Resolved URL:Blacklist

In a magazine I subscribe to there are recommendations for software downloads. I have no reason to believe that the writers are trying to infect their readers' computers. However my Antivirus Program, AVG, is more often now deciding that certain software contains malware and is blocking the download. The latest is a program called wintousb from a website www.easyuefi.com. In some past instances I have been given the option to set the website/software as 'safe' and AVG will ignore any further detections, but the latest says that wintousb is infected with URL:Blacklist and the option is not offered..
My question is this: MS Windows Defender has recently been tested and found to be as good as many third party AV progams. Should I dump AVG and rely solely on Windows Defender or perhaps get a different AV software? How can I tell AVG that this detection is another false positive?

 

Well, I have been using Windows Defender in all our systems here since Windows 8.x. And I used its sibling, Microsoft Security Essentials in W7 for years before that and have never been infected.

AS LONG AS you keep Windows and your security updated, and you are not "click-happy" on every unsolicited download, popup, link and attachment you see, Windows Defender is just fine. But note those are the same steps you must take regardless the security software of choice.

That said, and also regardless the security software of choice, you should always have a secondary scanner on hand, at least for on-demand scanning, just to make sure your primary scanner or you, the user and ALWAYS weakest link in security, didn't let something slip by. And I generally recommend Malwarebytes for that.

For the record, I downloaded WinToUSB then manually scanned it with Windows Defender and Malwarebytes and no malicious code was detected. So it would seem to be another false positive from AVG.

 

Thank you for your reply Bill. I think you have told me of your confidence in the MS antivirus programs before and I think I will dump AVG but use another program instead. I downloaded Wintousb successfully to a computer that does not have an antivirus except Windows Defender. I will use your suggestion

 

WHY ???
Like Bill I have always used WD and MSE (prior) without ANY problems and backed up with Malwarebytes.
Who else is better qualified to protect their own OS than Microsoft?

 

Retired learner. Not sure if you have used AVG but it is a selfish program and does give full protection if another AV program like my favourite iobit Malware Fighter is installed. I buy rather than use free versions of iobit software. Am I wrong to do this? I also find it strange that there is a whole industry based on preventing MS software from being hacked. If is was so good they would not have to be issuing updates and fixes every few days. The only reason I don’t use Linux is it is much less user friendly and has not emerged from relying on command line. I still use DOS occasionally but then I was brought up on DOS. I have no doubt that you have read the analogy of comparing Windows with a car. Who would buy such a car that was for ever in the shop and breaking down if it did not like the fuel or the road or the driver? Windows is the best alternative and although I use an iPad and an iPhone I was forced into this because MS decided that my Windows phone was not worth persuing. I am a seasoned user of software and have written programs in assembly language but I am too old for that now, approaching 80. I admit I still need help, hence my presence on this bbs. Many thanks for your thoughts.

 

Not sure your point about selfish. Years ago, the problem with running two programs at once was twofold. (1) There was the potential of conflicts causing problems. I used to say it was like two dogs guarding the same bone, each wondering what the other was up to. And (2) the hogging of system resources with negligible (at best) gains in security.

Today, most of the anti-malware program developers have learned how to play well together, so conflicts are rarely a problem. But running two similar programs at once hogging resources unnecessarily still is. So if your combination of solutions is working for you without bogging down your system's performance, then that's fine - AS LONG AS you keep Windows and your security solution updated and you are not click-happy on every unsolicited popup, download, link and attachment you see.

Also years ago with XP and up until I migrated to W7, AVG was my primary anti-malware solution on all my systems. None of my systems were ever compromised with AVG installed. So when I migrated all my systems to W7, AVG went on them too. But AVG updated their program too and it was not long before I started getting system slowdowns, false positives, houndings to upgrade to AVG's expensive Internet Security nobody needed, and other issues that immediately went away when I switched to MSE. Many of my colleagues started experiencing the same issues. There were NEVER any complaints of getting infected, just bloat, naggings and false positives.

MSE and WD did not bog our systems down, did not throw up false positives, did not nag us to pay for expensive pro or premium versions nobody needed. And most importantly, we did not get infected.

Whoa! Who's feeding you all this nonsense?

