Start avast! Antivirus ...

[Circlip]

Ok! I feel so out of my depth asking this question 

I`ve had the use of your product for a year now and i`m quite happy with it. I mean it`s free though I did pay for a subcription to a support system.    I had also until last month a iolo system mechanic thing but my subcription has ended now, it keeps asking me to re-subscribe but would rather solve this problem first.

Now to my question. 

Why? when I want to do a scan by a right click and left click to Start avast! Antivirus my screen changes by going tripple the size of font on the page, everything looks like it`s gone 3D, even my desktop window, all fuzzy but just about readable. Quick Scan takes about half an hour through 150000 files.
I just need a simple answer `cos i`m a complete computor numpty. 
Cheers Circlip

[bobo1]

Hi,
What operating system are you using windows 98, me or 2000 or xp or vista or 7?,
Something is quite wrong with your computer! have you tried to run any antispyware programes, Spybot search and destroy. and malware bytes to check if your computer has no spyware?.
You need a new key for avast when the original key has expired for pro & free version of avast.

[Tarq57]

though I did pay for a subcription to a support system.

Exactly what does this mean, please?
Welcome to the forum, Circlip.

[Circlip]

Ah! Well, it seems i`ve spent nearly 30 quid on a FreeDownloadZone.com site the day before I got AVAST. So for some reason last year about 6th or 7th October i`ve wasted some of my well-earned cash.      Tarq57  Cheers for the welcome!

Right !!! I`ll move on to what bobo1 has asked ... i`m on XP Home Edition, I think i`m on "7" of something as everytime I switch the PC on it`s asking to me to have Explorer 8    which I keep on telling it maybe later or just X it away.

Spybot, will that run whilst i`m with avast or do I shut avast down till I ask them/it to do a test? I took a look at this a few months ago and just dare not mix with something I don`t understand.
I have noticed between pages that are loading ... bottom left ... "waiting for about:blank" appears and not sure what that means but as the page uploads fairly quickly and i`m on my motorcycle websites reading where i`d like to be instead of sitting at my PC. 
I believe i`ve got about 14 months before avast chuck me out, probably close to that now so i`ll get a new key this week, thanks bobo1.

Thanks for these replies folks. Circlip

[bobo1]

HI,
You can run spybot search and destroy while avast is running to check if you have any spyware on your computer and remove what it finds. As i use this alongside avast on my computer. When installing spybot don't select t-timer install on the setup installer though.
Hope this helps

[bobo1]

As for webpage saying waiting for about blank when you are browsing. Im certain that about blank spyware is enbedded on your computer though. Just let spybot search and destroy run & remove what it finds.
Good luck!

[zellist]

Hello Circlip,

Here's my suggestion.
- Download and install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, update to the latest definition.
- Do quick scan,  clear away any infected or malicious files.
- Repeat the above using full scan. Restart your computer if there's a need.
- Clear away temp files if u know how to, otherwise use CCleaner to clear them.
- Reboot, run Avast again. If the same thing happens, try to see if updating your graphic driver helps.
- Otherwise, download new installer for Avast + the latest definition. Go offline and do a reinstallation.


Hope this helps.

Cheers!

[Circlip]

Hi folks,
I`ve had a look at the download page on Spybot and it comes up with a list of      
Main Mirrors (3)
Then Hosted by Safer-Networking (4)
Also, Further Mirrors (4)

I feel like I don`t want a choice please ... just do it ... Ok i`ll have a stab at this one 

I`ll be back later with a result I hope.

Circlip 

[Circlip]

Ho hum ... so i`ve downloaded something from Spyware Doctor 2010 New Version = Current Version. 7.0.0.508. Ah! Great ... found a library of stuff I need to get rid of ...  :'( 
Just register and purchase online to fix my problems. Autralian Dollars that`ll be then. 
I`d like to be a FREE secret agent, so how do I do this for FREE 

Cheers Circlip

[Circlip]

     

Most pissed off with what i`ve downloaded. They want me to pay for the privilage of deleting my viruses. I knew I was out of my depth with this and now I can`t exit there page/window. It`s still there after pressing all the ways of getting rid of it.
Am I allowed to swear on this forum FFS !!!

