Reason not to use AVG?

[blazr63]

I emailed Ewido with this question:

Does your product offer browser home page hijacking protection? Also, does it guard Windows startup items?

Reply:
Sorry, but our Software does not have such protection functions, but our software of course detects threats that try to change the Browser settings, we detected them as Hijackers and also other trojans that create new startup entries.

[acooldozen]

............and the point is? ;)

[The Gorilla]

Ths is a very good product especially if you used as part of a layerd security system.
I use an AV, AVG AS and windows defender along with spywareguard and blaster. Ths protects me,

[twl845]

I am using the AVG 7.5 (ewido) which has done a good job for me. The only quirk is that after doing a scan, my system gets a little unstable and may require a restart to settle it down. Nothing serious, just a little inconvenient. Has anyone experienced this?

[TopperID]

-{ Quote: "Does your product offer browser home page hijacking protection? Also, does it guard Windows startup items?" }-
Why would you want it to monitor these (or BHOs, Hosts File, etc, etc), you can always run Windows Defender, Spyware Guard, or goodness knows what else to cover these positions.

What AVG-AS does it does well, namely scanning executables starting in order to intercept the spyware laden trojans that may, if they ever get running, make the changes you want monitored.

If a trojan is able to attempt to change your Home Page and startup entries, then it must have got running which means it is likely to cause damage. Much better to stop it from running in the first place - which is what AVG-AS is aiming to do. Checking on the things you want will then be another (last ditch!) layer of defence if all else fails.
-{ Quote: "The only quirk is that after doing a scan, my system gets a little unstable and may require a restart to settle it down. Nothing serious, just a little inconvenient. Has anyone experienced this?" }-
I've not had this, but all systems are different!

[blazr63]

My response to your question is another. Why would I want to run more than one anti-spyware program for realtime protection, when I could run just one (like Spyware Terminator or Spysweeper) that gives me all of the features I want without using extra memory, worrying about conflicts or increasing my boot time? Is AVG's detection rate so superior to other programs that it's worth sacrificing these basic features found in its competitors?

[Bubba]

So as to have a proper discussion and considering it had no support qualities in the original forum....this thread has been moved to a more appropriate forum for further comments.

Bubba

[TopperID]

It sounds to me like you want an all-in-one suite, which is fine if that is what you want.

I do believe that AVG-AS does what it does better than the apps you mention, or else there would indeed be no point in using it. What it does is detect trojans realtime as they attempt to run, and, failing that (due to encryption), as they get unpacked and enter memory. I would be very surprised if SpySweeper has an equivalent performance in this particular area - but I'm always open to correction if someone else knows better.

Remember we are not talking here of detections made after the event by the demand scanner, but the ability to intercept spyware trojans realtime, before they do damage.

The fact that you suggest you can run SpySweeper without worrying about conflicts implies to me that you are unaware of all the problems people have been having with the latest release, which has had severe incompatability problems with many other apps.

There is a very strong case for arguing that extra spyware progs protecting the things you want monitored are entirely unnecessary, because these changes simply never get made if you have configured your system correctly and have appropriate protection. Much better to use HIPS as an alternative if your AV or AT (ie AVG-AS) both get beaten. Who wants to be told they've got a new BHO when it is too late to do anything about it?