Do you disable AV protection?

Never.

 

Only when asked to do so by the application, which is very rare.

 

Such requests are foolish.

Why should you accept a risk because an app believes tgat it cannot be installed with AV enabled?

All AV will do is slow things down.

If an app has timing dependent stuff in the install, get rid of the app.
Do not needlessly disable AV.

 

I have never had to disable my av when dealing with software installs. If it had to be done to get the download I refused the download or install.

 

i never disable my AV for installs of any program, update, or whatever.

 

I always download to disk including all Microsoft security patches (I don't use WU ever). I then scan the program/patch with KAV. Then I pause KAV and turn off PG. If I don't, I have had corrupted installs, frozen computer ...all sorts of bad stuff. I cannot deal with 50 popups from both PG and KAV both pestering me at the same time. Plus, the install generally gets upset if I take too long in reading the popups so I no longer allow either KAV or PG to run during any installs. I never install from run ...I can't on Firefox (that choice is not available for safety) but I wouldn't anyway. I run fast away from sites that say I have to use IE and run to install their application...like Roboform. I didn't read the instructions before installing it the way I do all programs. It caused a huge mess and later I read that you must use IE and must install from run not download to disk. So, forget that program!

 

I used to disable AV, when I used to play high-end games (Doom 3, Far Cry).
Now I do not use AV at all for the same reason, to improve PC's performance.

 

OT continued:

Hmm...If I recall right when I installed Roboform for the first time, I first downloaded it (with firefox, I only use IE for my internet bank) file name: AiRoboform.exe, to my disk and then installed it from the drive. Same goes with all the updates for Roboform. No need to use IE to install it.

 

Well, the FAQ says you must use IE and must do it from run. I could not get it to install after downloading with Fx and scanning it and then trying to install it. The result was it being partly installed evidently (I only know that because I found it in Task Manager) but I had no GUI, it was not in Add/remove programs and the C:\Programs folder for it was just an empty shell. The computer froze at 100% CPU usage and I could do nothing. I had to try over and over to bring Task Manager out of the systray. When I finally did, I saw some Roboform process running. I couldn't kill it, I couldn't shut down the computer from the Task Manager...I finally had to resort to the button on the tower which I really did not want to do because I had VMWare Workstation running with a virtual machine open and minimized and I could not shut that down gracefully. I had to reboot three times as the first two all I saw was a black screen with the mouse pointer from the virtual machine which was impossible but that is what I saw twice. On the third reboot the computer finally booted to the desktop and I was just able to kill the Roboform process before the computer froze again at 100% CPU usage. I had to resort to the tower button yet again. Stupidly, I actually tried again to install it and the same thing happened! No GUI, partially installed, 100% CPU usage and I could not call up Task Manager ...tower button again to shut down and reboot was unsuccessful with the black screen and strange mouse icon two times then a normal boot on third attempt.

I later read a lot at the Roboform site and it does say you must use IE 5.5 or above and not download to disk.

 

Wow, that was not nice. I can see it didnt play well on your system.

I missed that part. I just downloaded the file and installed it. Funny how experience can differ so much.
Maybe Comodo i-vault might be something to try instead.

As for topic:

I never had any need to disable any of the antivirus software I have used through the years when updating from MS, as far as I remember.

 

How do you download Windows/Office update stuff without using Windows Update?

 

Hello,
You can use Microsoft Technet Security Bulletin Search:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/current.aspx

All security updates for all MS products.
Mrk

 

See post #22, I meant while installing software, not downloading software.

 

nVidia's driver installation instructions say that Antivirus should be disabled. This is the only time that I ever disable my AV. I do not know if it's necessary or not.

 

Yep. For games and defrags (behind a router.)

 

i never disable any of my security, no matter what im doing.

 

I'm using NVIDIA graphic cards for 6 years and i've never disabled any AV when installing drivers. No problems so far. So why bother?

 

Yes, like Mrkvonic says I subscribe to the TechNet Bulletins so I get them in email and can click on the links and read about each one and download. I like saving the patches to disk and I like installing one at a time so that if there is a problem I know which patch is the culprit. The TechNet Bulletin subscription is free and alternatively you can go to the Security forum at dslreports on Microsoft Tuesday and a Microsoft employee publishes the bulletins summary there with links to each bulletin which has a download button. Plus, I think that is done here too. You do have to have a Microsoft Passport to register to get the Bulletin notices in email.

Brian Livingston of Windows Secrets told all his readers this summer to no longer use Windows Updates/Microsoft Updates sites because of the validation privacy issue. He recommends that everyone instead use Shavlik Netchk Protect which he got Shavlik to offer to home users free for a year (usually costs $100 for the software). Netchk Protect will scan your computer and tell you what you need for Windows and Office and Firefox, Windows Media Player, and few other applications and it will fetch the updates and install them for you. It also comments on how important the update is according to Shavlik. There are good forums if you have problems. So, I use that also.
http://windowssecrets.com/comp/060713/
http://www.shavlik.com/netchk-protect.aspx

Another thing you might get is Belarc Advisor. This is a wonderful, wonderful free proggie that will scan your computer and tell you what patches you have and whether they might need reinstalling and will tell you what new patches you need and old ones that are missing for some reason and will give you links to each MS Security bulletin so you can go there and get the patch. Belarc Advisor also gives you great information about your machine. There is excellent support if you have questions/problems. If you XP Pro it will even rate you computer security wise. It updates the definitions every month usually one day after Microsoft Tuesday.
So, I use that also.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

 

You are lucky. I forgot once and had a big mess.

 

Lucky? Changing drivers almost on daily basis is hardly called luck (i'm testing all sorts of modded, beta and official drivers).
Besides, what would actually mess up anything? It just scans files, all it can happen is that it would take longer to install drivers, nothing else.

 

I knew tgat I could search for the security updates, but there's oft things oter tgan security updates, ant trying to keep track without using Windows/Office Update is not so easy.

Seems that it would be rather easy for MSFT to offer a download option foreach critter and instructions for which order to install the critters.

 

just dont do the mistake i done with sound card drivers.
make sure you get behavoirus blockers to ask you or it might block the install and not let you update. happerned to me with f-secure's deep guard.
now i set it to ask about all events. intill i get rid of f-secure that is.
I still cant finish the install because if i start the creative sound card driver again it says reboot and try again and ive tryed that duh
lodore

 

nVidia doesn't state to kill AV before installing nVidia drivers just for the heck of it. If you didn't get BSODs and not even be able to boot ...well fine...I did and have had to use "last known good config". I always follow nVidia's advice. Upgrading video or nForce4 drivers is a hassle anyhow without having an AV interfere. I just so love having my screen, which is at 1280x1024, and 120DPI revert to 800x600 with 120 DPI still there and have digital vibrance get turned off so I have a screen with almost no color and gigantic icons and text that runs off the edges and I can barely do anything. The Display Properties box is so gigantic that I have a hard time opening it and fixing the screen resolution which does not want to change for some odd reason. I have never understood why nVidia driver installs can't install and keep one's settings. Everything gets turned off...and then you have to fight with nVidia to get the Classic menu...That horrible Vista menu cannot be used because there are almost no settings with it besides the fact that it is as slow as hell and asks you stupid, stupid questions instead of just letting you fix what needs fixing. I can't understand why nVidia went to that horrible thing and tries to force it, especially on driver installs, on everyone even us XP users who have no reason whatsoever to use that awful new control panel.

 

Sounds like your AV product is the one application you trust, period.