Author Topic: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware  (Read 14154 times)

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Offline havildar

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Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« on: July 19, 2008, 01:20:50 PM »
Good Morning,

I wonder if I might have your advice. I`m running Avast! 4.8 and XP with Windows Defender with no problems and no conflicts. However, Win Def has caught nothing whatsoever in the two years it has been running on my system, though the manual scan of the free version of A-Squared has on two occasions stopped syware items.

Now there is an offer of A-Squared Anti-Malware free for a year from Gizmo Tech:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/a2.htm

It`s a full version of the anti-spyware program with "Background Guard" which l think means real-time scanning and several other "Extras". For comparison:

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/compare/

May I have your opinions on whether you think it would be a good idea or not to ditch Win Def and replace it with A-Squared Anti-Malware? Is it likely to conflict with Avast! anti-spyware functionality? Do I need it at all, now that Avast! has anti-spyware covered or is a second anti-spyware defence not overkill but rather a very useful addition?
Windows XP Sp3 Home desktop, Windows 10 Pro laptop, Avast 17.8.2318 Free , Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free), SpywareBlaster. SuperAntispyware, WOT. Firefox Quantum.

rdmaloyjr

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2008, 01:42:09 PM »
From my experience, A-Squared Anti-Malware has a lot of false positives.  It's not worth the trouble for me.

A better free choice IMHO is Spyware Terminator.

avast! has a great AS built into it's single engine AV/AS realtime scanner, so you don't need a separate AS.

SUPERAntiSpyware Free is a great on-demand AS to supplement avast!.

Offline havildar

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2008, 02:07:04 PM »
rdmaloyoyjr

I`m a bit wary of Spyware Terminator, having seen it blacklisted on the Spyware Warrior site being connected with Crawler Inc. (or somesuch name) and on the occasion when I did try it, I made the mistake of installing the ClamAV that comes with it, which Avast! detected immediately and all hell was let loose, so I`ve never been there again!

I`ve tried SUPERantispyware too but had a major problem with the DDA (direct disc access?) update, though I understand that has been fixed now, but too late for I had already uninstalled and gone over to A-Squared free.

As for Avast! anti-spyware, I wasn`t too sure as to whether it could be comprehensive enough (guesswork really, on my part, I mean), to stand alone as a complete antispyware defence, though I have never doubted its anti-virus capabilities.
Windows XP Sp3 Home desktop, Windows 10 Pro laptop, Avast 17.8.2318 Free , Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free), SpywareBlaster. SuperAntispyware, WOT. Firefox Quantum.

rdmaloyjr

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2008, 02:51:40 PM »
On-demand scans with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Spyware Terminator, AVG Anti-Spyware & Windows Defender find nothing on my computer, so avast! must be a great antispyware. ;)

Mike Buxton

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2008, 03:45:56 PM »
Hi havildar,

I posted your question on the a-squared forum.
Here is an excerpt from the first reply:

Quote:
May I have your opinions on whether you think it would be a good idea
or not to ditch Win Def and replace it with A-Squared Anti-Malware?

There is no question about it.
Sure a2 Anti-MalwareSuite is the way to go.
MS Win Defender is a complete waste of computer resources.

Quote:
Is it likely to conflict with Avast! anti-spyware functionality?

No.
If we are talking about A2 IDS and Avast - there should not be conflicts
http://forum.emsisoft.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=2760

My regards (see a-squared Forum "Offtopic" for the full reply).

wyrmrider

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2008, 06:21:57 PM »
No problems here with a-squared and avast
there are false positives with ALL programs
better a couple of false positives than some look alike missed
deal with them

Offline havildar

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2008, 06:34:45 PM »
Mike,

Thanks for that. I was pretty sure Win Def comes close to the bottom of the heap as far as anti-spyware is concerned but it`s the only real-time anti-spyware scanner I have so I have hung on to it in the (forlorn?) hope they might improve it a bit, but it`s been a long wait.

When I saw the full version of the free A-Squared program free for a year, I thought it would be good to give it a try, but since Avast! now has anti-spyware, it seemed perhaps an unnecessary use of resouces and a source of potential conflicts that I tend to flee from and instal something else rather than go looking for workarounds.

In part also, it has something to do with the fact that non-expert users had got used to the idea that we couldn`t have antispyware AND anti-virus in the same program, but now we`re being told: "Well, actually you can and here it is ..."  I may be a bit slow on the uptake but I would have thought that is exactly the opposite of what we were told before!

