Article DetailsWhy I like AntiVir Premium and how to restart a stopped scan |
| Date Added: September 17, 2009 06:27:53 AM |
| Author: Justin |
| Category: Computers & Internet: Software: Antivirus & Antispyware |
| I have used many antivirus and antispyware programs in the past, and there are some I like. Free programs were on top of that list - I enjoyed using free stuff. But little did I know I was playing with my security by using them. Then one day it happened - my websites had malware! How did it happen when I was the only person who had access to my hosting account login? My PC was compromised and the hacker stole my paswords and broke into my control panel. He/she planted some malicious iframes at the footer of every HTML file. Yet the antivirus/antispyware I was using then still gave me a false positive result after every scan, while my PC was breeding with virus and malware. How did I know about all these? I searched for my my site and learned about it from Google. By chance a DMOZ editor who visited one of my sites as I was trying to remove the malicious codes advised me to get Avira free version for personal use. I downloaded it from the Avira official website and gave it a trial. At the first scan it became clear to me that my system had a lot of viruses and malware, including keyloggers. The hacker was actually merciless! The new antivirus software removed all the unwanted codes successfully, and I was very happy and relieved. The free version offered very good protection of my computer and could remove almost all known viruses. But there were certain tasks the free version could not perform. It had limitations! I visit a lot of websites each day, because I run this web directory and need to review the websites that their owners submit links here. And I have to search the web to find links on my own. The free version does not have a WebGuard that protects PCs against malicious websites, no AntiDrive-by that stops malware downloads while surfing, and no enhanced email protection for POP3 and SMTP, among other limitations. I knew then that I needed a more powerful security program. And I found that in Avira Antivir Premium antivirus program, developed by the same German company, which offers many more advanced benefits the free version doesn't come packaged with. I paid and downloaded it. It worked like a magic out of the box. Each time an infected site appears on any search result page, the antivirus software blows an alarm and notifies me through a pop-up window about what infected the site. It will not allow me to visit the site unless I insist, which is great. Then four days ago everything fell apart. My daily scheduled scan got stuck at 57.5% and could not finish. That lasted for several hours and I had to contact Avira Support for help. Their support department reacted promptly (they provide official support at their forum). I was asked if I had Intel Matrix Storage Manager and/or Intel Turbo Memory installed. I didn't. Then I was asked to post a HiJackThis log on the forum thread. HijackThis is a freeware enumerating tool for Microsoft Windows OS owned by Trend Micro that targets browser hijacking methods, instead of relying on a database of known spyware. It scans a user's computer quickly, and displays browser hijacking locations, showing what entries are there. The software is used primarily for diagnosing browser hijacking, as uninformed use of its removal facilities can cause significant software damage to a PC. It only lists most common locations where a browser hijacking activity can occur, but does not remove or detect spyware. It is notable that a browser hijacking can cause malware to be instituted on a user's PC. I posted the log file on the thread. Their technician, Alexandru Frigioiu, asked me to uninstall Spybot Search and Destroy, restart the PC, and try again to perform a scan. Really I had Spybot Search and Destroy installed before my PC was compromised. I did as he instructed and this time the scan got stuck at 47.2%. The file where it stopped was C:System Volume Information. He then asked me to go to Avira's configuration, tick Expert Mode, Scanner, Scan, Exception, add this: C:System Volume Information, click "Apply". I did as he said, but the scan still stuck at the same file for several hours. At that stage I started thinking that the antivirus program had failed me again - that my PC may have been infected again. But Alexandru reassured me that it wasn't. And I believed him. Finally he asked me to turn off System Restore, perform a scan again, and turn the System Restore on again. However, he warned me that the process would delete all my restore points. That process saved the day and the headache. Thankfully the last scan finished smoothly and successfully. And no virus or malware was found on the computer. Upon my request, he told me that a corrupt file in the System Restore apparently caused the freeze. Avira Antivir Premium has proven to be a good investment of my money and I like the program so much. This minor issue didn't make me to stop liking it. Actually it remains on top of my list of antivirus programs till today. The company's free version rescued me from a merciless hacker and now the company is providing a premium protection of my PC, even while surfing the Internet. Some free antivirus programs are good and I rank Avira Antivir free edition as the best of all of them. However free every stuff has its own limitations. There comes a time when you need a premium protection. And you don't have to expect an unpaid guard to mount your front door 24 hours everyday. He will eventually sleep at night while the enemy slips through your gate. So, you get what you pay for. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and will find it useful, if your Antivir Premium scan stops unexpectedly. You now know what to do! |