Any other disgruntled former Avira users here?

[Nesivos]

You guys are really a lot smarter than me and I will tell you why.

I have never been smart enough to understand all these AV Virus/Malware tests run by testing organizations.  Seriously.

So dumb ole me when it comes to software I just go by user reviews before I install a piece of software.

When I am looking for a piece of software to perform a certain task I start by finding software that claims to perform that task.  Then I read the company's webpage description of the software include FQ&A etc.

Finally I look at user's not professional, but users' reviews of the product.  If I can't find enough I don't use the product.  If I can find enough users' reviews of a product I read their comments starting with the most negative reviews.  If it passes the negative review smell test I go on to the more positive reviews. Of course I know some the so called user reviews are company plants and try and take that into account.  Finally if the overall reviews and rating of the good and the bad reviews are high enough for me then I download and install the product.

That is my simple method for determining If I install and try a product.  If after installing it I find that I don't like the way it performs I just uninstall it.  I never pay up front for any software without being able to try it or at least a more limited version of that software first.

I am not smart enough to understand all those professional tests and reviews so that is how I chose if I want to install a software application.  It has worked just fine for me for years or at least I think it has.  Maybe I am too dumb to know any better

[MrSafe]

Nesivos:
I usually Google the type of software I want and add the words 'best' and 'free or freeware' to the search, that usually gets me off to a good start. Or just go to Gizmo's! Then I read the worst comments for anything that puts me off like you do, etc.

[Omid Farhang]

Besides detection rates (from time to time), really, what Avira is better than avast?
Forum? Shields? Update scheme and number of available servers? Interface? Configurability?

My honest and personal opinion says all of them.

1. Forum: Their forum rule is best for end user, when a newbie come ask a question another newbie cannot come confuse them and only experts (or trusted members) are allowed to reply.

2. Shields: Yes, for sure, what's wrong?

3. Update: Paid users never had any problem, Free version users usually don't have any problem and during release of major update Avira add additional servers to avoid down time.

4. Interface: Yes, a clean interface, why jump to a confusing interface?

5. Config: Totally configurable and with lots of options avast is missing...

Tech, you have been an active member of a antivirus software forum, so why you say that? When an antivirus don't tech malwares, who care about other features of that?

Next time when you wants to fight Avira, rather than ignoring good features of Avira, blame stuff like showing Ads after each update, lack of SSL scan in MailGuard...

Besides detection rates (from time to time), really, what Avira is better than avast?

Direct support from Company, Malware submission support, stability of program, scan speed, recently amount of FPs, configuration, Protection features (like the way it block autoruns or lock certain files of windows), avoid being bloated, better firewall, well categorized detection, better management of Logs or reports.

[n01clueless]

One thing Avira does have is a heavily censored forum, particularly after the Ask affiliation.

Omid should consider himself fortunate this forum is not the same. Try going onto the Avira forum singing the praises of Avast and see how long your thread lasts.

But then perhaps free speech is something Omid is neither accustomed to nor wishes, beyond this forum anyway.

[ethan76]

What a strange topic here. I have used and am using Avira Premium in one of my old pc's and it's working great really no problems whatsoever. About the Ads or the toolbar..well, it was really not a good choice imho but it's their marketing strategy and companies do tend to do that. As to their reason I think they have an explanation at their forums. And there was a workaround I saw at Raymonds.cc/blog for it.

Now for their forum, yes, only community members are given a go-signal to reply to other posts. You can apply to be one and they will consider you. For some forum veteran or frequent poster the rules there are "different" and do really tend to be censored sometimes. But it's their rule that users should have to contend with. Some search/get answers from other forums about their product experiences.

Forum rules vary depending on the forum. Each forum has it's own culture also. Had an experience with the VirtualBox forums before (bashed, made me(newbie) felt stupid to ask basic questions to them frequenters, veterans, seeming know-it-alls...called me names..wow..I was asking a lot for I want to learn and...so I looked for guidance elsewhere). But that did not made me give up on VirtualBox and am actually using it on my system.

I believe Omid just stated some facts as he is/was a user of Avira. As with others about Avast and the AskToolbar.

What is best? It will be on the user and on his/her preference. No other review or test of some sort will tell you to use this/that. It will only guide you towards selecting/liking a particular app. In the end it will be you, the user who will say what is best for you. And of course what may be best for one might not be best for another.

I look for a best possible/tested combination of security apps that go nicely with Avast or Avira on my sytems. On the AV, I always have a top 3 not just one. But that's just me.

