Avast folks, I made a mistake

[Dch48]

I want to take back my early suggestion that you might want to check out Microsoft Security Essentials as an AV solution. They just put out a program upgrade that has caused thousands of their users (including us here on the Vista Machine) to wind up with no protection and no way to fix it by the normal methods of uninstalling through add/remove programs and then reinstalling the newer version. In order to fix it you have to run the setup through a DOS command box and even then do some manual deletions afterwards. Their support on their forums is terrible about this and very condescending to the point of telling people it's something they did themselves that caused the upgrade not to work. As a long time Microsoft fan and proponent, I find this shocking and disappointing that they can not make their AV product function correctly. Stick with Avast!, it's a little more complicated to set up but the updates all go smoothly because they are publicly tested before being finally released and if you do have a problem, the people on these forums are very good at getting to the bottom of it and getting things fixed.

[Tarq57]

Dch48, personally, I've never found Avast complicated to set up; it works fine "out of the box".
As with any security programs, user-applied modifications or tweaks need a little research and understanding.

[Dch48]

Dch48, personally, I've never found Avast complicated to set up; it works fine "out of the box".
As with any security programs, user-applied modifications or tweaks need a little research and understanding.

It isn't complicated but it is not as simple as MSE and that's all I meant. MSE has very few modifications that a user can do. As you said, you can run Avast! out of the box if you wish and it will do fine in most cases but if you want or feel a need to change a default behavior, you are able to do so and there are many things that can be changed. For example, a thing as simple as changing the default action on detection to "ask" instead of "add to chest" would have averted a lot of the problems caused by the faulty signature update a while back.

Just the presence of the number of configuration options might be daunting to many people and they might prefer the much simpler setup of MSE. However, if the program cannot be successfully updated when new versions are released without going through procedures that many would not understand, the simplicity advantage goes out the window. The number of people who take the time to research security programs and gain understanding of them is far smaller than the number who don't and who just expect them to work as advertised. Many security vendors seem to overlook this to their detriment.

I'm probably going to dump MSE on the Vista machine and give my ladyfriend here Avast! instead because of the reliability of program updating. She only uses the Vista Firewall so Avast! is probably a better choice for other reasons as well. We are behind a NAT router though.

[Mac_Muz]

Dch, I wonder if I should shut off the MS updates. I did too the point of telling it to ask, as it would auto down load while I was doing other down loads and gag up the 56 k modum bad.

I have no idea what was getting downloaded but i bet is was Av stuff I want avast and malawarebyts to do.

[Mac_Muz]

Our common ground is avast and computer security.
Plus, if you do bikes and cars then you can do computers. Its not that hard, just takes a bit of time and effort - same as anything else.

Your computer.
If you want to take on the following steps, then we can make a start at telling you a bit about the computer.

1. Run HijackThis

Click here – (will take you direct to download)
http://www.filehippo.com/download_hijackthis/download/8571e06e5eb8ab03c649f3b5d647c599/

Download and run.
Then do scan and save a log file.

Post the log file to this thread. If it is too large you may have to post in two parts.

2. Download and run Belarc     http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Follow directions and a report will be generated which will outline a very long and tedious rundown of yr system.
You don't have to do this, but if you do I will give some directions on how to communicate info on the report to us on the webforum.
You should end up with a pretty good idea of what kind of system you have - so far it sounds like its good.

3. Bookmark Wikipedia  http://www.wikipedia.org/

Not the Encyclopedia Brittanica, but certainly a great starting point for finding information about the ins and outs of computers.
Maybe you already use Wikipedia for info about cars, bikes, and so on...if not, then its good for that too.

Alternatively, just search on google for info and you will find loads of different sites that are set up to help people
- in computer talk this procedure is called search, find and learn - we all did heaps of this, and true, it is often frustrating and boring

but whatever you do, good luck to you.

Ok I will, but little by little. The 56 k modum is slow. At times a DL will fail, or time out.

I know about wickii, but the other 2 I have never heard of. I bet once i have the files you mention it will be all Greek to me.

