A query about upgrading to Avast! Professional

General Topics
1

Hi everyone,

I’m new to these forums, so if I’ve posted this in the wrong place, I apologise.

I would like to upgrade to Avast! Professional. However, not long ago, I hit a virus on a website:

IE5\B9XTWE4Q\in[2].htm [L] JS:ScriptIP-inf [trj] (0)

Avast! Home picked it up and I followed the instructions, though I had problems in doing so. But when I ran a full scan the report stated that it had been successfully removed to the chest. Nonetheless, it has left me very nervous (I’m afraid I’m not deeply knowledgable about such matters - although I did come here at the time and have a look at the various relevant threads).

So, my questions are as follows:

  1. I’m very worried about carrying out any financial transaction at the moment and would like first to have the Avast! Professional version and then run another full scan. I see that it is available for a 60-day trial period. But nothing is said about whether this trial period also applies to current Avast! Home users. Obviously what I would like to do is be able to download it, run a full scan and then, after that, I assume I would be certain that I am ‘clean’ and I could then pay. So - is the free trial an option for current Avast! Home users?

  2. If this isn’t an option, how can I go about paying without using the computer?

Forgive the naivety of these questions - I have read enough of the forums here to know how expert most people are.

Thank you in advance for your help.

nereid

2

Hi nereid, welcome to the forums.
Here is a comparison chart between the Home and Pro versions.
The detection and cleaning abilities are the same. Some of the features only available in the pro include automatic (user-set) handling of detections, script blocking, scheduled scans, and more timely updates for recently discovered threats.

I would purchase the pro without hesitation if those features were useful to me. Because I like to interact with the current state of my computer security, they don’t matter so much, although would definitely be of use.

Regarding this specific detection, it sounds like the webshield component of Avast prevented the download occurring, after detecting a malicious script. I’ve placed two pictures below. One is a sample webshield detection, the other an on-access (standard shield) detection.
Some names have been edited out by me, but there is enough on the pictures to tell one type from the other. Do you remember which of the warning messages you saw?
If it was the webshield detection, the connection was terminated before anything actually downloaded. If the standard shield detection, something downloaded to your temp. internet files, and was then caught by Avast, and quarantined.

For peace of mind, you may wish to perform another scan by a good quality demand scanner. There are free versions of MBAM and Superantispyware available. Both are excellent demand scanners. Grab yourself a second (or even third) opinion.

I also recommend you clear your temporary internet files and perform a disk cleanup on a regular basis.

I can’t actually answer the questions 1 and 2 you pose with any authority, but regarding (1) I don’t see why it shouldn’t be possible to download the pro (trial) version, uninstall the home, and install the pro. It may even be possible to install the pro over the home, but I’ve never tried and don’t know.

I would still be reasonably confident of banking transactions if this were a webshield detection and the connection aborted. If it were a standard shield detection, the computer appeared to be behaving normally, and either of the two demand scanners found nothing significant, I’d be confident, too.

I would recommend you use a two way firewall if you don’t already. This is a good way to find out if something new on your computer tries to connect outbound. Most malware is pretty useless to its user if it can’t connect outbound.

3

Although Alwil team needs Professional users, you don’t need to do that just for detection. If you had registered your copy (home), I think you’ll have to buy or uninstall/install again without registering to have the trial version back. Although the trial period, in this scenario, will be only 6 days (due to antipiracy features).

They only work with online paying. But, as said before, your computer seems to be completely clean, don’t worry.

4

Hi Tarq57,

Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply!

The second of the two screenshots you so kindly pasted in is the one I got. Unfortunately, it never occurred to me to take a screen shot at the time - I always panic - despite Avast’s! kindly message not to :frowning: What happened though is that somehow, when I was trying to carry out the relevant instructions, the infected website tried to open itself again and there was a new alarm. After that, when I tried execute the instruction, Avast! kept telling me it couldn’t (again, foolishly, it never occurred to me to take a screen shot).

