Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with antivirus

How can I uninstall AVG 8 antivirus software, when normal uninstall doesn't work?

LobsterMitten — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:34:16 -0800

Botched AVG 8 install on Windows XP machine, now setup program (uninstall/repair/install) hangs. The partial install is causing problems. How can we get AVG off the machine when normal uninstall won't work? Details inside on the many things we've tried. Been working with AVG help forum, but they don't seem to be addressing the specific problems I'm having.

The machine is running XP with SP2, have ZoneAlarm firewall and AdAware running.

What happened with the original installation (and subsequent attempts using the setup program):
After going through the initial menu choices, the program attempts to create or back up a bunch of files. When it gets to setup.cfg, updatecomps.cfg, or avgmwdef_us.mht (depending on the situation), the setup program stops responding, and then the computer then stops responding to the mouse or keyboard.

Symptoms:
The Email Scanner portion of AVG8 never installs, and the anti-virus scans never complete successfully.

What we have tried unsuccessfully:
I've cleaned up the registry, checked permissions, checked for file or system errors, tried running the setup program under various conditions including turning ZA firewall and AdAware off.

It's worth noting that for a time, the setup program would finish, but fail, giving me the message "Action failed for file _AVG7_avg7rsxp.sys". I haven't been able to replicate this for a couple days, though.

Ran Revo uninstaller, but since it runs the same AVG setup program, ran into the same problem.

where do my viruses come from?

stupidsexyFlanders — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:58:36 -0800

When AVG antivirus finds a virus, it tells me where it is and the filename. Is there any way to find out where it came from? I'm showing a handful of trojans and exploits over the past six months and I'm curious.

Thin Defence

Kronos_to_Earth — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:05:21 -0800

Is 'Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware' and Spysweeper (along with the firewall) enough to keep a PC clean? I recently switched to Trend Micro; during the installation the program warned that I would have to uninstall Spybot and AdAware 2007 (free version). This leaves me with Spysweeper and whatever capability TM has in this respect. I'd like to have at least two antispyware utilities; is Trend Micro's antispyware facility as effective as either of the two that had to be removed? (The operating system is Windows XP, SP3)

Problems with antivirus software. How do I check there aren't any viruses?

Jack Alucard — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:30:27 -0800

I think my computer might have a virus. Are there any trustworthy security testing services that I can use to conclusively prove whether or not this is the case? I've owned my current laptop for less than a year, and as far as I can remember, I activated my copy of Norton Anti-virus when I first got the laptop. Unfortunately NAV decided to switch itself off last week and then it demanded that I entered the activatation code for the software; I couldn't complete the activation process because the anti-virus software wouldn't detect my internet connection.

The weird thing is the anti-virus software has started working again and Liveupdate claims that it was run yesterday, but it still displays a message saying that I'll need to activate the software within a certain number of days (before it just switched off and said that I needed to activate the software immediately).

I'm worried that this weirdness from the anti-virus is an indicator that some malware has got onto my computer.

Are there any reputable security testing companies that I can use to garauntee with 100% certainty that there's no malware on my computer? Also, how do I get someone else to scan the computer without allowing them the opportunity to copy my personal data?

Want AVG 7.5 back!!!

Rad_Boy — Sat, 03 May 2008 11:53:43 -0800

Looking for AVG Antivirus 7.5 freeware. I just installed 8.0 and I want to go back! After upgrading to Grisoft AVG 8.0 I decided I didn't like it: It's not user friendly and does way more than I want. I'd love to go back to the old version (7.5) but I had to uninstall it and I no longer have the installation files. I looked but I can't find version 7.5 anywhere. Can anyone help?

Norton stinks

gerryblog — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:01:19 -0800

Do I really need Norton installed? Last night my free update to Norton 2008 randomly killed my network connection -- from Google, it looks as though its firewalling may be a little overzealous. Uninstalling Norton brought my network back, but it also revealed how much faster my computer runs with no Norton installed: amazingly faster.

