Hi. Hope someone can help me. Will avast 4 home edition happily co-exist and function properly on a pc with Nortons Internet Security (2004)?
I decided I need an additional virus protection program to supplement NIS 2004 on my desktop pc and laptop. After looking around I settled on Avast! 4 home edition…and not just because it’s free because if it’s the goods, I’ll buy the pro version :).
But I didn’t want to install avast 4 and then find I’ve got a mess of conflicts and problems. I’ve only recently got my desktop back from the shop after it was crippled with viruses and scumware etc and I don’t want to do anything that will stuff it up.
I 've been told that you can have two virus protection programs installed on a pc as long as you only scan with one at a time. But NIS 2004 is such a big program with stuff running behind the scenes…and maybe avast is the same.
If it is ok to install both programs, what should a newbie look out for say, when installing avast; configuring its options; using both programs in conjunction with each other .
Sorrry to be asking a lot but I would like to get this right if I can. I run Windows XP Pro on the desktop and Windows XP Home on the laptop. Both are modern machines.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Avast and NAV (as many av applications do) do not work together. You have to remove NAV completly before installing Avast. How this is done can be read in many threads on this board. Use the search option to find them.
terrytj
Welcome to the forum.
In your case, it might be easier to do a complete uninstall of Norton Utilities and then re-install using a Selective install after you’ve finished installing avast!
To uninstall Norton, us the regular un-install procedure in control panel add/remove
once that’s done, get the Norton removal tool by clicking on the link in my signature.
After you’ve run that program, reboot your system.
Next install avast check for any updates and then reboot again.
Next re-install Norton Utilities be sure to use the Selective Install
Do NOT install the Anti virus part of Norton Utilities.
Let us know how you make out.
@ Bob3160…thanks for the welcome and the detailed instructions on what to do.
Guys. what I’m trying to do is get two quality anti-virus programs to co-exist on my pc but only use one of them at any one time to scan my pc for virii. (And I’m assuming here that NAV is 'quality", ok :))
I would prefer to keep the AV part of NIS 2004 and just add another AV program if I could. That’s a preference only and motivated by (a) the nightmare I had uninstalling NIS 2004 (even with the Norton tool) after Windows XP SP 2 stuffed it up, and (b) me being comfortable using NAV after a number of years.
BUT, I’d consider ditching NAV if you guys can suggest another AV program that is as good or better than NAV AND can also co-exist with avast!4 (or any other quality AV program for that matter).
I have multiple protection for adware - spyware - trojans - BHOs etc which happily function together on my pc and would like the same for dedicated AV programs. Or am I asking for too much?
Just use Avast. And as backup a online scanner. Remember that some malware disable the av applications. So this way is safer since they (sofar) do not disable online scanners.
Better will be as a backup scanner (not resident) BidDefender, AntiVir (without resident) and AVG 7 (without resident). They could be there, no troble with avast.
You can follow Eddy’s suggestions too (on-line scanning).
terrytj
The last AV I had on this system before finding avast! was Norton and it brought this system to it’s knees. After installing avast!, I had a computer with some muscle again. Not only that, but it found some viruses that Norton didn’t catch.
The choice is yours, we can only give you advice. I may be a moderator on one of the other forums but, I’m still just a happy avast! customer. ;D ;D
Well, I did say quality with “…” around it and with a hint of tongue-in-cheek.
But seriously, I do asssume that because ALL the local mainstream pc magazines here (Australia) have over many, many years consistently rated in the top 3 AV programs, usually 1st or 2nd. I would not debate the merits of NAV over any other AV program as I’m not competent to do so. Sure, I’ve seen a few other programs in use but I’ve only used Vet (in its early days) and then NAV. Like many others, I have to rely on the ‘expertise’ of others to make a consumer’s choice and just hope that they got it right. NIS hasn’t been a bad program for me but I don’t know how good it is, if that makes sense.
I appreciate the time and advice you guys have given me here. For instance, last night I ‘googled’ for online scanners and used Trendmicro…excellent! I’ll be doing that regularly from now on. (I tried to use Panda but couldn’t get its popup window to stay open to continue on, probably need to adjust a security setting somewhere).
I am considering everything you guys have suggested and working through the options in my own mind. Maybe when I’m over the mental hump of having to uninstall NIS and reinstall it without NAV those options will look better to me. (After the recent problems I had trying to uninstall NIS and reinstall it because of SP2 I’m just a tad gun-shy of trying it again. Guess Mother didn’t raise no hero ::)).
One of the main things I’ve got from this forum is that you guys rate avast a quality AV program (without any “…”, ok) or else you wouldn’t have replaced your NAV with it. That’s given me a starting point.
Trendmicro is a good on-line scanner, however, I would not use Panda’s on-line scanner. There have been a number of false positive warnings after using Panda’s on-line scanner as it stores the virus signature files unencrypted. When you run a scan with your resident AV, it finds the virus signature file and thinks it is a virus.
Check out, RejZor’s Website - Security Ops
On-line Virus Scanners and other useful Links Security.Ops.tk
HI, I’m new to this Forum, and forums in general so bear with me, ok…This message about NIS caught my eye. Just wanted to add a related comment. I have NIS 2004 on my pc. (Still using Win 98) I got a virus that it didn’t detect. I found it by uninstalling NIS totally, downloading Avast 4 and, BAM, got it right away. I reinstalled Norton (not sure why, I guess it was because I felt double duty would be nice), and they seemed to be running fine together for a few months. Now, for some strange reason, I am unable to do a liveupdate of virus definitions for Avast from my toolbar. It says it cannot connect to server, however if I go to the Avast homepage, I can update from there. My Norton settings are ok, regarding the firewall…any suggestions as to how I can fix this? Or is that maybe NIS and Avast 4 cannot work together after all? As a teacher my pc is my lifeline, so I have to get this fixed ASAP…Any help would be appreciated.
Hi teach4ever
Welcome to the forum.
Please go back to the following link: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=8925;start=0
If you follow these instructions, you will be able to fully uninstall Norton, Avast! and then re-install avast!.
As Eddy said, you can’t have both on the system. In this case, more isn’t better, it’s worse. ;D
@ Bob3160…when i click on that link you gave to teach4ever i went to my original post. Am i doing something wrong?
(i’m lurking but as you may gather from my interest, i’m still thinking about the suggestions of this forum i.e. uninstall NIS and reinstall without the AV bit).
HI, I’m new to this Forum, and forums in general so bear with me, ok…This message about NIS caught my eye. Just wanted to add a related comment. I have NIS 2004 on my pc. (Still using Win 98) I got a virus that it didn’t detect. I found it by uninstalling NIS totally, downloading Avast 4 and, BAM, got it right away. I reinstalled Norton (not sure why, I guess it was because I felt double duty would be nice), and they seemed to be running fine together for a few months. Now, for some strange reason, I am unable to do a liveupdate of virus definitions for Avast from my toolbar. It says it cannot connect to server, however if I go to the Avast homepage, I can update from there. My Norton settings are ok, regarding the firewall…any suggestions as to how I can fix this? Or is that maybe NIS and Avast 4 cannot work together after all? As a teacher my pc is my lifeline, so I have to get this fixed ASAP…Any help would be appreciated.