USMLE/NBME software not working due to Avast

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Im using the USMLE 150 Q sample software called Fred V2 and im getting an error with it that I only got after installing avast.

http://i55.tinypic.com/fbjre9.jpg

I contacted the usmle support and they said to disable antivirus. I tried to shut down shield but that didn’t work. Is there anyway I can turn it off without uninstalling it?

2

Upload NED.exe to http://www.virustotal.com/ and post the results URL back here.

See http://spywarefiles.prevx.com/RRIJIG11759/NED.EXE.html. Did you have Norton installed on this machine before? NED.exe has also a malware history, according to the site.

3

No never installed symantec. I think this NED has to do with the software its not the same one as the one for symantec.

http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/report.html?id=c68dc8536b8200244fc076af7e8061c6ca9e86e42b60cf19553bb322c9414639-1286293624

4

It looks like you are right. The text string in your results indicate that.

sigcheck: publisher....: NBME[*lb*]copyright....: National Board of Medical Examiners[*lb*]product......: FRED[*lb*]description..: NBME Exam Driver[*lb*]original name: NED.exe[*lb*]internal name: NED[*lb*]file version.: 4.2.0.1[*lb*]comments.....: [*lb*]signers......: -[*lb*]signing date.: -[*lb*]verified.....: Unsigned[*lb*]

Hopefully, Avast staff will see this thread and investigate the conflict.

5

Anyone?

I guess my only option is to uninstall and switch to nod32. I liked to Avast but to make a program that can’t be turned off is just silly. You can never rule out the possibility that someone using your software (even for 95% of the time) may eventually need to turn it off for some reason. Yes Avast team can help with conflicts but they might not find a solution or might take a long time to find one. Not being able to turn off the software is just the greatest form of utter illogic.

6

I find it rather unlikely that avast! could be the cause. But - you didn’t say what version of avast! you have: Free, Pro or IS?

7

Free.

8

What operating system? (and what version of avast! 4 or 5? just to be sure)
So, you’re saying that even if you stop all real-time shields, nothing changes? In that case, I’d really recommend uninstalling avast! and trying again, because I don’t see how the free version of avast! could affect anything if the shields are down.

(And if the uninstallation of avast! helped for some strange reason, my next question would be - is it possible to download that Fred V2 software somewhere?)