Upgrading from AOL AVS - Where Next?

To cut a long story short, I started off using Avast but became frustrated with it's GUI, lack of configurability and it's slow scan times.

For the last four months, we've been using AOL AVS on the family PC, but are having ongoing problems with the PC suddenly running out of resources and this seems to be worse when running any AS software real time (tried both Spyware Terminator and AVG AS).

I have a sneaking suspicion there is some complicated interaction going on between AVS, AVG AS and possibly Acronis True Image, but can't get to the bottom of it.

Where do I go to next?

Back to Avast or to one of the cheaper paid for AVs with BitDefender or Avira at the top of my short list at the moment.

We're fairly safe surfers, so out and out protection probably isn't the highest priority. A clean user interface, no annoying pop-ups, minimal overheads on PC Performance, reasonable AS protection and reasonably quick scan times are the key criteria for us.

Your recommendations please.

 

when you say running out of resource what do you mean?
does windows tell you its running out of resourses?
or does the pc just really slow down?
sometimes when i log on and off a few times the pc is really slow to respond and only way to go back to normal speed is a reboot.
i have kaspersky internet secuirty 6.0 and acronis true image.
so maybe there is a conflict there.
lodore

 

If you use a non-IE Browser, turn off the AS Running Guard and just use your AS as an on-demand scanner only.

Your OS and level of installed RAM?

Relatively cheap, commercial, lightweight AV's with a fast on-demand scanner include Avira Premium and F-Prot. Worth testing. Run the AV without the AS Guard and depending on your OS, maybe think about installing more memory.

 

It initially manifests itself as display boxes on the screen not forming properly. I can't remember the exact error message, but if you try and load any applications you get an error message stating that there are insufficient resources and a 0x0000... error code.

 

OS is XP Home and 512K RAM.

I stopped AVG AS's realtime drivers loading and only had the issue once since, funnily enough after running my weekly AV and AS scans (AVG and SAS).

I'll leave the AVS AS component running for the time being, since I would prefer to have some time AS protection, but will try switching it off if the problem recurs.

 

i have found this ms patch which fixes 0x stop codes with windows xp SP2
link
how many processes are running?
press control alt delete and go to processes tab and say how many
lodore

 

Lodore,

Thanks for the patch info. I've downloaded the patch, but will wait before I install.

I'd rather find a solution of possible and I suspect the patch may mask the problem.

The resource issue is strange, one moment everything appears OK in task manager and the next moment we're having to press the power button to initiate a reboot.

 

Can you add eachother to exclusions/trusted zones? Maybe they're scanning whatever the other's scanning leading to majorly high resource usage and eventually crash

 

not available in avs.

 

According to your detailed 'diagnostic', I would try the free Avira (this said by a KAV engine fanboy) though I heard it displays annoying pop-up ads along with its installation, I don't know if you could live with this..

 

I'm not happy with the pop ups associated with the updates for the free Avira. If I go for Avira, it would have to be the paid version.

 

what about avast?
lodore

 

He said just got rid of avast..

 

i wonder which one i would reccommend

 

NIce avatar

 

woops lol
what do you expect its past midnight here
antivir or avg are the only other options for free av
or get a decent paid av such as dr web,antivir, nod32 bitdefender or virus chaser.
lodore

 

Time to go to bed lodore..

@jaydub: I would also consider the full Avira in your specific case.

 

You can disable the pop-ups in Avira Antivir

 

NOD what else? With Blackspears settings of course.

 

jaydub, the first thing I did with Avast free was in the program settings > Common and uncheck 'enable skins for simple user interface'. That will get rid of the 'media player' style of gui. The result is a very plain interface that works just fine. I find Avast to be very configurable. You also can disable many of the providers if not needed. Mostly all things can be done through the system tray icon. I hope this helps.

 

This is a bit of a long shot, but if iit was the McAfee based version of AOL security (as opposed to the Kaspersky version) bits of McAfee might be left behind. I have no idea what results this might cause, but after experience with Norton, which I've read is similar to McAfee in terms of system upsets/slowdowns, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's part of the problem.

So, if that is relevant, have a look here http://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-McAfee-Security-Center
and here
="http://ts.mcafeehelp.com/displayd...c.asp?frames=1&docid=408302&CategoryId=107187
(that 2nd is an uninstall tool download page)

I'm using Avast home, and all I can say is it's brilliant.
I've tried Norton, AVG, and Avira (when it was called Antivir). Nothing bad to say about them, (except Norton. I uninstalled it well before the subscription was due), I just find Avast the best.
I'm not a particularly knowledgeable or qualified user, just a Joe.

(EDIT) to properly remove Norton, there is a special uninstall tool. Same with McAfee. They tend to leave their crap behind them. Hence the link.

 

Hipgnosis,

How? And are there any disadvantages in doing so?

 

I haven't ruled out the idea of going back to Avast. I believe the scan times may have improved since I last used it (November last year).

The interface is a bit of an issue, but I could always try it without the skins disabled.

It seems to me that the consensus is that if I try another freebie. I should go back to Avast.

If I'm willing to fork out some dosh, then Antivir is probably the way to go.

 

Tarq57,

No it's the Kaspersky version, but your positive comments about Avast have been noted.

 

This certainly seems like a plausible explanation for why the PC should turn almost immediately from being stable to being totally unusable.