Anything Wrong With Having 2 Anti-Virus Programs Active

[Big Steel]

On 2/2/2012 6:06 PM, Satanic Mechanic © wrote:

<snipped>
<yawn>

Go away you clown you are not talking about anything. This is the year
2012 and not the 1990(s) Usenet.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

On 02/02/2012 10:33 AM, Ricky Jimenez wrote:
I currently have both Norton 360 and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware open on
my computer. Is there any danger in doing this? I think that both
are catching different network attacks but I don't really understand
what they are doing. The Malwarebytes software is much much cheaper.

IMO, you shouldn't run two programs simultaneously, but you can have
several on your machine.

[]
whatsoever. Now, having two *anti virus* programs running in real time is
not a good idea.

Leaving aside that the OP has two prog.s with different purposes, it is
frequently said that running two antivirus prog.s at once is a bad idea:
usually it is said that they will fight each other and slow your machine to a
crawl. I'm guessing that at least some of those saying this have actually
experienced this.

What I haven't seen _explained_ is _why_ they should "fight". I can see that,
in order to detect many known viruses, an AV prog. must somehow have some
data file that contains signatures of several common viruses, in order to
compare things against; I can see that another AV prog. will (or certainly
_should!_) detect this datafile as containing several viruses.

But, apart from detecting each other's data files, what is the reason why two
AV files might "fight"?

AV programs do real-time scans of files as they are accessed. They
reach into the system to capture every read/write operation as it
happens and read the data before passing on to its proper destination.

Two or more such programs will each try to read each data block as it
goes by.

I wouldn't want that happening on my machine.

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

... The answer to the question in the subject line is: Yes, you don't want
two anti-virus programs installed at the same time. At best they will fight
each other and slow your computer to a crawl. At worst it'll be unusable.

No, you could possibly find two that work fine together. But even if you did
you couildn't really rely on it staying that way unless you never updated
them.

I'm not quite sure what the "fighting" story could refer to exactly but it's
certainly possible for it to go badly wrong.

Oh and it's worth pointing out that it's the in the background scanning /
checking or files as they are used that causes the problems irrespective of
what is being scanned for, in other words it doesn't have to be viruses,
something that checks files for spyware as they are used is just as likely
to cause problems when run with another similar program.

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

Norton 360 will find virii and also malware. Malwarebytes will only
find malware, so technically both are not anit-virus programs. i'd
say ren em both

Excuse me but viruses are a kind of malware.

Viruses, worms, spyware, trojans etc. are all types of malware.

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

...
Yes, it is very bad to have two anti-virus programs running at once.
They can cause slowdowns and problems as they conflict with each
other.

*However*, note that MalwareBytes AntiMalware is *not* an anti-virus
program; it's an anti-spyware program, so having it run alongside an
anti-virus is not a problem.

Not really correct.
It's the scanning of files in the background as they are used by other
programs that is likely to cause problems when two programs try and do it at
the same time, each using their own technique to kind of insert themselves
in between your other programs and your OS. It's irrelivant exactly what
they are checking for, it could be viruses, spyware, trojans or anything.

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

On 02/02/2012 05:12 PM, Wolf K wrote:
On 02/02/2012 10:33 AM, Ricky Jimenez wrote:
I currently have both Norton 360 and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware open on
my computer. Is there any danger in doing this? I think that both
are catching different network attacks but I don't really understand
what they are doing. The Malwarebytes software is much much cheaper.

IMO, you shouldn't run two programs simultaneously, but you can have
several on your machine. []
whatsoever. Now, having two *anti virus* programs running in real time is
not a good idea.

Leaving aside that the OP has two prog.s with different purposes, it is
frequently said that running two antivirus prog.s at once is a bad idea:
usually it is said that they will fight each other and slow your machine
to a crawl. I'm guessing that at least some of those saying this have
actually experienced this.

What I haven't seen _explained_ is _why_ they should "fight". I can see
that, in order to detect many known viruses, an AV prog. must somehow
have some data file that contains signatures of several common viruses,
in order to compare things against; I can see that another AV prog. will
(or certainly _should!_) detect this datafile as containing several
viruses.

