Remove and Uninstall AVG Antivirus 2011

AVG Antivirus 2011 is an excellent piece of software. However, on certain computers it may slow down the whole system. If you have installed AVG 2011 by mistake or want to try some other antivirus software, here is an exact step by step method on how to remove it from your Windows (XP, Vista or 7). If Method 1 doesn't work, try Method 2.

Note: you can use the method detailed in this version with most versions of AVG Antivirus (including 2009 and 2010).

Method 1

a) Go to 'Start' button and click on Control Panel

b) Click on icon which says 'Add or remove programs' or 'Uninstall a program'

c) Scroll the list and find an item which says 'AVG Antivirus 2011'

d) Click on 'Uninstall' and a wizard will launch which will allow you to remove antivirus software

e) Restart your computer

Method 2

a) Go to Google.com and Search for 'AVG Antivirus 2011'

b) Download AVG 2011 installer program to your computer

c) Launch the installer program which will automatically detect the already installed AVG on your computer

d) Out of the three options presented, select 'Uninstall' or 'Remove Completely' option.

e) Finish the wizard and restart your computer

Read more: http://EzineArticles.com/5356957

Uninstall Symantec AntiVirus

To uninstall Symantec Antivirus, you need to close all its services, delete all files and remnants in registry. But not all of these things can be done easily, as Symantec "spreads" its traces deeply into your system. You need to be very careful when doing the removal.

First to shut it down. Like many security software, Symantec Antivirus constantly monitors the status of your system by its powerful background services that runs from every time when you start the main program. Simply disabling the main program will not get its services down. You should right click and close the tray icon, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the task manger and kill every process that is related to the program. But if you are like me, who is not familiar with all the entries of task manager but really wants to uninstall Symantec Antivirus, well, just get into Safe Mode of your system, in where neither Symantec's services nor other programs that may have files associated with it will be loaded.

Next thing is to delete all files and registry remnants. Main folders can be removed by Control Panle->Add/Remove programs, provided that you do it in Safe Mode. But the following directories need to be found and deleted by your own to fully uninstall Symantec Antivirus:

C:\Program Files\Symantec
C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application DataS\ymantec

These are where all the leftovers are located and unless you delete them and the relative registry entries, you are not likely to successfully uninstall Symantec AntiVirus. The problem is these entries are hard to pinpoint and you will properly risk a danger of crashing your pc as a result of messing with the registry. I did not want it so I turned for a help. A small application named Perfect Uninstall came as my final solution, with its force uninstall method. The advantage is, when you indicate a specific file/folder to Perfect Uninstaller, it not only deletes the file/folder, but also scans and takes out all relevant registry information, which is very effective to uninstall Symantec Antivirus as well as other Symantec software like Norton security.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/638zo

Remove Antivirus IS - Quick And Easy

People continue to be lured into installing Antivirus IS, and learning the hard way that it is not an anti-malware program, but a virus. If you are one of the unfortunate many who made the mistake of loading it onto your PC, you need to remove Antivirus IS as soon as possible. Don't think that because it poses as a legitimate program, that you can simply uninstall Antivirus IS. This is a virus, and like a real virus, it dies hard

1. A lot of obscure websites actually have browser hijackers embedded. Browser hijackers take over your browser and spam you with fake warnings, or direct you to sites where you can be infected. Stay away from obscure websites unless a reliable person has told you about these sites
2. Adobe software plug-ins can also be quite vulnerable to attack. You need to avoid using them if you can, but if you must use them, make sure you have real time virus protection.
3. Don't install, let alone use P2P software like Limewire or uTorrent, especially if the application uses a CODEC.

There are ways to tell if you are about to be infected. Typically, you'll be bombarded by pop-ups; this means that your browser has been hijacked. The pop-ups will usually warn of grave danger to your PC and tell you to download something to eliminate the threat. The truth is there is no threat, and the software you are urged to install is the actual malware.

There are two ways to do Antivirus IS removal, the first kind is manual removal, and it involves doing the following:

1. The virus is a program and will have.exe and.bat files, you need to find and delete these
2. The virus will also create.dll and.lnk files to help it "get around" on your system, you need to get rid of those too.
3. Finally, the virus will write itself into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER folders of your system registry, you need to find and remove any traces of it there.

