Avast Antivirus popups - alternative AV program for computer illiterate users?

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timmmay

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Topic # 198261 2-Jul-2016 12:12

I've noticed that recently Avast free antivirus is getting much more aggressive with the popups, they're being shown on every boot now. I've got my whole family on it, and they're starting to complain. Anyone worked out how to reduce them?

Can anyone recommend free antivirus that does a good job and isn't too intrusive? Don't say Microsoft, I read reports a while back and it's generally at the back of the pack for detection. The primary user will be computer illiterate users - think parents or grandparents to whom computers are a confusing tool, a way to access the internet and email.

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Reply # 1584588 2-Jul-2016 12:36

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I personally use Avira now for this exact reason. It is missing a few things comparatively like an email scanner but most people use web mail now anyway and it gets an excellent detection score rating (so on par if not better than avast).

timmmay

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Reply # 1584594 2-Jul-2016 12:43

Good call. This review and AV ratings both say it's good. It's minimally invasive for general use? The review says web browser needs a plugin to work, is that worth the bother? It's meant to be great at detection and fast.

I don't use email scanning, I find it annoying. I just don't click stupid things.

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ps2jak2

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Reply # 1584750 2-Jul-2016 18:22

Personally, I disable all anti virus provided browser stuff and just use an extension called web of trust which will show you whether a site is good, questionable or plain bad based on user feedback and rankings. I also install Spyware Blaster and manually update it every now and then which immunizes the machine against known bad threats rather than real time scanning by blocking their domains. If I'm honest, I'm not sure if spyware blaster really does much these days as they don't add many new detection's, though new versions are coming out occasionally and it doesn't do any harm.

As for Avira itself, I believe it needs free registration like Avast, but after that it can be left to its own devices and will only pop up when malware is detected rather than trying to upgrade you every 10 minutes. I keep malware bytes free handy and occasionally scan with that just in case, and have also taken to using their new anti exploit app currently offered as a seperate program which in its free form is supposed to help prevent browser hijacking.

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Reply # 1584752 2-Jul-2016 18:33

timmmay:

I've noticed that recently Avast free antivirus is getting much more aggressive with the popups, they're being shown on every boot now. I've got my whole family on it, and they're starting to complain. Anyone worked out how to reduce them?

Can anyone recommend free antivirus that does a good job and isn't too intrusive? Don't say Microsoft, I read reports a while back and it's generally at the back of the pack for detection. I could read the reports myself, but I'm feeling lazy.

Avast is horrible.

Eset's NOD32 is easier to live with. Kaspersky also seem to be OK.

Norton 360 is diabolical. I once had it delete an entire configuration I had created at a business one day....and in the morning it was all gone. Utterly gone. I had to do it over....after removing Norton 360.

Otherwise I use a Chromebook or my Macbook Air or Remix OS v2.0 (desktop Android distro that's actually pretty good).

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Reply # 1584753 2-Jul-2016 18:38

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Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware...

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Reply # 1585180 3-Jul-2016 17:51

I started using bitdefender , it's un-obtrusive.

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Reply # 1585250 3-Jul-2016 19:40

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I think for Windows 8 or 10 Windows Defender seems to do the job.. (even though you said don't say Microsoft)

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Reply # 1585420 4-Jul-2016 09:30

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MS have a terrible record for AV performance across the many many years they have released AV products.
So , consider, what will this companies AV be like in 6 months from now. Chances are MS's consumer AV will be bad on average, with occasional months of
good detection.

In saying that, the biggest factor is allways the person behind the keyboard .
No AV can protect against user stupidity. Thats why no AV can ever offer 100% protection , Ive seen malware/viruses get past every major AV brand.

Personally, I value email scanning, so Ive stuck with Avast for home . I agree, there popups are sometimes just as bad as the malware it is protecting you from.
Avast now have even gone as low as to have popups trying to upsell to system performance ~speed up your pc~ addons: a scam up there with the worst malware .

timmmay

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Reply # 1585422 4-Jul-2016 09:31

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Yeah the regular pop-ups and trying to scare people into buying something they don't need is the reason I'm taking it off my families PCs. I don't want to keep getting emails about what to do, should they upgrade, and the annual "your free license has expired" and making it difficult to get another free license is just annoying. I have to remote into all the computers and do that myself.

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Rikkitic

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Reply # 1585496 4-Jul-2016 11:32

I have used both Avast and Avira in the past but I have gradually decided that with modern OS developments and my own style of browsing, AV software doesn't really add anything to my security so I stopped using it altogether. With modern Windows firewalls, together with traffic monitors and common sense practices, not much can get by without me noticing. I also use Defender and Malwarebytes from time to time just to check. I have never had any malware on any of my computers, except the sacrificial goat one I use for testing software downloads that I don't entirely trust. This works well for me.

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timmmay

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Reply # 1585498 4-Jul-2016 11:35

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Rikkitic:

I have used both Avast and Avira in the past but I have gradually decided that with modern OS developments and my own style of browsing, AV software doesn't really add anything to my security so I stopped using it altogether. With modern Windows firewalls, together with traffic monitors and common sense practices, not much can get by without me noticing. I also use Defender and Malwarebytes from time to time just to check. I have never had any malware on any of my computers, except the sacrificial goat one I use for testing software downloads that I don't entirely trust. This works well for me.

Think about this in terms of what you'd recommend for your parents or grandparents.

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Rikkitic

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Reply # 1585551 4-Jul-2016 12:35

Sorry, I don't have an answer for that. Since I haven't used free AVs for some time, I don't know what they are currently like. I would think that Windows Defender together with regular Malwarebytes scans would be pretty good, though.

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Technofreak

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Reply # 1585566 4-Jul-2016 13:03

I've been using Microsoft Security Essentials on three computers for several years without any issues.

I've used Norton, Avira and Avast in the past and got fed up with the way they slowed everything down.

I don't think you'd have any issues using MSE or equivalent.

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DravidDavid

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Reply # 1585648 4-Jul-2016 14:21

I don't get bugged by avast for anything.

You can choose not to install the mail scanner and all the other rubbish that comes with it. After install you can tell it not to pop stuff up in your face if I remember correctly.

Avast is great. No slow-down that I can measure at least, updates itself and all that. Not sure how much it's saved me, but it's certainly notified me of a couple of things. One thing I don't like is the interruption of genuine driver installs and general false positives.

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Reply # 1585744 4-Jul-2016 16:54

Sophos now has a free Windows tool. Apparently it's pretty good, according to PC Mag (and a bunch of reviews I read a year or so back for the Mac version). http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498877,00.asp

If you're with Spark you can get 5 free McAffee Security Suite licences, which is what I'm using on my PC's, coupled with Malwarebytes free tool.

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