A free AV war

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by no13, Mar 10, 2005.

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  1. mercurie

    mercurie A Friendly Creature

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    AV's can only win battles not wars. Sorry. ;)
     
  2. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    I was talking thread title :) but you bring up a good point, Avast has won every battle my PC has been in ;)
     
  3. mercurie

    mercurie A Friendly Creature

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    Understood, (good come back ;) ) Glad to hear you are winning the war.
     
  4. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    :D glad you have a sense of humor.

    I'm just talking about my PC and my computing habits, so far Avast has been good to me so I'll stick up for it when the subject arises. I don't just depend on Avast, untill Avast gets its detection rate up a bit more a high risk user might make a better choice...but then don't we leave the Free arena ?

    I know we aren't winning the war (seems never ending) but its good to see that so many good companies are helping us cut down on casualties.

    :)

    FG
     
  5. no13

    no13 Retired Major Resident Nutcase

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    Wouldn't YOU like to know?
    12 monthso_O two for me LOL...

    Actually, I'd like to see a product meeting way too many of my specs rather than it's own.
     
  6. Firefighter

    Firefighter Registered Member

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    When I had only 3579 infected samples (= without added TrojanClicker and TrojanNotifier samples), McAfee with Anti-Spyware Module detected only 11 samples more (= among Adware) than without that module.

    Secondly, I can post only a private message with eScan Free 4.4.7 updated 11.03.2005 scanlog to your own email address. Use the Private Messages in here at Wilders Forum right up of the page to send your email address for me.

    Best regards,
    Firefighter!
     
  7. TAP

    TAP Registered Member

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    For me avast! HE is no doubt the best free antivirus package ever or even it's better than some commercial one in many aspects.

    I don't see any reasons to compare an antivirus with slightly percentage at unconfirmed detection rates (except you want to beat someone in an argument) because it shouldn't cause the major differences in the real-world scenario.

    Detection rate is not the only main factors for good antivirus but it still has so many things to consider.

    The best test is on your system.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2005
  8. Firefighter

    Firefighter Registered Member

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    Btw, I found 39 "Contains suspicious code" detections in AntiVir's scanlog, so it's somewhat the same heuristics as Command AV [44].

    Best regards,
    Firefighter!
     
  9. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Yeah, sure, never mind detection rates, just go for the T&A -- like a pretty GUI, & lots of skins, & animated menus, & popularity contests, and other such folderol.:D

    Amazing!!! :p
     
  10. Firefighter

    Firefighter Registered Member

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    Strange results with AVG 7 Free now against my 305 trojan samples, detected only 91, when on 17:th December 2004 it was able to detect 225 of those 307 trojan samples, a bug in a program?

    Best regards,
    Firefighter!
     
  11. Firefighter

    Firefighter Registered Member

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    Actually Avast 4.6 wasn't so bad either, only trojan like nasties need some add protection like Ewido for instance. Avast 4.6 was quite equable in all sample categories, no total weaknessies.

    It's only because AntiVir was so superb, even among commercial av:s.

    Best regards,
    Firefighter!
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2005
  12. TAP

    TAP Registered Member

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    For me definiately NO!!! I'm one of so many people who hate avast!'s skin.

    So what about other avast! HE 's features?

    - fast-incremental auto update
    - inbound/outbound E-Mail scanner (POP3/SMTP/IMAP/NNTP)
    - Web Shield (HTTP stream scanner)
    - Web Shield (Content filering, URL Blocking)
    - Network Shield (IDS-like)
    - P2P Shield
    - Instant Messaging
    - Very good support forum

    And of course, avast! has a good unconfirmed overall detection rates (as so many people might want to make they feel good) so what's wrong with pretty GUI, & lots of skins, & animated menus. :)
     
  13. Arup

    Arup Guest

    Avast Free+Clam AV which is just a scanner seems to work out pretty good for one looking for good protection, between the two, most viruses are detected and wiped out.
     
  14. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Nothing at all. In fact, my bank now dresses up their security guards in pretty pink tu-tu's. Tra-la-la. :rolleyes:

    Just kidding, TAP. I think Avast is a great freebie, but (AFIK) it has little or no heuristics. Also, your statement that detection rates are of lesser importance is really faaaar out. No offense. :D
     
  15. TAP

    TAP Registered Member

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    No, I don't mean detection rate is really lesser importance but it's not the only major factor for choose the good AV solution to suite our needs (I don't want to get more deep inside the meaning of word "detection rates" that AV should detect to protect us in the real world). So many people or companies in the world use Trend Micro, Sophos, AVG, Fortinet, Norman or the lesser well known AV solution with successful instead of using the king of detection for everything like Kaspersky or the other mumbo jumbo marketing hypes offered by many vendors.

    When it comes to avast!, if avast! fails the VB100% award because of it can detect ITW stuff only 90%, if avast! has no ICSA Lab certification or if avast! has detection rates at only 50% of all at av-comparative so I think the avast! Antivirus brand name would disapear from the world long time ago. But avast! definitely not at all. :D

    About heuristics, I still don't understand why the avast! developers don't believe or rely in heuristics scene althought the heuristics word can make its customers happy or it can be successful at some rates in the real world.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2005
  16. nadirah

    nadirah Registered Member

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    According to somebody at the avast support forums, he says that heuristics may generate more false positives, that's why they're not addin' heuristics in avast.
     
