Jo-Anne said:
I use Avira AntiVir on my WinXP laptop computer, which I've been keeping on
all the time. AntiVir runs a daily update at random times, often when I'm
not in my office. It leaves behind a screen advertising the paid version of
its product.
In the past, I would click the closing X and the screen would close.
Recently, however, the image has been staying on-screen, with perhaps a
small piece of it missing after I click the X. The only way to get rid of it
is to bring up another program to fill the screen. Once the other image is
there, the Avira one disappears.
Is there anything I can do--short of turning off my computer when I leave my
office--to stop this?
The popup window for their advertising during an update is why this
product is classified as adware. Avast is also adware but doesn't shove
their ad crap in your face.
There are 2 "splash" screens in Avira's free (adware version) Antivir
product. One is the load-time adware banner and the other is the adware
popup during updates.
To remove the load-time adware splash screen:
- Run regedit.exe.
- Go to HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run.
- Find the entry that loads the Avira UI program.
- At the end of the command, add "/nosplash" (sans quotes).
To eliminate the update-time adware screen, do ONE of the following:
- Rename the avnotify.exe file in Avira's installation folder. Rename
to something else, like avnotify.exx.
- Move avnotify.exe out of Avira's installation folder. Save it
elsewhere.
- Create a software restriction policy that prevents it from loading:
o Run the policy editor (gpedit.msc).
o Go to the following node in the tree list:
Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security Settings
Software Restriction Policies
Additional Rules
o Create a new Path policy. Navigate to and select the avnotify.exe
file. Select to "Disallow" this executable. This has the OS refuse
to load this program.
I use a policy. It is possible that a program update would replace the
avnotify.exe. So renaming it or moving it won't help because a new one
shows up. The policy doesn't care and will still block that file in
that path from running.
If you are using a Home edition of Windows XP/Vista/7, there is no
policy editor available. Those editions cannot participate in a domain
where policies get pushed. The policy editor is a glorified registry
editor that manages settings used to define policies. All policies are
defined by registry entries. However, key names and interdependencies
exist with path policies for allowing/disallowing files to execute
(i.e., there isn't just one registry entry that you can add).
Alternatively, you can still use a HIPS (host intrusion protection
system) enabled security product, like in some firewalls (e.g., Comodo
and OnlineArmor, which let you define application rules to prevent
execution of specified files.
