Avast and MSE

[Boris]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with Microsoft
Security Essentials for at least a year. Today, Avast keeps identifying C:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft
Antimalware\Definition Updates\DBD-B6ADA-........as a suspicious file, and
then the MSE system tray icon turns orange. When I open MSE (it's already
running, all the time), it shows that my computer may be at risk because I
haven't run a scan in a long time. I have, just an hour ago. It does show
that all my definitions are up to date, which they are. If I run a scan,
all is well again, but within 30 minutes, Avast! pops up, and the cycle
begins.

Any ideas?

 

[FredW]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with Microsoft
Security Essentials for at least a year.

Never, never run two on-line anti-virus programs at the same time.
You have now found out why.

Select one and remove the other.

 

[Man-wai Chang]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with Microsoft
Security Essentials for at least a year. Today, Avast keeps identifying C:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft
Antimalware\Definition Updates\DBD-B6ADA-........as a suspicious file, and
then the MSE system tray icon turns orange. When I open MSE (it's already
running, all the time), it shows that my computer may be at risk because I
haven't run a scan in a long time. I have, just an hour ago. It does show
that all my definitions are up to date, which they are. If I run a scan,
all is well again, but within 30 minutes, Avast! pops up, and the cycle
begins.

If the file contains no personal data, upload the file to VirusTotal for
more advices.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and farces be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.39
^ ^ 19:55:01 up 5 days 4:57 0 users load average: 1.04 1.06 1.05
ä¸å€Ÿè²¸! ä¸è©é¨™! ä¸æ´äº¤! ä¸æ‰“交! ä¸æ‰“劫! ä¸è‡ªæ®º! è«‹è€ƒæ…®ç¶œæ´ (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa

 

[Robert]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with
Microsoft Security Essentials for at least a year. Today, Avast
keeps identifying C: \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Definition
Updates\DBD-B6ADA-........as a suspicious file, and then the MSE
system tray icon turns orange. When I open MSE (it's already
running, all the time), it shows that my computer may be at risk
because I haven't run a scan in a long time. I have, just an hour
ago. It does show that all my definitions are up to date, which they
are. If I run a scan, all is well again, but within 30 minutes,
Avast! pops up, and the cycle begins.

Any ideas?

FredW has provided you with the answer that usually causes the
behaviour you describe.

 

[FromTheRafters]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with Microsoft
Security Essentials for at least a year. Today, Avast keeps identifying C:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft
Antimalware\Definition Updates\DBD-B6ADA-........as a suspicious file, and
then the MSE system tray icon turns orange. When I open MSE (it's already
running, all the time), it shows that my computer may be at risk because I
haven't run a scan in a long time. I have, just an hour ago. It does show
that all my definitions are up to date, which they are. If I run a scan,
all is well again, but within 30 minutes, Avast! pops up, and the cycle
begins.

Any ideas?

This is one of the reasons that it is not recommended to have two 'on
access' resident scanners running. You could exclude that particular
location from being scanned, and get rid of that symptom, but there's
sure to be other possible problems with running both programs.

If you are really happy to have both, use one as 'on demand' only and
you can schedule the scans. You may still have one detecting parts of
the other as malware though unless you set up exclusions. At least they
won't be competing for the same resources, which is one of the other
problems with having two 'on access' resident scanners.

 

[FredW]

Never, never run two on-line anti-virus programs at the same time.

Please read "real-time" anti-virus programs.
;-)

 

[s|b]

Any ideas?

Keep avast! and dump MSE.

 

[Boris]

I've been running Avast! free home version simultaneously with
Microsoft Security Essentials for at least a year. Today, Avast keeps
identifying C: \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Definition
Updates\DBD-B6ADA-........as a suspicious file, and then the MSE
system tray icon turns orange. When I open MSE (it's already running,
all the time), it shows that my computer may be at risk because I
haven't run a scan in a long time. I have, just an hour ago. It does
show that all my definitions are up to date, which they are. If I run
a scan, all is well again, but within 30 minutes, Avast! pops up, and
the cycle begins.

Any ideas?

Thanks for all the replies.

The problem began after a Windows Update stalled, and I had to force a
shut down. When I cold booted, the desktop came up, but clicking on
Start or any desktop icons did a thing. I booted into safe mode, and
tried a restore point just before the stall, but still no luck. I
finally restored back to a week ago, and everything came up, and worked,
but I now had the problem I wrote about.

Because MSE reported that the scan engine and definitions were up to
date, but that I hadn't run a scan in a long time, even though I had 30
minutes earlier, I tried runnning a scan once more. That's when I
noticed that the scan only took about one minute, and reported no
threats, and the MSE system icon returned to its normal green color.
But, 30 minutes later, the cycle started again.

Since noticing that the MSE scan only took a minute or so, I decided to
uninstall MSE, go out and download a fresh MSE file, and reinstall clean.

I did, and all is now well. Both Avast! free home edition and MSE
peacefully coexist in real time.

Thanks again.

 

[David H. Lipman]

I did, and all is now well. Both Avast! free home edition and MSE
peacefully coexist in real time.

Thanks again.

Which is NOT the correct thing to do :-(

 

[s|b]

I did, and all is now well. Both Avast! free home edition and MSE
peacefully coexist in real time.

