Tech Supports View of AOL AVS

[Drew99GT]

Tech Support (http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm#5) really rips this program by saying AVG and Avast have better protection against hostile websites. I know Avast has a webshield. How can AVG have any protection against websites? Also, the comment about lack of control over the quarantine of AVS - is that legit? Thoughts in general?

[duke1959]

I used this, and had troubles with BSOD due to conflicts with Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. I didn't have that problem using it with Comodo Firewall though. Now as far as Quarantine, it had one that I used after it found some spyware and put them there with no problems. It has a Back Up too. You can schedule different types of scans for Critical Areas, Full Computer, and Start up, plus set them each for different hours and times, of which there is Daily, Weekly and Monthly. I'm going by memory here, but this is fairly close. It has E-Mail, and in the Quarantine and Back Up section there is Event Logs, and Update Information Areas too. I could go on, but the reason I'm telling you all this, is that even with the BSOD that was verified because of some conflicts with how it starts up with some Firewalls, I still really like AOL AVS. That's why after just reading what Tech Support Alert had to say about it, i will say i lost my respect for that website. As far as AVG I'm not sure if it scans the web like Avast does, but I know AVS was scanning FireFox as I logged on because I could check to see if it was scanning different files as it did. Anyway I'm tired so good night for now, but I will be interested to hear what others have to say about Tech Support Alert.

[TAP]

I think, maybe AVG Free Edition has some kind of plug-in (similar to F-Prot 4) that used for scan some particular files downloaded via HTTP traffic through IE.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "I used this, and had troubles with BSOD due to conflicts with Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall. " }-

As far as I remember Sunbelt Kerio is notorious for BSODs itself, not due to any conflicts. However I am not sure they have fixed the issue or not?

[tilkov]

-{ Quote: "I think, maybe AVG Free Edition has some kind of plug-in (similar to F-Prot 4) that used for scan some particular files downloaded via HTTP traffic through IE." }-

This message is from the filesystem shield. Notice the path, it's pointing to a file on the disk. For example, Avast's webshield shows a website address when virus is detected.

I am wondering, is there any point of having webshield at all... The infected files are always written to the disk (and are being scanned).

[TAP]

-{ Quote: "This message is from the filesystem shield. Notice the path, it's pointing to a file on the disk." }-

It also shows URL:http://... of the file first, and AVG resident shield doesn't generally scan archives (zip, rar, cab) in real time. So I think maybe it's the AVG 's plug-in for IE to scan particular files downloaded via IE.

-{ Quote: "I am wondering, is there any point of having webshield at all... The infected files are always written to the disk (and are being scanned)." }-

As far as I know, there're some malware that can be executed in memory (by browsers) first or without writing files to the disk.

[ellison64]

I think enabling avgs "on close scanning" in resident shield properties would have this effect.
ellison

[Don Pelotas]

That review is a joke at best, not only that, it's also inaccurate on several counts.

1. AOL avs does include the heuristics.

2. It doesn't install the toolbar that would be capable (at least in theory) of communicating with AOL without asking you, it gives you the option during the install if you want to use it or not.

3. They (probably just a he) claim AVG is a better option because the AOL/kav doesn't include the HTTP scanner found in the full version of Kaspersky 6.0......... hmm AVG free doesn't have a HTTP scanner and as for detection, please have a look at something like the http://www.av-comparatives.org/ and see if AVG came even close to the detection of Kaspersky in any of these tests!

A tip to the freeloaders. :D ;)

Install AOL avs + AppDefend (http://www.ghostsecurity.com/appdefend/), then use it with the XP firewall because AppDefend/RegDefend will give you outbound protection and the XP Fw will protect inbound. AppDefend includes RegDefend and it will probably be free for a long time yet because it has been in beta status for the best part of a year and there a no signs that it is even close to a final release just yet, so you could use these two together and have a quite formiddable defense for free or install PrevX (http://www.prevx.com/) (easiest option, that will give almost no popups to make a decision about), it give you the same kind of protection and is free until you get infected and after that it will protect/clean for another 28 days to my knowledge, before you need to pay for it, but as long as nothing is detected it's free..:)

[ellison64]

Isnt there some errors in this techsupport review of AOL AVS?For example it says you are not given the choice of whther to install the IE toolbar ,but thats not true.

