Help? (virus protection)

[rochvelleth]

My AdAware is doing something funny. I've been trying to get the latest definitions file for a few weeks now. At first, it just said there wasn't one, but then I began to get strange messages of some sort of error when trying to access the new definitions file. Erm, help? Is there a fix

Comments

[ex_robhu]

You could try uninstalling it, downloading the latest version from the website and installing that.

BTW AdAware checks for spyware, not viruses or worms (although these definitions are a bit fluid). If that's all you have then you ought to get some antivirus software too. AVG have some free software.

[rochvelleth]

Uninstalling AdAware as a whole, you mean? Yes, that's the only thing I can think of doing. I can't find a way of removing the most recent definitions file, or indeed of tinkering with definitions files, but then it'd probably be best if I didn't mess with things like that.

Thanks for advice/linkage too. I did hear AVG were good, though previously most of my advice comes from Nick-the-cute-tech-guy and randomly picked up pointers from the Digital Life guy in the Telegraph ;)

[ex_robhu]

Yeah I mean uninstalling it as a whole.

I have heard that AVG is pretty bad, but is a lot better than nothing, and it's free.

[rochvelleth]

Oh dear, is it bad? How about Avast!? That's free, isn't it?

[ex_robhu]

Well ... 'bad' is relative I guess. I read an article where all the anti virus programs were tested and I remember AVG doing fairly badly. That was about 18 months ago.

I have no idea what Avast is like, that wasn't in the article at all.

I don't use Windows so I don't have these problems :P