Personally speaking, the Avast forum was SO VERY generous enough to host this topic that I believe others will pull the plug or moderate in respect to the other one. But that's just me.

AND kudos to Vlk.

Guys, while I appreciate your preference to use avast over Avira, I don't think this forum is an appropriate place to bash a competing product. We may disagree with some of the decisions made by the Avira team recently but it's still a very good AV and deserves some respect.

This one says it all(gentleman at it's best!).

Have a nice day Avast Users! We are very fortunate here!

[Lisandro]

My sincere opinions.

1. Forum: Their forum rule is best for end user, when a newbie come ask a question another newbie cannot come confuse them and only experts (or trusted members) are allowed to reply.

The fact that there is this possibility in avast forum only shows our freedom and make other users participate more trying to solve. It's a very technical forum and here there are a lot of competent, helpful and friendship persons all over the day for help.

2. Shields: Yes, for sure, what's wrong?

Wrong with Avira and not with avast. They do not release all the shields in the free version. They do not protect email, for instance. Shields bring the better balance between deeper scanning and performance.

3. Update: Paid users never had any problem

Well... For some reason they pay for it...

Free version users usually don't have any problem

They reserve servers only for the pro. They do not allow the same power for free users.

4. Interface: Yes, a clean interface, why jump to a confusing interface?

Which is confusing? avast is clean. Avira is old style interface.

5. Config: Totally configurable and with lots of options avast is missing...

For instance... The non sense of choosing which virus do you want to be protected from?

Tech, you have been an active member of a antivirus software forum, so why you say that? When an antivirus don't tech malwares, who care about other features of that?

Protection is a must have. avast is not bad at all. Look at the comparisons. But protection is not the only thing we look for when we choose an antivirus.

Next time when you wants to fight Avira, rather than ignoring good features of Avira, blame stuff like showing Ads after each update, lack of SSL scan in MailGuard...

I don't need to post more cons. You've done it

Direct support from Company

avast has the same support.

Malware submission support

avast could be better... make things faster, yes.

stability of program

And avast?

scan speed

Worse than avast is performance tests. Although the on demand speed is not that important...

recently amount of FPs

Do you mean more or less lately?

configuration

I do not envy that.

Protection features (like the way it block autoruns or lock certain files of windows)

I do not know about that. But avast will block infected items also...

avoid being bloated

C'mon, with Ask Toolbar and Uniblue? Are you serious?

better firewall

Why? What do you miss?

well categorized detection

Detection is detection...

better management of Logs or reports.

Housekeeping?

[LunarWolf]

I have read somewhere that Avira's engine is very hard to be bypasss. That is why the underground people (aka virus writers) test their file against avira.

[n01clueless]

I believe Omid just stated some facts as he is/was a user of Avira. As with others about Avast and the AskToolbar.

Unfortunately, the majority of his so-called 'facts' are plain wrong, as I, Tech, and others have demonstrated.

His posts are also full of contradictions. I've already mentioned some, but another relates to stability. Omid claims Avira is better than Avast in this respect, but in a previous post he seems to completely forget saying:

"....that Ask-Toolbar integration has been a big mistake....it gave Avira so much stress, lots of problem, stability of Avira Personal after first update...."

Until the recent Ask/Uniblue partnership Avira free was the best in my opinion. Not as fully featured as Avast, and the Avira interface has always been poor (one thing that always bugged me was having to go into local protection to perform a scan with your chosen settings).

But the Ask affiliation has changed everything, not just regarding the real adverse effects it has had on the program, such as the 3 rogue Ask files left on your computer even if you choose not to install the toolbar, but also the damage it has done to Avira's previously excellent reputation, in particular the loss of credibility and perception of greed of Avira, putting money before integrity.    

[Lisandro]

What's people saying about...

http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/avira-antivir-adds-ask-toolbar-and.html
http://www.ghacks.net/2011/06/29/beware-avira-partners-with-ask-and-uniblue/
http://www.mywot.com/en/forum/12994-avira-has-partnered-with-uniblue-and-ask-toolbar

[Omid Farhang]

Thank you Tech, for the honest response

For instance... The non sense of choosing which virus do you want to be protected from?

Well, That's important, some users blame an Antivirus why it does not detect stuff like Proxy etc and if AV detect it some other users blame it because of FPs! That's when you can use Avira configuration for detect or detect a set of files, e.g. SPR (Security Privacy Risk) or Joke/Games etc

Do you mean more or less lately?

