Avast! on Vista

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I installed Avast! Free on the Vista machine here but had some problems doing so. I kept getting a side by side configuration error and the only way I was able to fix it was by downloading the C++ 2008 redistributable from Microsoft and installing it first before installing Avast!. Everything is working now but I have a question. Before I got the C++ download I turned off Windows Defender because I thought it might be conflicting and causing the problem. Should I leave it turned off or can it run along with Avast!? If it is turned on should it be set to do scheduled scans or run in real time or both?

2

I keep Windows Defender updated through its portal:
Latest definition version: 1.85.1354.0
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Definitions/ADL.aspx

Read the Instructions for your system.

3

I don’t think there is any kind of incompatibility between Windows Defender and avast.
I’m with it on Windows 7… although I’m always tempted to move to MSE and try to run it side by side with avast…

4

XP: off
Vista: off, imo… (can run along, but open for discussion, if really needed)
W7: on
asyn

5

So Windows defender does not receive updates automatically?

6

Windows defender does not receive updates automatically!

Read my previous post at 08:50:13 AM

How To Manually Update Windows Defender Definitions
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic93723.html

7

I read your post but in the help file it says that it does receive the updates automatically through Windows Update which is set to install updates automatically. Maybe that has changed since MS made the definition updates optional in WU instead of important for their own obscure reasons. I do know that if the defs for Defender are too outdated, Security Center will let you know and give an option to update through there.

I have turned Defender back on and turned on the real time protection and set it to do a quick scan on a weekly basis. I also set it to check for new defs before scanning. We’ll see what happens. If there are problems, I can always turn it back off. The user of the machine goes to online gaming sites like Yahoo and Gamehouse, uses Yahoo and MSN messenger, and also frequents Facebook much more frequently than I do so maybe she needs the extra protection (if there really is any).

One more question, she uses Yahoo web mail for all of her email. Does the mail shield in Avast! scan that or do the other shields like web, network, and file take over for web mail sites?

8

Windows Update will update the definitions but only once per week if I remember correctly.
I have it run a Quick scan in the morning just like MBAM.

I do not use Yahoo web mail but I do use Hotmail and I rely on the Web Shield and Hotmail’s anti virus protection.

9
  1. Thats another point… ;D
  2. No, the mail shield won’t scan that.
    Well, somewhat they’ll do, but not in the specific way like the mail shield…
    asyn