Another free AV?

[Blackcat]

I have posted this as a new topic just in case it gets buried in a previous post;

Virus Chaser, a Dr Web Clone, is now available for download.

http://www.viruschaser.com/Eng/index.jsp

Although it was initially thought to be only a trial version, available for 3 months, recent experience has suggested that the way it updates, virus definitions may be available for a much longer period e.g. 12 months.

So there may be another addition to the group of Free Anti-Viruses which are available; AVG, Anti-Vir, Avast, Bit-Defender and E-Trust Promo version.

Even if you are quite happy with your present AV, VC may be worth downloading, as in my experience it does not remember previous installs, so the free virus definitions start again from new. I used VC for a few weeks in February and only reinstalled about a week ago and I have now virus definitions available until August, 2004.

In particular, if your current AV licence is due to run out, VC may be worth a look.

Only problem as I see at present is that there may be no/little support available from the main site. Although again this may have changed.

It will be of interest to see whether the present download shows any changes from that available last February!

[solarpowered candle]

The manual is very comprehensive . Its 4862kb some good reading on a rainy nite. The actual anti virus set up is only 3953kb .

[the Tester]

I've been following the other Virus Chaser thread.

Virus Chaser does look interesting.

BlackCat,
I understand that I would have to uninstall my av program in order to install VC?
I'm not too keen on that idea.

You sure do have a good eye for finding new av programs!!!

[solarpowered candle]

yea too much spare time over the holidays I recon :)

[Blackcat]

Are you going to give VC a try Robert?

I have just checked the main site again and there have been some minor changes in the last week or so. But at least the servers are up and running now.

Will be of interest as to whether the '30-day trial' version is as it states.

When you first update, either automatically, or manually by using the red spider icon in the system tray, check the update window. After this first update, it will then state how long the virus definitions are available for.

[solarpowered candle]

Till the 1st of october , but there are 4 more codes next too the code that is current , so you never know it may continue into those after that date , I do not know why they have these extra codes there. Had to take off my e trust in order to load up VC . I have to say although its quite nice (VC) , I find e trust promo much more to my liking it really flows and is very easy to work with . ( me thinks I have become addicted to it --- must be the nice colours lol )

[Blackcat]

Tester

When I first downloaded and used VC back in February I had big problems in trying to install it on several machines with other AV programs already on there.

However, another user of VC, vcf, had no such problems.

I reloaded VC again recently and I am presently using it as a backup scanner on my laptop. So I installed it first, then installed my main scanner and had no problems.

I take no credit in finding Virus Chaser as I was not the one who originally posted.

I just think at the present time, if the updates do last for 12 months, then this free AV program is definitely worth considering. Particularly as it uses the Dr Web engine, which we all know is a good one. Further, it uses even less resources than Dr Web so it would be a good choice for older computers.

[Tinribs]

I was tempted to try it out as well some months back, but it didnt like Kav being on my system, shame because I like Kav being on my system more than VC ;)

[Blackcat]

Quoted by Viruschaserfan;

'BTW I'm not sure why you guys say it's only a 3 month trial, being using it since Feb and though the expirday date license says 3 months, it always changes after each update. Mine currently reads May 2004'.

As stated above some of us who downloaded the program in February had our original 3-month licence extended to a much longer period.

However, SPC's experience with the present download suggests this may not be the case.

So my view that Virus Chaser may be a free AV program may be a little optimistic at this time.

If people download the present version and install, can you post back here as regards the length of time this 'trial' version seems to last.

[minacross]

How much does this AV cost?
I cannot find any info about its price or how to buy it at the website .. ??? ???

[Blackcat]

Check out the main virus chaser thread, minacross

This Korean AV at the present time is not for sale overseas, only the Asian market.

So at the present time, only the trial version is available. But it is fully functional.

[minacross]

Regarding updating the av, I changed me pc's date to 9/1/2005 and then tried to update the av and it did work ??? ??? (the program shows the the expiry on Oct 1 ,2004).
It said that I have the latest update (9/1/2003)..

[gusanito]

my VirusChaser says: expire day: tuesday september 30. ::) I hope it won´t expire thay day because I like this antivirus, I used to have dr. web. and I see that there is not important diference between them.

[minacross]

SpIDer Guard detected a virus called "Win.SCRIPT.BATCH.Virus" at a program I have called hijackthis.zip http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/~merijn/index.html
I use Nod32 ver.2 with the latest virus update (1.498 dtd 9/1/2003) and it did not detect this virus ???
Is it a false positive? ??? ???

[Paul Wilders]

minacross,

To be on the sure side: are we talking VirusChaser or Dr.Web here? In case it's Dr.Web, I'll split the post and turn it into a new thread ;)

The Dr.Web engine is notorious for false positives, due to the very strong heuristics. Yes, HijackThis is a perfectly sound program (zipped or unzipped); a false positive it is ;)

regards.

paul

[minacross]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Paul Wilders link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=0#msg84635 date=1062489834]
minacross,

To be on the sure side: are we talking VirusChaser or Dr.Web here? In case it's Dr.Web, I'll split the post and turn it into a new thread ;)

The Dr.Web engine is notorious for false positives, due to the very strong heuristics. Yes, HijackThis is a perfectly sound program (zipped or unzipped); a false positive it is ;)

regards.

paul
" }-

SpIDer Guard is installed as a component of Virus chaser. I do not have Dr.Web on my system !
I ran a full system scan using VC, it found a virus called "COM.EXE.CRYPT.Virus" in the zip file of Avast 7 for DOS ??? ???
Are all these just false positives? ???

