Install Avast as administrator, full functionality as power user?

[NewAvastUser]

Is anyone aware of any issues with installing the Avast antivirus home
edition as administrator, then mostly operating under a power user
environment?  I'm trying to get a heads-up on assumptions that may
have gone into the design of the application e.g. assuming a single-
account environment (basically admin), which may result in unexpected
curtailment of functionality when Avast is installed as admin, but the
PC is used under power user.  Especially if there is no overt indication of
curtailed functionality.

Thanks.

[Lisandro]

avast should work fine at power user account.
It will update (program invoking the system account, vps doing by the user account) and scan without problems.
Are you experiencing any trouble?

[NewAvastUser]

Hi, Tech,

Thanks for that assurance.  I'm not experiencing any troubles (aside
from tailoring my firewall for Avast, another thread).  Since
antivirus (AV) is a pretty important part of detection and defence, I
was trying to confirm that it was designed for full functionality in
the context of admin-install of AV and power-user operation of a PC.
This is by no means "standard" in the software world; for example,
several "disk defraggers" can only move files belonging to the account
under which it runs, but they don't complain.  Other examples exist,
and the prevalence of apps that don't account for separation of admin
and accounts for normal usage are documented at
http://www.pluralsight.com/wiki/default.aspx/Keith.GuideBook/WhatIsANonPrivilegedUser.html.
Therefore, it seemed prudent to seek an authoritative answer for
Avast -- or at least, an answer from someone with enough visibility
into the development.

AV's require heightend vigilance against this possibility because they
work in the background.  If things are going good, you don't get much
interaction with the application.  In contrast, most apps do something
specific, for which the user interacts with a GUI and sees either
visible progress or clear indication of nonfunctionality.  If there is
missing detection functionality in Avast, however, the user might not
see any indication of activity and assume that all is fine.

You mentioned that VPS is done by user account.  Does this apply to
all the providers (Internet Mail, Instant Messaging, Network Shield,
Outlook/Exchange, P2P Shield, Standard Shield, Web Shield)?

[alanrf]

Can I seek a clarification here?  I think I understand your original concern about administrator and power user but are you planning to use avast in a multi-user environment and expect each user to have differing settings for each user?

If that is the case then Tech can you address that?  The way avast is set up does not seem consistent with a multi-user /different settings environment and has single settings for the whole system.

[NewAvastUser]

Well, I guess strictly speaking, it is "multi-user", but it's one admin account and one power user account.  Maybe some assorted test accounts for troubleshooting.  Good practice dictates that one does not do "regular" work (i.e. work not related to administration of the computer) on an account with admin privileges because much damage can be done by malware that infects it, and more likely, but user mistakes.  Having a single setting for the whole system is still OK, as long as all seven providers have full functionality from the power user account when Avast was installed from the admin account (actually, only 6 are functional right now since I don't use Outlook).  Or, if there is limited functionality under these circumstances, if this can be clarified, then the user can decide whether that matters to his/her particular situation.

Thanks!

[Lisandro]

If there is missing detection functionality in Avast, however, the user might not
see any indication of activity and assume that all is fine.

Critical situations are alerted: disabling avast services, Standard Shield being paused/closed. The 'a' blue icon will be with a red cross into it.

You mentioned that VPS is done by user account.  Does this apply to
all the providers (Internet Mail, Instant Messaging, Network Shield,
Outlook/Exchange, P2P Shield, Standard Shield, Web Shield)?

What do you mean? All providers work in a non-admin account...

Can I seek a clarification here?  I think I understand your original concern about administrator and power user but are you planning to use avast in a multi-user environment and expect each user to have differing settings for each user?

If that is the case then Tech can you address that?

No, avast does not have settings per user basis.

[NewAvastUser]

Thanks Tech.  That was clarifying.  And regarding your question of what I mean, your following sentence answered the question (so your presumption of my meaning was correct).

[Sam Hobbs]

Good practice dictates that one does not do "regular" work (i.e. work not related to administration of the computer) on an account with admin privileges because much damage can be done by malware that infects it, and more likely, but user mistakes.

Definitely. Security experts call it "least privileges", as in: software and users should have the least priviliges needed to accomplish what they need to do. I have been using non-administrator accounts for most of my work ever since Windows NT. I use the Administrator account only when I definitely need it. Unfortunately there is too much software that installs for just one user, which requires me to set them up for use by all users or by the user that I normally use, but that is not the case for the Avast antivirus software.

Having a single setting for the whole system is still OK, as long as all seven providers have full functionality from the power user account when Avast was installed from the admin account (actually, only 6 are functional right now since I don't use Outlook).

I don't understand what you are saying, but to the extent that you are saying that it is okay for the Avast antivirus software to have one set of settings for all users, I agree. AV software is the type of thing that should be controlled by the Administrator for the entire machine. To the extent that the Administrator account implements policies that the owner of the system has chosen, the policies should be imposed for all users, as determined by the owner.

[Sam Hobbs]

Is anyone aware of any issues with installing the Avast antivirus home
edition as administrator, then mostly operating under a power user
environment?

I have had it for less than a day, but I am confident that it is designed and developed to work as it should relevant to your question. You seem to not have much experience doing that with software in general, but it is good that you are trying to do it. I think that after you have had time (perhaps by now) to get experience using non-administrator accounts for most of what you do, you will know that you can trust most software to function properly in the manner you describe.