Avira AV update hangs systems

[Ink]

A faulty update for Avira's paid-for anti-virus software blocks harmless processes and may in some cases stop computers from booting. The update results in the ProActiv behavioural monitoring component becoming oversensitive in its treatment of executable files.

According to user reports, ProActiv blocks trusted system processes such as cmd.exe, rundll32.exe, taskeng.exe, wuauclt.exe, dllhost.exe, iexplore.exe, notepad.exe and regedit.exe. In some cases this results in Windows failing to boot properly. It also appears to be blocking non-OS applications such as Microsoft Office, the Opera web browser and Google's Updater program.

All versions which include the ProActiv behavioural monitoring component are affected, including Avira Antivirus Premium 2012 and the enterprise version; only 32-bit systems are affected, as ProActiv doesn't currently support 64-bit operating systems. On the Avira forum, an employee of a company which runs Avira on one hundred computers complains that, "This update has been pretty catastrophic. The whole company ground to a standstill."

Update: Avira recommends adding exceptions for the affected system processes to the ProActiv's Application filter. However, as the list of processes is rather long, it is still advised for the time being to disable ProActiv.

Source

 

[Ink]

It's a good thing their Free AV doesn't come with ProActiv. Too bad for the paying customers.

Do you trust Avira to keep your computer safe, as well as keep it running without faulty updates?

 

[McLovin]

I used to but have not for a while now because last time I tested it it let everything through apart from 2.

 

[Ink]

When was that, and was that with or without the toolbar web protection?

 

[McLovin]

That was without the web protection,

 

[3link9]

I used to be impressed by Avira around the end of 2010 then I started testing it recently and it missed A LOT of things, I still cannot get how AV Comparatives rates it so high when everytime I test it it fails.

 

[jamescv7]

I've made an existed thus its suppose to merged it. Sorry for the doubled topic category. :s (Since I've made it late)

Thread here

Anyway, its really weird that most people assume ProActiv isn't effective much and result for a nightmare FP alarm.