"On the subject of installing AOL AVS automatically installs the AOL search bar in Internet Explorer as part of the AVS install. You are not giving the option at any stage of opting out though to be fair, you can afterwards un-install the search bar if you wish."

Unless somethings changed in the last few weeks YOU ARE given the option to install the toolbar or not.
ellison

[ggf31416]

-{ Quote: "
On first site it seems like an unbeatable deal but it's not quite what it seems. First this really is a "lite" version. It lacks the important html and heuristics modules present in the full Kaspersky product so the protection afforded against hostile web sites is actually inferior to AVG and Avast!." }-

Inferior to AVG? The review is a joke!!! :o

Inferior to Avast? In some cases that may be possible, if the malware is executed without being written first to a temp file.

-{ Quote: "
On the subject of installing AOL AVS automatically installs the AOL search bar in Internet Explorer as part of the AVS install. You are not giving the option at any stage of opting out though to be fair, you can afterwards un-install the search bar if you wish." }-

Pure FUD against AOL, you only need a single click to don't install the toolbar

[rdsu]

So, do you think that we can trust on AOL AVS?

AOL doesn't seems to be a "clean" company...

[Don Pelotas]

-{ Quote: "So, do you think that we can trust on AOL AVS?

AOL doesn't seems to be a "clean" company..." }-
It really doesn't matter if you think AOL is not a "clean" company, because if you don't install the toolbar during the install of AOL AVS, all you have is a version of Kaspersky 6.0 with AOL skin.

[rdsu]

-{ Quote: "It really doesn't matter if you think AOL is not a "clean" company, because if you don't install the toolbar during the install of AOL AVS, all you have is a version of Kaspersky 6.0 with AOL skin." }-
If AOL didn't touched on the KAV code, I think that everything else is fine...

[Don Pelotas]

-{ Quote: "If AOL didn't touched on the KAV code, I think that everything else is fine..." }-
They haven't touched anything, they just bought the right to give this out and a toolbar option & new EULA was added, the skinning option already exist for everyone to make his own skin(only in the full Kaspersky 6.0), if they can of course.

[rdsu]

-{ Quote: "They haven't touched anything, they just bought the right to give this out and a toolbar option & new EULA was added, the skinning option already exist for everyone to make his own skin(only in the full Kaspersky 6.0), if they can of course." }-
Thanks for the info :)

[Drew99GT]

I thought you all would see things differently. Normally, I really like reading Tech Support, but when I read that, I was kinda shocked! OK, well, that dude also thinks Windows Defender is good :D

[rdsu]

Don Pelotas,

Did you know what is time that AOL will mantain this for free?
What is the time of the free license?
AOL AVS will also have the last updates of the stable versions of KAV?

Thanks

[Don Pelotas]

-{ Quote: "Don Pelotas,

Did you know what is time that AOL will mantain this for free?
What is the time of the free license?
AOL AVS will also have the last updates of the stable versions of KAV?

Thanks" }-
I don't know how long AOL will offer this, the license is a one year license.

About program updates, i'm sure that AOL users will get fixes, critical fixes etc via the updater automaticly, i'm also almost 100% sure that you won't get major program updates like the one which be released shortly (the MP1).

[aigle]

Sorry, what is MP1?

[BlueZannetti]

-{ Quote: "Sorry, what is MP1?" }-Maintenance Pack 1 - an initial and quick minor version release to address problems uncovered after the initial public release.

Blue

[duke1959]

So was there anything reported about AOL AVS having conflicts with some Firewalls? Stem posted in the "other firewalls" section that he experienced the same BSOD using SKPF 4.2.3 and AVS as I did. I know SKPF has had troubles, but I had this version installed with Antivir for quite awhile with no problems. I also had ZA free 6.1.744 installed without incident until adding AVS and then got two BSOD. Then upon new release of version 6.5.737 I had one BSOD while still using AVS at the time. I didn't get one after installing Comodo Firewall however, but my PC did run slightly slower than with ZA Free and AVS. I guess it had to do with the greater amount of protection CPF offers and the way AVS scans files in real time, because it is noticably faster now with CPF and AVG Free. Which is really good now that Tech Support says AVG Free is better than AOL AVS. LOL.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Maintenance Pack 1 - an initial and quick minor version release to address problems uncovered after the initial public release.

Blue" }-
Thanks Blue.

[rdsu]

At least this seems to be the best free available option for an AV...

Runs very well :)