I wasn't expecting any sort of welcome like this. As you can see it has been a couple days, but I got work and chores this time of year that are tuff to keep up with, if I can even get them done on time. I live very rural, and have a small garden but it's big enough it sucks the life out me by evening, and other pretty hard work on local rust buckets.

Like a truck here now needs a 4 wheel brakle job, but the bleeders are missing, just rusted away, but i will still try to get the bleeders out. Then the rear axel backing plates are rusted away and so i will need to pull the rear axels to replace the backing plates which carry the parking brake shoes. Winter is coming and fire woods needs to be gathered, cut and split. I cut dead trees down, which can be dicey with living trees I can't wreck.

I am not so fast as I used to be either  Not complaining but the point is i can't set about and play till after bug bed time. 

[jadinolf]

58 years?

I could be your father.

I'm not right?

[mkis]

sorry Mac_Muz, forgot you are on dialup.

the HijackThis is the most important because it will provide a basic rundown of the running gear on the computer.
and by the way, because you run Windows operating system, you will have to let the MS auto updates run
- at least until you are computer wise enough to do this chore to yr own choosing  

No hurry to do other things though, by the sounds of it the computer you have is running good enough.

I'm a bit rushed with things at the moment as well, but will be back later when I have more time.

[Dch48]

I would definitely not turn off Windows Updates unless you have a way to know when new ones are available and then can go to the Windows Update site and download them yourself. Setting it to ask should be good enough since you will get a notification in the system tray when updates are available.

Unless you had already installed MSE, the updates you were getting would not be related to antivirus. Nowadays, most websites are not especially friendly to dialup users with all the Flash animations and other things but if it's all you can get, you have no choice. Are the Avast! updates working okay?

[Tarq57]

The Windows updates are often important, typically patches for vulnerabilities that have been discovered in various components of the operating system.
As important are keeping web facing applications such as Java, and the flash player up to date. Past vulnerabilities in these sorts have items have usually been a factor when a machine becomes infested with malware. It can happen with machines that have all their software up to date, but is more rare, and usually then as a result of an infected web page or the user inviting the malware in. ("You must have this codec to view this movie. Download now?" is a typical sort of invite. Invariably the movie is promoted as a sex tape or wardrobe malfunction regarding some Hollywood starlet. The reality is even less appealing.)

What I'd do is set the security centre, in respect of window updates, to "notify me but don't download or install them". The second Tuesday of every month (called "Patch Tuesday) updates are released. Shortly afterward, you will be notified, by the presence of a little yellow shield in the system tray, and a balloon tip: Updates are ready for your computer (or similar.) You can then choose when to download them and install them, at a time you aren't using the bandwidth for anything else.

I've found that going to the Windows Update site (Internet Explorer only) is a lot quicker than letting them update via the automatic update feature. Don't know why.

I'd recommend Secunia PSI as a status scanner for all installed software. It will periodically scan your system and let you know if there are out of date items installed, for which a patch is available. It defaults to doing this automatically, and scanning every 21 days, and starting with Windows. It can be configured to run on demand, however, and you can then run it manually when it suits you. (On install, then every 2 to 4 weeks would probably be a good idea.)

[SafeSurf]

The Windows updates are often important, typically patches for vulnerabilities that have been discovered in various components of the operating system.
As important are keeping web facing applications such as Java, and the flash player up to date. Past vulnerabilities in these sorts have items have usually been a factor when a machine becomes infested with malware. It can happen with machines that have all their software up to date, but is more rare, and usually then as a result of an infected web page or the user inviting the malware in. ("You must have this codec to view this movie. Download now?" is a typical sort of invite. Invariably the movie is promoted as a sex tape or wardrobe malfunction regarding some Hollywood starlet. The reality is even less appealing.)

What I'd do is set the security centre, in respect of window updates, to "notify me but don't download or install them". The second Tuesday of every month (called "Patch Tuesday) updates are released. Shortly afterward, you will be notified, by the presence of a little yellow shield in the system tray, and a balloon tip: Updates are ready for your computer (or similar.) You can then choose when to download them and install them, at a time you aren't using the bandwidth for anything else.

