By In a previous article, I mentioned how to block the annoying popup ad that spawns whenever the free edition of AntiVir updates. This is an update to the previous article to make it more relevant to AntiVir Version 9.
Avira AntiVir is one of my favorite free antivirus programs, and the new Version 9 makes it even better by adding anti-spyware features. However, two aspects that have NOT changed from previous versions are:
- AntiVir (free) still does not include POP3/SMTP mail scanning support.
- AntiVir still launches an annoying popup ad whenever it checks for updates.
The lack of POP3/SMTP support is not a big deal if you tend to stick to webmail, but the popup ad is annoying and intrusive. Let’s get rid of it.
Disable the Annoying Popup Ad
Let me make one thing clear: I fundamentally disagree with bombarding the user every day with a popup ad about a premium version. Yes, I understand that Avira needs to make money, but purposefully annoying the user in an attempt to make him pay to remove the annoyance is a poor business model indeed.
I think the free version of AntiVir is terrific, and I applaud the company for releasing a free version. However, if a user wishes to upgrade, they should do so because they think the additional features are worth buying (such as e-mail protection, a Rescue CD, etc), NOT because they are harassed into doing so. If anyone from Avira is reading this, I implore you to reconsider your business model and stop (or at least reduce) the annoyance to your users.
For the rest of us, let’s just disable it. The file that spawns the popups is avnotify.exe. You cannot simply rename the file to stop the popup because it will be replaced at the next update. We need to stop it from executing.
Windows Vista
- Browse to the Avira program directory (
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Destop). - Right-click on avnotify.exe. Go to Properties.
- In the window that appears, click the Security tab. Then hit Edit.
- In the Permissions window, browse through all the Users. Next to Read & Execute, click Deny for each User. Click OK as many times as necessary.
- Open a cold one. Since avnotify.exe can no longer execute, no more ads will spawn.
Windows XP Professional
1. Go to Start → Run, and type secpol.msc
2. Click on Software Restriction Policy → go to Action (at the top) → Create New Restriction Policies
3. Right-click on Additional Rules (on the right) → Choose New Path Rule
4. Click Browse and find the avnotify.exe file (C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Destop\avnotify.exe)
5. Make sure the security level is set to Disallowed and click OK
Finished! All you have done is implemented a security policy that prevents the avnotify.exe file from executing. In no way have you tampered with or disassembled any part of the program.
Windows XP Home (and Media Center)
- Boot into Safe Mode (repeatedly press F8 after boot)
- Login under the Administrator account
- Navigate to C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe
- Right-click avnotify – Go to Properties – Security – Advanced
- Look under the Permissions folder for a listing of all the system users. Do the following for all the users:
- Edit – Traverse Folder / Execute File – Deny – Click OK
- Reboot (into Normal mode) when finished
Make Updates Invisible
One final change that I like to make is to prevent AntiVir from interrupting any fullscreen applications (such as Movies or Games) when it decides to update itself. By default, AntiVir launches a minimized window during an update, but I prefer to make it completely invisible.
To do so:
- Launch AntiVir. Go to Administration → Scheduler.
- Right-click on Daily Update and choose Edit job
- Click Next until you reach the Display Mode screen
- Choose Invisible from the drop-down list
All done. Now AntiVir won’t interrupt fullscreen applications anymore.
Avira AntiVir Personal is a good program – one of the best among free antivirus applications. These little tweaks make it even better. If you have any additional hacks tweaks that you wish to share, please comment below.
Loading ...
great, thanks…
Sorry, but the Run Dialogue tells me there’s no such file or directory called “secpol.msc”. There is one called SecEdit.exe but this rather seems to be a tool to be used with params as it simply opens a black windows and closes it again immediately.
So Vista Users: go to the comments page of the previous post and use the right-click, preferences, security, deny execution method.
AntiBaer – Mea culpa. I obviously wrote this article on Windows XP. Thanks for the correction. I updated the article with Vista-specific instructions.
These are the exact two biggest problems I have with Avira. Thanks for the info.
Unfortunately the Vista (Home) solution doesn’t seem to work as the antivirus will require a restart when updating if the user alters avnotify.exe
Many thanks for advice to disable the disagreable popup. My problem is that the new personal Avira doesn’t function “minimized” but invisible. Then, at starting it’s necessary to wait for the small windows to know update is already done. Have installed an uninstalled many times. Greetings and thanks
thanks a lot for this useful tips..