Do I really need it? What are my alternatives, if I leave Norton off?

It's a several-years old Toshiba laptop running Windows XP. Will I be clogged by viruses by the end of the day if I don't reinstall Norton 2007? Is there something else I can rely on instead that won't gum up my works?

I already use Spybot and AdAware, and I only go to "normal" sites. (I'm not downloading warez or porn.)

Protect the droids

Brandon1600 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:56:36 -0800

I am in the market for some new anti-virus software and possibly a new router. Any recommendations? I had to do an overhaul on my laptop last week, so now is as good a time as any to fine tune my internet protection. I currently have a three year old HP Pavilion laptop running Win XP SP2 through a 2WIRE DSL router using AT&T/SBC DSL. I used to use Trendmicro but it got wiped so I am looking for some recommendations. Some have suggested not running any AV at all, but this just blows my mind. The idea is that you are ok as long as you have a good physical and software firewall. I am just looking for a good set-up to protect my computer from hackers and malicious programs. Thanks

Virus protection stats?

flibbertigibbet — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:23:58 -0800

I need your help to settle a debate. Could you suggest the safest antivirus setup, within the confines of Windows XP and a wireless internet connection, with the least bloat, and provide the statistics to prove it? I need more than simple AV comparatives. I need stats on the virtues of Firefox versus IE, on using two function-differentiated user accounts (admin versus everyday, with the 'everyday' account having no admin privileges), etc. Can you help? In essence, my father trusts a bloatware "known vector" that is eating up my laptop's resources (Norton2008) to alternative setups that he claims would "let the vampires [viruses] into the house."

This is the same man who blamed the beginnings of a hard drive failure (which was at that point mainly limited to weird behaviour) on my installing Firefox and WinAmp "because [I] like to use 'weird' software just to be 'cool,'" which, you guessed it, "let the vampires into the house." He later recanted that position, given that virus scans were clean, and that the hard drive actually failed catastrophically due to a manufacturing defect.

Basically, I put in the anecdote above to prove that he prefers the things he knows, no matter their faults, to new, potentially better, solutions. This is why I need cold hard stats, lest I go crazy because of the slowness Norton's bloat brought to an otherwise pretty decent computer.

The fact is, Norton is still more efficient than some of the AVs I'm considering (AVG-free, avast!, and maybe shelling out a bit to get NOD32, etc.), but if my setup as a whole is safer that his setup, I may have a case.

Any help?

Seeking advice on anti-virus and other security software

danwalker — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:20:10 -0800

What software (or combination of software) are you using to keep your computer internet-secure these days? I work for a not-for-profit org and am finding myself increasingly responsible for its IT needs. We're about twenty people in an office, with another six or seven halfway across the country, and perhaps another half-dozen roaming the landscape as remote employees. A mix of fairly barebones Dell laptops and desktops, all running some flavour of Windows XP. Most users use 'limited' accounts, but some are admin where necessary. Everyone has MS Office and Outlook for everyday tasks, there's a lot of browsing with IE or Firefox, and not much else goes on.

Our IT intelligence isn't that hot, so we have a mishmash of various anti-virus scanners and other such software on the machines. It's mostly Avast, which scares our less-savvy users with its sirens and voices shouting out when it's done something. (I can give these users a hug and discreetly change their notification settings while they get over it, but the exercise is getting kind of annoying.)

Anyway, being a fan of Spybot S&D myself, but with very little specific anti-virus software knowledge, I'm looking for some feedback on options available out there today. What would you recommend? Is S&D ok to run alongside other AV software, or do the two clash?

(Free is better for a not-for-profit, of course, though commercial software will be considered. And the main goal here is to keep each individual machine secure - outfitting our overall network with more security and assessing the ways we communicate with remote users will be the subject of a future AskMeFi post, I'm sure.)

