Running malware software along Anti-Virus!

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

Hello donetao, since the question was initially whether to use Ad-Aware free, I'll mention I do use Ad-Aware installed along Avast! and set in compatibility mode. It's real time protection is not activated as I use it only as an on demand scanner (..when I remember) though seriously I usually do! Ad-Aware was free, but only because I was fortunate in winning one of our Free Giveaways for their non-free version. That said, many of the suggestion put forth here sound preferable for seniors and even juniors alike! As you know, free and new are not always the best choices but have far more to do with one's unique and personal situation. Since seniors come in all shapes and sizes, as do we all, I'd consider offering (from your position of influence) only to those willing (& able) to pay to upgrade to Malwarebytes Anti-Malware premium to do so. A number of quality core software that are also free have already been mentioned.
For those whom are resistant to, or feel hampered as if being chained, exercising "common sense", a layer of protection easier to understand yet similar in effectiveness to sandboxing methods mentioned earlier, is the free Toolwiz Time Freeze.

• http://www.toolwiz.com/en/products/toolwiz-time-freeze/

Just remind your friends that, like Cinderella, they will have to leave the Ball sometime (to perform updates) and their glass slippers (installed programs) will also disappear after midnight, ...or when Time Freeze is exited and the system is restored to as it was before.

Edit: I wanted to share the configuration of our fellow member / friend whose setup clearly represents thinking outside of the proverbial orthodox "box", and he captures essentially much of what you look to be attempting. It is a system that is secure, and yet doesn't need to be altered or monitored often.
http://malwaretips.com/threads/arsenaloyals-mediabox-configuration.38261/page-2#post-309016

 

[Jaspion]

Hi guys, great thread here.

I have a few things to say about Ad-Aware. I'm using it at the moment and I'm quite satisfied if I may say.

Let me give you a brief roundup of why it's a nice choice of antivirus.

Like many of us here, I have done many tests, especially scanning tests and real-time protection scans on lots of malware packs from here. What I found astoundingly when testing some AV's was that Ad-Aware is a lot more stable than other Bitdefender-powered cousins.

For example, I tested unpacking a malware archive with some 200 malware samples with the real-time protection on. This gives the opportunity to see the behaviour of the antivirus detecting and deleting files, detection rate, GUI interactions, etc.

Quihoo: TS and IS are both unstable. On many tests, you will see files not being detected with real-time protection while they are detected in on-demand scans. They unfortunately exhibit not only this but other inconsistencies too. On this particular case both antiviruses failed and crashed while detecting/quarantining these threats.

Bitdefender Free: what to say of this little monster? Actually not a terrible choice, but a very annoying antivirus to say the very least. Try an on-demand scan and you will see it is just about the slowest antivirus ever. Now, I'm only mentioning Bitdefender Free because I remembered reading people complaining about not being able to restore quarantined files. Oh my oh my. Bitdefender Free simply RENAMES and probably encrypts the quarantined files. So, the poor people who can't recover their files simply deleted them by mistake because Bitdefender Free does not really quarantine anything, as in putting it into quarantine, isolating files. No, it allows you to delete the files, or folder where they are. I though I had to mention this.

Roboscan: crashes as well.

So if an antivirus is unstable, your system is in bad hands. Ad-Aware has been giving me a positive experience so far. When I unpacked these malwares, they were all correctly quarantined.

Also, the database is updated every hour, and it does not lag behind Bitdefender.

 

[donetao]

Hi Guys and Gals! Just a short pop in to say thanks for all your replies,I have a busy day.
Seniors don't like nags or pop ups. They like simple things that operate in the back ground. I have used Avira and Avast, but they do have nags and need to be tweaked. I know MSE is not the best, but safe suffering and MBAB Pro has kept me out of trouble for a long time. Seniors want to get emails, visit Facebook to see their grand kids,get side effects caused by their medicine and do a little suffering for weather and news. They aren't risk takers and they want it simple and cheap. I was hoping someone here had some experience running a Anti-Virus and Ad-Adware in real time.
Any way, thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I think TwinHeadedEagal recommends MSE and MBAM pro. Maybe someone here can run MSE and Ad-Adware and give me some kind of report later. I know about sand boxing and virtual machines, but I need simple and cheap.
You would not believe all the computers running Norton and Kaspery that were totally infected that I have cleaned up and replaced with MSE.
At this time, I haven't had to clean them up again, but I have found a few PUP's with MBAM on demand.
I know you all have your favorites and use programs that you have used and you trust. There is no Anti-Virus 100% and it needs a program like MBAM running along side in real time and not just a on demand scanner. There are hundreds of good on line scanners and I'm familiar with most of them!

 

[Kate_L]

Never run two security products with real-time protection, it makes the system unstable. You don't need to be paranoid about getting infected, most AV are useless anyways

 

[Ink]

Thanks! I know all about on line scanners. I'm wanting a program to run in real time along side a Anti-Virus program like Avast or Avira!

I would to clarify, the ESET 'Online Scanner' is misleading.
If installed using Chrome or Firefox, it gets installed locally to your PC. It may require you to download updates before a scan and you can use as many times as you like. (Limitation: No offline use).

You will need to look for a Companion Antivirus, however, running 2 or more AV programs does not have any benefits (imo). I strongly recommend looking at alternate solutions such as isolating your browser, or running under a limited account.

For example:
Unchecky will run and update silently in the background, using minimal resources. It will help prevent Adware/Toolbars and other PUP that most common Antivirus (including Companion AVs) will not detect. It even un-marks the Dropbox offer seen in Avast Installer.

Please visit, http://alternativeto.net/software/malwarebytes-anti-malware/?platform=windows for alternates to Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

How about Spyware Terminator v3? -
The paid version comes with F-Prot AV, the free version limited to real-time anti-spyware protection.

It also has HIPS, disabled by default.

Immunet Free? http://www.immunet.com/free/features/index.html

You should try Ad-Aware Free and let us know about it. Cheers.

 

[donetao]

Hi! I believe that TwinHeadedEagal recommends Unchecky also. I need to check that out. I wish there was a TwinHeadedEagal in my retirement village of 400+, but unfortunately there isn't. I believe he's the best malware fighter in the world. I realize that malware can get deep into the roots of your computer and there will be times when you need TwinHeadedEagal. My seniors don't want to join a forum, and do not have the knowledge to do those things, and I can't just move in with them, so I do the best I can. I'm sure I do as good as Staples who charges at least 100$. I use the programs that TwinHeadedEagal recommends. I have a set order I use. I have found as many as 2400 malicious malware on one lap top. That PC was running Norton Anti-Virus. I do check up on some when asked; but so far after installing MSE,I have only found some PUP's. I know I should take a malware training class, but not sure I could finish and a year is a long time for this old man. I don't learn like I use to. I really enjoyed this thread. Lots of good advise and suggestions.
For you that keep saying "Do not run two Anti-Virus programs" MBAM and Ad-Adware are two different ball games and are designed to run together with your Anti-Virus program, giving you another coat of protection. "Do not run two Anti-Virus programs in real time" They will conflict and cause you grief!! Yes I have found two Anti-Virus programs on seniors PC's before. The grand kids installed them!!
I have been living here in my retirement village for three years. Helping seniors with their printers and PC's for free.It is my way of helping and paying back to the community.
Thanks everyone! More comments are always welcome. Hope you all learned some thing new from this thread; as I surely did. I have more ideas about other things, but that will have to wait.
How many of you techs use the windows tool called Reliability Monitor?? That's another thread and another day!!
A great tool that goes unnoticed and unused. It's my nap time!
Thanks everyone for your replies!