Need Advice and Guidance! Will Avast shields work after Symantec AV removal?

[allenergy]

Hi!

I know,  I know.. you don't have to lecture me that I am not supposed to have both of them on here together.  It just naturally evolved to be that way!  Here is how:

I was hit with the System Tools Rogue fake antivirus Trojan on Dec 26.  With use of Safe Mode and many scans and a lot of hand picking of  new files and changed files from the registry with a very observant eye.  It took me 9 days to remove them all.   During this time i suspected that System Tools installed another trojan.  I couldn't locate it, but I could see that it continued to re-add Ask.com toolbar no matter how many times I removed every instance of it from the registry.  Finally someone recommended doing a boot time scan with Avast!

This was the first I had ever heard of Avast!  I downloaded avast! just before Jan 1 and ran the boot time scan.  Avast! found the culprit and it was sent to the chest.  I then continued to check and clean the registry by hand.  

When I downloaded avast! I had the Symantec Professional Security Suite version 10.0 installed consisting of  the AntiVirus version 10.0 and the Symantec Firewall.  At that time I had no intention of leaving Avast! active but quickly discovered that Avast! would not allow itself to be 'turned off'!  So I decided to learn more about Avast over the next few weeks.  During this time Avast! saved me from  yet ANOTHER fake antivirus trojan!  I began to appreciate Avast even more!  (The Web Shield caught and blocked a Fake antivirus Rogue that tried to download from a web page I tried to visit to look at an image for my newsletter.)  At this time both of the AV's are still here.

Avast operates fine and gives me the message my system is secured.   However it does give me a warning (with URGENT: incompatible software detected - Norton AV/Symantec AV).  Avast has been updating the definitions once or twice daily without issue.  On the summary page it reads in green -  Real Time shields ON and Definitions Auto Updates ON.

Avast! has is protecting me with the Web shield, is doing the email scanning with the Mail shield, is running the Network Shield and Behavior Shielf.  Avast! has 3 shields turned off. Two of which I don't normally need - the IM shield and the P2P shield.  However it also has the File System shield OFF (status Unknown).   I do need this shield.  I am guessing it might have this turned OFF because it conflict with Symantec AV?

I want to remove the Symantec AV from my system (it is a paid for pro version - I got it free)  HOWEVER I want assurance that Avast! will then turn on the File System shield for Realtime scanning.    I am a bit concerned in reading all of the issues people are having with the newest version of Avast!  THOUGH I must say I installed the update FINE and  have had no change in how Avast! is behaving.  Same 3 shields off, all updates happening.  

Here are the (horribly painstaking) instructions to remove the Symantec AV leaving the Firewall intact and operational:  http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH101263&locale=en_US
I am still not completely comfortable with these detailed registry instructions.  But it is probably not as horrible as it reads here.

Will the Avast!  AV turn on the File System Shield once it no longer detects NortonAV/Symantec AV software on the PC?  It does not state any issue with the Symantec Firewall.   The Symantec Firewall will still be operational.

My big concern is with Avast! turning on that File System shield.  I want Real time system protection.  

Thank you for your wonderful advice in advance.  :-)

[Gargamel360]

Yeah, Filesystem Shield is probably off due to Norton, hard to say for sure, but that is the first thing I would look at. 

If it is still not turning on after you remove Norton (easier to say that than do it) , then there are established steps to get it running again.

If keeping Norton's FW is very complicated, you may wish to look around for a Freeware firewall to replace it with, just to save hassle, unless you are attached to it.

[allenergy]

I am attached to it now only because I don't really have the time to configure a new one.  I like Zone Alarm, but it is a pain in the arse to set up and frankly i don't have the time to do it.  This one is all set up.  :-)

What my concern is - if I go through all that (above) to remove Symantec AV and it the Shield still doesn't work - then what?    You say that I can turn it on with some EASY steps?    I am not venturing into the registry  at this moment to remove Symantec AV .. I have website work to do and product recording editing and pages to make.. I might turn off the web and network shields to see if I can move along faster!   


ALSO .. in reading much of the forum, it seems that Avast 5 could be what is responsible for the slowness and freezing I have been experiencing on FF and in my webmail.  I blamed GoDaddy!  LOL   

I want the protection that Avast affords but the freezing and slowness are dreadful to work with - I have websites to update and maintain and reply to customers and subscribers via email. I have to upload recordings of products and it takes FOREVER.  (Ha! I blamed TypePad! LOL)  Both Go Daddy email and Aweber are freezing and loading very slowly. 

Do you think this freezing and slow Firefox will be fixed soon by Avast?

[Gargamel360]

I would not ask you to perform registry hacks, nor would I be qualified to do so. 
If it where not working after Norton removal, I would tell you to run (or re-run) the appropriate Norton Removal tool for your installation, then try repair first, which is a simple few steps via Add/Remove programs (or Programs/Features depending on your OS).  If that failed, I would say re-install Avast!.

Whether or not Avast! is responsible for any slowness/freezing is too hard to determine with 2 AV's on your system, as the first solid step to an answer is to get rid of one of them.  And remember, this is a support forum.  It is no real measure of problems, because for every single user that posts a problem here, there are literally millions of users that do not, because they have no problem. 

I have no experience with this FW, but those who use it say it is very simple and hassle free>>http://www.pctools.com/firewall/

[allenergy]

Thank you.

I know you weren't asking me to perform registry hacks - Symantec is with the steps to remove Symantec AV.  I thought i posted this link. Take a look at all these steps!  http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH101263&locale=en_US        This removes the AV and leaves the firewall.  Symantec does not make it easy!  I WISH there were a tool to remove it - it is all manual and 90% done in the registry.

Well the slowness freezing is primarily on Firefox and in THREE https://  sites.    Does Avast Web Shield and Network Shield scan https:// pages?    One of them I've had issues with before any of this (Typepad.com)  and another (Aweber.com) i've had issues with after certain upgrades of theirs.

Thanks for the tip on PCTools, it doesn't appear to be as highly rated or as strong  as Zone Alarm, but it might be adequate.  I have to decide if I just want to remove all SYmantec Security  Suite or just the AV.

Do you know if Avast plays nicely with PC Tools and also with Zone Alarm? 

[schmidthouse]

We have had many users that have had issues with Avast while using ZA!

[allenergy]

Thank you for letting me know!  I guess ZA and Avast! don't play well together.

How about PCTools free firewall?  Does Avast get along with it?

I know Comodo has one but they give you an AV too - so that would conflict.

I may first try the registry picking removal of the Symatec AV only, leaving the Symantec Firewall - it's worked well and then i don't have to worry about another Firewall

[Gargamel360]

Ok, sorry, but now the truck has to be backed up.  Avast! Free is for "Home Use Only".  The presence of Symantec's corporate AV on your system suggests you would be using Avast! for business purposes, something Avast! will not condone or support, and this being their house, I try to play by their rules.

[allenergy]

No it's a personal computer!  My brother built it for me (I had him remove Vista which  it came with and install XP. He installled XP Pro and installed Symantec Security Suite Corporate version.  He "borrowed" it  (  ) from work.   I questioned it as it is really overkill for my computer (it keeps looking for a network!) but he said it is the best Symantec program and to ignore prompts looking for a network.

That is how I got stuck with Symantec Security Suite Corporate version.  I have read that it is better than the ordinary Symantec Norton AV online.  But other than that I don't know much about it. 

So yes, this is a personal home computer, not a corporate computer and it is fine for me to have Avast! free on here.