lo all, I'm using avg antivirus the free edition as my av scanner and it just picked up a trojan horse named downloader.Inservice.L, i've tried to learn abit more about the trojan to no avial. All avg were able to do was to move the files to the virus vault when i was hoping it could clean it... If anyone knows about the virus i wouldn't mind knowing what it does so i can maybe findout how it found its way on my system to begin with. back to the topic of this post. Afterall that I started to wonder if AVG was really that good. I first installed it over other free scanners because it was appraised to be the best by people on this forum, so far i'm satisfied but not being able to clean a virus is somewhat unerving. So everyone i would like your opinion on the best (and affordable) scanners and also the best 'free' scanners so i may decide whether to keep using AVG or use another 'free' scanner or even buy an antivirus scanner like norton or mcafees which ever is better. I've done some reseaching myself and found the following link, but i'd still like a third opinion! if anyone has anymore data concerning the testing and the results of scanners i'd be most interested. http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=6165&st=0&#entry24801 thx everyone

No AV product is 100% accurate nor will they all clean infected files. Some infected files cannot be cleaned and sometimes they can even be a pain to delete. For free AVG is the best I myself us NAV 2003 and I've seen NAV first hand catch viruses that it could not clean, it is part of life. You also have to realize you are dealing with a trojan and not a virus or a worm. There are programs on the market who's sole purpose is to detect trojans and nothing more. TDS-3 is one of the best but there are others on the market. Best advice is to not get infected in the first place :) KTTD Though I walk through the valley of Microsoft, I shall fear no OS for skills are with me

If AVG intercepted just the virus/trojan/worm packet before it attached itself to or attacked a file, there is nothing to clean, so it is sent to the vault. This is exactly what an antivirus program is supposed to do.

KTTD: Thankfully, I saw your post (explaining the limitations of AV software) before I finished my own. Using anti-virus software against trojans is like hunting wild boar with a BB gun. The old man in Patrick Swayze's "Roadhouse" movie said it best: "It don't fit." Transmitter 99X

Octo: AVG free is one of the best, I would not take any NOrton progrma over it. AVAST is also a very top notch free AV prgram. I just let go of AVG free to try AVAST free fro a while. The one sif is tht AVAST has no setting (that I oculd find) to enable it to run automatically on a schedule (every day, once a week, whatever). They also offer updating. If you have a trojan, and you are either Win Me or Xp, you may want to diable the system restore files--that's the only way to clean them: http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm You may not need to do this if you are not geting notices that your trojan is in a restore file--although that's generally where they go. If it were my box I would disable the system restore right off, and not re-enable until I was sure I was clean. Here are some anti-trojan free tools: Trojan Scan: http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/ SWATIT: http://swatit.org/download.html There are others, but I prefer those. I always run these kinds of programs in Safe Mode, including updated (every three days) SpyBot, updated AV, and Adaware. If you must spend money for an AV-- I recommend Nod32. if I could afford it i would use it. But AVG and AVAST pro ($$) are also excellent services. Now, as to the present situation--if AVG is not able to heal the virus trojan, then you have to get rid of it. If it is not abloe to move it to the vault, that's probably going ot be because it is in the restore files, and they cannot be moved to the vault ...disable system restore files, etc. If it doesn't go that way, then you need to give us the exact name of the bug, and there are specific tools to clean them out by name. Thresher

KTTD post quote:(For free AVG is the best I myself us NAV 2003 and I've seen NAV first hand catch viruses that it could not clean, it is part of life.) oh yes i can remember a while ago being to first to recommend avg to peps that wanted cheap or free software..and this guy KTTD and asocray or whatever tried to give me a hard time (calling me a software rep ) lol a low down dirty uneducated software rep lol too funny. well now i can say my job is almost done as most peps that view computing.net know or are useing avg, now if i can get them useing better spyware programs than adaware and spybot i will be happy. I only settle for the best or near to it, my computer and customers only deserved that and will get it as long as am a technician. To KTTD: before u try starting another flame or something know this I LOVE YOU MAN lol. its all in good computering fun.

My buddy's machine has a trojan & he cannot get rid of it. But I find using NOD32, along with spy sweeper & spy blaster, seem to keep my xp pro from catching any viruses,trojans or worms. But then again, I always keep my sys. re-store turned off, I use window washer daily that cleans out my temps files & cookies & run programs within Tuneup utilities 2004 on a regular bases...& I don't open any email attachments. Nobody said it was easy keeping up with all the new threats out there but if ya take care of your machine & feed it the proper software then you shouldn't catch these nasty little buggers.