Uninstall McAfee Antivirus

If you are unhappy with McAfee Antivirus program for sluggish computer performance or simply looking to upgrade to a new antivirus program during the time of renewal, then you need to uninstall McAfee from your desktop or laptop. Alternately, a major problem or troubleshooting issue on your computer might require you to uninstall McAfee Antivirus program. Whatever the reason for your dissatisfaction, it only takes a few simple steps to uninstall McAfee Antivirus program from your computer.

Instructions


Click the "Start" button located on the bottom left of the task bar of your computer.


Scroll to "Control Panel" and click on it. If you cannot locate the Control Panel for any reason, type "Control Panel" in the search window below the "All Programs" button.


Once the Control Panel window opens up displaying various control menus or features, click on the "Uninstall a Program" link under Programs.

Scroll down to "McAfee Antivirus" from the list of programs that opens up and click on it. Click on the pop-out which says "Uninstall/Change." Click on it and, depending on the version of McAfee Antivirus that you have installed on your computer, different operations such as Modify, Remove or Repair are displayed.

Click "Remove" and then "OK." Removing the McAfee Antivirus program will take a few minutes relative to the processing power of your computer.


Read more: http://goo.gl/OYTM6

Guidelines to Follow When Uninstalling Computer Software

Faster internet connections, larger disk space, and the increasing availability of free software often lure computer users into downloading and installing several programs on their PCs. This race to download free programs has not only fooled users into installing practically useless programs, but it has also fooled users into downloading rogue programs, like antivirus 2009 and antivirus 360. Later on, when users find out that they have been tricked into downloading malicious programs, they realize that removing such programs is not such an easy job.

If thoughts like "how do I uninstall antivirus 2009 from my computer" or "how to uninstall antivirus 360 from my computer" are causing you to lose sleep, worry no further, as this article will discuss methods that can help you correctly uninstall such malware programs and computer software that you don't need.

Many users believe that deleting the icon of software located on their Desktop is the way to get rid of unwanted and unneeded programs. This could not be farther from the truth. Deleting a software icon only removes its shortcut that is stored on your Desktop for quick access to launch the program. The application and its files still remain on your computer. To correctly uninstall computer software, you must use the Add or Remove Programs utility. You can launch this utility from the Control Panel. You may also use a third-party program uninstaller tool to perform the uninstallation in a more effective way.

However, there are many programs, such as antivirus 2009 and antivirus 360 that cannot be completely uninstalled using the Add or Remove Programs utility. Antivirus 2009 and antivirus 360 are rogue programs and should not be downloaded. However, many users get fooled by their names and download these malware. If you have installed any of these programs, we recommend you immediately take measures to get rid of them. The reason such programs are difficult to uninstall is because they install many random files and entries on your system. Moreover, such programs often have the capability to reinstall themselves again, even after you uninstall them using the Add or Remove Programs utility.

Although it is possible to uninstall antivirus 2009 and antivirus 360 manually, we recommend you not try it. To remove such programs manually you should know exactly which files to delete and should also be comfortable in editing the registry. It is therefore recommended that you attempt manual removal of such programs, only if you have the required technical knowledge, as one mistake can cause serious and in some cases irreparable damage to your system. The best way to uninstall malware, such as antivirus 2009 and antivirus 360 is by using reliable antivirus and antispyware tools. Furthermore, to prevent future infiltration of such malware, ensure your protective software provides you with real-time protection. Also, make sure a reliable firewall is configured and installed on your system to boost your system's security against malicious programs.

Read more: http://goo.gl/LVrsx

Uninstall Kaspersky Antivirus 2009 Thoroughly

Do you have problems in uninstalling unwanted Kaspersky program from your computer? As a program that combines well with the operating system, Kaspersky may be a little difficult to be uninstalled, which also agreed by Kaspersky itself. However, you are in the right place here for tutorials to thoroughly uninstall Kaspersky antivirus 2009 totally from your computer.

Method one: uninstall Kaspersky antivirus 2009 manually
1) Firstly you have to go to Start button, and then Control Panel.
2) Here, double click on Add/ Uninstall Programs button.
3) Then you will see a list of whole programs installed on your computer. Then you should locate the Kaspersky program and click "Remove/Change" to begin the removal.
4) Follow the on-screen steps to finish the uninstall process.

