Avira - chases Uniblue affiliate scareware $

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Many of use have used the Avira anti-virus for some years.  Some new changes make the
question more  who to replace them with, Avast, ESet or somebody else.

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The details are on the Avira forum :

[Off-topic] Uniblue scareware ads (hello Uniblue, goodbye Avira)
https://forum.avira....&threadID=131604

[Off-topic] Registry Booster 2011 email from Avira
https://forum.avira....mp;highlight=uniblue

[Off-topic] My shop is no longer recommending Avira
https://forum.avira....mp;highlight=uniblue

[Off-topic] Avira and Uniblue?
https://forum.avira....mp;highlight=uniblue

###Avira’s partnership with Uniblue###
https://forum.avira....mp;highlight=uniblue

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Wilders has a good discussion.

Avira Software Has Gone To The Dark Side
http://www.wildersse...wthread.php?t=301198

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More at Web of Trust, Calendar of Updates, Security Garden, Softpedia, and more.

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This support post from a couple of months ago is an ironic nutshell.

TR Dropper.Gen ; TR Crypt TPM gen Need Help Please - April, 2011
https://forum.avira....mp;highlight=uniblue

... i think i downloaded this files SpeedUpMyPC , registry booster and driver scanner from uniblue i scan the computer using that and found many problem and then i fix all.

... I really dunno what you supposedly "fixed" with the programs from Uniblue, but this may have corrupted your system to the point where we can no longer recover the integrity of the system. ....

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Shalom,
Steven Avery

[40hz]

Thanks for the heads up. I have a half dozen clients that use Avira. I guess I can expect calls sooner or later because of some of this. Wonder if it affects the paid versions or is exclusively limited to the freebie.  

Makes me more convinced than ever if you want (or need) to use a free antivirus/antimalware product, your best bet is still Mucrosoft Security Essentials.  

[Stoic Joker]

Thanks for the heads up. I have a half dozen clients that use Avira. I guess I can expect calls sooner or later because of some of this. Wonder if it affects the paid versions or is exclusively limited to the freebie.

-40hz (June 15, 2011, 06:14 AM)

Skimming the threads posted above it looks like they are doing a partnered push of the crapware across the board.

Makes me more convinced than ever if you want (or need) to use a free antivirus/antimalware product, your best bet is still Mucrosoft Security Essentials. 

-40hz (June 15, 2011, 06:14 AM)

(MSE) It ain't perfect, but at least it doesn't add to the problem. I'm stickin' with it too!

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks

Wonder if it affects the paid versions or is exclusively limited to the freebie.  

-40hz

So far the paid versions are getting the email solicitations (there may be an opt-out but generally you want to receive auxiliary emails from a company whose security products you are using) not any pop-ups or forced-for-feature crapware toolbox linkage.  

The emails are pretty bad.
http://news.avira.co...kHA35jxL_3s0stRxKOw2

Lots of Avira partnership, endorsement, the name of the CEO and the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner thing that has been ended, yet still used by Uniblue.

Shalom,
Steven

[40hz]

^Good lord! Still tossing that Gold Cert thing around? Nobody does that anymore.

@SA-good to see you back. It's been a while it seems. Those well-written posts of yours have been sorely missed. Or at least by me they have!

[Carol Haynes]

Given that Avira sell themselves as a business product aimed at competent users (because of the aggressive false positive issue) they are shooting their business in the foot.

Best free solution (IMHO) now is AVAST.