Simple Update-able Antivirus CD?

joshnunn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:10:16 -0800

I'm after a bootable antivirus CD to scan a Windows XP computer. It must be fast, update-able and easy to use. I know about all the various live CDs (such as the linux variety boot CDs and Bart PE) that have all sort of utilities, but they usually take a while to set up and have far more features than I need. Additionally, when the virus definitions are out-of-date, you have to repeat the process and create the CD all over again.

What I'm after (in an ideal world) would be a program that runs on safe computer that gets daily updates like a regular antivirus program, but that instead of running scans, it could create an antivirus CD on demand that had the latest definitions on it. Kinda like a disposable antivirus CD creator.

Alternatively, just one I could download every now and again that I could just pop in a computer, run a test and reboot - no fiddling with menus and choosing the right application etc.

Am I asking too much? Does such a thing exist?

Thank you!

What are the lightest-weight antispyware and antivirus programs?

Ricket — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:29:46 -0800

What is a good lightweight anti-spyware/anti-virus application that wouldn't slow down an already old, slow computer, and would act as an extra layer on top of good behavior and careful Firefox usage? My step-sister had an old laptop (celeron 1.2ghz, 256mb ram) that she put in storage some months ago because she got tired of how slow it became over time, likely due to spyware and general clutter. We found it and now I've reformatted it, but before I give it to her I want to try and make sure she doesn't slow it down again.

In my household, all of my computers are set up to always use Firefox (no IE here!), and I use a modified HOSTS file to try and block malicious websites at the lowest level possible (google "hosts file" for more info). However, for maximum performance, and because I don't generally need it, I don't use any anti-spyware or anti-virus software, so I'm out of date on the latest and greatest.

I'm going to make sure she does the same now (she used to use IE, eww!). So I know that the likelihood of spyware is low, but I still feel like there should be one more piece of automatic protection there, since I won't be able to keep track of what sort of spyware-infested things she might get into. Is there a good free anti-spyware/anti-virus software out there that wouldn't bog the system down noticeably, yet would provide that extra little bit of protection just in case? It doesn't need to be terribly reliable, but I'm talking about something that would hopefully stop her from (for instance) opening a bad attachment from a stranger, or stumbling upon a website that isn't covered by the hosts file and asks her to download a spyware-infested installer.

Oh, and even though I posed those examples that require real-time protection, feel free to help me out with a suggestion that requires manual running; I would certainly consider it!

Thanks!
-Ricket

Help with anti virus

ok — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:42:14 -0800

What is the best anti virus software? My Panda subscription is about to expire. Is there an independent service that reviews them. I haven't had any trouble. Just wondering.

Getting rid of AVG's "Helpful" features?

jimmy — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:43:19 -0800

I've got a file (completely harmless) that my anti-virus program (AVG) sees as a security threat, and am now unable to open it. Is there any way to fix this? The file itself is just a mIRC remote scripts file, and it isn't harboring any viruses. I can't actually open it or allow any other programs to read it, although using HijackThis to kill off some of AVG's startup processes allowed me to be able to move/delete the file. Uninstalling AVG isn't really an option since it's not my box, and I'd rather just figure out how to get the program off my back about this, as this isn't the first time AVG has declared this specific file to be a security threat.

Need to carry a toolbox for boxen

bartleby — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:34:17 -0800

Anyone recommend PC tuneup software, installable to a portable drive or USB stick? Something for tuneups/cleanups, kind of like System Mechanic Portable Toolkit used to do. There used to be a couple of products, that either ran like a LiveCD or could be installed on an external drive, which could scan a random PC's local hard drives, registry, memory, etc. and clean things up/diagnose problems.

I could really use some sort of portable tuneup kit like that, but I'm not finding what I'm looking for. Anyone use something like that? Made your own and can help me with a some recommendations of what to include?

I've never needed something like this for a Mac, so Windows suggestions only please.