This is how you can manually uninstall Kaspersky antivirus 2009 from your computer. However, this happens a lot that some related registry entries will be left in Windows registry. So to ensure a thorough uninstall process, you have to check and delete the entries under the below branches:

%Documents and Settings%All UsersStart MenuPrograms
%Documents and Settings%All UsersDesktop
%Documents and Settings%All UsersApplication Data
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftware
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall

But please be careful enough when modifying the Windows registry. And the manual kaspersky antivirus 2009 uninstall process is just recommended for advanced PC users for most of the time, a minor mistake will result in completely system crash. If you are not professional on computer, you should perform the below method.

Method two: Automatic kaspersky antivirus 2009 removal
It is recommended that you should rely on a professional uninstaller to thoroughly uninstall unwanted programs from your computer. Uninstallers usually provide you with very friendly users interface and uninstall option to uninstall programs.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/OnCya

Getting Online Antivirus Installation Done

These days online antivirus installation is very famous because of the fact that it addresses one of the most important and very general problem faced by almost all of us who uses computers in day to day life. It also serves a basic purpose of help, keeping in view the need of help while installing the complicated executable software. We all know that there is certain software which can be installed on our computers by merely copy pasting because of the fact that they do not have complicated executable files but on the other hand there are some software which has complicated executable files like an antivirus software and hence it requires an online antivirus installation support from an expert.

Computer has taken a very important and indispensable role in our day to day life in this IT world where in it plays a role which influences or life very much and to great extent. Almost all our day to day work is done on computers or by the help of computer, be it schools, collages, banks, offices, organizations, governments all of them use it and can't stay without it even for a single moment. Organization's, corporation's and household's activities are very much governed, controlled and influenced by the computer and internet use. Internet works as a connecting system for all the computers worldwide and also offers a universal platform known as World Wide Web.

With the advancement in internet technology through out the world we are facing a lot of problem related to virus attacks on our pc once we connect them with the internet. In order to be safe while being connected with internet we need to have antivirus software installed on our system as they safeguard our system from unwanted virus attacks. We can resolve this problem by doing online antivirus installation which is very easy and convenient way to install the software on our system. Antivirus helps us from unwanted virus attacks on our pc by working as a proactive protection system for our pc.

Installation of antivirus is a very complicated process as it includes a lot of set up of supporting software. As we must be aware about the fact that if the antivirus is not installed properly it can really affect the performance of the computer and also stop us from using some of computer's and internet's features. Even it can create a lot of problem when the computer is connected in any LAN network. We generally get confused while installing and customizing the antivirus software due to its complexity. In this case we can use the facility of online antivirus installation which would help us in getting the desired results with the help of an expert tech support. Managing the various features such as antispyware, firewalls, anti spam, website inspector, and parental controls becomes really easily through the online antivirus installation. The process of taking online help in regards with antivirus software is so convenient and easy that we hardly feel that we are doing something which can be really tedious without the expert tech support advice.

Article Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Getting-Online-Antivirus-Installation-Done/4254841/

How to Install Two Antivirus or more in One Computer

Anyone running a Windows computer knows how important it is to have good anti-virus software. If someone you know still doesn't have anti-virus software running, here's a quick guide you can send them to help them set it up.

The video above should walk you through most of the process, but you can read through the steps below as well. We're going to use Microsoft Security Essentials for this demo, since it's very easy to use and does a great job of protecting you from viruses. There's really no need to spend money on anti-virus software when Microsoft's offerings are more than good enough.

1. Head over to the Microsoft Security Essentials page and download the software. Double-click on the installer to begin the installation process.
2. The installation should be pretty self-explanatory. Just follow the steps it gives you. Make sure you've checked the box to turn on the Windows Firewall when prompted, and give the whole thing a few minutes to install.
3. When it's done, it will ask you to run a scan. Hit yes, and it will download the latest virus definitions and run its first scan. All of this will take a few minutes, so just leave the program alone and let it do its thing.
4. When it's finished it's scan (hopefully without finding anything), it will begin monitoring your computer. Click the "Change My Scan Schedule" button to schedule a regular scan of your computer. I usually like to run mine on Sunday at 2:00 AM, when I know I'll be sleeping. Save your settings and you're done!