I’ve done the above tweaks but since then any check for updates brings a box “A compulsory system reboot is required after this update. Cancel, update in…, or continue”
I get this everytime wether I install the update or not.
What can I do?
Thanks a ton! I’ll be very happy to get rid of this hugely annoying pop up!
same like Geoff
I’m using Vista Home Premium 64 bit and have the same problem as Geoff and tomas. After each update the program requires a reboot. Following the reboot, the avnotify.exe file has been restored to it’s original permissions and the pop ups are back.
vista premium – changed permission, but now it won’t even let me enter the program control center, so it’s useless. oh well, so it pops up daily, big deal, better than having to pay everytime they come out with a new version.
AVG 8.5 makes FF3 run slow, Avira should be lighter on resources but, we need some instructions for Win2k readers out there!?!
There is no Software Restriction Policy under secpol.msc.
Thank you for this.
I am using a three year old Dell Inspiron 6000 with Pentium M 1.8 ghz, XP SP2, Home Edition, 500 meg ram with Avira V9. When I followed instructions to disable the Avira Ad Popup during updates, my boot time went from under 1 minute to over three minutes. I have no idea why this happened, but system restore put me back to normal. I would rather be pestered with the ad than add an extra two minutes plus to my boot time.
Actually Windows XP Home (and Media Center)instructions work for 2k as well. Class!
Current Vista procedure still seems to work for Windows 7 RC.
The Windows XP Home instructions won’t work for me. There is no “Security” tab on the properties window.
I am also using Windows XP Home and the instructions didn’t work for me, there is no security tab.
Same problem than the previous post. After right-clicking on avnotify.exe, it doesn’t appear any “Security” folder (only those named “General”, “Version” and “Compatibility”), when running under Windows XP Home SP3″). Any way to solve it?
Install this patch and you will not need to reboot in safe mode when using Windows XP Home Edition.
http://filesecpatch.lastdownload.com/
Thank you. Just tweaked.
not sure whether I will experience any problem. Will update if any.
phil kate and charlie: follow the instructions – you need to log in as administrator in safe mode, then the security tab will be there.
Indeed, I followed the instructions correctly since the first attempt. Neither the defect Administrator account nor a second account (with Administrator rights) that I had, using both the Safe Mode, worked for me to display the Security folder of avnotify.exe (and any other .exe).
I also tried zzyzx’s tip (installing filesecpatch), but unfortunately it did not work. I do not remember if I executed it in Normal Mode or Safe Mode (I’ll check it, despite I think this won’t solve the problem). I feel confused!
I have followed the instructions and booted in safe mode and used the administrator account yet still do not have a security tab on the file. I have Windows XP Home version 2002 SP3 and a lenovo laptop. Any suggestions?
When I used these instructions to disable Avira Notifier, for some reason (registry?), it added two minutes to my boot time and I could not reverse the problem even with a System Restore. So it necesstitated an OS reload. Several hours and a multitude of downloads, restorations and configurations later I was back to normal. Maybe I should have a disk image, but I think it may a good idea to start from scratch occasionally anyhow.
So I now have another option for killing the Notifier ad. It is a neat little program called ClickOff. Here is the narrative from Snapfiles.com:
“ClickOff is a simple utility that enables you to automatically close annoying windows and dialogs that may ask you for confirmation or other user input. The program also offers some advanced options that allow you to choose to click a specific button, maximize/minimize the window or send a right or left mouse click to the window. (We found that the button click and text file features do not work with all dialogs.) ClickOff can automatically capture the window and button captions via keyboard hotkey and create a rule for you that you can customize.”
According a note on the author’s home page, this app may not work well with Vista, but it sure works good for my purposes on XP. It kills the Notifier Ad the instant it pops up and works great on other windows and dialog buttons.
You can download the program at http://www.snapfiles.com or the ClickOff download page at http://www.johanneshuebner.com/en/clickoff.shtml
Have a good day.
Some thoughts:
1. Users that have a FAT file system do not have the option of a Security tab no matter which version of XP used. It can only be done with NTFS. Booting into Safe Mode with a FAT32 file system is no help.