But, apart from detecting each other's data files, what is the reason why
two AV files might "fight"?

AV programs do real-time scans of files as they are accessed. They reach
into the system to capture every read/write operation as it happens and
read the data before passing on to its proper destination.

Two or more such programs will each try to read each data block as it goes
by.

I wouldn't want that happening on my machine.

It might work fine, it might be rather slow or it might go badly wrong.

 

[...winston]

Not sure if the op ever clarified which version was in use....Free of Fee based MBAM

<qp>
MSE & MBAM Free are compatible ...
========================================
Related references may include:
Check list for installing Microsoft Security Essentials
http://answers.microsoft.com/thread/bf757e6a-e320-4a67-92bc-767e6acb26c4
Do I need both Microsoft Security Essentials and another antivirus [and an anti-spyware] program?
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytip...nd-another-antivirus-software-program.aspxCan I install Microsoft Security Essentials [or any other anti-virus/anti-spyware application] to clean up my already-infectedcomputer? http://answers.microsoft.com/thread/87058857-d181-4019-a723-efd9a49d9275<qp>--...winstonmsft mvp mail"Ken Blake" wrote in message note that MalwareBytes AntiMalware is *not* an anti-virusprogram; it's an anti-spyware program, so having it run alongside ananti-virus is not a problem.

 

[Jeff Layman]

Get MSE, it's free and updated as frequently as you want.

Well, it updates automatically as frequently as it wants, and you cannot
turn off automatic updating unless you are not connected to the
internet. You can also manually update when you choose.

 

[Rob]

On 02/02/2012 10:33 AM, Ricky Jimenez wrote:
I currently have both Norton 360 and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware open on
my computer. Is there any danger in doing this? I think that both
are catching different network attacks but I don't really understand
what they are doing. The Malwarebytes software is much much cheaper.

IMO, you shouldn't run two programs simultaneously, but you can have
several on your machine.

[]
whatsoever. Now, having two *anti virus* programs running in real time is not a good idea.

Leaving aside that the OP has two prog.s with different purposes, it is frequently said that running two antivirus prog.s at once is a bad idea: usually it is said that they will fight each other and slow your machine to a crawl. I'm guessing that at least some of those saying this have actually experienced this.

What I haven't seen _explained_ is _why_ they should "fight". I can see that, in order to detect many known viruses, an AV prog. must somehow have some data file that contains signatures of several common viruses, in order to compare things against; I can see that another AV prog. will (or certainly _should!_) detect this datafile as containing several viruses.

But, apart from detecting each other's data files, what is the reason why two AV files might "fight"?

The virus signature files these days are always encrypted with proprietary
algorithms, so that won't happen (although it used to be a problem on older
AV software.)
The main problem is file read and write operations being intercepted - with
two AV programs active, every operation will be intercepted twice which will
slow a system down, sometimes massively.
There is not usually the same problem with anti-malware. All of the systems
I deploy have both AV and Anti-malware installed and active.

 

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

Well, it updates automatically as frequently as it wants, and you cannot
turn off automatic updating unless you are not connected to the
internet. You can also manually update when you choose.

Yes, that's what I tried to say but I was in a hurry and so crammed it
into one line which could be misinterpreted!

Steve

--
Neural network software applications, help and support.

Neural Network Software. http://www.npsl1.com
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I fixed a machine with MSE on it. I removed MSE, installed Avast and
Avast found ten viruses.

My experiences with MSE are similar. Of the roughly 10 PCs brought to
me to fix by friends and family over the past year, all but one had MSE
installed and up to date, yet all were infected by multiple viruses.

Before I learned my lesson, I'd sometimes get the same machine back
several times. Finally I learned, and after cleanup, I installed Avast
and have not gotten a single machine back, and have not ever gotten a
machine to disinfect that had Avast installed and updated. (That one
non-MSE machine I cleaned had a old, out of date Avast install.)

