Author Topic: Avast fatigue (free edition)  (Read 2384 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

REDACTED

  • Guest
Avast fatigue (free edition)
« on: March 18, 2015, 06:58:30 PM »
As explained in https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=168064.0 I have used Avast free for years, and had a recent (this week) bad experience with the latest software update.

But that's just the latest thing that's making me grow wary of Avast and considering switching to AVG.

One is the constant barrage of popup ads.  I know, I know, I'm using a free product.  But I've seen computers with AVG, and these don't have nearly the number of bogus "sale" ads, or "your computer has 583 pieces of junk on it" inducements to buy another product, that Avast inflicts on my computer.

Of more concern though is something that happened last week.

A "quick scan" on Monday found two instances of malware, in a temp file directory.  The "infected" files had been there for more than a month, and had never been an issue.  I had Avast quarantine them.

The next day (I restart my computer each night so it's fresh when I log in in the morning), the computer had a black DOS screen with white characters, saying that Avast's boot-time scan had found infected files and dealt with them.

I clicked through that, I went to a normal login screen, logged in, and instead of seeing my normal desktop, I saw an iconless screen with a message at the bottom right saying that my version of Windows may not be genuine.  I powered the computer down to a full shutdown, started it, and logged in, and all was normal.

I then used system restore to roll the computer back a full week, and since that time, the computer has booted fine, run fine, and Avast has found no malware.

But this malware discovery bothers me because I practice VERY safe computing, and for all intents and purposes, have NEVER had malware on my computer (on which I'm the exclusive user).

Given the sketchy and dirty feeling I always get when encountering the omnipresent ads, the odd malware detection and boot issue from last week, and now the scheduling and scan issues with the newest (March 2015) version, I'm starting to feel "Avast fatigue."

Any comments on the issues I raise?  Anyone else experiencing or feeling the same things?

Offline Alikhan

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 2220
Re: Avast fatigue (free edition)
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2015, 07:30:59 PM »
I've replied to your first thread.

Regarding the ads, they are annoying but can be disabled in the paid versions.

The schedules would have been affected by a corrupt install and I've given you instructions on how to do a clean install to fix your issue on your older thread.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • Avast Free (latest stable version) •  Malwarebytes 4 Premium (On-Demand) • Windows Firewall Control • Google Chrome • LastPass • CCleaner • O&O ShutUp10 •

REDACTED

  • Guest
Re: Avast fatigue (free edition)
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2015, 10:51:24 PM »
Thanks.  I replied in the other thread, but I wanted to add here another issue I have with the newest Avast.

I ran a system scan before I left for work today.  Got home, and (1) the scan results weren't logged, and (2) the screen said that it had found some number of instances of "gunk" on my computer, and "offered" to clean it up.

There is NO WAY that I'm going to let anything "clean" or change anything on my computer without it telling me exactly what "gunk" it found, and what "clean"ing it wants.

And what kind of respectable malware tool refers to "gunk" vs. something much more precise?

Offline Alikhan

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 2220
Re: Avast fatigue (free edition)
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2015, 10:56:36 PM »
Thanks.  I replied in the other thread, but I wanted to add here another issue I have with the newest Avast.

I ran a system scan before I left for work today.  Got home, and (1) the scan results weren't logged, and (2) the screen said that it had found some number of instances of "gunk" on my computer, and "offered" to clean it up.

There is NO WAY that I'm going to let anything "clean" or change anything on my computer without it telling me exactly what "gunk" it found, and what "clean"ing it wants.

And what kind of respectable malware tool refers to "gunk" vs. something much more precise?

Ah, you must have ran a "Smart Scan".

Avast has a module of Grimefighter which is integrated in the Smart scan, you can choose not to install it with a custom install or remove it from your current install (Essexboy has given instructions to do that below)

Grimefighter is a product which cleans out junk from your PC.

The log should be present in Avast UI > Scan > Scan history (bottom right corner).
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 10:59:02 PM by Alikhan »
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • Avast Free (latest stable version) •  Malwarebytes 4 Premium (On-Demand) • Windows Firewall Control • Google Chrome • LastPass • CCleaner • O&O ShutUp10 •

Offline essexboy

  • Malware removal instructor
  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 40589
  • Dragons by Sasha
    • Malware fixes
Re: Avast fatigue (free edition)
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2015, 10:56:51 PM »
Go to control panel > programmes and features
Select Avast > change
Deselect Grime fighter from the central column
Wait for it to finish and then reboot