Might sound silly, but if my virus detection program detects a virus and safely confines it I feel pleased it has done its job, understandably.
I’ve had Avast Home for about 4 months I suppose and no indication of detection. I used to use AVG and before that Norton 2002 and both detected and quarantined viruses well, though one time Norton didn’t deal well and even Norton’s removal tool didn’t do the business. I had help from a forum like this when some clever bloke posted how to fully remove.
Anyway, ought I be pleased that a virus hasn’t come along or worried that Avast hasn’t detected any. I don’t suspect anything wrong - well apart from Avast scanning ever increasing numbers of files and the scan time taking longer. I have installed more programs but scan size and time is increasing even when programs haven’t been instaled for a while.
Well… scanning time depends not only on the number of the files, but type, maybe the virus database size is another factor. For sure, the number of archive files interfere (.zip, .cab, etc.).
If you want to check, you can use on-line scanners, like: Kaspersky (very good detection rates) ESET NOD32 Trendmicro housecall F-Secure BitDefender (free removal of the malware)
;D Rob, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I’ve had avast! since October 2007 and way back then on my very 1st avast! Manual Scan, it detected 2 AIM Files as Adware. Well, since then, on all the periodic Manual Scans I perform, those SAME 2 Files are always tagged as “Infected” and are the ONLY Files avast! has EVER found to be “Infected.” On a couple of times, I’ve told my friend who first informed me about avast!, “You know … either avast! is VERY Good … or avast! is VERY Bad and worthless. This because I’ve had it for months and it has yet to find anything besides those same 2 AIM Files. It seems to me that when I had McAfee, periodically it would find a Trojan here … a Trojan there … a Virus over there, Etc. Not necessarily every week, but certainly periodically.”
So yeah, I HAD started to wonder, "Is this thing really ON? Is avast! really checking anything? So, 2 weeks ago I did some maintenance on my friends’ computer and installed avast! and did a Manual Scan. When the Manual Scan found FOURVirus / Trojans in that computer and they were different than those 2 AIM Files avast! always found on MY computer … I was actually like, “Woo Hoo!All RIGHT! avast! IS working! It DID find something different!” ;D
On a couple of occasions, I actually thought of installing AVG and then AntiVir just to see if they would FIND some Malware that avast! hadn’t found. But, AVG’s HUGE download size always kept me from trying it out. I have Dial Up. Plus, too many Reviews mention problems with AVG Updates hanging there for 15 or so minutes. AntiVir I don’t believe is even for Windows 98, so that nixes THAT idea. Yeah, I always kept reading in different forums many people commenting on how avast! found this, that and the other Virus and SAVED their computers from Disaster … and how avast! found tons of Malware that Norton, McAfee and the other Big Boys didn’t find. So, I concluded, “Hmmmm? I don’t know. avast! finds virtually NOTHING nefarious in MY computer. Those other people must be accessing some SEEEERIOUSLY Shady, Dangerous sites if they are constantly being swarmed by Cyber Pests.” ;D
I guess we should count ourselves LUCKY if avast! hastn’t found anything in our computers. I’d say as long as our computer is behaving properly, we’re very likely OK with avast!'s protection.
I kinda wondered this myself, but when I clicked a link posted in viruses & worms the other day I found out how it works :o Not that I have many probs with these infections, but that made me a beleiver… I also run Spysweeper, and Zone alarm free firewall ( early 2007 version ) I have a pretty good hardware firewall built into my DSL modem as well. I have had spysweeper stop things several times for me, before changing to avast, when I used avg 7.5. So I feel protected from a few diff programs.
That’s true. I have been noticing that … that AVG 8.0 is no longer for Windows 98. So I take it that the AVG Updates are NOT the short, quick, smooth type like avast!'s? If so, then yeah, I would NOT have been able to stand getting my computer hijacked for 15 or 20 minutes once or twice a day by AVG Updates.
I sure hope avast! doesn’t drop support for Windows 98SE and leave me high and dry. Well, as per SnapFiles, I still would have some Win98 options:
BitDefender Free … without On-Access Protection
ClamAV/SOSDG
Dr.Web Curelt
I guess there’s possibly some other Win98 Free Anti-Viruses out there.
AVG 8.0 Free has a 46MB download?!!! :o
Woooooo! Let me do some quick, rough, basic math. Right now as it is, downloading avast! takes me around 2 and a Half Hours on Dial Up. And avast! is right now around 23MB, right? So, downloading AVG would take me FIVE HOURS? :o
avast is 21.98MB for the English version, not small but way lower than the 46MB of avg8.0.
You must have a really bad dial-up as I average 3.5-4.5 minutes per MB download on my dial-up connection. So 77 minutes best to 99 minutes worst, way below your 150 minutes ??? the download directly from avast.com is usually quicker than the one from CNet.
I just added a signature to say I have a firewall in the router too. Though since I’ve had this PC (4 months) the first 2 months were on dialup just using Avast/Windows Firewall/Spybot. Had broadband for 2 months now and since then added Zonealarm as I wasn’t sure how effective the hardware firewall was. ZoneAlarm detected very few intrusions until I started using the BBC iPlayer. Still a tiny number recorded compared to the thousands when I had ZoneAlarm on the old computer on dial up.
Not sure how that refers back to my original question WRT viruses & Avast!
That sounds about right, David. When I was on dialup (upgraded to DSL about a month ago), I thought in terms of per hour rather than per minute, since it was only larger things that concerned me. And usually I’d average about 12-15 megs an hour, maybe 18 if I was lucky.
" ...Anyway, ought I be pleased that a virus hasn't come along or worried that Avast hasn't detected any."
I've been using Avast! Home edition since 2004 . I would say the defence it offers is excellent . Thus no virus detections during scans , unless you have a virus . It's always good to scan with a non resident AV just to satisfy yourself that nothing has been overlooked . The philosophy with ALWIL Avast! from my experience is to not get infected in the first place , so again I say the defence it offers is excellent ;D
Scan with other AV's periodically as no one product will detect everything . Avast! keeps them out which is obviously a good thing ;)
So I feel protected from a few diff programs.