--
Zaphod

Arthur: All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's
something big and sinister going on in the world.
Slartibartfast: No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the
universe gets that.

 

[Ricky Jimenez]

I am using the $25 version of MBAM. How does that change your answer?

 

[Satanic Mechanic ©]

Who appointed you moderator? This group is for *anyone* with an Internet
connection.

i agree with "alias", ya friggin net nanny. its people like you who
get no respect in the real world who must act like this on the net. i
act like this here and in the real world. im the bad ass who you
wouldnt say a word to if you met me face to face. if you did, you
would be licking my jack boots

btw....very exciting topics here today....yawn I found this group
by chance and from what i see, its rehashing and debating some stupid
question over and over ad naseum that can be easily researched
utilizing google. most people or too lazy to think and that gives the
people who need an ego boost a chance to pipe in with the answer that
they just googled. next step is to wait for someone to question the
validity of their answer. third step is to prove the answer. ill be
here until i have had my fill of chuckles...smooches to all
i forgot more than most of you will ever know about computers.
some people are a+ or mcse are whatever.
my initials are windows 7 certified a.s.s.h.o.l.e.

 

[Big Steel]

Who appointed you moderator? This group is for *anyone* with an Internet
connection.

I thought you two were buds you two were pals. What happened here?

 

[Big Steel]

I found this group by chance

A low point for this NG for sure. You show all the signs.

 

[Satanic Mechanic ©]

A low point for this NG for sure. You show all the signs.

yo big steal i will bet you have the IQ of a grapefruit. i have read
some of your replys and they are off mark which proves you aint to
smart.

 

[Alex Clayton]

btw....very exciting topics here today....yawn I found this group
by chance and from what i see, its rehashing and debating some stupid
question over and over ad naseum that can be easily researched
utilizing google.

So then I am sure you will not be wasting your time reading it?
Myself I have found the group to be of a great deal of help. When I
first got a W-7 machine I ran into a lot of times I needed some help.
While there is always a lot of "noise", that is the case with any group.
There seem to be a few people who know a lot and are willing to share. I
am lazy when it comes to computers. I don't want to learn how to build
one, I just use them for fun. When I can't make something work I just
want a quick simple answer. I often find that here. I have no doubt I
could find the same answers with a search engine, I don't want to have
to wade through a lot of stuff to find it. As an example I had for a
while been searching for some help with the news reader I use. Finding
nothing helpful I finally asked here. Within minutes I got an answer.
Not a W-7 question but I wasted a lot of time looking elsewhere for the
answer when I should have just asked here.

--
I met a Genie today that said she would grant me one wish.

"I want to live forever," I said.

"Sorry," said the Genie, "I'm not allowed to grant wishes like that!"

"Fine," I said, "then I want to die after Congress gets their heads out
of their a$$e$!"

"You crafty bastard," said the Genie.

 

[Alex Clayton]

yo big steal i will bet you have the IQ of a grapefruit. i have read
some of your replys and they are off mark which proves you aint to
smart.

LOL, you bet. This reply of yours shows you must be a Mensa candidate.

 

[...winston]

"Ricky Jimenez" wrote in message I am using the $25 version of MBAM. How does that change your answer?

Not sure if the op ever clarified which version was in use....Free of Fee based MBAM
MSE & MBAM Free are compatible ...

It doesn't and noted earlier
"MSE & MBAM **Free** are compatible"

 

[Big Steel]

yo big steal i will bet you have the IQ of a grapefruit. i have read
some of your replys and they are off mark which proves you aint to
smart.

Satanic clown, you couldn't shine my shoes if I gave you the
instructions on how I wanted it done.

Tell me that you are sharp enough to know anything about the stuff below
and you have used the technology professionally like I do to make a living.

<http://www.amazon.com/First-Design-Patterns-Elisabeth-Freeman/dp/0596007124>

<http://www.dofactory.com/Framework/Framework.aspx>

<http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/Patterns.aspx>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming>

You are no more than some kind off the wall satanic home user clown.
That's all you are and don't think you are anymore than some kind of a
satanic lunatic on the loose.