2. My XP Media Center laptop (with NTFS) has secpol.msc capability just like XP Pro.
3. On my XP Home desktop with FAT32 the easiest way to stop avnotify.exe is with my Firewall, Comodo. Works perfectly, and transparent.
Regards.
After the installer extracts the installation files, before clicking Next, run the following command in START->RUN:
CMD.EXE /C DEL /F /Q %temp%\RarSFX0\basic\avnotify.*
Then proceed as normal with the installation and ignore the errors. DONE
Re Vista and “open a cold one”. Sorry that i’m clearly a thicko, but can someone please tell me what this means? Did as instructed apart from the last bit and next day the ad still popped up.
Also add a “/ns” to skip the startup splash screen.
Regedit HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
“C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe” /min /ns
About FileSecPatch:
It can no longer be downloaded from zzyzx’s link, but I managed to find it from some directory and it works fine.
I decided to upload it here:
http://users.metropolia.fi/~jyrkive/tiedostoja/
Have fun with it.
After my Trend Micro paid version ran out and I did not want to pay the 75$ to get only 1 more yr…
I loaded Trial Avira from download.com off Cnet & all was fine, though I was never too Impressed with it….
Yesterday, I started getting Pop ups from News pages time after time. Said possibly malware attached to computer. I then loaded Adware off Cnet. Then had several Windows Crashes. I did uninstall and then system restore on dell inspiron 1525.
After Many hours I just decided that if Avira had allowed somethiong to get in I was not cont to use the trial program since I already used the AVG trial up….
I went to uninstall Avira AntiVir, and and load another one.
Well AVIRA said now it is missing a desktop file or something and would NOT uninstall. I have tried to do system resores now they fail too.
No clue if Adware program quarantines the Avira files? So then when I uninstalled the Adware program maybe the Avira files bailed too? Hence the missing uninstall files?
Why cannot I delete each file one by one to finally RID my computer from it’s leftovers blocking a new install? Even tried reinstalling avira, no avail says desktop files still missing.
Every time I try and load a new replacement Virus program it will not finalize and says, uninstall Avira 1st.
I have tried to delete files from program files/avira since the uninstall feature will not work in control panel…uninstall software area. Of course you CANNOT call tech support and NOW I have a useless program stuck on computer that will NOT allow me to LOAD another Virus program to replace it. Says possible conflicts if you do not 1st UNINSTALL AVIRA and the stupid program will NOT let me manually delete each file!
Ge, the programs are worse than the Viruses that they are supposed to protect you from.
Thanks in advance to any Geeks out there that can give me a Clue!
Really to not want to totally format my whole computer to rid it of the Avira that was to protect it, not trap it.
I have another problem with antivir…it keeps deleting newfile.vbs which i believe r files which are needed for autorun aren’t they? Or are all my newfile.vbs is infected? On top of that, avira antivir deleted my system32 newfile.vbs… though it has not left a big issue over my lappy other then a few minor irritations like clicking explore button for external drives which are supposedly not accessible… is there anyway to fix this?
Actually, my biggest rpoblem with Avira are not the ads or visible updating per seen. Rather, I’m not always connected to the web (and don’t want to be), but after about a day or so offline, Avira won’t let me continue using my computer, — flashing constant harassment notices to ‘update’. Anyway to turn off these notices and all updating OFF when one is offline?? Thanks…
[spelling corrected of my last post
:
Actually, my biggest problem with Avira are not the ads or visible updating per se. Rather, I'm not always connected to the web (and don't want to be), but after about a day or so offline, Avira won't let me continue using my computer, — flashing constant harassment notices to 'update'. Any way to turn off these notices and all updating OFF when one is offline?? Thanks...
[...] SITE HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR VISTA, AND TELLS YOU HOW TO MAKE UPDATES NOT INTERRUPT YOUR GAMING. http://www.tipsfor.us/2009/03/18/avi…t-more-usable/ (CAPS ARE A TRIBUTE TO BILLY MAYS. SRRY.) __________________ Current Settings: 2.625GHz I did [...]
[...] server problems. Third, AntiVir has advertisements that appear with every update, altough you can disable these ads. Also, you can disable AntiVir’s splash screen if you wish, as some people find it [...]