Now, Microsoft Security Essentials will run in the background, constantly monitoring your computer for any viruses. If it catches anything, it will let you know and tell you how to proceed. It will also run a scan during the time you've scheduled it for, so make sure your computer's running at that time (in the above case, Sunday at 2 AM). You can check to make sure it's running by going to your system tray in the bottom-right corner and looking for the green castle icon.

Remember, good anti-virus software is important, but even more important is practicing safe browsing habits. The best way to avoid viruses is to make sure you don't download them in the first place. Don't click on anything that claims its anti-virus software unless you know where it came from, don't click on any suspicious Facebook posts, and make sure that you don't click on any fake email links. If you get an email from ebay.com, hover over the link and look at the bottom of your screen to make sure it actually goes to somewhere at www.ebay.com—if it goes somewhere else, it's probably going to harm your computer.

Source :- tnetech.net

How to Uninstall Symantec AntiVirus

To uninstall Symantec Antivirus, you need to close all its services, delete all files and remnants in registry. But not all of these things can be done easily, as Symantec "spreads" its traces deeply into your system. You need to be very careful when doing the removal.

First to shut it down. Like many security software, Symantec Antivirus constantly monitors the status of your system by its powerful background services that runs from every time when you start the main program. Simply disabling the main program will not get its services down. You should right click and close the tray icon, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the task manger and kill every process that is related to the program. But if you are like me, who is not familiar with all the entries of task manager but really wants to uninstall Symantec Antivirus, well, just get into Safe Mode of your system, in where neither Symantec's services nor other programs that may have files associated with it will be loaded.

Next thing is to delete all files and registry remnants. Main folders can be removed by Control Panle->Add/Remove programs, provided that you do it in Safe Mode. But the following directories need to be found and deleted by your own to fully uninstall Symantec Antivirus:

C:\Program Files\Symantec
C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application DataS\ymantec

These are where all the leftovers are located and unless you delete them and the relative registry entries, you are not likely to successfully uninstall Symantec AntiVirus. The problem is these entries are hard to pinpoint and you will properly risk a danger of crashing your pc as a result of messing with the registry. I did not want it so I turned for a help. A small application named Perfect Uninstall came as my final solution, with its force uninstall method. The advantage is, when you indicate a specific file/folder to Perfect Uninstaller, it not only deletes the file/folder, but also scans and takes out all relevant registry information, which is very effective to uninstall Symantec Antivirus as well as other Symantec software like Norton security.

Source: http://goo.gl/YJSmR

How to Uninstall Personal Antivirus

Personal Antivirus is one of the most common versions of a rogue virus that has been infecting millions of PCs throughout the World. It appears to be a harmless antivirus product on the outside, but inside, Personal Antivirus is one of the most harmful pieces of spamware you can get. Luckily, there's a simple way to completely uninstall it from your computer forever.

Being a piece of spyware, Personal Antivirus has likely installed itself on your computer without your permission or knowledge.... and because of its shady nature, it doesn't any sort of uninstall feature to help you remove it. This is okay because uninstall facilities only do two things to remove the program from your PC - they first remove the program files it has, and then the registry keys it has.

To remove all traces of this rogue program, you just need to follow what an uninstall facility would do, and do it too. This means that you first need to remove the program files that make it work. Program files are incredibly important for any software tool. They are the files that make the program work, and by deleting them, you will instantly make Personal Antivirus unable to function. To do this, you just need to open My Computer and then browse to c:/Program Files/Personal Antivirus and then select the entire folder, deleting it by pressing SHIFT + DELETE. This will permanently remove the program files, ensuring they will never be able to work again.

The next thing you need to do is to remove the registry keys the program has. These keys make your software linked into Windows, telling your operating system where the program is installed and how to work it. They are highly important and need to be removed to make Windows "forget" that Personal Antivirus was ever installed. To do this, you just need to browse to C:/Windows and open "Regedit.exe". This will allow you to edit the registry database, and delete the registry keys you need to. When you open this program, press CTRL+F to search, and then search for Personal Antivirus. Delete all the keys you find.

