New kaspersky user

New kaspersky user here. After 2 years I will dump NOD. The only reason I didn’t try kaspersky all these years is that I read that it’s a resource hog, in various web pages, which is completely untrue, as so highly customizable, that it can be the lightest. What I like more than NOD is the interface (actually I believe all AV progs have better interface than NOD), the much more options offered and most of all its compatibility.

The only question that I have so far is as follows:

I am using only file & web A-V with the minimum options of security. But as I am working by writing a document in MS word, suddenly I get informed (by a popup) that an adware file is located in my documents folder or in the recycle bin. This file is not a risk for me anyway but definitely not a risk if I will not run it. The question therefore is: during my normal PC use (eg writing a document or surfing in various webpages) kaspersky is still somehow scanning all my system?

I have tried many AVs and the only one with similar behavior (reporting viruses just existing in the system but not running viruses and without manually start scanning) is the AVG pro.

 

well nod is not that bad.I would say that kaspersky though has a slightly superior scan engine and very fast updates.Kaspersky is not a resource Hog...you should run Norton if you want to slow down your system considerably.

 

How do you have KAV under File Antivirus/settings/Scan? Did you somehow set it under My Computer section to scan every few minutes?

 

I have my settings as per the attached 2 pix

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6553/snap18zt.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4463/snap22wn.jpg

 

It amazes me that you set the security level at minimum when files are being scanned. This is all just for the sake of speed? Speed is important when a scanner really slows things down, but I'll never, ever bring the security level down for the sake of this. I have tried Kav/Kis and it really slows my system down........I just looked for a program that does not!!!! Therefore I ran into Nod32, no slowdown at all and all security settings at maximum. Isn't that the reason for using a security product?
Same with the configuration of what to scan......why not scan 'all files'? For me, that's the only way to use a scanner. If the scanner is not performing, choose another one! You can try almost every product for a while and should give you a proper picture about performance/security/configuration.
I've seen these tips before here, when someone was having speed problems.......set everything at low and the scanner soars......Yeah, right.....and the infections can/are able to soar as well and believe me, there are millions out there trying to get into your nice little baby, 24 hours a day!

 

My condolences.

Seriously though, even on the lightest settings, I found KAV6 to be pretty heavy on the system. Often, I would hear the "Strain" as my CPU fan fell under a random load from it. The sound of that strain was annoying enough, but what really bugged me was how it slowed down web browsing by a good 50-70%.

Mind you, this "Strain" was on a 4Ghz machine with 2GB of ram. Also, I detected overall slower operation of the PC.

 

Had exactly the same.....therefore: away with Kav/Kis and on to Nod32 again!

 

If it slowed down a computer with those specs. I would say you have problems.

 

It's very hard to find the cause for the slowdowns with Kav on some machines, there are so many opinions about this, but never clarified the proper cause.

 

Benvan45

You post not one, but three posts which in no way has anything to do with the question that the OP asked, but was simply just bashing another AV, really nice.

 

Not bashing anything at all, that's just the way you pick up on that! I'm merely stating some facts I ran into and about the configuration part.......it's no bashing of Kav, I'm bashing someone who is configuring this product just to reach some speed!

 

Some things to try:

1. If you haven't done a full on-demand scan yet, then do it so the iSwift technology can map your HD.

2. Go into: "Start" - "Controlpanel" - "Administrative tools" - "Services" and in there stop the "Indexing service" and set it to "Disabled", remember to click apply.

3. If you need to exclude a files then use the Trusted zone in the settings.

4. Uncheck the adware signatures option in the settings in malware catagories if you do not need this kind of detection.

I would use the recommended settings in "File-av" and unlike the two gentlemen before me, it is actually speedy as hell after a week since install, altough your present settings should be fine as long as you do a weekly full scan.

The official site http://forum.kaspersky.com/

 

I am so tuned to how my PC works, I can detect the slowdowns instantly. But when a web page takes minutes, instead of seconds to load with that godforsaken HTTP scanner.... Of course, that wasn't the only issue, there were many, culminating in a disfunctional uninstall, requiring my network drivers to be reinstalled for the motherboard.

 

Well thanks everybody for the replies.

@Don Pelotas,
1) I have done a full scan
2) I have already disabled indexing as I am using avafid (which rocks)
3) I have excluded many files/folders thru trusted zone
4) Do you recommend dropping adware? I heard that Kaspersky has good detection. As for my surf habits I think I could need this protection, have another look at further settings.

