Antivir - Stability?

Since found the following report, dated 02/2006 (just before latest AntiVir Version).

Review: Free Antivirus Software {Click Link here}

Copy from above report:

PC WORLD March issue: page 88; reports similar findings in the paragraph just beneath the photo of Avast's "SLICK media-player-style interface...".

 

In my opinion, for the outbreak, it's probably useless if an antivirus software installed on users computer doesn't have a good update mechanism and cannot be updated timely or at least as soon as possible when a virus database released by its vendor.

 

Agreed, first line of defense would be a solid as possible Huerstic, followed by frequent Updates of comprehensive signatures.

Along with all the other sensible precautions and freely available Tools, also kept up-to-date.

 

So what about this please.

 

Hi aigle, I still get as previously posted. what happens when you click the next button? tim

 

It accepts all and saves it. The snapshot I took during Edit. I did saw this thing in the past also and I mentioned in my posts. However I edited it to 24 hours( as I was having problem with upates- so thought it might be the cause). Now it shows minimum 1440 as usuall.

 

Prior to a March 2006 Update, you could set that interval for whatever you wanted, think the default was 300 minutes. It was changed to a minimum interval of 1440 minutes (at least on the free version) interval.

Usually using Dial-Up, it checks for update on every connection [tick] the "start Job while connecting..." and I untick the "Repeat job..." which would just give me a "failed update" if 24 hours had passed since a dialup.

For those with an 'always-on' internet connection, you would want more than the one a day Update.

To do this, just "Insert new job" select "Daily" and then (for US ET) 03:00 o'clock (= 9AM at AVIRA's servers) and be sure to have a check in Activated.

Now, create another one the same, except select 06:00 o'clock for a three hour interval, etc., check Activated for each.

You can have as many of those jobs Activated as you want, would think that AVIRA will only issue Updates between 09:00 and 18:00 hours GMT, but that is just my guess.

If that were true, then on Eastern Daylight US time zone, 3, 6, 9, and 12:00 o'clock should keep you covered. They start you with fifteen lines on the Scheduler and may allow more?

 

I scraped AntiVir from my list of AV's to use and i don't even recommend it anymore. 1 update check per day is simply not enough even for free program, regardless of other qualities.
Setting tens of update jobs in scheduler is not the way to do it.

Just imagine. Your AV updated at 9:00 AM, there is outbreak at 11:00 AM.
This means you'll have to wait 24 HOURS! for update that has been released lets say just 1 hour after the outbreak. Email based worm outbreak? Fine. But what about more devastating forms that possibly use exploit for distribution?
1 hour as minimal update would be just fine. I ould even cope up to 4 hours minimal interval with update check on new internet connection. But not 24 hours geez ! Like it's not enough that it's using low priority update servers and lack of spyware detection anyway, along with lack of certain settings.

 

You are aware that you can manually update as often as you want, are you?

 

Yeah, like thats what i needed. Clicking Update button all the time. Schedulers were invented almost decade ago you know...
And thats not the point. I'd click that 10 times a day if i'd wanted to, but most of people expect it to "just work". And such won't click Update button at all.
Thats why i don't like this idea. Program itself is great, no arguing with that, but you seriously screwed up with this updater decision. No hard feelings meant though.

 

U have to make these settings once only, so I can do it as long as it is free and good.
However I don,t know paid version has same problem or not?

 

The premium version can update every 15 minutes if required,however I am quite contented in updating every 24 hours.Perasonally i dont think the updating schedule is that big deal ,especially when it isnt that difficult to perform a manual update (two clicks i believe)...the notifier is a different kettle of fish though.
ellison

 

I too have abandoned AntiVir. My experience with their update servers has not been good at all. And I refuse to use it any longer just in principle because of the nag screen notifier. Any software that insists on nagging me is no good in my book. And yes, I know how to disable it too, but just the fact that they push it on people is enough for me to drop it. So onward to other things for me... I agree that it is a good program, but why put up with this stuff when there are plenty of alternatives..

 

From my experience, antivir's update has been much better than before. Usually it only takes less than 20 seconds to finish the process, unless there is a major update.

 

Same here now for awhile

 

Updates are doing fine for me, AvNotify has not been seen since "disallowed" with shek's method.__________________________
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Would appreciate any comments from you knowledgable members on this statement by a moderator {posted here on AntiVir User Forum}:

He also said that it is supposed to only show a particular AvNotify once, I had given up on it when it was showing the same AvNotify over and over on each Update (three or four times a day), at the end of March. Since they have replaced the file a couple times, perhaps that was fixed?

 

The idea of webbrowser is not interesting at all. I could look for the virus information on avira's website manually. If the info is brief. I will further the research by going to other av vendors' websites with the help of aliases.

 

shek,

Thank you for the "disallowed" tip as well as your opinion on the webbrowser idea.

"with the help of aliases." http://www.ircbeginner.com/ircinfo/h-aliases.html

Is the above tutorial on the right track to see what you meant?

 

In this case, aliases mean the different names used by av vendors for the same virus.

Here is an example.

 

I think it is practical because it is integrated seamlessly into the GUI. You get a detection, click on the virusname and receive a description for the virus if there is one available, without having to manually search for it. Many people requested such a feature previously. Of course one could also run the systems standard browser for that, but depending on the system this might take some time or not work at all.

 

As with other posters I also have abandoned Antivir. A few months ago Antivir released an update to the program which was downloaded automatically by the program. It caused a great deal of problems for a large number of people and I know of many who deserted the program, vowing never to return. The level of chaos that the update caused was that severe! On my own system the Antivir update caused so much havoc that I eventually had to wipe my entire system and start again with a clean install. Any programmers who can cause that much mayhem with sloppy work are to be avoided like the plague. I, for one (of many) will never return to within the same postcode of Antivir!

 

It is working OK for me BTW.