  17. Robyn

    Robyn Registered Member

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    Just reading this thread with interest as I am looking for a good free AV for a friend. My first thoughts were AVG free as it has always been so widely featured and recommended in PC magazines etc
    After reading this I am having second thoughts as AVG seems to be the most rejected in the free arena o_O

    I will be having second thoughts for myself when my sub. is due to be renewed as I have AVG Pro plus an AT/BOclean etc although AVG has never let me down - well I can't fully state this as I have never had a virus - juts one alert that a larger file could not be scanned via the e-mail scanner but when scanned in a folder everything was fine. NOD32 is on my list to research for my own computer.

    This aside the friend I am looking for a free version for does not have a powerful computer (Sempron processor) ok he does have 512MB RAM (shared with his GC) would Avast! be too heavy on his CPU? The only plus side of his lower spec is the fact he really only uses the PC 'lightly' as he is very much a novice in all aspects of computing. e-mails are not in abundance and he does not download any software but I realise this does not rule out the arrival of a virus from somewhere.

    I am trying to work out the best free and if there really is no adequate one then see if there is an easy to setup/use AV for a 'novice' - OK I will be installing but I need to make sure updating and scanning are easy for him to do himself. o_O

    I am tending to think AVG may not be the one for me to choose now even though I know quite a few people who use the free version quite happily. o_O but have become aware through posts on Wilders it is not a popular AV.
     
  18. Arup

    Arup Guest

    the latest Avast 4.6 is pretty light on resources considering what it offers.
     
  19. TAP

    TAP Registered Member

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    Yes, I tend to agree with you.

    avast! Home/Pro 4.6 seem to faster/lighter than ever before on my laptop (Pentium-M 1.3 GHz, 256 MB of RAM) than the predecessor version of avast! used to slow it down at unacceptable rates, the new avast! 4.6 can be considered as light AV on my laptop. avast! 4.6 makes no or very slightly differences compared to AVG 7 even all providers of its resident protection were installed.
     
  20. Robyn

    Robyn Registered Member

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    Thanks for this additional info. I will definitely take a closer look at Avast! for my friend now.

    I have 2GB RAM with AVG Pro but was quite alarmed when checking the task Manager a while ago just to see how many resources it was using, although I do not notice this depsite running other layers & intense programs like PSP and FP in the background.

    I had read quite a few good reports about Avast! even in one magazine which made AVG very popular UK - before v7 was published they were very disappointed in the lack of extras with v6 and started to give the high rate to Avast!

    I have always used Pro versons of my security but now my firend is aware of the free versions he seems to want one of these - yesterday I was telling him about AVG but today it will be Avast! after I have read a little bit more myself.

    Thanks again for helping with the resource issues. It is always a great benefit to hear this from actual users of the software. It will be time for me to re-consider my notebook computer for a lighter AV soon also.

    Just one thought, I was considering BOClean to add to their layers - is this compatible with Avast?
     
  21. erikguy

    erikguy Registered Member

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    I have two Maxtors both 7200RPM I'm not sure about the cache though. And another thing, I can't believe you overclocked an AMD to 3400!! I hear they become unstable after 3200!
    BTW a script is just a file until it executes at which time it is executed by the WSH. The script blocking in avast! Pro just intercepts it at this point and allows the user to review the script (seeing as how avast! has no where near 100% detection of malicious scripts) before allowing it to execute. The user can then decide if he wants to allow the script. As I said before Script Defender or even Script Sentry will do the trick for free.

    One thing nobody noted is that the reason Antivir FREE does not have incremental updates is because it is an incentive by H+BEDV for people to upgrade to the Pro or Plus version or whatever it is. So I don't believe it will EVER have incremental updates at least not in the free version.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2005
  22. Firefighter

    Firefighter Registered Member

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    Why then Avast 4.6 Home has those incremental updates when there is always that Avast 4.6 Pro version available?

    Best regards,
    Firefighter!
     
  23. Robyn

    Robyn Registered Member

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    I have just been to Avast's website and do see the fact it does not provide Heurisitc (only for e-mail scanning) which is one point when AVG could have a plus point above Avast!

    The script blocking is another point as I know for sure if I added Script defender etc my friend would be totally lost. He really needs an AV which will do most of the protection for him (apart from me teaching him his responsibilites when dealing with attachments - he thinks I am OTT with my methods :( )

    He has an OEM of Norman which is going to cost £45 to renew the sub for 2 yrs - maybe I would be best to let him do this with the sandbox technology Norman has despite his wonderings about a free AV o_O
     
  24. erikguy

    erikguy Registered Member

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    Of course, each company has it own practices. That's why Softwin doesn't even add a real time shield to their free Bitdefender product!
     
  25. RejZoR

    RejZoR Lurker

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    @Robyn
    Honestly AVG heuristics are pretty much useless i these days.
     
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