Fewer, in last year I had no FPs in my own computer and have seen very very few FPs report outside


I understand how you think of everything else than avast, you don't ignore good features of else, but you have become something like addicted to avast, the way a father love his kid, you look at all goods of avast and even don't feel problems of that, you don't want to ignore, you ignore them unwanted. same goes about me! the way I feel about Avira. You like UI of avast and I love UI of Avira, that's matter of choice, neither is bad or good. You like big and busy interface of avast and I love clean and old style interface of Avira...

I used avast for a long time, since 4.7 and then beta test of 5 and then 6, Thanks VLK I could get IS version for free and played with that, maybe it's not a bad program, just it's not what I like and what I expect from an AV, I want an antivirus to have maximum protection (that's a joke to say that's not a problem if our AV don't detect some malwares!) because its an antivirus not a toy, I want my security software have minimum impact on windows, don't bother me, give high detail on every task and being maximum customizable.

e.g. you asked what I'm missing in avast Firwall, well, Avira firwall is only Firewall, no other stuff in that and very very easy to configure, the way it ask for unknown programs and trust signed program is something unique I've not seen in any other paid firewall, even in top rated standalone firewalls, having easy to add/remove rules per network adapter, being strong enough to avoid any program or virus bypass it, it has only needed protection and no unessential protection. That's just an example and I feel same for every other Avira related stuff.

[Asyn]

1. I understand how you think of everything else than avast, you don't ignore good features of else, but you have become something like addicted to avast, the way a father love his kid, you look at all goods of avast and even don't feel problems of that, you don't want to ignore, you ignore them unwanted.

2. ...I want an antivirus to have maximum protection (that's a joke to say that's not a problem if our AV don't detect some malwares!) because its an antivirus not a toy...

1. Sorry, but Tech is always one of the first to bring up problems, related questions and suggestions to improve avast. He sure isn't a bigoted follower/fanboy at all..!!!
2. Well...
http://www.av-test.org/reports/2011q2/avtest_report_avast_112241.pdf
http://www.av-test.org/reports/2011q2/avtest_report_avira_112235.pdf

[n01clueless]

This is how I assess Avira free now:

PROS:
1) Still the best detection rates of any free A/V, and better than most paid ones.
2) Generally light on resources (except when updating, see below).

CONS:
1) ASK partnership. Its problems are well documented, but I'm sure most people who choose not to install the Ask toolbar are completely unaware that they are still left with three of its files on their computer reporting back to base on every reboot.
2) Poor, unintuitive and unnecessarily complex interface.
3) Annoying popups.
4) Feature light.
5) Computer freezes while updating (well mine did anyway).

Omid, you say you can give me 1001 reasons why I should return to Avira. All I'm asking for is one that trumps the Ask toolbar fiasco, because nothing you've said so far comes close to doing that.

[Lisandro]

Well, That's important, some users blame an Antivirus why it does not detect stuff like Proxy etc and if AV detect it some other users blame it because of FPs! That's when you can use Avira configuration for detect or detect a set of files, e.g. SPR (Security Privacy Risk) or Joke/Games etc

Well, thinking in this way... Maybe... Just that I'm not worried about the malware name. There isn't a convention for this. If it is spyware, joke (is the any joke on it?), etc. etc.

Fewer, in last year I had no FPs in my own computer and have seen very very few FPs report outside

Good.

I understand how you think of everything else than avast, you don't ignore good features of else, but you have become something like addicted to avast, the way a father love his kid, you look at all goods of avast and even don't feel problems of that, you don't want to ignore, you ignore them unwanted. same goes about me! the way I feel about Avira.

Yeah... I feel this way. But I still make an effort to be critic and to think about new things. I'm not convinced about WebRep yet, even less about ad popups... But I'm a lonely freeware romantic... I even do not think I have more power (I mean, the power of an opinion) than any other newbie here. But you're right... You can become addict. I do an extraordinary effort to keep my mind clear and my opinions. But it's not easy.

I want an antivirus to have maximum protection

Seems that in the last 8 years I never give up on this. I think that on the day I doubt the quality of avast, or the avast team effort...

e.g. you asked what I'm missing in avast Firwall, well, Avira firwall is only Firewall, no other stuff in that and very very easy to configure, the way it ask for unknown programs and trust signed program is something unique I've not seen in any other paid firewall

avast firewall is very very easy and user friendly.
I miss some feature... Posted a lot of time, seems that Lukas is not listening the them...

[Lisandro]

Sorry, but Tech is always one of the first to bring up problems, related questions and suggestions to improve avast. He sure isn't a bigoted follower/fanboy at all..!!!

Thanks Asyn. I think we all need that.

[newus]

As an aside, how does AVG Free compare to Avast Free?