Just started using avast! Antivirus

[HistoryFan]

I was a bit unhappy with how AVG Free Edition updates itself, so out
of curiosity I downloaded and installed the free version of avast! Antivirus
this evening. The interface is a bit confusing at first, but overall it
seems like a nice program. Time will tell though.

This is the fifth antivirus vendor I've tried since I got online in
July 1996. First I used McAfee versions 3,4,5,6,7; then Norton 2003, 2004,
2005; eTrust AntiVirus 6.2.1 (courtesy of Road Runner); AVG Free Edition 6;
and now avast 4.1.

 

[Dave Cohen]

I've used both, much prefer Avast for auto update feature, plus it seems to
work well. I do not monitor mail since I use mailwasher.
Dave Cohen

 

[Stuart Krivis]

I was a bit unhappy with how AVG Free Edition updates itself, so out
of curiosity I downloaded and installed the free version of avast! Antivirus
this evening. The interface is a bit confusing at first, but overall it
seems like a nice program. Time will tell though.

There's a useful, free add-on for Avast at:
http://www.excessive-software.tk/

 

[HistoryFan]

Two things about AVG Free Edition I didn't like:

1) After it updated the virus definitions, the main AVG window would stay
open. Not a big deal, but I prefer AV programs to update quietly and
without any need for me to close out windows.

2) AVG auto update doesn't download newer versions of it's program. For
example, AVG 7 will be out of beta soon, and it's my understanding that
users will first have to manually uninstall version 6, then install the
newer one. With avast, I believe newer programs are announced for you, or
automatically downloaded and installed. Depending on your preferences.

 

[HistoryFan]

Another plus for the free edition of avast AV is that it works with
and scans Outlook Express. AVG Free Edition does not.

 

[mhagen]

There's a useful, free add-on for Avast at:
http://www.excessive-software.tk/

Looks very interesting!

 

[BF]

I was a bit unhappy with how AVG Free Edition updates itself, so out
of curiosity I downloaded and installed the free version of avast! Antivirus
this evening. The interface is a bit confusing at first, but overall it
seems like a nice program. Time will tell though.

This is the fifth antivirus vendor I've tried since I got online in
July 1996. First I used McAfee versions 3,4,5,6,7; then Norton 2003, 2004,
2005; eTrust AntiVirus 6.2.1 (courtesy of Road Runner); AVG Free Edition 6;
and now avast 4.1.

I like it a lot. It finds a couple emails everyday that contain viruses.

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

HistoryFan skrev:

this evening. The interface is a bit confusing at first, but overall it
seems like a nice program. Time will tell though.

Do you use the mail-scanner. I think that is really neat. Act both as
a POP3 and a SMTP server between your mail-program and mail-server. It
filters out tons of viruses that never reach my mailbox

Also I set it up to scan .html pages, and it finds viruses in
web-pages (didn't think that existed, but yesterday I got one

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

Dave Cohen skrev:

I've used both, much prefer Avast for auto update feature, plus it seems to
work well. I do not monitor mail since I use mailwasher.

You can use it together with MailWasher, I had both. No problem.

 

[HistoryFan]

Avast AV also has some neat wav files for their associations. For
example, after the definitions have been updated, a small window pops out of
the systray and you hear a man say..."Virus database has been updated."
That's the first time I've heard anything like that with an AV program.

 

[JJO]

Actually the only thing I have against the free Avast is the inability to
schedule auto scans. But the boot time scan has never let me down yet when
checking a client's system for nasties. I had one yesterday that was running
NAV 2003. It was doubtful whether they had been keeping the updates current,
even so I ran Avast to see what kind of problems they might have since the
system was pretty much unusable. I found 178 instances of a virus on the
system. AdAware found 16 more...unbelievable.

Regards,
John O.

 

[Robert]

Actually the only thing I have against the free Avast is the inability to
schedule auto scans.<<cut>>

Thought I read that "Automatic updates are another key point in virus
protection. Both the virus database and the program itself can be
updated automatically. The updates are incremental, i.e. only the new
or missing data are downloaded, thus reducing the transfer heavily.
The typical size of a virus database update are tens of KB, the
program update usually has hundreds of KB.

If your Internet connection is persistent, the updates are performed
completely automatically in fixed time intervals. If you connect to
the Internet only occasionally, avast! watches your connection and
tries to perform the update when you are online.

Having the up-to-date virus database and antivirus program all the
time - it is the most certain way to protect your computer. "

Also, does Avast have any virus 'repair' capability, or only
detection?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Practicing safe hex normally precludes the need for auto scans. <g>

Also, does Avast have any virus 'repair' capability, or only
detection?

If an infected file is found, the alert dialog has the following
buttons: Move/Rename, Delete, Repair, and Move to Chest.
I just tested it with a known infected file, and under those four
buttons, it says: "Recommended action: Delete"

 

[Robert]

Robert wrote:

<<cut>>

Wow! I was read to install avast when I saw these two sites - the
first http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archives/tests.xml (select an
article from the listing) where avast FAILs in 100% detection (I
checked Win'98 and XP - failed both).

But reading http://www.wilders.org/anti_viruses.htm shows they
kind of like avast. Make sure to click on the FREE menu choice on the
left to see all kinds of applications.

Too may choices.

Robert