Avast AV is the WORST!

[Why Syzygy]

Last night when I ran Windows OneCare Live, Avira found "TR/Downloader.Gen". It was in the google gears folder. I don't know why it was triggered while running the Windows AV. The Avira forum indicated it might be a false positive, but most of the other entries were written in German. Rather than submit it as instructed, I decided this would be a good time to give Avast a test spin.

:wow: After installation reboot, it didn't start first. I have issues with AVs that start up AFTER my wireless is already active. STUPID.
Avira loads first every time. Avast had screwed up the systray. One of AVGs updates did the same thing. What I found out from that mess is that means it is overriding the Registry entry which controls the systray. I hate that. (If you ask me McAfee wrote Avast). When the systray is messed up, not only does it not allow the "hide threads" feature, it prohibits two small programs that 'normally' load there (moon phases and screen saver start).

Next, I launched Firefox to find out what Avast was telling me about disabling part of ZoneAlarm. I just updated to Firefox 3.0.8 day before. WOW again. It did not look like Firefox. All bookmarks were GONE, all my custom tool bar outfits, GONE, no more IE page view. Awful. I thought that when it updated maybe I was supposed to do a system reboot, and failing to do so stalled the update!
So, I downloaded the prior Firefox version (while feeling badly that I had recommended 3.0.8), but first UNINSTALLED *(#^@#$&* Avast (with Revo). After that reboot, my genuine, familiar Firefox (ver. 3.0.8) is just as it had been before Avast/McAfee took over.
WHEW!

Avast is not for me. What about the rest of you that use it? Anything like this happen?

[canetoad]

1. Nope. Been using it about 3 years now

On home and work computers. Have installed it on half a dozen others and it works like a dream. The systray thing is weird, it's never made any difference to my systray, and Firefox has never changed. I honestly don't know what has happened to your installation.

[Why Syzygy]

2. Now I'm wondering..

if I should have disabled Avira during the install? In tech support, we always had to disable AVs to 'fix' IE. The browser change is the most bizarre of all. I don't use P2P, and a lot of the things Avast shields (about seven of them?).

During a scan after all that, Avira did quarantine "TR/CryptXPACK.Gen" (temp files) and "TR/Downloader.Gen" (google gears).
I'm still in the dark as to what those are about.

eta: These are supposedly Trojans, but I scanned with Malwarebytes and Spybot, and they find nothing.
I'm going to submit them to Avira later to see if they are 'false positives'.

[RoyGBiv]

3. Avira ...

Did you have Avira running when you installed Avast? If so, that could be the problem right there or a big part of it anyway. Anti-virus programs often do not get along well with each other.

FWIW, I've never had a problem with Avast. I've installed it on dozens of machines.

[Why Syzygy]

4. I might try it again with Avira disabled.

I USUALLY do disable the AV when installing, but duh didn't this time. Does Avast load first at start-up for you? No problems with systray, or do you use it on Linux?

[RoyGBiv]

5. I use it on Windows ...

My Linux protections are a tad more complicated. I basically have the Great Wall of Biv between me and the outside world. :)

I honestly can't remember off the top of my head how it loads. I do remember there is an option to have it do a scan prior to loading any drivers or anything ... basically get enough of a system up that it recognizes the fact it's a computer and then go. Sometime later this evening I'll boot up my Windows box and see what I can see about that. I'm still at work ... supposedly anyway.

But, no, I've never had a systray problem with it. The only problem of any variety I had was the first time I realized there can be a voice reminder with the thing. Scared me pants-less when that got turned on, and my machine all of a sudden started talking to me.

Anyway ... anti-virus programs will fight with each other and can cause all manner of havoc when two or more are running at the same time.

[Why Syzygy]

6. LOL!

I got the voice, but seem to remember reading about it at some point, so my pants were fine. At least.

Thanks, Roy, for anything you can tell me. I'm going to be immersing myself in viral/malware lessons.
What a gig. :eyes:

You know, I haven't confirmed this, but I'm getting a drift that some of these bad guys find a way to load some innocent files onto your pc. Then they set up a bunch of affiliate sites that sell just the specific thing you NEED to get rid of it. And, that's when the real problems start. Not only do they charge for the "service", what you get to repair the damage is the REAL threat.