Anyway, then, as I said, I ran the whole scan and the report told me:

  • avast! Report
  • This file is generated automatically
  • Task ‘Simple user interface’ used
  • Started on 14 April 2009 21:48:08
  • VPS: 090414-0, 14/04/2009

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\B9XTWE4Q\in[2].htm [L] JS:ScriptIP-inf [trj] (0)
File was successfully moved to chest…
Infected files: 1
Total files: 770278
Total folders: 127843
Total size: 50.7 GB

As regards cleaning the temporary files/disc clean-up, in fact I do this every day. Use the browser’s own clean up, then Easy-Clean and then the Windows disc-cleanup tool. probably an overkill - but that’s what happens to the IT illerate ::slight_smile:

I take it that since you recommend the two demand scanners, both of them are compatible with Avast! and won’t quarrel with it?

As regards a two-way firewall; I have Avast! and, of course, all the regular Windows updates, but I have a feeling that perhaps this isn’t sufficient? Could I ask you to be very kind and recommend something reliable and Avast! compatible?

Thank you very much again for your patient reply.

Best wishes,
nereid

5

Dear Tech,

Thank you, too, for your reply. In fact, apart from the worry about whether something nasty is lurking unknown to me, I had been thinking that it was time to support the excellent workl that Avast! does by upgrading anyway. So if only I could be certain I’m safe, I’d do it anyway.

However, since my Home version is, indeed, registered, I really don’t want to have to uninstall/install again etc. - I gather I don’t have to do any of that if I simply upgrade. So I guess it’s a matter of getting a second opinion, as Tarq57 says and then going for it.

Thank you for taking the time to advice me!

Best wishes,
nereid

6

You’re welcome.
What firewall you install depends on your version of Windows, but any of the firewalls listed at this handy site (AndyManchester, basically a nicely laid out referral and info site) should work with XP or Vista.
PCTools firewall is probably the easiest to use, Comodo and Online Armour contain a HIPS component which can be complicated for the un-geek, ZoneAlarm is popular but I’ve read that the free version has recently become somewhat crippled…any firewall while it’s “learning” (as application -based firewalls do) will prompt you every time an unknown application attempts a connection. After a while there should be very few if an prompts, unless installing and running new software.
Firewalls have a bit of a mysterious and complex learning potential. Particularly the “rules-based” ones, like Jetico, which take a long time and a fair bit of knowledge to set up correctly, but then you forget about them.

I would definitely run a scan with either MBAM or SAS, just to be sure.
Once that is done you should be all good.

7

No problems, they’re fully compatible.

avast is not a firewall, only an antivirus. You need, at least, let Windows Firewall on.

If you buy the Pro version, the only thing you need is to add the new registration key and be connected to Internet. avast setup will download and install the Pro version over the Home one. It’s automatic.

8

Thank you both very much indeed!

Best wishes,
nereid

9

You’re welcome. If you want to help me, don’t thank me, just sign up & use (sign up only is not enough) Mozy to get 2,200 Mb for free remote backup system. Enjoy its safety!

10

OK - will do, indeed! Just as soon as I’ve sorted out this “second opinion”!

11

Not following you… what “second opinion” do you need? About what?

12

Sorry. I mean the scan run by MBAM or SAS - as recommended Tarq57

13

Oh, I see.

14

Wow, I like it a lot, 4.95 dollars a month is really cheap. And automatic billing process is really nice. :smiley:

Btw, why did you say “If you want to help me …”? lol

15

Because if you use my referral link you’ll give me 200Mb of free storage in Mozy. That helps me.

Mozy is free up to 2Gb of storage.

16

I see.

2 gb is tiny for me, SkyDrive gives 25 gb for free (there is a 50 mb limit per file, though). anyway… i’ve just signed up for monthly billing. I also heard of Orbitfiles (6 gb for free) which is similar to Mozy, but i think Mozy is more well-known (maybe more secure) company, so i paid for Mozy. ;D

17

Thats my problem with other online backup services.