1. Microsoft may send out updates to Windows Defender several times a day! And that's a good thing!
2. "Patch Tuesday" is twice a month. Security patches may come out sooner if deemed critical. Also a good thing!
3. Microsoft makes many very popular and HUGE products - in addition to several versions of Windows 10. These include Word, Excel, Outlook, Xbox, Visual Studio, Windows Server, System Center, and Azure - to name just a few. Of course there will be regular updates.
4. It is critical to remember compatible hardware drivers are the responsibility of the hardware maker, not Microsoft.
5. Windows 10 has 30 to 50 million lines of code (depending on version). Do you really expect there to be no bugs in there anywhere? And before you answer that...

6. You find it strange there's a hacker industry out there??? Have you read the news lately? Do you not realize the bad guys have been concentrating on hacking company networks - networks that run Linux and other alternative operating systems? And why is that? It is because Windows 10 is MUCH MORE difficult to hack than any previous version of Windows! ​

It was just announced today on HLN News that Planet Hollywood's parent company was hacked. I was not a Microsoft product they hacked. The fact, is more and more hackers are targeting Linux based networks. See the InfoSecurity article: Linux Systems in the Hacker's Cross Hairs.

W10 is also the most robust Windows version yet. While not perfect, it rarely breaks to the point it is unusable. So while I like car analogies too, yours is way off track. Windows 10 is not a Yugo. It is more like a Toyota Camry if anything. But if you visited a Toyota Service Center and saw nothing but a bunch of broken down Toyotas, you sure might get the wrong impression - especially if there was an entire industry of bloggers and wannabe journalists dedicated to bashing Toyotas, and bunch lemming followers who parrot everything those bashers say!

No, consumers decided they didn't like Windows Phones so they didn't buy them. It was Microsoft who was forced to stop pursuing the Windows Phone. And yes, sadly that left those Windows Phones buyers in the lurch - much the same way Ford, GM, and Fiat-Chrysler did when they discontinued their Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Plymouth lines of automobiles.

The truth is, the developers at Microsoft really are the cream of the crop. If not, their products would not dominate the market. Now I cannot say the same thing for many of the decisions made by Microsoft's marketing people and executives. And I have been among the first to bash (and without mercy!) many of those marketing and executive decisions.

Well I am not that far behind and I have been in this business (IT support) approaching 50 years. Everybody will always need help. IT is industries within industries (even when talking about just the "PC"). And these industries are constantly evolving and advancing. No one knows it all, nor can they stay current in all fields. That's where sites like Windows BBS is invaluable as it brings people with expertise in many areas of IT together.

 

Retiredlearner, I really did not expect you to reply at such length. I was merely putting forward an alternative point of view. Describing AVG as 'selfish' was merely my way of saying it does not like Malware Fighter. In fact I tried Malwarebytes and it decided that I had 82 PUPs, the majority being iobit files, a backup directory of my hardware drivers, a few Reimage, InstallCore and DesktopTool files. There were no other types of warnings, so it would appear that I am being careful about where I 'click'. However since the program would not allow me to selectively quarantine any of the files, I left them in place. It seems that Malwarebytes thinks iobit files and software are all mostly PUPs, and since I disagree it will be uninstalled.

I was completely in agreement about your use of the Toyota Camry. I have owned no other cars but Toyotas since 1974 and am now on my third Camry, (20 years old), so I know something about reliability and quality. My cars have been regularly serviced, about once every 15 months or so, and they have never let me down. I have been using Windows since Windows 3 and wish I could say the same about that experience. A Camry may not have 50 million parts, but they get a heck of a lot more shaking around than the average PC/laptop. Yet they very rarely break. They wear out and have to be replaced, but the average life of my cars has been 12 years. The comparison is not my invention, but a widely promulgated opinion and I do not read widely outside the technical/IT press. Furthermore I have seen more BMWs, Mercedes and Audis on the back of 'get you home' lorries, than Toyotas.

I will admit that when Windows 10 came out the free upgrade from 7 did not persuade me that I would like it. In fact it lasted 3 days. However there are certain aspects that I pushed onto my elderly students, 'silver surfers', and the more I used it the less I disliked it. Now I agree with you that it is an OS 'par excellence'. I only have one Win 7 desktop and that MoBo cannot be updated, so the MS Engineers tell me. I do not understand the finer points of this reasoning but there must be something that is incompatible with the OS.