@SDS909 I have a similar machine home and an aged one (from 2001)at the office. Well I am in front the second PC 9 hours per day 5 times a week and I have tried almost all AVs, I also detect slow downs instantly and easier in the old PC than the new. I kept NOD for 2 years and I can assure you that with those KAV settings I noticed the best performance ever in my PC – big surprise but its true.

@Peter you’ re correct I have the proactive defense turned off.

@Benvan I used nod for 2 years and its really enough. With these settings KAV is faster and also with nod it was impossible to exclude some apps. Altho I put them in exclusion lists in both AMON & IMON I kept getting some hangs, and in some cases 100% CPU such as Azureus, even after followed detailed instructions, removed java scan from IMON etc. Also I had set similar nod settings ( not to scan all files and scan by extension only, not scan on open but on execute-modify-create only) and never had a virus – only couple of spyware, as I had this option excluded and therefore I am using it now in KAV. Also note that I am scanning all files during manual scans.

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/993/snap18wr.jpg

 

No, not at all, it was just one solution to the adware program you trust anyway, i would personally simply add this program to trusted.

About the second part of your question in the first post, no it is not scanning all your system all the time, you have chosen the low setting which have "Scan new & changed files only", so no, it will not scan every file all the time, but i would like to make something clear, it does not mean that a file already scanned will never be scanned again.

 

Just a question regarding so many confusions about the speed/slowdown of Kav/Kis. Is it possible to create a optimal configuration plan for these scanners, like Blackspear did for Nod32?
I think a lot of misunderstandings might be cleared away. I have tried Kav several times and always had terrible slowdowns opening url's and I never got to the point of understanding why. There are so many tips about configuring Kav......I don't understand anymore. But one thing I don't believe in........unchecking all kinds of scanning options, just to get the right speed! That's not why I use a certain av scanner, I use it for proper security and a slight slowdown wouldn't bother me.
Hope someone can create a configuration plan?

 

Thanks Peter and I may give the newest Beta another spin!

 

One possible configuration here for the File AV.

Don's the man for an optimal configuration for KAV/KIS BUT it maybe machine dependent. For example some people have seen a big slowdown with the HTTP scanner while others have not. Those users using just the Windows Firewall would not worry too much about KAV6 acting as a proxy; those using third-party firewalls would have to change KAV's settings.

Here is where we differ. I will always tweak an AV's settings to achieve the best balance between protection and performance. So I rarely set the RTM settings to scan ALL files even on my new machines.

IMO, the default settings now in KAV 6 are the best ones to use at present, with some extra tweaking needed if using a third-party firewall .

 

You can set KAV to scan every five minutes if you want. Just as you can set it (as I and Don have) to update every five minutes. Who would want to set it to scan so frequently I can't imagine but the help file says you can do this and I can see in the GUI that I could set it like that. I didn't try it though because I have never done a full scan with KAV and don't plan to unless I have some reason to think I somehow got infected and KAV missed it because it didn't yet have a signature for the nasty (and heuristics didn't catch it either) so I didn't want to try the 5 minute setting just to make sure it works.

Hmmm...KAV Help on right click (after selecting the text) has "copy" bolded but then I can't paste here. Anyhow, the instructions are under Scanning for Viruses/configuring virus scan tasks/configuring a scan task schedule:

"Minutes. The time interval between scans will be several minutes. Specify the number of minutes between scans in the schedule settings. It must not exceed 59 minutes."

 

Hi Blackcat. As with NOD, same now with kaspersky I enabled the http scanning in the "Web Anti-Virus" tab, but I have set it to "Low" Security Level. I thought that it was too risky to disable it.

Do you think that I can disable it and rely on "File Anti-Virus" and "Block dangerous scripts in IE" and what's the risk?

Also the "Block dangerous scripts in IE" means block dangerous scripts in any browser or only in IE?

 

As far as I know it works only in IE, though there is a possibility in will work on browsers using IE engine such as Netscape and Avant Browser.

 

Did you see any slowdowns to change to this setting? There are a number of tweaks you could try before dropping down to the lowest setting for the Web AV. For example, you could try changing from a buffering to a streaming scan.

If you are having problems you can disable/uninstall this feature as the Web AV is not essential, particularly if you are using a non-IE Browser. The File AV is the essential one. BUT if you disable the Web AV make sure, as Don suggests, that you carry out a full on-demand scan if you are using the "Scan new and changed files only" setting" in the Monitor. This collects data for iSwift to work correctly with the RTM.

If you use IE, you can also disable the HTTP scanning but keep the script checker.

In addition I would select the default file types in the Monitor settings and not leave it at "Scan Programs and documents (by extension)".