4.7 Trial Version false conflict w/AntiVir

[urbansound]

Hi,

New to the forum and the product.  Testing for replacement of AV product, so far very impressed with Avast.   Thank you.

Prior to the Avast install, I made sure to remove all invocations of AV at both the application and service levels.  When I verify this in both the management services panel and the msconfig start/services panels, All AV services are fully disabled.

However, Avast is giving errors during start up that it cannot start certain shilelds falsely reporting that AntiVir is running.  The following errors are being reported...

Please advise if this comparison test and report will be fixed or is this an intentional design to force users to remove the AV product?  I would understand such a motivation however for those of us who advocate testing and comparison, it really does defeat the ability to show just how badly Avast is kicking AV's tail in the dirt. 

Mike

5/2/2006 1:47:54 PM   SYSTEM   1784   AAVM - initialization error: Instant Messaging provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000. 
5/2/2006 1:47:56 PM   SYSTEM   1784   AAVM - initialization error: P2P provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000. 
5/2/2006 1:47:56 PM   SYSTEM   1784   AAVM - initialization error: Standard Shield provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000. 
5/3/2006 10:32:39 AM   SYSTEM   1800   AAVM - initialization error: Instant Messaging provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000. 
5/3/2006 10:32:40 AM   SYSTEM   1800   AAVM - initialization error: P2P provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000. 
5/3/2006 10:32:40 AM   SYSTEM   1800   AAVM - initialization error: Standard Shield provider: cannot start because 'AVIRA (H+BEDV) AntiVir' is active!, 00000000.

[igor]

It is an intentional design - but certainly not to prevent comparisons. When two antiviruses are active, it may have very bad impact on the operating system (namely, it may freeze immediatelly). This may be a very big problem for many users who would be unable to fix this conflict (as it would require using the safe mode or even recovery console - not an easy thing for an average user). So, we are trying to prevent the conflict as soon as possible (= before it's too late), as the users are likely to blame avast! if such a problem occurs [after avast! installation].

You say that you disabled the startup entries of the other AV. Well, you may be right, but avast! cannot prevent you (or another executable) from starting it later - which would have the same effect.

Try to remove the AntiVir service from registry (HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services) - it should help.

[urbansound]

It is an intentional design - but certainly not to prevent comparisons.  When two antiviruses are active, it may have very bad impact on the operating system (namely, it may freeze immediatelly). This may be a very big problem for many users who would be unable to fix this conflict (as it would require using the safe mode or even recovery console - not an easy thing for an average user). So, we are trying to prevent the conflict as soon as possible (= before it's too late), as the users are likely to blame avast! if such a problem occurs [after avast! installation].

You say that you disabled the startup entries of the other AV. Well, you may be right, but avast! cannot prevent you (or another executable) from starting it later - which would have the same effect.

Try to remove the AntiVir service from registry (HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services) - it should help.

Thank you for the timely reply, Igor.   I understand that this would require a well thought out conflict management schema.  Debating that here in the open would not be advantageous other than to say nobody, especially beta guys like me, like to see broken functionality without truly due cause being detected.  My suggestion would be in 'beta' registration release platforms, you might offer beta testers a 'hidden' option on beta releases, to knowingly bypass the functionality that diverts the Avast! options from loading, i.e. "Knowlegable users beware, if you check this option on".

That's a relatively benign and simple process to effect code-wise, has fair limitations of exposure and cures itself at release level regardless.  I will be un-installing AV in the coming week, I'm pretty sure anyhow, if Avast continues to find things AV missed as it did on the first run last night.     Great Job on this product!

Mike

[mauserme]

I really have to agree with urbansound on this.  Its clear from this thread and

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=20884.0

that others are also interested in doing this and that there are no conflicts between avast! and the AntiVir on-demand scanner.  Surely those of us inclined to test this further would not blame avast! if we cause ourselves problems.

[por100pre1]

I agree with Urbansound, but I think that option should be available to all releases (with a proper warning). Think about it; some people really need to see hell in order to believe it exists. 

[igor]

Well, as I said previously - you can remove the AntiVir service from registry (possibly backing up the key first so that you can restore it back if needed); it should help.

[mauserme]

Try to remove the AntiVir service from registry (HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services) - it should help.

Thank you igor.  This helped a great deal.

urbansound,

There's a concurrent thread here

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=20884.0

if you want more information.

M

[urbansound]

Try to remove the AntiVir service from registry (HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services) - it should help.

Thank you igor.  This helped a great deal.

urbansound,

There's a concurrent thread here

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=20884.0

Sure.  It doesn't surprise me.  There are a multitude of considerations for Avast or any competitor to consider.  While I point out that a null process of allowing beta testers to do limited comparisons would be nice, I would never claim to know how to tell Avast how best to market their product.  Especially when I see how well they've done with the product as it is.

In my own opinion, not many would leave AV installed anyhow, in the end.  Especially if you've ever made three repeated service requests of AV and never got back as much as a reply from them.  After being with them for more than 6 years, they have lost a valuable asset and reference in our use of products for security management and we were going to license with them for commercial use.  Ironically, I switched to them that long ago because AVG was giving me technical issues and missing some important bugs.   

Avast and AVG on the other hand, have maintained an open competitive, fair and responsive environment overall it seems, for the few days I've been here.  It seems to have done them well and so far Avast has now caught one bug that AV missed on day one, but that's not really a fair overall assessment. ;-)

Thanks

Mike

[mauserme]

... I would never claim to know how to tell Avast how best to market their product. Especially when I see how well they've done with the product as it is.

Nor would I.  But many of us like to have a second, on-demand scanner and prefer AntiiVir over the other options.  Version 6 worked well but trying to use version 7 has been an item of ongoing discussion for a couple months.

In my own opinion, not many would leave AV installed anyhow, in the end.

I have no plans of leaving avast! but as long as AntiVir is working now I will leave it installed.  At least through the end of the license period.