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It's Worth Getting - If You Don't Have Conflicts! AVG LinkScanner 2011

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It's Worth Getting - If You Don't Have Conflicts! AVG LinkScanner 2011

potential conflicts

from JoeUser Forums

 

This is a valuable tool to have from AVG, a trusted name in Security software. It sniffs out links with malware in them proactively before you navigate there. There are potential conflicts. While it's stated (see below) that Microsoft Security Essentials will conflict, on my computer it did not pose any problem at all. I think the conflict comes because of the toolbar. I did not install that. Furthermore, MSE updates flawlessly.

During installation it offers to install an AVG Security Toolbar and to make AVG Secure Search your default search engine. I declined these options to test whether it would still work and it did.

Internet Explorer and Firefox 3 and above supported according to my research, but with Firefox 4 Beta, and qrobe search it did not work. That might be simply due to my using a Beta, however. I cannot find information regarding Chrome and using it, I saw no results next to the search results.

It did work faultlessly with ie 8. I cannot vouch for ie 9 Betas but I would guess that it doesn’t. No word on expected updates, but firefox 4 and ie 9 have not been finalized yet. You can choose to be updated about this, and the software updates itself and can be configured.

According to AVG:

“AVG LinkScanner® has two key features that protect you:

Surf-Shield scans pages behind their links before you click on them. It does the same thing every time you enter a web address into your browser. If the page is infected, it simply prevents you from opening it.

Search-Shield scans your Google, Yahoo! and Bing search results and places a safety rating next to each link, letting you know which sites can be trusted and which are to be avoided.

It runs quietly in the background, uses minimal system resources and is easy to install and run.”

Requires: Win XP/2003/Vista/Windows7

 

Download Link: http://linkscanner.avg.com

 

Software conflicts:

TrendMicro products

TrendMicro Internet Security Pro
Please let us inform you that it is not possible to use AVG LinkScanner with TrendMicro Internet Security Pro due to conflicts between both products. In case TrendMicro is already installed on your computer, the presence of conflict application will be detected and AVG LinkScanner will not be installed. 

Other TrendMicro products
To allow correct functionality of AVG LinkScanner, Web Services have to be allowed in TrendMicro Firewall:

  • open the TrendMicro user interface via the system icon
  • go to the Personal Firewall Controls tab -> Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Network Protocol Control
  • allow Web Services (HTTP)

ESET products

Immediately after installation of AVG LinkScanner, your internet browser may not work correctly when browsing websites. In such case, restarting your computer will fix the problem.

Avira products

Please let us inform you, that we have discovered two conflicts with Avira products:

  • If Avira Antivir Premium or Avira Premium Security Suite is installed, exploits are not being caught by AVG LinkScanner, but by Avira's component WebGuard. To allow AVG LinkScanner catch exploits, please disable the WebGuard component in the Avira application.
  • If a long link is scanned by AVG LinkScanner, you may face a "Buffer overrun detected!" error. This issue is caused by Avira's layered service provider avsda.dll. The only solution is to uninstall the Avira application

Alwil Software products

avast! 5

Please let us inform you that it is not possible to use AVG LinkScanner with avast! 5 due to conflicts between both products. In case avast! is already installed on your computer, the presence of conflicting application will be detected and AVG LinkScanner will not be installed.

In case you install AVG Linkscanner first and then avast!, computer may crash when starting internet browser.

Microsoft products

It is not possible to use AVG LinkScanner together with Microsoft Security Essentials product, because of potential conflicts of both applications' functions. If Microsoft Security Essentials is already installed on your computer, the presence of conflicting application will be detected during the setup and AVG LinkScanner will not be installed.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010

As both Kaspersky IS 2010 and AVG Linkscanner are using a proxy to filter web, they may be in conflict. This results in blocked internet communication so these two product cannot be used together. In case AVG Linkscanner is already installed on your computer, installation of KIS 2010 will display warning about the presence of conflicting application and will not continue.

59,995 views 30 replies
Reply #26 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 25

Quoting davyandjane, reply 24As an alternative to Linkscanner try WOT(Web of trust) it does the same thing.
WOT works by reports of sites that are infected. Linkscanner works proactively: It will report infected sites before they're recognized by WOT. It will protect you better than WOT.
End of DrJBHL's quote

Unfortunately I have avast 5. =)

Best regards,
Steven.

Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Steven, I suspect the conflict is due to the Linkseeker toolbar rather than an innate software conflict. It might also be due to Linkseeker trying to access the net to update. See if 'excluding' it from avast will allow installation. Also, try to install it without the toolbar, if Avast will let you. If you don't wish to try, I understand. :)

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top

@ Doc

Sorry for my somewhat OT posts in your thread Doc!  ;)

 

 

@ BFroberg

Quoting BFroberg, reply 23
The only examples I have, where users are escalated to admin privileges - are for very small firms where they don't necessarily have a local administrator at all.

 

You are correct, of course, in that there's a balance you must walk between usability and security - but giving local administrator privileges is really not common for firms who do have their own administrative staff.

 

Maybe things are just very different between our two countries.
End of BFroberg's quote

Not at all.  Again I wasn't focusing "escalated priviledges" only on the word admin.  As I said, lowly users at many companies have some form of priviledge escalation (due to the reasons I've already posted about).  A secruity-focused group policy can be made as tight or loose as upper management will allow.

A few examples of things which some companies may or may not be enforcing:

1.  run scripts to ensure that public wifi connections on road-warrior notebooks remain disabled when needed (ie. for example when those notebooks are attached to the company domain) or enforcement of single gateway setups when remote workers are connected via VPN so that all internet browsing (while connected via VPN) still goes through the company firewalls/filters etc.

2.  enforce blocking of USB media

3.  enforce users not being able to install anything (not even drivers) and manage all patches updates and installations via policy deployment only

4.  enforce some level of NAQ / NAP for remote systems connecting to the company domain

5.  secure email access with certificates and block all other email access when using or connecting to a company asset

.....the list goes on.

I'm betting that if some of the above points were being enforced at the worldwide infected companies you mentioned in a previous post they wouldn't be having that many problems.... 

I guess it all depends on what your definition of "priviledge escalation" is.  I mean for me escalation means any priviledge the user may have above simply using their system for necessary tasks.  Any changes beyond changing of the desktop wallpaper constitute some form of "escalation" as far as I'm concerned...hehe  ;)

The point being, with proper policy and proper enforcement most "security software" isn't much more than verification that said policy is working.  This is the same at home or in business, create a solid policy (non-admin accounts are only one part in that equation) and then enforce it properly.  If you do that, then any security software installed on a machine is there for peace of mind rather than being the frontline of defense.

I'm not saying that security software plays no part in a comprehensive security policy.  I'm simply stating that I think many people have it backwards.  They start their "security" with third-party software, maybe because it's more "visibly" working?  I don't know, but my point is......start with the  built-in policy.......then use third-party software to verify the enforcement. 

There....everyone wins.... :)

Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top

I would love to install that scanner on a few relatives machines!  Alas, I doubt it would do them any good (paranoid).  As for the tool bar, I wrote an article a while back on  tool bars and how they are just plain nasty!  While I swear by AVG (and the link scanner is good), the tool bar is like all the others - it sucks!  I never install it, and recommend against it.

I suppose in a few years, they will move beyond tool bars to something else.  I sure hope so, but am not looking forward to what that 'something else" is.

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

It is possible to have LinkSeeker (without home page or toolbar) installed with avast 5, you just have to uninstall avast and re-install it afterwards. =)  AFAIK there aren't any conflicts and both programs are working.  Again, AFAIK. =)

Best regards,
Steven.