and then it ends up deleting important system files without me knowing and trying to stop it When something's detected, do you get given options as to what to do with the file by default?