Never mind. Thank you for the link. I`ll have a look at the A-Squared forum and see what`s what a bit later on and, no doubt, return here to do a little more whining!   
Windows XP Sp3 Home desktop, Windows 10 Pro laptop, Avast 17.8.2318 Free , Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free), SpywareBlaster. SuperAntispyware, WOT. Firefox Quantum.

wyrmrider

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2008, 08:55:44 PM »
Sure  do a thorough investigation and let us know
There are anti spyware and there are antispyware
On an old w95 machine I still have Pest Patrol free
There used to be two versions
one would not remove anything without pay but the real time part worked and update works and they had and have a good database of malware  (scanner leaves lots to be desired and false positives were common)
At that time Webrot would remove but you only got one free update
so if ever anything was ever found you could download spysweeper to have a go at it
Webrot--  must be freudian--  times have changed
Later GIANT Antispyware came out  free- updated- removed- what was not to like?
AS you know Giant lives on as Microsoft Antispyware, Windows Defender and Counterspy
EWIDO was also an excellent tool  stand alone free version is long gone now part of AVG 8
Webroot and ZOne Alarm started bundeling adware toolbars with their products

so constant vigilance and current info is essential
you can ALWAYS uses products like A-Squared as a back-up or on-demand scanner


ronnycopeh

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2008, 09:33:03 PM »
My win defender came preinstalled and I disabled it and now use spyware terminator and avast with no problems at all. system run smoothly and I use XoftSpySE and a on demand backup.

rdmaloyjr

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2008, 09:37:45 PM »
No problems here with a-squared and avast
there are false positives with ALL programs
better a couple of false positives than some look alike missed
deal with them

Yes, all programs do occasionally have false positives, but A-Squared & Ad-Aware SE have much more then average, in fact they only found fp's on my computers.

I don't wish for A-Squared to go out of business, reporting fp's is a way for A-2 to improve.  They need to get a handle on their fp's!!!  We report avast! fp's here & the ALWIL team quickly fixes them.

Quote
EWIDO was also an excellent tool  stand alone free version is long gone now part of AVG 8
AVG AS (formally Ewido) is still available from filehippo.  I have a clickable link to it in reply #3.  I still get updates for it, just updated the defs today.  Sometimes I have to make several tries to get it to update. ;)

Windows Defender's detection rate is lacking, but WD can remove & clean up some real bad nasties from our computers.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2008, 09:44:13 PM by rdmaloyjr »

wyrmrider

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2008, 11:31:00 PM »
Good to know about updates still working for AVG AS- EWIDO
I have the same thoughts about Windows Defender-
When it has a tool for an infection it works well- not kept as up to date as the Sunbelt version- which has diverged from Windows Defender/ Giant (or vice versa)

maniac2003

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2008, 12:27:46 AM »
A-Squared and Avast are working nicely here, no problems. A2 is no big False Positive machine but indeed FP's are always there also in Avast and any other security program. But as also is suggested Avast had malware protection, so you could take the A2 free edition and use it on-demand.

gdiloren

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2008, 07:06:19 AM »
Trying it but as a long time user of A-quarefree I sense a feeling that it is unproper and useless unlike ST or SAS :P

wyrmrider

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2008, 07:26:34 AM »
A-Squared
It's only useless unless it finds something
then it is pretty good about removing it
OP
A-Squared free and real time protection
real time protection from someone is a great idea
I have never used A-Squared
keep us posted

now if you are trying to clean a highly infected system you will find A-squared works well

Offline havildar

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Re: Avast! & A-Squared Anti-Malware
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2008, 12:36:50 PM »
Thank you all for your comments, points of view, information, and suggestions.

I`ve still not decided what to do about this yet. It goes without saying, of course, that whatever else happens Avast! stays. It has saved my bacon too many times to ever consider replacing it. (Thank you ALWIL).

I have the A-Squared free version which I can continue to update and use as an on-demand scanner. I think it`s pretty good (despite the occasional false positive), even though it lacks a lot of the functions of A-Squared Anti-Malware in the real-time scanning department.

I forgot to mention I have SpywareBlaster too, which uses very little in the way of system resources and hopefully, will prevent any unauthorised registry changes.

This leaves the generally unloved Windows Defender which updates and scans quite happily, conflicting with nothing but then finding nothing either. Perhaps there has been nothing for it to find and the full version of A-Squared wouldn`t have found anything either, while using a lot more system resources to come up with the same result.

In any case the offer of a year`s free use of A-Squared Anti-Malware doesn`t expire until the end of this month, so I there`s time yet to pfaff about and shilly shally before making a decision. ("I used to be indecisive but now I`m not so sure.")
Windows XP Sp3 Home desktop, Windows 10 Pro laptop, Avast 17.8.2318 Free , Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free), SpywareBlaster. SuperAntispyware, WOT. Firefox Quantum.