Hey All,
My friend has the avast free version.
I have seen that avast 4.8 is now out.
Can we install on top of 4.7 or must uninstall it first?
Also, is the startup root kit disabled by default?
Cnon
I read here in the forum that it is fine to install the new version using the built in program update feature of the current installed version. The short answer though, is yes. LOL. I have a question now myself. I know the Antispyware detection is built into the scan engine for On Demand scans, but there is more Real Time Antispyware protection now as well, correct? Thanks.
Cnon, I just installed 4.8 over the top of 4.7, let the inbuilt program updater do it, problem free, all my settings retained. After restart took it for a “run”, so to speak, no obvious visual difference. Total download/update time, not including the restart, 57 sec. (Wow!)
I see in “settings>troubleshooting” there is an option to “disable rootkit scan on system startup”. It was unticked by default, here.
So, no.
Thanks a bunch.
Cnon
More than welcome.
Sure it will all go well.
Hey guys in case you missed this. I know that 4.8 now has Antispyware detection for On Demand scans, but wasn’t there also improved Antispyware protection for RealTime added? I’ve searched the forum and couldn’t find an exact answer to this. Thanks.
Sure, both on-demand and on-access have antispyware protection now.
Thanks Tech. I thought so, but the way the information about the added Antispyware scanning was worded confused me slightly. Of course so does a lot of things. LOL. Take care and thanks again. Oh and Avast 4.8 running great here.
It is not so much that it detects spyware signatures, the new anti-spyware integration means when a spyware detection is made avast will then look for corresponding registry entries and deal with those as well. In the past avast only dealt with the file and not the registry entries.
Hmmm… are you sure?
Yes, it was in an explanation by Vlk I believe about how the anti-spyware module works and I also believe you contributed to the topic.
Ok I’m confused again. LOL. I use Firefox so I don’t worry too much about spyware and I have never found anything with any Antispyware programs I ran. However, it would be nice to get more clarification on this.
What I mean is that I think that avast deal with files and registry keys since forever, not only on version 4.8. What I’ve thought is that avast repair/delete/move to chest etc. used a full cleaning, not that the version 4.8 or spyware signatures add this feature recently.
I know what it is that you mean, but previously avast didn’t go hunting the registry entries for spyware detections. The new method would I guess go some way to its being recognised as an anti-spyware in the Vista Security Center and the Westcoast labs, etc. as this has only recently been done.
Actually, the registry removal (well, it doesn’t have to be registry only, could be any other auto-run association) is fully generic/automatic - if an infected file is being removed, something like an internal HijackThis log is created and any entries referencing the particular file are “fixed”.
So no, nothing has changed regarding the spyware detection.
Not the detection but the ‘fixing’ being the an addition. I can’t recall the topic it was in so I would guess I have to bow to your greater knowledge of avast.
No, it’s not David. Vlk said the ‘fixing’ action was already there, it was not added now on 4.8.
I’m still not sure I have received my answer, but I see the forum is quite busy right now so I can certainly wait. However, when someone can get around to it I wouldn’t mind more clarification about whether Avast also scans for spyware in RealTime. Thanks.
I too am still confused as there was much made about avast now having a built in anti-spyware, when we are told that it did try tor remove registry entries as well as infectes spyware files. What I would like to know is what was supposed to be new about this and what the differences were between what avast did in 4.7.1098 and 4.8.1169 in relation to anti-spyware.
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-4-home_pro-revision-history.html
Version 4.8.1169 March 29, 2008* avast! now contains a built-in anti-rootkit protection * avast! now comes with a built-in anti-spyware protection * new self-defense function to prevent active malware from terminating avast! processes as well as corrupting avast! files and registry items * scanners now display a progress of current scan (percentage of work done) * fixed a vulnerability in AavmKer4.sys kernel-mode driver (problem applies to Windows NT/2000/XP, 32-bit only); special thanks to Tobias Klein * improvements in boot-time scanner (detection & removal of hidden or hard to delete files) * boot-time scanner will not start when booting into Safe Mode (the program was "invisible" in that case, no progress/messages could be seen) * improvements in many unpackers * ACE and RAR unpackers now work even in boot-time scanner * IM Shield: added support for QQ * improvements in handling of NTFS streams * Internet Mail provider now displays the name of the sending/receiving program in the tooltip of its taskbar icon * implemented a protection against false positives in critical system files * removed a small memory leak in one of avast! drivers (Windows Vista and XP 64-bit only) * added support for 64-bit WHS connector (available in WHS Power Pack 1) * greatly improved performance of the updater, especially in cases where many increments are being downloaded (e.g. avast! installations with outdated virus definitions) * silent installation now also includes scheduled tasks, if any * resolved a compatibility issue with Acronis TrueImage (XP 64-bit only) * compatibility tests with Vista SP1 and XP SP3</blockquote>The anti-spyware whatever it comprised is an integral part of the on-access scanners, unless I’ve got that totally wrong again.
The answer is yes.
The detection rate. Now avast can be consider, and it is in fact, an antispyware tool. Also Windows Security Center recognize it as being so.