I've found that going to the Windows Update site (Internet Explorer only) is a lot quicker than letting them update via the automatic update feature. Don't know why.

I'd recommend Secunia PSI as a status scanner for all installed software. It will periodically scan your system and let you know if there are out of date items installed, for which a patch is available. It defaults to doing this automatically, and scanning every 21 days, and starting with Windows. It can be configured to run on demand, however, and you can then run it manually when it suits you. (On install, then every 2 to 4 weeks would probably be a good idea.)

I agree with the above.  Having both dial-up and (slow) broadband on several PC's, I can empathize with your dial-up issues and the suggestions above have worked for me.  In addition, depending on your browser, if you use FF, you can use add-on's to turn off scripting and ads to make pages load quicker (see my signature as an example).

[Mac_Muz]

58 years?

I could be your father.

I'm not right?

Point taken. I checked your profile. Yeah, you could be my father, but you would have been 20 or so to have had a child 58 now. 'IF' the age shown is correct. Understandably certain points in profiles are not always accurate, I assume for personal safety.I don't make habit to check profiles often. Maybe i should?

on edit)  LOL No yer not my Pa....  He is no longer on this side of the grass, or maybe salt water. He passed on Labor Day 97. The start of a sad saga of losses with my family unit. Long, sad, and off topic a lot, some of which marked me for life and in part left me a bit bitter about certain things.

Took me a few moments to get the joke though. 

[Mac_Muz]

I would definitely not turn off Windows Updates unless you have a way to know when new ones are available and then can go to the Windows Update site and download them yourself. Setting it to ask should be good enough since you will get a notification in the system tray when updates are available.

Unless you had already installed MSE, the updates you were getting would not be related to antivirus. Nowadays, most websites are not especially friendly to dialup users with all the Flash animations and other things but if it's all you can get, you have no choice. Are the Avast! updates working okay?

MSE lost me Dch. I don't know what he 'E' means. Yes Avast is as expected, and updates quickly and says so with a small pop up and there is a voice. Most of the time I keep volume off or very low, so I am not sure what the voice says.

MS updates would occur at random and mess up other down loads I have been after before I came here, and the MS updates slow me down to almost stopped. So the security update is the only one I set to request. I did that 2 days ago and since then no request has been made.

Maybe tonight I will set that to auto update again and see if one comes shortly, and if so set it back to request.

On the old win 98 I had I could hit Tools/ Windows updates, and see a history of what I had, and select new updates, often not really understanding what they were, and or what they did, but sometimes i could.

I am not familiar at all with fire walls since I never had one on win 98; however it is 'ON' as is 'Virus Protection'. Only the auto part is set to request.

[Mac_Muz]

Tarq, Well being on dial up pretty much solves the codec problems. Since I have had this xp set up I haven't tried to see a youtube. The old win98 did that fine back IN 2001, but the time came when it did it no more. I was on dial up with Earth link then. The switch to Juno came in 2006, after a stint of mc touring the USA. Juno cuts back on speed in a way and on picture quality. If I need to see finer pic quality I must right click the picture, and request best quailty. There is no such option for youtube, so I tend to avoid them. Then they take a long time, run a bit gag up, run some more gag up, and almost all of them are a waste of time.

There was a series one day that if I could have viewed them correctly would have been very funny. They were on the wrong people dropping trees. No one was hurt, or killed, so the rest if the limited wrecked stuff to me was amusing, but I didn't get to see it clearly at all.

So far the highest risk recently suffered and the last on the old win98 set up was a real friend of mine on Face Book somehow had his account cloned. He is trim and fit and I did wonder why he would ask for me to view a weight loss site. I figured he was joking around somehow. I clinked the link and avast went nuts.

The only problem I have with avast is i wanted the Pirate part of the deal avast says, but I guess when you have the free version, you don't get that 'skin'? I would have liked to make the bad files walk the plank, maybe keel haul a few. I have been a fan of flogging the gunner's daughter for a long time now.