Source: http://goo.gl/AyPVS

How to Uninstall Avira Antivirus - The Most Efficient Way to Completely Remove Avira

There could be many reasons for the users if they want to uninstall and remove Avira Antivirus, even if knowing that it's one of the Top Antivirus software these years. Unfortunately, it can also bring you trouble like other antivirus software can do when trying to remove them, such as Kaspersky, ESET NOD32, Norton and AVG, etc. Today I will provide you the detailed information you may need to completely uninstall Avira Antivirus from your computer.

Method 1: Using the AntiVir Removal Tool to get rid of Avira:

The AntiVir Removal Tool provided by Avira are uninstallation packages for the users to use if they have version 6 of the program installed on their PC. All the users of Windows 98, 98 SE and Me, Windows NT, 2000 and XP can try these packages to get rid of Avira Antivirus with it .

Step1. Download this removal tool from its official website.

Step2. View the operation instructions provided in the readme file first, and then unpack the uninstallation package.

Step3. Follow the instructions step by step to uninstall the Avira Antivirus program.

To eliminate all the related registry entries and references of the program,

please use the Cleaner that provided by the company itself.

Step1. Download the Avira AntiVir Registry Cleaner from the official website.

Step2. Scan and Clean up all the registry entries left over after uninstall the Antivirus software.

Step3. Reboot your PC to accomplish the removal process.

Method 2: The efficient way to completely uninstall and remove Avira Antivirus software

In case that you have other version of the program installed on your PC, or you have trouble downloading the Uninstaller and Cleaner from Avira website, then a better method to efficiently delete Avira is to uninstall it by using a professional uninstall tool, which means that you can automatically uninstall the program and wipe out all the references at one time, and it will provide you an absolutely simple and safe removal of Avira Antivirus software.

Source: http://goo.gl/TROe9

Antivirus Software Recommendations - 5 Top Antivirus Programs

Getting to the basics

There is no dearth of the antivirus software obtainable in today's tech-savvy market. These are available in various versions, be it freeware, sharewares, or even meant for purchase. You can do that basic research prior to going ahead with your choice. Antivirus software is always based on one's need and what they look for. Most often the licensed ones are available as a trial before you can decide to go ahead with it. However, some trial version software cannot be easily uninstalled and hence, it is always safe invoking system restore facility prior to going about them. Check some antivirus programs listed below. These are based and classified depending upon several parameters such as cost, utility, service to customers and efficiency.

1. Shield Pro 2006

Shield Pro 2006 was called ViRobot Expert initially, and is developed by PCSecurity Shield. PCSecurity Shield makes sure to give right online support along with updates. They have a patch of less than three hours for any new virus and promise to fix it within five hours of its emergence. It allows viruses being scanned robotically.

2. BitDefender 10 Standard

Manufactured by softwin, Bitdefender 10 Standard provides shield from spam, viruses, spyware and also guard peer-to-peer applications. It provides total email security and heuristics that checks programs within a virtual PC for identifying mysterious viruses through viruses, worms and other malwares. A year of free of charge updates and live technical assistance by means of internet and telephone is available along with latest virus signatures. Tested and approved by ICSA, West Coast labs, Virus Bulletin checkmark, it has been certified to detect and eliminate viruses devoid of generating false positives. In the recent review of Toptenreviews.com, it has been No.1 amongst antivirus software.

3. Kasperkey antivirus personal 6.0

Kasperkey antivirus is easy to use and install. It provides you with three levels of protection for making a choice. With a minimal load on CPU, updates are carried on as repeatedly as every hour. Technical Assistance 24/7 and a two tier email shield attribute are other added traits. Kasperkey has passed West Coast labs and ICSA 2005 checkmark levels 1 and 2 and has covered VB 100% test. It has been silver rated by toptenreviews.com.

4. PC-Cillin by Trend Micro

PC-cillin Internet Security has been released by Trend Micro. It presents with antivirus security along with a personal firewall for shielding against Trojans, viruses, worms and hackers. Furthermore, it has features by which it removes spyware, phishing attacks, blocks spam, and also prevent thefts.

5. AVG antivirus

Grisoft has provided with a free edition of AVG antivirus designed especially for home users. All you would need to do is download it from the manufacturer's website; and that is free of cost. People are usually skeptic about relying on the quality and dependability of free software. However AVG antivirus has proved to be popular among the available free downloads. This software is preferred for home computing though it provides no server version or technical support, as it is entirely free of charge with no obligation from the service providers.

