Avast defintion falsely flags hundreds of files

[hazelnut]

Just a quick heads up for Avast users to a definition update today which leads to hundreds of false positives.

 

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=197572.0

[Andavari]

Upgrade to Windows Defender, it's built into the OS.

 

Not the first time Avast has had a bad update like that - how embarrassing for them and it's enough to get some users to switch their antivirus software. AVG had some issues like that a few years back as well. Glad I wasn't using either during their false positive fiasco.

 

Any anti-virus and anti-malware will at some point get a bad update like detailed in your link to the Avast forums. That's one reason I will never allow any anti-virus or anti-malware to automatically make any decisions without me being in the loop to make the actual final decision of what is or isn't infected. I.e.; if my av detects something I immediately upload what it's detecting to VirusTotal and Jotti to see what they say.

[hazelnut]

Unfortunately  it looks like some users in that thread quarantined some of the files and their system isn't very well now 

 

5 pages and still going. Seems like Avast is issuing some sort of update.

[Andavari]

I'd update them off my PC. Sometimes anti-virus is more destructive than an actual infection to unsuspecting users placing blind faith in them to never screw up, but at some point they're always causing some false positive but to what degree.

 

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I can't use Avast anyways though since it isn't compatible with HASP License Manager - as in Windows won't boot into normal mode with those two installed. I tried to work with Avast on the problem years ago but they gave up.

[login123]

Thanks for the heads up, Hazelnut. 

 

Here on win xp I prevented avast from updating to the latest engine version but permitted the definitions to update.  Avast still pops up a suggestion to update to the latest version, called Nitro. Not going to do it.  Who would put Nitro on their computer anyway?