I have read about how various programs can get corrupted by a running anti-viral program whilst being downloaded because the anti-viral thought it was a virus.

However, I would never want to download something without an anti-virus program running.

Is it possible to down load a Zip program file then close the anti-viral program and unzip the add on file hopefully not causing any corruption?

If not, how do others handle this issue?

 

Leo.

I'm afraid I do what you said you would never want to do;  I disable Anti-virus before downloading anything.   Never had an issue with doing this, is 15 years of simming.

 

I do only tend to download payware products from trusted developers and publishers though.....  if I was downloading freeware left right and centre form some of these Russian sites, I'm not sure if I'd be so relaxed about DL'ing with my AV turned off.

Being a medical professional I have to be absolutely stringent about the risk of a virus getting on my machine.Unfortunately, it is a multi-use rather than a FSX only machine, at this time. Because of that we are forbidden to run our Medical Record Programs on a machine which is not always running an anti-viral program and a strong firewall. Hence my question.

I never disable anti virus while downloading stuff and yet I'm not having particularly many problems with anything... Using MS Security Essentials and paid version of Malwarebytes Anti Malware. 

I have never had to disable my AV for anything, and have downloaded loads of addons, freeware and other stuff, all without any issue at all.

 

I use, and cant recommend highly enough, AVAST Antivirus Pro, its just far above and beyond those McAfee and Norton / Kaspersky / AVG peices of junk... Lost count of the number of computers I've fixed with any of those installed and were infected with malware/spyware/viruses, yet in all my years, have never, ever seen one come in with AVAST installed on it, that was infected. Not once!

 

Heck I even use AVAST to repair computers that have any of the above installed and are infected too, it really is that good..

MS Security Essentials here too and I never, ever turn it off.

I use Avast! and it is never turned off and I have yet to have any problems.

I too use MS Security Essential, and never had any problems so far. And befre that on my old computer I had Norton Antivirus, which never made problems, either. Well, except for a false positive with ProFlight Emulator, but only after it was installed, and it warned me because some of the downloads were not known to Norton at the time I downloaded them but I don#t count taht as trouble, it did nothing to those files.

I used to run ZoneAlarm (not recommended), currently I use MSE. My UAC is set to the highest level - and I hardly ever have issues with downloads and/or installations. Exceptions are PFE and iFly, which are tricky to install, but I won't let my general security level degrade for just that small percentage of possible issues.

 

 

I too use MS Security Essential, and never had any problems so far.

Same here. Never given me any issues with downloads, then scans the download too.

I use AVG  Anti - virus ( free version ) and Malwarebytes ( free version )  and never turn them off but , I right click the zip and have the option from AVG to scan , which I do.

I use NOD32 on my desktop PC and MSE on my laptop. I never turn them off and never had a problem with downloading or installing anything.

In recent forum topics, one in particular where two developers came on board, the issue of a file not being allowed by an anti-viral program causing a program either not to run or only parts of it run was brought up. Similarly, the instructions for several add on programs advise an anti-viral program be turned of whilst the program is being downloaded.

 

Thus, my question is not what anti-viral program to use but whether there is less of a chance of a corrupted program resulting from something like a lost file by downloading the zip file with the anti-viral program active and then turning the anti-virus program off whilst the file was being unzipped. Would this solve any potential chance of picking up a virus, key-logger program or other such malware?

Norton 360 will sometimes heuristically identify a new/unknown file as a virus; it immediately quarantines same, but then gives you the option to restore/run it anyways if you're sure it's safe (and to register it as being safe from being tagged again).

 

Such files are also sent to Symantec for further analysis and appropriate definition in their systems. They become "known" to Symantec, and if safe, identified as such.

 

I prefer this system to all others. It gives me control over the process, and information as well.....