Source: http://goo.gl/pqmdd

Security Tool Virus Removal

Security Tool is a rouge antispyware program that is promoted on the Internet through malicious pop up ads and infiltrated into computers together with Trojan viruses. Security Tool
doesn’t require any authorization of the user neither it notifies about being installed.

When the program is installed into the system you will soon notice many security notifications and pop up ads announcing about spyware. IEMonster activity detected or that some critical system files have been modified by malicious program. One of the main purposes of these pop ups is advertising Security Tool as the program that is able to solve all your computer protection related issues. The application is also configured to runs its scanner when you login to Windows. It looks just like a scanner of some legitimate antispyware program. The difference is that the one by Security Tool only imitates performing system scan. Then it displays a list of fake infections and insists removing them with a help of a licensed version of Security Tool.

Both the scan results and security notifications related to Security Tool must be ignored. Those infected with this rogue antispyware program must remove Security Tool virus as soon as possible. It is the only way to stop all malicious actions by this badware and recover your system to normal functioning.

source: http://goo.gl/qWZva

How to uninstall McAfee Antivirus from your computer?

Follow the given steps to get rid of McAfee Antivirus from your PC:
1. Access McAfee's files in your program files folder in Explorer. Look for C:\program files\mcafee.com\agent\app.
2. Delete all files contained in the folder. If you can't find the McAfee application, enter "mcafee" in the Search feature on your Explorer toolbar.
3. Go to the "Add and Remove Programs" in the Control Panel. Highlight "McAfee Security Center" and click on "Remove."
4. Close down all running programs and restart your computer. The computer will reboot and run a systems check.
5. If you want to reinstall the McAfee Security Center, insert the CD and follow the instructions. If after that you're still encountering problems, run "services.msc" on the Run command. Set the properties on all McAfee services to "Disabled" and set the recovery to "None."
6. Reboot the computer and remove the program with "Add and Remove Programs" as described in Steps 3 and 4.

How to uninstall Norton Antivirus?

You can simply remove Norton products through the Add/Remove Control Panel.

1) Click on Start, go to Control Panel
2) Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
3) Find the Symantec or Norton product listed and click on it.
4) Click on Remove
5) You'll see a screen similar to the one below. Click the Remove All button to start the removal process.
6) Once the removal process completes, you'll be asked to restart the computer. Go ahead and reboot your system.
7) After rebooting Norton should be removed from your system.

AVAST Software Releases Updated Free Antivirus

AVAST Software announced the release of avast! Free version 6.0, an antivirus solution that's totally free for non-commercial use. This edition includes a protective layer called Script Shield that was previously available only in the Pro edition. It also adds two new features called WebRep and AutoSandbox.

Script Shield adds to the products basic Web protection by actively scanning scripts found on Web pages and blocking those found to be malicious. It's a small but significant addition to real-time protection. Vince Steckler, AVAST's CEO, noted that simple signature-based detection is a black-and-white proposition; either a file is recognized as bad or not. AutoSandbox offers a third choice for files that manifest suspicious behavior but don't match a known signature. When avast! detects a suspicious file it gives the user a chance to run it in the sandbox, meaning it can't do any permanent damage.

AVAST's CTO, Ondrej Vlcek, further explained, "If the item is dangerous, the virtual computer is shut down and the user's real machine remains safe. And, if the item is safe, there is no hassle from a false positive." The product can use more aggressive heuristic detection because a false positive (detecting a valid file as malicious) does not kill the file.

The Web reputation feature draws on the knowledge of avast!'s 120 million active users to both identify bad Web sites and categorize Web sites of all kinds. A browser toolbar offers instant access to existing reputation information for the current site and also lets users quickly add their own impressions. WebRep also draws on the company's database of known malicious sites, and marks up search results to help users avoid visiting a dangerous site.

Steckler noted that the free product is AVAST Software's flagship. It's the one they submit for testing to the independent labs, and it consistently scores well. The 6.0 Pro edition adds a new feature called SafeZone, which allows fully protected browsing even on a system with active keyloggers or other malware. Avast! Internet Security 6.0 includes all features of the Pro edition as well as firewall and antispam. PCMag will post reviews of these products once our evaluations are complete.