Antivirus for server OS at home?

jfuller — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:51:25 -0800

Is there a decent antivirus for MS server operating systems that doesn't cost a breathtaking amount? One of my home machines was getting very crufty. I rebuilt it dual-boot--Ubuntu on one side and, on a wild hare, an old copy of Win 2000 server on the other. I figured I'd build a tiny mini-domain for the home network. When I reached the point of doing the security setup I discovered that the free AV I have been using won't run on 2000 server. They all see "server," assume I'm a business, and insist on a different (and not free) version. AVG Free won't run; AOL's free antivirus (by Kaspersky, and reputedly pretty good) won't run. Kaspersky's own lower-price home edition no support 2K or 2K3 server. Don't even mention Symantec or Macafee, I'm not Scrooge McDuck. I'm presently using ClamWin but the scheduled scans don't seem to be running; I have to fire off the scans manually. Are there any other affordable/effective choices?

navapsvc

KRS — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 08:58:51 -0800

navapsvc.exe hogs 62-70% of processor time I use the 2003 version of Norton SystemWorks, since everyone says later versions are bloated. Lately, navapsvc.exe, the Norton Antivirus Autoprotect scanner, has been hogging a minimum of 62%, and up to 70%, of processor capacity, making everything run at a snail's pace.

I've turned it off temporarily and surfed only to places I know are safe, and everything is nice and snappy.

Is there a setting to limit the amount of processor time/capacity it uses? Is that safe?

Or is it time to switch to virus protection with a smaller footprint? And if so, which one? I want the best protection, even if I need to buy a commercial program.

Need new internet security programs

Joleta — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:48:58 -0800

I need advice for buying a new internet security suite (or individual programs). For the past few years I've been using McAfee Internet Security Suite, buying a new version each year to keep up to date, and getting 12 months of virus updates. However, I've just read some troubling reviews of McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 and am thinking I might want to go with something else. I've had bad luck with Norton products in the past but will keep an open mind. I like the ease of a suite of products for anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam, etc. but I'm willing to consider separate products. Ease of use wins out over price. Think of this question like, what would you recommend to your mother, and you can't be there to keep it running right all the time. My computer is Windows XP Media Center Edition. And how much trouble will I have uninstalling my current McAfee Security Suite 2006 if I switch to something else?

How can I kill a Norton AntiVirus 2007 install that's slowing a PC to a crawl?

wheat — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 06:14:55 -0800

Norton Antivirus 2007 is killing my wife's PC (I think). How do I get in there and disable/uninstall it. And what should I use instead? My wife's Dell PC (Inspiron 5100, WinXP Home Edition, Pentium 4) has been happily running Norton Antivirus 2003. Her virus definition subscription ran out, and it cost the same to update the definitions an to upgrade to Antivirus 2007, so I went for it. Now she's suffering through slow restarts, slow launches, and explorer.exe crashes (eating up 100% of the processor after it's been running for any length of time). I can't even get a clean shutdown. I finally have to just power it off.

What can be done? I've tried in vain to pull up the control panel so I can uninstall Norton. Is there a command-line way to do so (I'm familiar with bash, but much less so with DOS)? Is there a way to start it up in safe mode so I can try to fix things?

If I determine this is the problem (and it seems to be--I haven't modified anything else), what should I run instead? This is an older laptop. I need something that won't eat up all the processor.

Norton Antivirus for Mac question: What's the best way to configure SafeZones?

EmuBite — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:06:48 -0800

Norton Antivirus for Mac question: What's the best way to configure SafeZones? I just picked up Norton Antivirus for Mac (10.0). I needed an AV solution because my workplace requires it, so let's avoid the "Macs don't need virus protection" argument. As a project manager for a scientific journal, I have hundreds of files (mainly graphics and documents) come across my desktop on a daily basis. It would be very bad to spread a virus in my office. Enter NAV.

I have NAV set to Scan Everywhere (Universal SafeZone), but this is probably overkill and I don't want to unecessarily tax my system. Most of the files I'm worried about come from mounted CDs/DVDs and e-mail. In addition, all of the files I download are shuttled from my Desktop to Documents folder.

So, here's my question: How should I set my SafeZones? If I set my SafeZones only to scan my Desktop and Documents folder, will my e-mail (via Entourage) be scanned as well? How does NAV for Mac go about scanning incoming and outgoing e-mail, anyway?