I had the first Windows phone and it was abandoned by MS well before they finally ended the line. I carried on using it and still have it, but my iPad and iPhone are simple to use and update. I will say however that I do not have an Apple PC as I still prefer Windows. So really I am a Windows afficionado, Retiredlearner, in spite of my somewhat critical remarks about certain aspects of the OS.

I really appreciate the time you have spent educating me and hope you don't think I am a lost cause. Hasta la Vista!

 

I think you meant me, not Retiredlearner.

Well, a PUP, by definition is "potentially unwanted". Unwanted does not mean malicious and potentially does not mean definitely.

I have had Malwarebytes tag a couple "wanted" programs as PUPs too. But that was some time ago. I will say this, IObit, the company, has a long history of behaving poorly: Is IObit bad? For this reason, many programs and security experts don't recommend it. And certainly Malwarebytes has reason to not get along with them. I won't let their products near my systems.

A couple comments about Windows 10 reliability and Toyota. First, compared to previous versions of Windows, W10 is much more robust and reliable - AS LONG AS users don't dink with the default settings or try to modify the code. And more importantly, W10 is significantly more secure right out of the box, than any previous version of Windows.

Something else for you to ponder. Microsoft is the only anti-malware program developer that has no financial incentive for malware to succeed! IObit, AVG, BitDefender, Kaspersky, Norton, McAfee and all others need malware to thrive. If malware goes away, so do they!

Also, who always gets blamed when the bad guys attack, even if a 3rd party security program is installed? Microsoft does - every time. So not only does Microsoft have the true incentive to protect Windows from malware, they also want to stop getting blamed for the actions of the bad guys too.

As for Toyota (and I purposely picked Toyota for its reliability - my Avalon XLE was clearly the best and most reliable vehicle I have ever owned), it is important to note, unless you modify it, all the parts, including the software are Toyota branded. You might replace the oil or air filter with a FRAM filter, but any major component (outside of muffler, brake pads, and tires) will likely be replaced by a Toyota brand part. In other words, one company makes and controls everything, bumper to bumper.

Windows, however, is an operating systems installed on a computer made up of parts from 1000s of different makers. Essentially, Windows is another component among many. And of the 1.5 billion Windows machines out there, with more than 700 million of them being W10, virtually every single one becomes unique within minutes of first boot up!

Users like you and me add our own security (perhaps by 3rd parties). We attach various pieces of hardware (external drives, keyboards, monitors, graphics card, network adapters). We configure them to work on our own networks. We install our own software. We setup our own user profiles and we customize our own desktops.

We use a Gigabyte motherboard, Intel processor, Micron RAM, NVIDIA graphics card, Western Digital hard drive, Samsung SSD, slap it all in a Fractal Design case and power it all with an EVGA power supply. And Windows is expected to immediately adapt to potentially billions of different hardware and software configurations without a single hiccough. Can Toyota do that?

And the reality is, it usually pulls it off without a hitch. Frankly, I am amazed it does so well!

Windows greatest advantage/asset is its flexibility.
Windows greatest disadvantage/liability is its flexibility.

I will not defend Microsoft when it comes to the Windows Phone. They blew it there. And I note Windows 8 was such a dismal failure in spite of actually being an excellent OS. But it failed in part because of the Windows Phone. But mostly because of how the Microsoft chief executives and the MS marketing weenies tried to jam the Windows 8 "Metro UI" (Windows Phone-like) desktop down on us!

The MS marketing weenies and execs assumed Windows computer users would automatically embrace the new W8 user interface and fall in love with it. And then when we went shopping for our next smart phone, we would pick up a Windows Phone, see that it was familiar and automatically fall in love with it too. Apparently they did not even consider for a second that Windows 7 users loved the W7 desktop and start menu - or that we would refuse to give it up. That's exactly why I use on my two main Windows 10 systems Start10 which brings back the familiar W7 Start menu and desktop.

The finer points boil down to this. It is the hardware maker's responsibility to make compatible drivers for their hardware. But there is $0.00 financial incentive for them to invest the resources in such "legacy" hardware. That is, there is $0.00 in return on their investment. It is 100% taken out of their profits. So they would much rather you buy all new hardware instead.

