Avast 4.8

Can someone give me a run down, in laymens terms, of how it works. Does it work continuously in the background, or does it need firing up?.

In reply to a post by wingco1:

Can someone give me a run down, in laymens terms, of how it works. Does it work continuously in the background, or does it need firing up?.

Not quite sure what you mean by "firing up", but at a guess you mean do you need to manually scan things? If so then from what I can see (though I'm not an Avast user) it's both; it'll run continuously in the background scanning in real-time ("resident protection"), but you can do a scan of your entire PC and its contents as well ("on-demand scanning"), much like any other AV software.

It does run in the background, with various modules covering different processes going on. You can vary the protection level offered by these modules, and can also download different skins too if you don't like the standard one. I use it on my desktop, with Avira as an extra scan on demand A/V, as it supposedly has a better scan engine.

Scheduling a scan is not available in the free version, but can be done.

Starts up when you start windows and runs in the background. Will popup with message and options if it comes across anything. Updates virus database automatically every day. If there are any progam updates it informs you, and you can update the program.

Added bounus you can do a scan at boot before any progams start. When you install it it will ask you if you want to do a bootscan. Use it all the time and very happy with it. They also have their own user forum.

Thanks all. Will give it a trail.

Hi, Avast! I think is the best free antivirus programme out there, as dieselglider
indicated, it will also run with added protection from Avira Antivir- Free antivirus
� Guard.

At Windows Start-up, when I see the Avira Red umbrella open and the Avast
sphere stops spinning, I know my antivirus ammo is loaded.

Also have for added protection the free ZoneAlarm firewall with the router firewall
set (High) and Windows firewall thrown in for good measure (ZoneAlarm is
configured NOT to disable Windows firewall). Feels impregnable and all FREE.

http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/avast_H...

http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/AntiVir...

http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/ZoneAla...

In reply to a post by E7er:

Also have for added protection the free ZoneAlarm firewall with the router firewall
set (High) and Windows firewall thrown in for good measure (ZoneAlarm is
configured NOT to disable Windows firewall). Feels impregnable and all FREE.

You should try sunbelt personal firewall E7er, like ZA, but without compatability and resource issues.

It is not reccomended to run the windows firewall and the ZA one at the same time, regardless of what ZA say or not imho.

In reply to a post by E7er:

..as dieselglider indicated, it will also run with added protection from Avira Antivir- Free antivirus � Guard.

I don't use the guard on Avira, just the scanner.

even without the scanner it is quite possible they can conflict (but im happy to take your word these two in question don't) running two realtime AVs is certainly going to ask for trouble.

Thanks everyone.