The need for a second Malware scanner

I've been a big fan of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) since it became publicly available to all. However, for the third time in as many months, a Trojan eluded it's scanner. Yesterday, I installed on my notebook 7 Home Basic (an excellent choice for older computers that's incapable of Aero). Since it isn't trying to force an app that won't work, the screen looks very good and more readable.

After fully updating and installing all of my favorite programs, I did a Full Scan with MSE, all was clean. It has ran well. Today, I did a second Full Scan with Malwarebytes, my second string of defense in the never ending emergence of bad code writers. The following was found:

Trojan.Vilsel

After further research, it was found to have a "high" rating, as to it's threat to my security. It can embed deep into the registry, and slowly cause problems, including installing more malware onto the system.

Therefore, the need for a second scanner such as Malwarebytes is greater than ever. While MSE is excellent protection, it's still very young, and no security program can catch every thing 100% of the time. I strongly urge all users to have a second option, an inactive scanner that you can manually update and run, at least once monthly, and upon a new install. Malwarebytes is the best option that I'm aware of that can do the job.

C_C has posted a link to the program in the Free Software Database that can found on the home page of the forum. He has worked hard to create this list of essential programs, many of which I already have, and they all are fine programs, I can vouch for that.

The time to act is now, before an infection spreads deeply into your OS. The sooner that malware is contained, the greater the chance that no damage is done.

Safe and happy computing to all,
Cat

here are a few free AV apps you could try

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

http://free.avg.com/za-en/download.prd-afg I have always liked this one

http://www.free-av.com/en/download/1...antivirus.html

http://malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

http://www.spywareterminator.com/download/download.aspx

http://www.superantispyware.com/supe...freevspro.html

If you're just using the Windows 7 firewall, that may be part of the problem too.

I always use a 3rd party firewall software in addition to the hardware firewall on the router.

Dirtrider, our resident BSOD expert recommends not using Avast or AVG as they are often seen as involved in the blue screens of death he helps solve.

He also does not recommend Cyberlink or Daemon Tools, both of which I use regularly but your results may vary.

If you use any of these products and get BSODs then it is definitely worth it to try removing them and if you are considering a new product it may be well to try others first.

I realise that code is a complex thing but I wonder why AVG gets such bad press with WIN7. Certainly it has never given me any grief on my XP machine.

Just Out of the box Win7 comes in 5 flavors: Basic, Home Premium, Pro, Ultimate, and Enterprise, multiply that by 2 for 32bit and 64bit and then multiply that by the 1000s of settings then you multiply that by all the drivers for all the different hardware and finally you plop applications on top of that mess and it's surprising anybody even gets the same result when they multiply 2 * 2 on these devices.

Virus programs more than most applications are down deep, watching to things most programs assume just work - with that level of detail comes a necessity to work on the so many variations and still not mess something up itself. Anti-virus programs themselves work like a virus - they get in the middle and interpret what your CPU wants/is doing, they interpret what your hard drive wants/is doing and it allows code to execute, files to be accessed based on it's determination ... this naturally slows down processing and it introduces numerous possibilities for error.

When you are dealing with PCs you go on experience. I had a noisy and hot Hitachi hard drive that threw off a bunch of errors - now I will avoid Hitachi; that doesn't mean all their drives are bad but my bad experience means I don't want to test it.

TorrentG obviously has had experiences with the products above that instantly makes him question them. As I mentioned I use a couple myself and they work fine for me but when you are looking for issues, you start with your experience.

In very slight defense of what was not just notorious AVG but extreme notorious AVG, I think they have cleaned their act to a certain extent. It has been many months since I can say for sure it was the source of bsod.

If anyone is ever brave enough to try AVG, stay away from the suite type software. Stick to the antivirus alone. That makes a world of difference too. (But be warned, it will slow down your machine compared to MSE.)

I have seen it involved recently in bsod cases - but again - it may or may not have been the cause. This is a billion worlds better than what they were early this year and before on Windows 7.

As for Cyberlink - I love all of their software and am an avid user of at least 4 or 5 things they have out. My only recommendation is to keep the software updated to latest and you'd be fine with it.

Daemon Tools (and its sptd.sys) - I wouldn't wish their problems on anyone. Massive bsod, pcs unable to boot...terrible. Use PowerISO instead.

Lot to be said for in house software. MSE as it develops should get better and better.

I've never tried it but I see nothing on the homepage where PowerISO can disable SafeDisc or SecuROM and since I don't want to dig out the CDs for my games if I want to play them, these features are important to me.

I'd like to say an alternative method than needing to rely on those features of Daemon Tools - but I'm fairly sure it would go against rules of the site.

Perhaps simply saying that is enough of a clue to what I'm getting at.

If you legally own a disc and have paid for it, you should be able to do whatever you want to the software once installed. (My opinion only, of course.)