Retiring old electronics hardware before it dies is a fact of life. We did it with our reel-to-reels, cassette players, CRT TVs and monitors, floppy disks, home phones, and more.

 

Mea Culpa, Bill, and sorry to have got you mixed up with Retiredlearner. In my hurry to respond I did not take enough care. However I had absolutely no intention of stirring up this hornets' nest. So can we just tone everything down a few notches.

I would never presume to argue with you staff guys as I am just a user and far removed from the centre of knowledge, hence my possibly irritating approach. For this I apologise but am purely stating my opinions from my own personal experience rather than from a fund of Windows technical knowledge and you guys are obviously full time and close to the hub whereas I am just a user and see things from that point of view. I am always prepared to be corrected and instructed. I have been a teacher and to University 4 times so know what it is like to be lectured!

Thanks again for the instruction, I shall bear it all in mind and look it over again a few times until I have absorbed all the finer points.

 

Hi Arthur, I bow to Bill's knowledge every time. I cannot hope to be as knowledgeable as he.
In my previous life I was an "A" Grade Automotive Technician, Owner/Operator of a motor repair garage and Fuel service station.
I was the sole Automotive Service Trainer for GM (NZ) Ltd. for 12½ years. (now Holden NZ.) until my Training Unit was made redundant in 1993.
I retired from the Motor Industry in 2002 at age 66 and my wife and I both own Toyota Corollas!

Since that time I have enjoyed playing around building and repairing Desktop comps and laptops.
(like Bill said, we marry a whole lot of bits together in a cabinet and Windows does the rest).
I have been with Windows since 95 and moved to W10 at the first opportunity.
I never blame the tools I use when faults occur and we always had a saying in the Motor Industry that most of the problems were caused by the nut on the steering wheel. (with respect).
Most problems with Autos and a lot of technical gadgets is that the user is too keen to get the thing working and never take the time to READ THE MANUAL first.

My skills have also extended to purchasing broken screened cell phones (Samsung preference as they are the easiest to tear down) and installing replacement parts and getting the phones operating again.
My current smart phone is a S4 GTi9506 as the model is like a Toyota in usability and keeps going forever.
My latest foray in cell phone problems was when my younger found a Nokia smart phone which had been dropped on the road and driven over by a car.
The surprise the owner got when we rang him to say his phone was still working but needed a new screen was priceless!
I plugged it into my comp and was able to find all his details in the phone including all his family and relatives contact details.
I've also repaired Huawei Ideos Models but prefer the Samsung overall.

The help I try to give is based on what I have learned in the last 17 years in retirement.
Just to finalize - my comps run Windows 10 Home and Pro 64bit with Defender and I run Malwarebytes on a monthly basis.
I can only agree with Bills Posts as I have tried numerous AV programs and found comps slowed or choked with certain brands of 3rd party AV software.
MSE and Defender have worked extremely well for me and I try to adhere to the advice to keep away from unknown or dodgy web sites.

I sincerely hope you enjoy your retirement years and rely on the wise advice provided by Bill regarding the problem you experienced.

 

I get riled up at times, but I assure you, it is nothing personal. It is just me speaking to the crowd. Sorry if it appeared I was attacking you and you have nothing to apologize for!

I also assure you your sentiments are not yours alone. In fact, that is probably why I get riled up - regardless how much and how often the real truth is put out there, it seems the less it is believed - especially when there are so many in the IT press who regularly sensationalize or even fabricate falsehoods to make attention getting headlines to attract more readers.

NO DOUBT Microsoft has done much to be criticized for and in those cases, you will often find me in the front of the line shaking my fist at them. But I will defend anyone with the same vigor when they are falsely accused too. W10 is the best Windows yet - but it is not perfect. And I sure wish they would stop (or at least slow down) pushing out new features and instead, concentrate on fixing, fine tuning, and optimizing the existing features first. But I note many of the things they are faulted for just are not true, are greatly exaggerated, or totally out of their control. And I wish that would stop too.

Anyway, being confused with retiredlearner is nothing to get upset about. More often than not, if I see he's helping someone, I just move on because I know they are already in good hands. This is not a "mutual admiration society". Just a fact.

And once again, Arthur, you did nothing to apologize for. That was all on me so I again apologize to you - for my tone, not the message!