Sure about that? No processes running in the background eating CPU time?

 

[Boris]

Sure about that? No processes running in the background eating CPU time?

s|b,

Yep, absolutely sure. Well, the CPU is called upon when necessary by both
programs, but watching it while doing my normal tasks shows these two
programs have a very small footprint on my system and resources.

I've known for a long time that it's not recommended to run two anti-
malware programs in real time, but I've also known many who have done this
with no ill effects. Guess I'm one of them. I'm running two machines like
this, one XPHome desktop, and one Win7HP laptop. I may have a few more in
the house running both, but I just can't remember at the moment.

 

[Boris]

Which is NOT the correct thing to do :-(

Don't be so parochial.

 

[David H. Lipman]

Don't be so parochial.

I'm stating a fact. It is contraindicated to have more than one fully installed anti
virus applications installed on any given platform performing both "On Access" and "On
Demand" scanning.

 

[FredW]

Don't be so parochial.

You know it is silly to do what you do and your reaction is misplaced.

If any person has the right to be "parochial" it is David H. Lipman.
(and please never change the subject of a thread)
:-(

 

[Larry Sabo]

s|b,

Yep, absolutely sure. Well, the CPU is called upon when necessary by both
programs, but watching it while doing my normal tasks shows these two
programs have a very small footprint on my system and resources.

I've known for a long time that it's not recommended to run two anti-
malware programs in real time, but I've also known many who have done this
with no ill effects. Guess I'm one of them. I'm running two machines like
this, one XPHome desktop, and one Win7HP laptop. I may have a few more in
the house running both, but I just can't remember at the moment.

There was a post some time back (by Ronda?) showing that having two
on-access scanners running can result in both of them missing viruses
that would be detected with just one running. I'll try to find it and
update this thread when/if I do.

Larry

 

[David H. Lipman]

There was a post some time back (by Ronda?) showing that having two
on-access scanners running can result in both of them missing viruses
that would be detected with just one running. I'll try to find it and
update this thread when/if I do.

Larry

It is one of the possibilities where the two "On Access" scanners compete and may
interfere with each other's operation.

 

[FromTheRafters]

Thanks for all the replies.

The problem began after a Windows Update stalled, and I had to force a
shut down. When I cold booted, the desktop came up, but clicking on
Start or any desktop icons did a thing. I booted into safe mode, and
tried a restore point just before the stall, but still no luck. I
finally restored back to a week ago, and everything came up, and worked,
but I now had the problem I wrote about.

Because MSE reported that the scan engine and definitions were up to
date, but that I hadn't run a scan in a long time, even though I had 30
minutes earlier, I tried runnning a scan once more. That's when I
noticed that the scan only took about one minute, and reported no
threats, and the MSE system icon returned to its normal green color.
But, 30 minutes later, the cycle started again.

Since noticing that the MSE scan only took a minute or so, I decided to
uninstall MSE, go out and download a fresh MSE file, and reinstall clean.

I did, and all is now well. Both Avast! free home edition and MSE
peacefully coexist in real time.

Thanks again.

I believe it is possible to have two running without conflict. A
setup such as one on access scanning on opening a file and another
on access on closing a file and both using encrypted quarantines. In
fact there may be other ways to hook into the file system "on access"
which would allow you to run three, four, or even more.

....but you still exceeded your 'diminishing returns' with the second
one. )

 

[FromTheRafters]

s|b,

Yep, absolutely sure. Well, the CPU is called upon when necessary by both
programs, but watching it while doing my normal tasks shows these two
programs have a very small footprint on my system and resources.

I've known for a long time that it's not recommended to run two anti-
malware programs in real time,

The way I see it is that the recommendation was to not run two
anti*virus* programs in 'real-time' because they implement the 'real
time' protection by using file system hooks specifically for when you
try to open a file for execution.

An anti*malware* program 'could' use other means to implement its own
form of 'real time' protection (perhaps on closing a newly one for a
downloaded file) and were designed with compatibility with AVs in mind.

Well, now they all want to be the Alpha and the Omega silver bullet 360
degree omniprotectors and will seem to *insist* on your removing all of
their competitors programs when you run their installer.

The bottom line is that two will slow you down twice while not offering
any significant increase in positive results.

[...]

 

[Boris]

I'm stating a fact. It is contraindicated to have more than one fully
installed anti virus applications installed on any given platform
performing both "On Access" and "On Demand" scanning.

I accept that fact.

 

[Boris]

You know it is silly to do what you do and your reaction is misplaced.

I don't believe, let alone know, that it is at all silly, but perhaps my
reaction was misplaced.

If any person has the right to be "parochial" it is David H. Lipman.

I'm willing to widen my efforts and think 'out of the box'. Others may
not in this case, and I understand that.

(and please never change the subject of a thread)
:-(

Years ago, I saw a poster amend his subjet with the word 'SOLVED', about
20 posts down in a 50 post thread. I think it was in a Microsoft ng. I
liked that because I didn't have to read 20 posts to get to the answer.
I've been doing it since. My newsreader also keeps the amended titled
post in sequence.

BTW, I prefer top posting, but know what flames that would bring, so I
don't.