I hope this is legal here. I don't want to get busted.
 me n' mine 

[Mac_Muz]

The Windows updates are often important, typically patches for vulnerabilities that have been discovered in various components of the operating system.
As important are keeping web facing applications such as Java, and the flash player up to date. Past vulnerabilities in these sorts have items have usually been a factor when a machine becomes infested with malware. It can happen with machines that have all their software up to date, but is more rare, and usually then as a result of an infected web page or the user inviting the malware in. ("You must have this codec to view this movie. Download now?" is a typical sort of invite. Invariably the movie is promoted as a sex tape or wardrobe malfunction regarding some Hollywood starlet. The reality is even less appealing.)

What I'd do is set the security centre, in respect of window updates, to "notify me but don't download or install them". The second Tuesday of every month (called "Patch Tuesday) updates are released. Shortly afterward, you will be notified, by the presence of a little yellow shield in the system tray, and a balloon tip: Updates are ready for your computer (or similar.) You can then choose when to download them and install them, at a time you aren't using the bandwidth for anything else.

I've found that going to the Windows Update site (Internet Explorer only) is a lot quicker than letting them update via the automatic update feature. Don't know why.

I'd recommend Secunia PSI as a status scanner for all installed software. It will periodically scan your system and let you know if there are out of date items installed, for which a patch is available. It defaults to doing this automatically, and scanning every 21 days, and starting with Windows. It can be configured to run on demand, however, and you can then run it manually when it suits you. (On install, then every 2 to 4 weeks would probably be a good idea.)

I agree with the above.  Having both dial-up and (slow) broadband on several PC's, I can empathize with your dial-up issues and the suggestions above have worked for me.  In addition, depending on your browser, if you use FF, you can use add-on's to turn off scripting and ads to make pages load quicker (see my signature as an example).

SS, took me a time to figure out 'FF'  Now I have no idea if Fire Fox is the same as Mozillia Firefox or not. I have no idea what a Mozilla is for that mater, but I have that browser on this system and also IE8, which i use most often.

The only reason I use Mozillia Firefox is because after I ran the avast 4.7 pro (see the first post) the avast link to the forum showed up when right clicking the avast button at lower right.

When I clicked to come to the forum, it loaded with Mozillia Firefox, but i don't know why.

Since uninstalled the 4.7 and installed the free 5.0 that way to this page and forum are missing in avasts choices and selections and I think in part, that is a error for avast. That active link to here appears to be missing on the 5.0 free version, and IMO that is a sin.

I guess the good thing is what I think matters to nearly no one.

[mkis]

No if anything appears to be missing, it will matter.

In case you don't know about Windows Security Center
- Start button -> Control Panel -> Security Center

This will take you to Windows Update options, Firrewall, and Virus protection

In the pane on the left hand side, you click the second choice down 'Check for the latest Windows updates'
The should take you to Windows Download Center, but you may be waylaid while yr browser is checked
You need the correct software

You are given a choice of checking the Express recommended updates / or Custom with optional as well.
In both cases you can expand the update info to see what they comprise.

NEXT go to Virus protection and press Recommendations
This will take you to Windows settings for an antivirus - you will want to choose to monitor Yourself
By checking this box, you are allowing avast to take command of antivirus responsibilities
This both offline (System) and online (Web).
The next update actions avast as Windows virus protection - check update turns Virus Protection 'ON'
and the green light comes on

You might as well run at least Windows firewall - so Firewall tab also wants green light 'ON'
You will find info on different and available free firewalls when you search the avast forum

you may know it all this about Security Center yrself anyway
sorry to be so mechanic about all Mac_Muz but often we get other users, newbs and that come to the forum, so you give us a opportunity to put down some stuff, our experiences and that

Oh yes the orange 'a' ball in system tray, right-hand corner of screen, you can right-click that icon
what opens is choices for for avast Control, top of the list is avastUI ('Open avast! user interface')
The page that opens is Summary and gives Current Status
- if this page does not open or if the page is not Secured then the installation may have been unstable

Under the MAINTENANCE tab you see various Options including yr Update choices
All that is needed is an engine and definitions update for Windows at action avast and green light turn 'ON"