Nasty Fake Antivirus

According to multiple security researchers, fake antivirus software was the biggest cyber crimes in 2010 and continues to be a major on-line scam. When fake antivirus first appeared, it could really be categorized as "scareware" and was fairly innocuous. Fake AV popped up unexpectedly, told you that your system may be infected, and then launched a fake scanning engine. While some people were clearly duped, you could easily work your way out if you recognized the scam. No harm, no foul.

I recently saw a demonstration of a more modern version of fake antivirus. The bad guys have made this scam more effective and sinister. When the fake AV appears on your system now you notice a steady progression with no way out. First, it shuts down your real antivirus and removes the icon from your system tray. It then shuts down any applications you have open, claiming that they may be infected. Finally, it blocks any file with a .exe extention so you can't open any processes. This blocks all of the things you would normally try to alleviate the problem. I tried launching pre-installed antivirus software to perform a system scan, opening Windows Task Manager to kill a process, and going into Windows tools to restore the system configuration to an earlier recovery point. All of these actions were blocked. Oh and don't bother re-booting the system. This won't help either.

Basically, fake AV launches a denial-of-service attack, making your PC absolutely useless. It reminded me of the insidious pop-up spyware and adware from the early 2000s. With this type of attack, even users who know better are tempted to buy the fake AV in order to get their PC, and their precious data, back. If you can open a browser and are willing to fight on, there are numerous downloadable tools that claim to overcome fake AV. Guess what? Many of them are just another kind of malware. Cybercriminals know how to kick you when you are down.

If you do get infected, there is actually a relatively easy way out. You have to reboot your system in safe mode (press the F8 key as you do), go into system tools, and then restore your system to an earlier recovery point. When this action is completed, I recommend updating Windows and doing a full system scan with your real AV immediately.

I've read a lot of research indicating that many users either don't use AV at all or don't really maintain it. You could say that these folks deserve to be scammed but when their PCs become part of a global botnet it impacts us all. The bad guys are very good at what they do. The only chance we have is to stay smart, share information, keep our systems up to date, maintain strong defenses, and remain vigilant.

10 Steps to avoid Malware while browsing the Web

1. Don’t use a single password and PIN everywhere. No one uses same key for house, car, office, briefcase and deposit box. Generally, most of the people use different keys. Suppose one uses the same PIN everywhere, then an opportunity is being created for a thief to unlock every door.
2. Do not login (into) third party applications that ask for email logins. Third party applications are programs written to work within operating systems, but are written by individuals or companies other than the providers of the operating system.
3. Do not click on pop-ups that appear while browsing the web. Those pop-ups may contain malware which can be automatically downloaded to the PC. Pop-up ads are a form of advertising intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses.
4. Do not be lazy to update your antivirus software. If antivirus software is not updated, then you are leaving your computer open for all kinds of malicious attacks from the minute of expiration of the software.
5. Do not click on the phishing mails, which shows that you have won something or saying that your account is at risk, which generally creates a sense of urgency. A Phishing mail usually asks for information’s such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. No banks or trusted organizations will ask their users to do that.
6. Do not forget to delete system’s cache, passwords or history. Easiest place for a malware like software to hide in the system generally tends to be in the temporary folders where browser cache, passwords or history is stored. If one fails to check this, then the possibility of identity theft and stealing of bank and email information’s are inevitable. If possible try to reset your browser frequently.
7. Do not open a fraudulent email or spam mails. Clicking on a fraudulent email will allow the cyber criminals to easily access your computer. Also never access any account information like bank info through email links which can allow access to your account information. Also ensure to have a back up for emails like how you keep record of important hard copy documents. Make sure that all the attachments are scanned before opening them.
8. Do not forget to log out of any account that you have logged in, especially when you are at a cybercafé.
9. Do not download free stuff like screen saver, videos and pictures from other websites. Downloading free stuffs from unknown website can dangerously harm your computer. Suddenly the computer begins to slow down as malicious software’s come along with those downloads. And always access safe websites to download useful information or data.
10. Do not allow an unknown person in your social networking accounts like Twitter and Facebook. Social networking websites have become a craze in the modern generation. Hence, protecting one's identity and account is really important with increasing threats on the Internet.