I use a firewall that has recently added some anti-virus protection to it’s programming. Since it only acted as a firewall in the past, I have yet to decide whether to use it descretely and I continue to have avast4 installed on my computer.
My operating system is XP Pro Sp2. I do not want to go into Sp3 domain as this adds some irritating ‘copy-protection’ software that has interfered with my ability to complete my own professional work which involves working with a lot of my own private audio.
Anyway, my question involves the fact that the anti-virus portion of this firewall suite seems to have detections of avast4 temp files as being compressed files containing viruses. I was under the impression that this type of definition file usually contains data identifying it as something other than a virus.
Security Suites should offer the ability to do a custom install , deselect the AV element and you should be OK as there aren’t two resident AVs.
As you are seeing having two resident AV scanners is a no, no, avast unpacks files that it is to scan and the other AV is jumping on the unpacked files (avast4 temp folder) a minor conflict, there are more serious conflicts that can happen as two AVs fight for control, system lock-up or even a failure to boot as low level drivers could conflict on start-up.
You should not use a software firewall but a hardware one. See the firewall as a doorman.
Put him outside and in front of the door and he will not let unwanted people in. (hardware firewall)
Put him inside and the unwated people are already in before he sees them. (software firewall)