[wizard]

-{ Quote: " quoting: minacross link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg84650 date=1062495247]
Are all these just false positives? ???" }-

Yes. The virus names state that it is a heuristic detection which means the files could be viruses but don't need to as in the examples you mentioned. Normally we recommand DrWeb (or in your case VirusChaser which is IMHO similar) only to experienced users who are able to decide wether a heuristic detection is correct or not.


wizard

[Paul Wilders]

minacros,

99,99% sure a false positive. Keep in mind the DRWeb engine is built this way: using very strong heuristics. For that reason we don't recommend using this software unless one has the knowledge to examine (countless) sortalike false positives popping up over on our antiviruses page (http://www.wilders.org/anti_viruses.htm).

You can submit the files on line for free to KAV and some others; see our free services page (http://www.wilders.org/free_services.htm) for a double check.

regards.

paul

[Viruschaserfan]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Blackcat link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=0#msg84334 date=1062398365]
Quoted by Viruschaserfan;

'BTW I'm not sure why you guys say it's only a 3 month trial, being using it since Feb and though the expirday date license says 3 months, it always changes after each update. Mine currently reads May 2004'.

As stated above some of us who downloaded the program in February had our original 3-month licence extended to a much longer period.

However, SPC's experience with the present download suggests this may not be the case.

So my view that Virus Chaser may be a free AV program may be a little optimistic at this time.

" }-

Actually based on the response by SPC and minacross I would say they have exactly the same version as the one I have.

As for false positives, Viruschaser is extremely FP prone. At one point, I read reports that it IDed it's own files as a keylogger :)

I don't think it likes Javacool's Spywareblaster too.

Either way I use it own to scan on demand.

[Weber]

I installed it and it says that it expires on October 2nd. :'(

[Blackcat]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Viruschaserfan link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg84678 date=1062506844]


Actually based on the response by SPC and minacross I would say they have exactly the same version as the one I have.

" }-

Those people who have recently downloaded VC have indeed the same version 5 that was available in February. No arguments there ;).

BUT it seems as if they do not have the extended trail period which was available in February. Officially from their site, it was a 3-month trial version which has now been reduced to a 1 month period.

In addition, as you stated previously, in this 'February' version, the period for obtaining virus definitions was extended after updating to 12 months.

The PRESENT dowloadable Virus Chaser appears to be available for ONLY a one month trial period as no one has reported back that this has been extended after they updated the program.

And Weber has just supported my view ;).

[minacross]

I downloaded the manual .doc file but I can not open it as I receive an illegal operation error from my word97 :'( :'(
So, could anyone tell me the difference between checking/unckecking the scan option "Suspicious File" in both "File scan" & "System monitor" .. ??? ???

[gusanito]

Hi, I announced Virus Chaser in "softonic"( spanish program distributor) and many people is getting this program, this is good because Virus Chaser people have to do something to provide their product to us. I still don't have answear from Virus Chaser, I sent 3 mails to them. ::)

[Khaine]

Virus Chaser and Dr. Web both cause my win2k machine to boot really really slowly :(

They also caused a BSOD, with an access fault in ntoskrnl.exe

Pity cause I really liked their resource usage :(

[minacross]

BTW, does anyone know how to exclude files from being scanned ? ???

[Blackcat]

-{ Quote: " quoting: minacross link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg84959 date=1062624150]
I downloaded the manual .doc file but I can not open it as I receive an illegal operation error from my word97 :'( :'(
So, could anyone tell me the difference between checking/unckecking the scan option "Suspicious File" in both "File scan" & "System monitor" .. ??? ???
" }-

The help file is rather sparse at the best of times and it does not differentiate between these scanning options; it simply states the obvious. I have left the default options in both the file scan and the system monitor.

[Blackcat]

-{ Quote: " quoting: minacross link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg85106 date=1062671255]
BTW, does anyone know how to exclude files from being scanned ? ???
" }-

Look at the attached window and select the last box- exclude path setting. However, on my system the exclude function is not working. Virus Chaser brought up some false positives with TDS-3 but I could not exclude them using this selection.

[Blackcat]

I have reverted to using Virus Chaser as a backup scanner. This window is just to show that you could obtain 12 months of free updates with the download available in February.

[minacross]

VC update date sometime is one day ahead . ??? ???

[Technodrome]

-{ Quote: " quoting: minacross link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg85243 date=1062704739]
VC update date sometime is one day ahead . ??? ???
" }-

Time zone difference?

Korea--->Egypt. ;)


tECHNODROME

[minacross]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Technodrome link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg85246 date=1062706824]
-{ Quote: " quoting: minacross link=board=24;threadid=13156;start=15#msg85243 date=1062704739]
VC update date sometime is one day ahead . ??? ???
" }-

Time zone difference?

Korea--->Egypt. ;)


tECHNODROME
" }-

did not even cross my mind :-[ ;D ;D ;D ;D