Loved Avast for years. Today I ditched it.

[HD_Dude]

I've been a big Avast fan for years. Like, 8? 9? 10 years?

For so many years, I loved it. Quiet, subtle, a light load on the RAM and CPU, and never, ever had any virus or spyware problems while Avast was installed.

But today? I uninstalled it, because Avast had become too 'loud.'

Started with their database updates. Used to suddenly say, out loud 'Avast Virus Database has been updated!' Out loud.

I silenced that...and it was OK for a while. But then the same message would start popping up, silent, but in a big popup in the corner. I could live with that.

Until they started this 'Software Update' program. Brand new, and terribly intrusive.

Every day, once, twice. three times , a big popup....'Avast Software Update had determined that 'Adobe Air' needs to be updated.'

I went in and stopped it. Unchecked the 'Software Update' notifications. BUT - kept happening.

Stopped it again. And I thought I was OK. Until tonight, when a big popup appeared: 'Avast helps Schools'

STOP! Enough!

I uninstalled Avast, and went with Windows Security Essentials.

Avast seems to feel that the end user exist only for them. It was awful.

Here's a message to Avast: work in the background. You are too LOUD!

 

[bertopl]

I use security essentials too. antivirus is the kind of software I don't ever want to think about. self-scanning, self-updating, works for me.

 

[TeknoBlast]

I got Kaspersky from Best Buy for free when I purchased my Samsung Ultra Series 5. Not bad of a software and I can install it on three computers.

 

[HD_Dude]

I use security essentials too. antivirus is the kind of software I don't ever want to think about. self-scanning, self-updating, works for me.

Exactly. I want it to work, and work well - but in the background. Especially when it comes to self-serving copy, like 'Avast is Helping Schools.' Why would they think I should interrupt my work to read that?

I got Kaspersky from Best Buy for free when I purchased my Samsung Ultra Series 5. Not bad of a software and I can install it on three computers.

That sounds excellent. I'd like to try that. Thanks.

 

[Russ]

I uninstalled it, because Avast had become too 'loud.'

HD_Dude --

You may have dodged the proverbial bullet. I, too, abandoned Avast for approximately the same reason. I had it running on three computers. I uninstalled each one, more or less simultaneously, and it disabled the keyboards on all three.

Fortunately, one of them was dual-boot to Win7, so I was able to use it to get online and find a solution. Avast was aware of the problem, and had published a removal tool that would have avoided the problem -- had I but known about it.

I am now running WinDefender on all my machines except the one in my office. That machine pre-screens all my email, so I am also running AVG on it. I like it so far, and it doesn't talk much unless it finds something, and even then it tells me with a silent pop-up.

Take care,
Russ