Something happened on the Web yesterday afternoon … in some way IMPACTING a number of THIRD-PARTY Windows 7 tools.
I am talking here about anti viruses and system tools such as Avast, System Mechanic, Advanced System Care etc.
Around 4:30pm yesterday, November 5, Avast sent out their daily update. Shortly after that Avast on my Windows 7 machine went crazy. The Avast icon ‘globe’ in my ‘SYSTEM TRAY’ was spinning SO FAST for so long I thought it would drill a hole in my monitor!
I am no stranger to Avast. I have been using it for 2 years and have it on 3 machines.
This was not right. Did some checking. It was doing an automatic scan on my C: disk.
Hey, you are not supposed to do that. (And for that know Avast, my VRDB is DISABLED. So it was not VRDB).
Checked with my buddy who also has Windows 7 and Avast. Same kind of inexplicable Avast behavior.
Then I had System Mechanic 9.0.5 LIE to me about an error on my C: drive.
He runs ASC in addition to System Mechanic and Avast.
Well by last night his Windows 7 rig was in SERIOUS TROUBLE. He lost ‘Sticky Notes’ and ‘Sniper’ from the System as well as other Windows utilities.
Unlike me, he is an out and out PC and Windows expert. So he didn’t panic too much. He ran diagnostics and reinstalled just his system files.
But he continued to see weird stuff.
So as I write this he is doing a FULL Windows 7 CLEAN INSTALL.
Something is not right. We can both feel it in our bones and we do know what we are doing.
So a HEADS UP. PLEASE share your experiences if you are seeing some weird stuff with Windows.
Anura Guruge
www.guruge.com
November 6, 2009 at 10:37 pm
The most interesting part of all this windows 7 fun, is going to be in finding out whether Win7 has been fine all along (these past couple weeks) and it’s been the Anti-virus programs not being ready for Win7. I mean they’ve only had an entire year,give or take, to prepare their apps for the big 22nd of Oct release. It may just be that everyone got caught with their pants down and severly unprepared for Win7. Time will tell but I have a sneaking suspicion that is the case here. Either way it turns out it’s making for some good drama and interesting to follow for some, but for those unable to do their own re-installs and or troubleshooting, these certainly aren’t fun times.
Anyone else have an opinion on this? I’d love to hear it. Is it Win7 or the apps that are supposed to be protecting us?
Mike T.
Lakes Region PCs