Avast vs AVG ( Grisoft)

[Real_Oldman]

Sorry if this 'problem' has been posted before, but I have searched the forums, and cannot find any mention of it.
Simply, I have been runnning Grisofts home edition of AVG for a number of years, no problem. Then someone suggested I check out Avast.

Now I am running both to see if one or the other finds a virus that the other doesn't. Hopefully this will never happen, and I will be virus free.
But I now get messages from Avast that I have the Win32:Buttons (Joke) and Win32:Stupen (tools) virus in files started with filename of $*****.t$m where the asterisks are numeric.  This is always reported once each for each virus, and the files are deleted by me. I now find these files are created by AVG as temp files whilst it checks them and are deleted almost immediately. So the question is,
Does AVast suspect these files as suspicous because they are, or because it doesn't understand the file type?
Thanks for your help

Oldman

[igor]

What you encounter is basically a conflict between 2 antivirus programs; it's not a good idea to use 2 AV programs simultaneously.

I believe the files are reported because AVG unpacks them (from some files found on your disk), stores them as a temp files on disk, now avast! resident protection detects them and reports.
If they are reported as [Joke] and [Tool], it's probably nothing dangerous... but I think the report from avast! is intentional.

[Lisandro]

Real_Oldman, there is a possibility (remote) that avast and AVG could live together but only in Windows Vista.
If you don't have it, just don't try to test. Even if you disable one of them, even if you do not install some resident parts of AVG (like email)... sooner or later, trouble.

[jessejazza]

I'd agree with the above comments.

As a convert to Avast - i'd say stick with it. I've played around [tested!] with both for a few months. Avast isn't so cosmetic as AVG but i think it does updates more often and the screensaver is great. I leave the screen saver to my scanning.

Only thing i would say is email scanning isn't worth bothering with - i manually scan my USB portable thunderbird. I did try the webmail for email scanning and then found there was a glitch - it wiped my inbox and created another directory.

[Tarq57]

I'd go further and say it's often impossible to run more than 1 AV (resident.) Conflictions are likely (my experience from a while back) and I've read from a few experts that the level of protection can actually end up being less.
I've used AVG, Avira, Norton, and Avast. I prefer Avast, and believe it has, through its configurable options, webshield, and boot scan (currently u/s but should be fixed soon) a better level of protection.
Personally, I'd uninstall both of them, (be disconnected from the net) run a disk cleanup with CCleaner (or similar) restart, and install fresh the one you want to use.
If you choose Avast I doubt that you'll be disappointed. I find the forum support excellent and fast, the program excellent, and have been pretty much malware free since using it. (With a few other security applications.)

[housi]

I'm using Avast Pro and AVG AntiSpyware 7.5 from Grisoft since years and never had any problem with.

[Lisandro]

Only thing i would say is email scanning isn't worth bothering with - i manually scan my USB portable thunderbird. I did try the webmail for email scanning and then found there was a glitch - it wiped my inbox and created another directory.

I've used Portable Thunderbird and avast scanned its mail. To see if avast! is scanning emails, check one of these points:

1) Is the avast icon (the special one of email scanning) be shown in the system tray?

2) Is your email header with the lines X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS XXXXXX-X, XX/XX/2007), Inbound message and X-Antivirus-Status: Clean? (Right click the message, choose Properties and Details)

3) Are clean notes added at the bottom of the email? (Internet Mail provider settings)

You can test the security of your email system here: http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/

[Rafel]

I'm using Avast Pro and AVG AntiSpyware 7.5 from Grisoft since years and never had any problem with.

AVG AntiSpyware 7.5 isn't an AV, is an AS product.

[Real_Oldman]

Thanks to all for your swift response, and comments.
I guess I now have to make that hard decision, AVG which I have had for years and trust, or the newbie ( to me) of Avast, which does appear superior.
The only way is to suck it and see as my old Mum used to say
I will try Avast and see how that goes. I can always revert to AVG. if I do find a nasty lurking.
Once again, thanks for your comments.
Oldman

[swico]

Do you mean AVG antivirus?
You cannot ignore any false positives in the free edition. It is so inconvenient.

[DavidR]

Thanks to all for your swift response, and comments.
<snip>
I will try Avast and see how that goes. I can always revert to AVG. if I do find a nasty lurking.
<snip>

I deserted AVG anti-virus three and a half years and jumped on board the god ship avast! I didn't find anything nasty lurking, just probably the most flexible and configurable anti-virus application around, so no need to revert

Welcome to the forums and soon to the avast family.

[Lisandro]

I guess I now have to make that hard decision

I've done this decision too, four years ago. I did not regret even once...
Better configurability, updates are reliable and fast, skinable interface, at the most of the time better detection...

[jessejazza]

Just to reinforce Tech comment. I've just had the screen saver running and it detected a "Trojan". AVG missed this a couple of weeks ago.

Would be interested to know! when Avast protection sensitivity is set to 'HIGH' is this also the case when the screen saver or a manual scan are running. Also agree the updates Avast do are more frequent than AVG. Think i owe Avast an advert on my email signatures.

As "our friends across the pond" would say 'you'd do well to dump AVG.'
 

And there are nice folk on this group too.

[jwall]

I've tried all the free AVs and have settled on avast, it just works better with little or no problems and the support here is the best.

I also use AVG Ewido anti spyware free, I just run a scan periodically.
I've also tried AVG's free anti root kit as well as Panda's and like that the best.

I'm just a regular user and I don't use 'test' virus programs to see which anti virus program is the best, I just don't have time for that.
Avast just plain works, at least for me, IMO.

[black_moon]

which of these two uses more resources? (RAM)