[Tarq57]

You should really be swearing on the SpywareDoctor forum.  
This is a well known limitation of SpywareDoctor, and one of the reasons it's not much recommended here (although you will often see it recommended on a lot of sponsored search results.) Apparently it is fairly good, but I've heard reports also that it is fairly bloated.

Now to the recommendations.
zellist had a good one. Get it here.
Also good, SAS (get the free edition.)

Either program has a one time payment option if you want resident protection activated, very good value IMO, but either free version works very well indeed as a demand scanner.

Did you ever get Spybot working? It's a pretty good old workhorse, honest as, and still under development. "Mirrors" just allow one to download it (and updates) from a large choice of areas. Download speeds differ from mirror to mirror, depending on where you are. Generally, choose a mirror close to your geographical location, as the internet cable flies.

Avast will run happily with Spybot, and/or MBAM, and/or SAS installed. You must not  try and install another AV with Avast present, however.

Now, your reference above to "7 something" is probably Internet Explorer 7. This browser is out of date and should be updated to #8, available through Windows Updates.
Keeping Windows up to date is highly recommended.
Also I'd be inclined to install and run Secunia PSI (it's the "download" button near the top left of this page). This will scan and report on the status of most of your installed software, not just the Windows components. Especially important to keep Java and Flash players up to date, but really anything for which a vulnerability has been discovered and patched.
[edit] Get rid of SPyware Doctor by going to "control panel>add/remove programs" and once the list has loaded, select Spyware Doctor and uninstall it. A reboot will probably be needed after this.

[Tarq57]

edited above message.

[bobo1]

Try and get spybot search and destroy from safernetworking site and install it and update it all the definitions and run a scan on your computer in safe mode. Access this by hitting f8 on boot up on your computer and selecting safe mode. and run a full scan & remove what it finds.

[Circlip]

Ha!  Yes, just was going do that but forgot how but you led me there.

I did get to say some rude words to the team helper on Spyware Doctor. She gave me a "have a nice day" at the end. 

Ok! it`s going to take me a while to figure out what I should be doing to get my Spybot working, so no not yet Tarq57. SAS and Malwarebites are a separate things am I right? 

Ha ha! I`ll get on with this Explorer 8 ASAP, it keeps coming up at start up  and i`ll take a look at this Secuna PSI also but can`t see this whilst writting this.
It`s time to hit the sack over here. I`ll get back on here tomorrow evening sometime.

Ooooh! bobo1 ... Hi, well i`m about to hit the sack. Will read all this again tomorrow.
Cheers Circlip

[Tarq57]

Ok! it`s going to take me a while to figure out what I should be doing to get my Spybot working, so no not yet Tarq57. SAS and Malwarebites are a separate things am I right?

Spybot normally installs in a fairly straightforward manner. Just download the installer file and run it.
SAS and MBAM are indeed two separate applications. (You can have as many or as few demand scanners as you want. 2 or maybe 3 is the maximum most folk would have.)

Ha ha! I`ll get on with this Explorer 8 ASAP, it keeps coming up at start up  Embarrassed and i`ll take a look at this Secuna PSI also but can`t see this whilst writting this.
It`s time to hit the sack over here. I`ll get back on here tomorrow evening sometime

Get the main issues sorted first would be my advice. At least get MBAM installed and updated then run a scan. Have it remove everything found. Post the log here, please.
If you have any trouble installing it, or scanning with it, try SAS instead, and report back.
Once any discovered malware is removed (to be advised, depending on what the log shows) then you can get on to IE8, then have a look at installing the PSI.
It's fairly likely that at that stage you may have some more questions about reported insecure items, so lets just deal with any malware related issues, first.