Thanks for any advice.

I'm looking for my missing piece, one that won't increase...

bingo — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:13:18 -0800

Antivirus software on WinXP SP2: Finding the balance between something that will protect my computer and something that won't slow down my system or interfere with my working online. What I guess might make me different from the average antivirus-advice-asker is that I would definitely prefer to err in favor of short-term convenience. I want full use of my CPU, and I want to be able to VPN, fileshare, or what have you without having to disable or delete the antivirus software in order to get it out of my way. And in fact, since that's been such a pain every time I've tried antivirus software, I haven't used any in years. Also, I work with my firewall down, because it prevents me from using VPN, which I'm using pretty much constantly. I've been operating this way for years, and have had no problems (that I know of, admittedly).

However, today I found that I have been infected with the Zodiak virus, causing Limewire to start automatically every time I boot up, even though it was not set to do so. So I went through the motions of removing the virus, and now I suppose I'm reluctantly ready to try something else, if there is something minimalist and infrequent in its operation. I am definitely not looking for something that hovers in the system tray and monitors my every move. Condescending cutesy little icons are also unwelcome, to the point that I would rather have to deal with a virus than see those things on my desktop.

Spywarequake sucks!

jimmythefish — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 17:18:24 -0800

Grrrr...blinking Virus Alert! icon and popup message in my taskbar tray and undead SpyWareQuake software keeps reinstalling itself. Help! Done a search for every possible solution, AVG doesn't pick it up, nothing I can find or do will help. Any ideas?

Protect me from the Kama Sutra!

juggler — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 10:59:59 -0800

Am I safe from the Kama Sutra virus? CNN says it launches on the 3rd. I have Norton Antivirus 2004 and it is updated, but searching the Symantec site didn't tell me anything specific about this worm. I am going to backup all my data tonight, but would like to know all I can about preventing trouble.

How does virus scanning work?

Gyan — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 03:13:41 -0800

How does virus scanning work? There are thousands of viruses/virii to look for, and yet the filenames cycle through instantaneously. My initial theory was that the scanner queries for the last time the file was modified. If after the previous scan, it actually checks for signatures, otherwise it skips through. But this doesn't explain why the checking still seems fast when done from a new A/V scanner. Even factoring all the viruses that are slight variants, there still must be a couple hundred unique types.

How to better secure my server?

geoff. — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 12:43:00 -0800

Help me better secure my server (and workstations). I sit behind a Firebox X700, with an Exchange server, active directory, etc. Today the external address became blacklisted on the CBL. A machines are on SP2 and everything is up to date patch wise. I'm currently running malware detection on all machines. I'd like an effective antivirus program... My users for the most part are smart enough not to get a virus. I'd used to get each workstation (about 25) a copy of McAfee but the amount of popups ("Do you want to update now", "Please extend registration 5 years in advance") would overwhelm the users and they were always calling to see if they should proceed to do whatever McAfee wanted. Also I found it missed some adware.

So I have two questions really, is there a basically "blind to the user" antivirus program that I can deploy from the server and will require limited admin. Basically beyond an install (which I'd like to do remotely) the users shouldn't have to touch it unless it detects something.

Also is there a way to detect which computer is the one who has the virus by monitoring the network? How would this be done? The firewall logs are constantly innundated and I can't figure out how to see what's good and what's bad.

what is a good mac antivirus program?

k8t — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 04:54:26 -0800

What is a good Mac antivirus program? I work at a corporation. We currently use Norton AntiVirus for mac and I don't like it. (1. it had issues with the 10.3.9 upgrade and any install of Tiger. 2. it sends a false positive for the 1 mac virus out there and won't clean it up. 3. we're all mixed up with some corporate versions and some retail versions and figuring out who has what would be too time consuming.) I don't have the time to manage the backend, so I'd like one that updates via the internet. It would also be helpful if it was easy to install. Any suggestions?