Avira

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by JerryM, Apr 16, 2013.

  1. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    It's ok.

    As Avira Free has no web protection, you may use the ABS instead.
    http://www.avira.com/en/avira-browser-safety
     
  2. guest

    guest Guest

  3. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    Release notes for Avira Antivirus v15.0.18.354 (Update 18 ):
    http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/1699
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2016
  4. anon

    anon Registered Member

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  5. russ0408

    russ0408 Registered Member

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    I don't know if anyone else noticed this. I'm using the latest version of Avira Free antivirus. Last night I noticed there was a new version of Voodooshield Beta available for download. When I downloaded it, Avira did a scan of the new software before it downloaded to make sure the software was safe. I've ran Avira in the past quite a few times in the past and never noticed this before. It's pretty cool Avira checks any new software before it's downloaded.
     
  6. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    This looks like a step backwards ... and with sloppy documentation as well. The Update 18 GUI still has options for "interactive", however they no longer work. Since Avira auto updates itself, how many normal users are actually going to read release notes before an update?
     
  7. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    You can read the same concerns in post #4372, #4373, #4374.
    But the average users don't bother at all, that's for sure.
    And it's not the only issue. They don't bother for many issues.
    -----
    Few to none (I know that question is rhetorical).
     
  8. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    Yep, I had read those concerns and tested it myself. My voice is just another in the growing chorus of unhappy paid users.

    My intent was to throw some light on the fact that they made this change to function, but did not bother to update the configuration GUI. I am really surprised that they let this sloppy effort get past QA and into a release version!!!
     
  9. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    Surprised? Why?
    Just have a closer look and you will find many more......... ;)

    As the average users, the very same applies to Avira:
    They don't bother to update/correct many wrong things in configuration, in help file, etc.
     
  10. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    Windows Defender is looking better and better :)
     
  11. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    Wrong thread? ;)
     
  12. Telos

    Telos Registered Member

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    FWIW, I just dumped Pro with still a year left on my license due to the recent auto-quarantine decision. That's not something that works for me. I'll jump back in as soon as that's reverted (and the 70% discount offer... oh my... sad to miss that).
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2016
  13. Hiltihome

    Hiltihome Registered Member

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    I guess Avira is working on a whole new UI in Metro-style, looking like the launcher, and does not update the current UI anymore.

    Usually 2017 versions come out in autumn, let's see...

    My guess:
    They will keep auto-quarantaine, like other AVs do.
    I really hate this feature, especially when tools are deleted from my USB-drive.
     
  14. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    AFAIK, your guess is correct.

    On the other hand, the present situation is crazy, imo.
    I listen the above excuse more than a year now.
    "Working on a new UI, working on a new UI" and the same time the current UI contains many mistakes. Mistakes that Avira can correct all of them at once.

    Imagine this:
    One person buys the Avira Pro today and discovers that UI says that Avira works as "X" but in reality instead of "X" Avira works as "Z".
    Sounds good?
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2016
  15. Stefan Kurtzhals

    Stefan Kurtzhals AV Expert

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    If you have false positives, please send them in so they get fixed.

    The reason we switched to auto-quarantine is that we saw a large number of users just ignoring samples and getting infected (we saw dropped samples getting executed after the initial, detected dropper). That the config shows the wrong action and changes have no effect is a bug that will be fixed.

    The exclude handling really needs an redo, as far as I heard that is included in the new UI (tm) ;-)
     
  16. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    Instead of excuses, you better revert to the old "normal/expert" mode.

    But Sorin already gone........same as many others.........
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2016
  17. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    The correct answer is to make "auto-quarantine" the default, so the average user is protected. Leave the "interactive" mode available for power users and experts. There is no way that you can know better than they do what is on their computers!!!
     
  18. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    I am really beginning to regret buying a 3-year Pro license this year!!!

    :-(
     
  19. Telos

    Telos Registered Member

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    Rubbish!

    +1

    Removing the capability to interact with alerts was unwarranted and irresponsible. That decision trashed my system when during a online program installation a temporary executable was auto-quarantined, and the installation failed midway through leaving a hash of a mess to clean up.

    That as well as the USB issues mentioned by others when auto-quarantine swept away Nirsoft executables that I require for troubleshooting.

    All that PLUS the fact that "disabling" live monitoring had no effect whatsoever on auto-quarantine.

    I can deal with the childish launcher addition, but when you mess with the protective services in a less than helpful manner, the program no longer has utility for me.
     
