[2CV67]

Hi community!

I have been happily using Active Virus Shield, free from AOL since November 2006.

Since September 1st, the automatic update no longer works - I get a warning that Threat Signatures are not up to date (31 Aug 2007) & an invitation to update manually, which ends with "Updates not required" but the control panel still shows "Signatures are out of date".

I looked on the AOL/AVS site & found AVS is no longer offered, but nothing to say it was no longer supported.

Anybody have any more definite information?

Time to uninstall AVS & try AntiVir?

[stantley]

Yes I'd would get rid the AOL anti-virus. It's bloated and if you can't update the definitions it's going to become ineffective. Besides everyone knows AOL is EVIL.

But enough editorializing, you could try AntiVir, AVG or Avast, they are all good free anti-virus programs. If you don't have a firewall try ZoneAlarm or Comodo.

What are you using for Anti-spyware?

[Riderman]

I have experienced virtually the same problem starting from the same time as 2CV67. I have been searching for an answer which led me to join this group today.

In my case when I have tried to update the process starts and fails. After three times it aborts. The error message I get is "error 8000005C incorrect signature" alternating with "8000005A incorrect signature" and concluding with "update failed:incorrect signature". I could not find anything on AOL Kaspersky support either but I did not see a notice that this AV program was no longer being offered.

Every tech person I have discussed computer problems with over the last several months has made the point of telling me that Kaspersky AV is one of the best AV programs and that it was a smart decision to install it. I am therefore reticent to abandon this even though this version is offreed free by AOL . Are we sure that Kaspersky AV (AVS) is no longer being supported by AOL?

[2CV67]

Here is where AOL says AVS is no longer available:

http://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/

I still don't see anything about support...

[2CV67]

Well, I have junked AVS & installed free AntiVir - no problem with either action so far...

Good question about spyware.
I naively assumed it was included & I think it was with AVS (?).
Is it not included in AntiVir then?

All comments & suggestions welcome!

[SOCALKEN]

Good luck uninstalling AOL Anti-Virus shield. It has no embedded uninstaller and both the Window's applet and third party uninstall programs including Kasperky"s command line version failed. In addition you cannot remove registry entries. The program behaves more like a trojan or rootkit than any standard program. Best I could do was install AntVir which replaced AVS in the Windows Security Center so at least I don'd get incessant notices that the update are obsolete. But the program initiates on every boot and has to be manually exited while taking up 10MB of disk space, apparently forever.

[stantley]

Originally Posted by 2CV67

Good question about spyware.
I naively assumed it was included & I think it was with AVS (?).
Is it not included in AntiVir then?

I know AOL has anti-spyware and might have been part of the whole package you were using.

The paid version of AntiVir has anti-spyware, but not the free version. I find that things work better when you have separate programs for anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall. The suites that do all three together tend to bog down your system.

The best free real-time anti-spyware program I've found is Spyware Terminator. I also use SpywareBlaster and Spybot - Search & Destroy .

How are you fixed for a firewall?

[2CV67]

I never had anything to do with AOL except using the free AVS which was excellent after Norton!

Socalken : My version of AOL AVS did have an embedded uninstaller, but I removed AVS with the Windows tool.
As far as I can see (not very far…) it has actually gone.
The only slight problem I had was finding out how to fully shut it down before uninstalling (right click on ikon then “exit” – not obvious for me).

Stantley: Thanks for the tip about anti-spyware. I will get one.
I am using the firewall incorporated in my Inventel DW-B-200 WiFi Modem.
Hope that is OK…

[Riderman]

C2V67: I decided to remove AVS as well and I had no difficulty either. I looked at AntiVir but went with AVG free. I have 4 spyware programs installed - one main one with realtime protection on (Spyware Terminator) and three others (SpyBot, AdAware 2007, AVG Rootkit) that I use to scan periodically as no one program will get everything. I was using Windows Defender (the reinvented Giant anti-spyware program) as the main spyware program but it seemed I always accumulated a lot of malware on my system despite its realtime protection.

[2CV67]

Avira AntiVir is having problems with updating signatures - hopefully a temporary saturation of their servers?
Any info?

I installed Spyware Terminator too (thanks for the suggestion Stantley) but have not enabled the AntiVirus part of that, to avoid any conflicts...
Was that the best choice, or should I activate the AV part too?

[stantley]

Yes, you made the right decision, if you have Avira AntiVir installed then you're better off not implementing the Clam AntiVirus part of Spyware Terminator.

[slewis01]

Close the scanner.
Start Notepad, and open
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AOL\AVP6\Data\aol-updcfg.xml

This is the file containing the update servers.
Remove the lines for the aol servers, it should be the first two in the list,
something like http://downloads.newaol.com
Leave all the kaspersky servers in the list.
Save the file.
Restart the scanner.

Found this on another forum. The problem hasn't affected every installation, I like this AV very much, quick and isn't bloated with unnecessary features and Kaspersky have quietly become a lot of techies favourite.

[2CV67]

slewis01:
That looks like a very useful bit of information - thanks!
Did anybody else confirm it works for them?

Unfortunately, I have already uninstalled AVS, which I much prefered to AntiVir+Spyware Terminator (less bother - that may not be the best test of an antivirus of course!).

Is there any way I can 'find' free AVS again?

Thanks for all help!

[slewis01]

2CV67 - I've done this to 3 PC's now and it works every time.

I have a copy of AVS but you would need a key to install it. Don't know if the original key works again. I'll gladly IM you the AVS exe if you want it

slewis01

[Marbleman]

AVS was great while it lasted. I personally did not face any problems from AVS apart from its recent refusal to update the definitions due to lack of support from AOL, so now I am on the AVG free version.

I used the free AntiVir before, and it never would update automatically; i had to manually download definition files and update it. So, not really keen to trying it out again. I wonder if this problem has been fixed in the newer releases?