[RoyGBiv]

9. Ayup ...

I've seen many resident nasties that are in fact created and installed on your system by an anti-virus vendor. These typically are not legitimate anti-virus products at all and tend to be viruses/trojans themselves. FREE ONLINE VIRUS SCAN often equals FREE VIRUS INFECTION (pay to remove).

And more than one legitimate company uses sales tactics that approach this. I shouldn't name names (**cough** Norton **cough**)

So, I fired up the Windows machine, and Avast loads when it is supposed to very early in the boot process. (I don't use wireless, so I can't check that, but it is initiated before my network comes online, which suggests it would do that regardless. Now, the resident protection icon in the system tray doesn't come up immediately, but that's different than the underlying system. That is, for all intents and purposes, the UI, not the program itself. It may seem to come up late.

How are you determining that your wireless is coming online before Avast?

FWIW, you can schedule a boot-time scan that will run before the operating system gets loaded by going to the Options menu, opening Schedule Boot-Time Scan, then just clicking the appropriate buttons. Note that this takes a LONG FREAKIN' TIME, and actions will be automated based on your choices.

I pulled up the user manual (I never read them either) and found this bit in BOLD:

Note : various problems can arise as a result of installing more than one security
product on the same computer. If you have installed other security software, it is
recommended that this is uninstalled before you try to install avast!

Note that shutting down the UI for an anti-virus product seldom shuts down the anti-virus software as a whole. There are several different processes running with security software, only one or two of which will be the UI.

So, I'm not sure what caused your issue, but my suspicion is still the presence of another virus scanner getting in a fight with Avast when you installed it.

[canetoad]

10. Well 'scuse me

but that effin' voice scared me shitless. One night shortly after installing Avast, I shut the comp down. The morning, routine is get up and stumble past and hit the computer power button then on to kitchen to make coffee while it's booting.

As the kettle boiled I heard of all things a MALE, AMERICAN voice from the living room, but couldn't determine what this intruder had said. I flew in to see what was going on.......

Lucky it can be turned off!

[Why Syzygy]

11. heehee!

I think it was a warning from YOU that kept me calm. I was sitting right here and the accompanying pop-up gave me a visual at the same time. LOL... soz your bad experienced kept mine to a minimum (as for the voice part).

I don't do a routine shut down every night. Partly due to the old 286 days when we never shut down, and left it running so the modem could call home (office). But especially because I have some kind of monitor bug that requires repeated pushing of the on button to get it to stay on if it's gone dark for awhile. When I've got some spare cash set aside for replacement, I might look into it further. Until then, I don't take chances.

[canetoad]

13. Same here

I very rarely shut down. This just happened to be one time I did, shortly after installing Avast.

Just out of interest, do you shut your monitor down when you leave the computer? I do, and after a few years the button on my old screen seemed to be a bit unreliable. I suppose the electronics are not really heavy-duty.

[Why Syzygy]

14. I don't turn the monitor off

since that problem developed. I DID used to turn it off every night. One morning it started with this, have to push it in repeatedly. It comes on for a flash second and goes dark, push, repeat. Eventually it stays on, but that's too scary. It's a Samsung. My first flat screen. It replaced the Gateway CRT monitor which was original.

[charlie]

7. It's ironic

that turning malware protection OFF is so often recommended before installing software. I'd laugh at the knotted absurdity if I didn't feel like smashing every script kiddie and rootkit-dropping corp with a stick.

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/10/11/IE7-Installation-and-Anti_2D00_Malware-Applications.aspx

[Why Syzygy]

8. They sure nailed this one.

Failed installation is an awful user experience so we take every step to reduce the chances of setup failing.

[Hokie]

12. I just installed Avast and had a temporary problem with Firefox

I have a new Vista 64 laptop. I came with McCafee (which I hate). I have been having other problems with my network you can read about in another thread. I uninstalled McAfee and installed Avast. I screwed up the first install by stupidly closing the lid which put the laptop to sleep in the middle of the install. After the second install of Avast Firefox was slow and hanging. Avast seemed to be involved because if I paused it Firefox seemed to work. After a reboot everything seems to be fine now. I will see what happens after the next update. I am seeing that some programs are not happy with a 64 bit OS.

Lesson learned: Let remove McAfee and reboot first then install Avast. I knew better than to try to do all these on the same reboot. Don't put the computer to sleep in the middle of an install.

I have run Avast on 3 other PC's running XP and Vista 32 for a couple of years with no problems at all.