  20. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    +100
     
  21. Tinstaafl

    Tinstaafl Registered Member

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    Perhaps my comment should have read "In comparison to the new, improved Avira, Windows Defender is looking better and better" :)

    I think that when you purchase a product, you have every right and reasonable expectation that core functionality will not be removed. They could have just made a change to make the default auto-quarantine, and hidden the interactive option in an "advanced" menu somewhere.

    The customer will usually accept feature additions & enhancements, or reorganization of GUI elements, etc., but taking away something that works can generate negative "good will". The average user may not notice, or care. But surely the tech enthusiasts who have recommended these products to their business clients, friends, and family will take notice of such a move.

    Somebody in the Avira business office should care.

    OT: <rant on> This trend of taking control of the PC away from the end user seems to be more and more common these days. For whatever reason the vendors are rationalizing the importance of protecting the user from making mistakes vs. the freedom to be in full control of their computers. The most egregious effort lately has to be the Microsoft updates fiasco. Nobody will be allowed to pick and choose the updates that get installed on Win 7 & 8.1 after September. Win 10 already looks that way. But if it's any consolation, it's still easier to switch AV than OS. Microsoft has a virtual monopoly, but the AV sellers do not. </rant off>
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2016
  22. Stefan Kurtzhals

    Stefan Kurtzhals AV Expert

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    Based on what facts you declare my statement "rubbish"? I was the one looking at the telemetry and noticing significant numbers of users getting infected, despite the initial dropper sample being detected. And I also can see that now with auto-quarantine, this problem is gone.

    And you are right, the config should show "automatic action - quarantine" and you still should be able to move back to interactive mode. That is a bug and will be fixed.

    I don't quite understand the negativity here. You want users to get infected? Before, in interactive mode, the file was blocked and access was denied to the user - so what is the big different to quarantine?

    Basically all AV are doing auto-quarantine, why is it bad when Avira is doing it?

    I agree that when a file is in quarantine and the user thinks it is a false positive and restores it, it should be automatically put to the scan excludes. That is TBD with the product managers.

    Nirsoft tools, I guess you enabled SPR detection category and only because of that, these tools got detected. Or do they have TR detection? If they have SPR detection and you enabled this category on your own - why you wonder about getting SPR detections? And before auto-quarantine, how did you executed those tools if they were detected?
    BTW, are you aware that there is plenty of similar tools around that is actively used by malware to steal accounts/logins? They contain these tools, drop 6 execute them silently and easily grab your data.
     
  23. Telos

    Telos Registered Member

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    Thanks for responding. I've posted these issues to Avira's "support" site and there has been no response. So we come to Wilders because it fulfills a need that Avira.com discontinued in any meaningful way.

    Now it's a "bug"? FIne. But interactive mode lacks "Ignore". Or where is that? Must we be held hostage to false positives?

    As far as wishing infections on others... that's quite disingenuous. Avira could have protected their "infected" users without trodding on more seasoned users as postings here have made clear. What we have experienced instead is a dumbing down of a program we once loved, so of course we are concerned. Had we wanted incessant hand-holding we would all have Macs.

    And while this "bug" is eradicated, why not fix the launcher "bug" that prevents users from turning off an unwanted feature (just as we do to avoid the unwanted mail and rootkit features).

    As well as the "bug" that prevents us from connecting to the updates server unless we turn off "Advanced Process Detection" and "Protect processes from unwanted termination". Why must we give up security features to permit updates? That's not a good practice. Will you kill that "bug" as well?

    Saying that "all AV are doing auto-quarantine" is quite an exaggeration. That is one reason I came to Avira initially, and to avoid the incremental bloat of other AV programs (bloat that seems to be insidiously creeping into Avira AV). I'm now using F-Secure with full interactive control.

    I didn't want to leave Avira Pro, Avira left me. Since there was no recognition by Avira of this "bug" until now, one could only assume that Avira had chosen this approach deliberately (as it was described in its release notes).

    I'm looking forward to your "bug" fixes before I grow attached to other AV solutions.
     
  24. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Some may have experienced FPs and the auto quarantine, so far with my 2 machines running Avira Pro, I didn't have one single issue, nada. I'd be alarmed if I couldn't recover a quarantined file, time will tell.
     
  25. m0unds

    m0unds Registered Member

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    that's why i didn't renew (hitting the end of 5 years of licensing). it appeared to be fixed the last time a fix was announced in a product update, but it turned out it just took longer to start happening again.
     
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