Removing AVAST! and Moving on!

[angelok2k]

The only reason why I registered on this forum and posted this message is to find out how many people would actually ditch avast! for good after this major screw up. I have been a loyal user of this software for years and I am an experienced computer technician, however this problem freaked me out so bad as well as totally corrupted all of my computers in a period of less than an hour. I do have backups but the damage is done and much time is needed to recreate and reconfigure the computers again.
Sorry I tried to keep it short but this is just unacceptable matter that shouldn't have happened at first place. I do work for a big tech company and I know how it is important to test new roll-outs before implementing them on remote systems and automatic ways cannot be relied on anymore. So as of today I am moving on to another antivirus package such as Microsoft Essentials. My question is who is following the same route and which antivirus you would choose as an alternative to avast-o-unreliable-o-crap...

Good luck to all in restoring their systems!!! Farewell!

[scythe944]

I'm not going to start a flame war, nor do I want you to continue one.

However, False positives do happen, regardless of the software manufacturer.  Knowing that millions of PC's could have been affected by this false positive, I'm sure that Avast will take some serious preventative measures to keep it from happening again.

I wish you good luck in finding a good replacement if you decide to switch products.

While I'm at it though, Microsoft has released plenty of updates that have caused harm to PC's everywhere, yet you're still using a Microsoft Operating system...  Isn't that the same thing?

[Alan|Cvette]

Just out of curiosity, are/were you using Avast! 4 or 5?

[jtejedor]

I have uninstalled it and not sure if I am going back. I had performance issues with AVG but I just installed that and might stick with it for a while. This whole mess kind of scared me. I am lucky because I only ended up screwing my logitech software and spybot. I might reinstall it in a little while still on the fence about it.

[angelok2k]

Thanks for responding and too I do not want to inflame the situation any further. I understand that you would try to make me feel insecure due to my decision to move on to another Microsoft product, however although Microsoft do have flaws in their software and is not perfect and I have been using their os and utility systems for ages with no real issues yet, and the damage and annoyance and frustration in comparison of what happened with Avast! yesterday was over the top and overshadowed my trust in continuing to use your software. As I mentioned previously, I am and still is very frustrated and disappointed and that's why I am moving on to something else for now until avast gets it all together and starts to earn confidence with their users. I do thank you for the previous years of providing great protection and wish you the best in making your software more stable and hopefully preventing such disastrous events from happening again and making people feel safe (what the antivirus and security company should be all about) and not eave alternatives. I am pretty sure I am not speaking only for myself, since I already know dozens of people who are moving on, so hopefully in the near future we all might have a good reason to come back to you!

Cheers!

PS: I was using version 4 and beta 5 on my test laptop with similar results.

[Rednose]

But why do you rely on automatic actions ? I know it is the default option, but it is entirely your choice to leave it that way.

Greetz, Red.

[Alan|Cvette]

But why do you rely on automatic actions ? I know it is the default option, but it is entirely your choice to leave it that way.

Actually, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the default changed in the next release.

I use: Ask <if not then> Move to Virus Chest <if not then> Log Only.

[timcan]

I do have backups but the damage is done and much time is needed to recreate and reconfigure the computers again.


Good luck to all in restoring their systems!!!

This topic only reinforces the need for people to have and maintain an up to date disc image to revert back to. Little, if anything to
reconfigure.

[Hermite15]

@ Alan|Cvette : you shouldn't use "ask"... this will leave you if shit happens with options like delete or move to chest. They voluntarily removed the option to ignore in avast 5 (to protect newbies from fast clicks with bad consequences they say   ). Anyway in V5, you should set your scanners to "no action", this leaves you all options open when the scan is done.
I really do hope they'll put the "ignore" option back on V5...guess today's events should let them understand the absolute need for it.

[acethepug]

But why do you rely on automatic actions ? I know it is the default option, but it is entirely your choice to leave it that way.

Greetz, Red.

With all due respect (and I am sorry my first post will be this way), that's a really unfair thing to say.

I'm pretty computer illiterate.  Once PCs advanced past BASIC, I was outclassed  I nearly lost everything a few weeks back to Security Tool, so I got the free avast! and Spyware Doctor (paid for that, sadly) and Malwarebytes to add to McAfee to hopefully protect me.

I got hit with this last night, and it killed Spyware Doctor.  I had no idea it was a definitions issue, and not being computer savvy, I assumed avast! was correct.  Sure, I ran a quick scan with Malwarebytes and found nothing, but that in and of itself wasn't a guarantee.

Luckily, I found these threads this morning and realized it was a false positive.

Now, I put the items in the chest, and once I get home today I'll update definitions and hopefully restore Spyware Doctor, but some of us rely on those actions because we AREN'T that skilled.

I can understand that it was an error (and assuming my PC boots when I get home, I'll be okay with it), and not to go after avast! tooth and nail, but the "blame the victim" posts from some are rather unsettling.  People install AV software for peace of mind, and to protect their PC (or the PC of a parent/child/whomever who doesn't understand any of this) -- there's no need to attack them or blame them for assuming their software was right in giving warnings ...

Take it and run,

[Rednose]

It was not my intention to blame anyone, I am sorry if you feel that way. I only tried to explain you have options to choose from with different consequences. You should be aware of that, also with other security programs, and not entirely rely on default settings. If it is difficult for you to decide what is best for you, you can always ask for help on support forums like this

Greetz, Red.

[Chris Thomas]

I knew it was false positives when hordes of files started showing as infected, so I move a few to chest and ignored all others.

Farsight

[Alan|Cvette]

@Logos. I understand what you mean, I deal with false positives a lot, and also do my own testing so I like to be able to choose what to do with this or that file.

[Deputy276]

I also registered to post my unhappiness with this fiasco. I found out it was Avast malfunctioning only this morning. I find it highly interesting that the first program Avast "went after" was my anti-spyware program (Spyware Doctor) on ALL THREE COMPUTERS!!! I TRUSTED Avast to be reliable, so I uninstalled Spyware Doctor. Then I did a thorough scan with Avast and "infected programs" started popping up all over the place. Same on my other computers. I deleted a few executeables that were replaceable before I finally said to heck with this and uninstalled Avast. I installed Kaspersky on a 1 month trail basis on two comps and Avira anti-virus on the third comp. Then I ran a thorough scan. I DID find trojans and virii that Avast had missed, but NONE of them were the Delf-MZG that Avast kept finding. Avira and Kaspersky actually seem to be BETTER than Avast at detecting problems. A side benefit of this mess was me finding superior anti-virus programs. I have lost confidence in Avast and will NOT be installing it again.

[acethepug]

It was not my intention to blame anyone, I am sorry if you feel that way. I only tried to explain you have options to choose from with different consequences. You should be aware of that, also with other security programs, and not entirely rely on default settings. If it is difficult for you to decide what is best for you, you can always ask for help on support forums like this

Greetz, Red.

Thank you for the kind words -- knock on wood, I got off very lightly compared to some.

It wasn't so much your words previously, but there are others in other threads that are more pointed.  As one of the people who probably wouldn't know any better, and who has had bad luck in the past, maybe I depend on these programs more than I should.

Still, thank you again for your greetings and well-wishes.

Take it and run,