I’ve just downloaded avast home for windows. It loaded ok, did the boot scan and then started up windows XP then froze the computer. If I try to do anything the timer cursor comes up and nothing else. I can’t access the start menu or anything. I have to turn off the computer by holding in the power button. Restarting it gets windows xp up then my usual desktop and then freezes, no apparent hard disc activity just a little flicker of the indicator light every ten seconds or so.
I have NOD32 and AVG Free as antivirus on the laptop. I was told they would happily run side by side.
I need to fiox this quickly as my wife uses it for work and has to use it in 20hours time as of this posting.
If you can get up in safe mode, you can try a system restore or use http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html to completely remove avast! I haven’t heard of avast! being able to coexist with either avg or nod32. In fact even after avg has been removed it sometimes causes avast! problems unless you use the avg removal tool on their website. Problems have also been reported on conflicts with NOD32, which has a similar removal tool on their website.
In fact, almost any 2 resident anti-virus programs will cause conflicts. You may not think so, but it will happen in time. So, it is also not a good idea to run NOD32 and AVG Free at the same time as resident scanners. Decide on one of the 3 mentioned and then completely remove the other 2 using the appropriate removal tools.
I managed click on and disable the two blue icons in the tray as the system fired up and before it froze. This allowed me to get through to the remove programmes box via start and control box and uninstalled AVAST then used the uninstall tool I’d saved to my other PC to kill it completely. Panic over :o :o
Thanks for your responses I think I’ll stick with AVG and NOD32
Having two resident scanners installed is not recommended as rather than provide twice the protection it can cause conflicts that could leave you more vulnerable.
Whilst you have got away with it so far until you introduced a third AV all AVs load low level drivers that try to hook files before they are run so they can be scanned and it is these drivers that can conflict. I suspect that with nod32 and avg, nod32 gets to the party before avg possibly avoiding a conflict but avast loads relatively quickly so it could get in on the dog fight over the single bone.
Personally I would get rid if avg as well and you will probably find your wife’s laptop more responsive and stick to one AV whichever one it is you decide.
My wife would be very unhappy if I took over her computer for ill-advised security experiments that might crash things. She holds the line at avast! and Zone Alarm Free. Agree you shouold run all 3 of the detailed uninstallers before you install the selectee- I prefer avast!, of course, which is running well on my 5 computers, but NOD32 is popular and would be a second choice you are at least familiar with. If your wife really needs the computer you should not take the chance of the conflict happening at an inopportune time.
Agree you shouold run all 3 of the detailed uninstallers before you install the selectee- I prefer avast!, of course, which is running well on my 5 computers, but NOD32 is popular and would be a second choice you are at least familiar with. If your wife really needs the computer you should not take the chance of the conflict happening at an inopportune time.