Desperately need help! My firewall will not turn on.

[jholland1964]

Well just checked with the fellow who uploaded those print screens and he, like me uses Avira Free and has never used Avast either. He got those from a fellow very familiar with Avast who no longer posts at the board where they are hosted. So honestly can't help you at all with those settings.

[the.avon.lady1]

So is there something better than Avast that I should be using?

[jholland1964]

I am glad I asked you about the file and you said to get rid of it. Right after installing Avast I got a message that I had a possible infection that was going to quarantine. Then the computer went into a scan and after the scan it said that I had a rootkit and listed that file. I immediately stopped what I was doing and followed your directions above for deleting this file. Man that is a persistent little devil and I am glad I had the fore-site not to open the file. I just hope it did not escape the file and all the work that I have done was for nothing.

WOW! Just read this post of yours. Talk about a close call! Geeze! Did you do another scan with Avast just to be sure everything is really gone?

[the.avon.lady1]

I know you listed Avast to install because I said I preferred it. I preferred it because that was what was recommended by several on the Daniweb forum last year over using McAfee. However, if Avira Free is better I will uninstall Avast and change to Avira. I want to use the best one available.

[the.avon.lady1]

WOW! Just read this post of yours. Talk about a close call! Geeze! Did you do another scan with Avast just to be sure everything is really
gone?

I am doing Avast and Malwarebites scans as we speak. Started them right after deleting the file.

[jholland1964]

Both Avira Free and Avast Free are most often rated in the top 5 in independent testing and generally go back and forth as to which one is rated slightly higher than the other. I prefer Avira Free over Avast but now I cannot recall exactly why I didn't like Avast it has been so many years ago since I used it. Like I said, I have probably used Avira Free for five years and it is the one I recommend if somebody has no preference or is using some junk av program, mainly because I know it well. If this version of Avast is different than the one you had then the one you had was out of date.

[jholland1964]

I am doing Avast and Malwarebites scans as we speak. Started them right after deleting the file.

You never should do two scans at the same time...both could miss something if you do AND trying to do two at once could cause the computer to totally freeze up.

Do one all the way through and then do the next one all the way through. With MBA-M be sure you update first, always update before each and every scan and if you are suspicious about something, as you are now, you should be doing a Full Scan with it, not a Quick Scan.

[the.avon.lady1]

You never should do two scans at the same time...both could miss something if you do AND trying to do two at once could cause the computer to totally freeze up.

Do one all the way through and then do the next one all the way through. With MBA-M be sure you update first, always update before each and every scan and if you are suspicious about something, as you are now, you should be doing a Full Scan with it, not a Quick Scan.

Oops! I canceled both scans and I am starting over. I updated Malwarebytes and I am completing it first since that is the one that caught the Rootkit virus in the first place. I will then proceed with the Avast scan. Avast has greatly changed and added a lot of new stuff. So I may stay with it for now if it is still in the top. I just know that everyone that deals with computers has advised me to get away from McAfee. I neglected to take that advice on my desktop trying to let my subscription run out since it was paid for and well you know the results of that bad decision. At the same time it is interesting that I go to the same places and do the same things on my laptop as on my desktop. I have not had the problems on my laptop and the only difference is I have Avast on my laptop. So I guess that speaks for itself. That being said, I know you have put a lot of time into this helping me with my problem. However, the time has not been wasted because there is a lot of really good information here and anyone that will slide through the long scans and stay with the main points can learn a lot. I know I have even though it might not seem like it at times. Even something small like knowing not to run two scans together is valuable information. Before now I ran all of my scans at the same time thinking it was saving time. I see there have been many viewing this thread so I do hope they will all stay with it long enough to get something out of it and all of your time will help many while helping me!

I will post the results of my scans when I have them finished and then decide where to go next. Kinda got sidetracked and off schedule having to stop and delete the file and run the scans.

[the.avon.lady1]

Results from Malwarebytes, Avast scan is still in progress:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.61.0.1400
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: v2012.07.01.08

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 x64 NTFS
Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421
Frances :: FRANCES-PC [administrator]

7/2/2012 3:22:06 AM
mbam-log-2012-07-02 (03-22-06).txt

Scan type: Full scan
Scan options enabled: Memory | Startup | Registry | File System | Heuristics/Extra | Heuristics/Shuriken | PUP | PUM
Scan options disabled: P2P
Objects scanned: 325624
Time elapsed: 33 minute(s), 28 second(s)

Memory Processes Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Files Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

(end)

[jholland1964]

I have not had the problems on my laptop and the only difference is I have Avast on my laptop. So I guess that speaks for itself.

Without a doubt! I post at several forums, I can honestly say it is very rare to work with a person and their infected computer who is running either Avast or Avira, very, very unusual. If it happens it seems to be on a computer where the person has two av progrms installed and running at the same time...doesn't matter what ones either...lessens protection immediately when that second av program is installed because the two programs fight each other and something slips in. We often see infections with McAfee installed and AVG or MSE. Others not as much but best protection always results from either Avira or Avast.
You know the program, it's changed of course but since you are familiar with it in general you should do just fine.
I'm on my way out for a bit.

If this Avast scan is clean then go ahead with the installs of the other security programs. I will be back later.