Not So Minor Problems Installing Security Software

I inherited a computer recently that had no security software installed on it except Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. And I immediately got a malware infection. But the good folks here helped me cure the computer. (See my thread 'malware infection'.)

So I just selected and downloaded some security software from MG and installed it on that computer.

Here's what I went with:

Malwarebytes
SuperAntiSpyware
adwcleaner
SpywareBlaster
Glary Utilities
CCleaner
Avira AniVirus
IObit Uninstaller

So now I've got two minor issues, both of which I'm sure can easily be resolved:

1. MG's 'blurb' for IObit Uninstaller says "This one does offer to install their Advanced System Care so watch that at the end."

When I installed IObit, it didn't OFFER me anything, but it DID install Advanced System Care. Is that a bad thing? Should I get rid of it?

2. Avira is warning me it's finding viruses and "denying access" to them, and asking me if I want it to remove them, but when I click on "Remove", it just scans, and then repeats its warning.

A second aspect of this second issue is that I THINK what's happening is Avira is having 'collisions' with IObit and perhaps others of the security programs.

The reason I think IObit is probably one of the programs colliding with Avira is that clicking on "Remove" in Avira apparently was what triggered a launch of IObit in the middle of Avira's scan.

Full disclosure: The MG Cognoscenti will recall the following about this machine:

Lenovo ThinkCentre M75e 5042A7U
machine type: 5042
model number: A7U

System:
Processor: AMD Athlon II X4 640 2.99 GHz <-- 4 of these
RAM: 4.00 GB (3.75 GB usable)
System type: 64-bit
Rating: 4.2 (needs refresh)

Windows edition:
Windows 7 Professional
Service Pack 1

Browser:
Internet Explorer 11
Version: 11.0.24 (KB3093983)
installs new versions automatically (so far I had been declining installation of Windows 10)

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, I was thinking about also installing Tweaking.com Windows Repair and Wise Care 365, but maybe that would just cause more collisions. Comments?
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OK, ALL OF THE ABOVE I HAD WRITTEN AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO POST IT TO THIS FORUM WHEN SUDDENLY THE COMPUTER CRASHED SO BADLY THAT I HAD TO UNPLUG IT TO TURN IT OFF AND LEAVE IT UNPLUGGED FOR A FEW MINUTES TO BE ABLE FOR IT TO BE PLUGGED BACK IN BUT STAY TURNED OFF, AND THEN I HAD TO REBOOT THE ROUTER TO GET BACK ONLINE. WHEN I REBOOTED, I HURRIEDLY DISABLED AVIRA'S REAL-TIME PROTECTION IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID CRASHING THE COMPUTER AGAIN.

Now that I've stressed the severity of the problem, I'll stop screaming. Any ideas? Should I uninstall Avira?

 

Some additional observations:

As I mentioned in my previous post in this thread, I had turned off Avira's real-time monitoring. Now Avira can't be turned back on, but that may just be because it's being blocked by another security program (CCleaner?).

On bootup, a "Performance Monitor" from IObit appears in the upper righthand corner of the monitor. The percentage of RAM being used climbs until it's about 62%, and then tapers off a bit and bounces around between 55% and 58%. (I've got 4 GB of RAM, 3.75 GB of it usable.) For what it's worth, CPU usage seems to be bouncing around between 10% and 15%.

I'm not sure if this next thing is related to all this, but I'll mention it here since I'm not sure.

After I turned off Avira's real-time monitoring, the system seemed stable, so I downloaded Free YouTube Downloader 4.1.438 from MG and installed it.

But this also caused Pluto TV to be installed, which now launches itself on bootup and can be terminated only via Task Manager.

The reason I think this may be related to the other phenomena is I'm pretty sure IObit's Performance Monitor didn't appear until I installed YouTube Downloader and Pluto TV.

I'm sure I must have caused all these problems by installing all the security software and YouTube Downloader, but I downloaded it all from MG and I wasn't warned about any of this, so I hope I'm not taxing the patience of the gurus too much by having another problem so soon after the last one was fixed.

Thanks for any help that anyone can offer.

 

You got Advanced System Care because you weren't careful enough when installing Iobit Uninstaller. The option is nearly but not quite invisible and it's pre-checked. The majority of free programs will install other software unless you are meticulous about deselecting them during setup and the MG site warns you about this. I suspect Pluto TV got installed the same way. Please don't blame MG for not warning you, it's up to you to scrutinise all downloads and setup programs for unwanted co-installs.

It's not possible to determine what may have caused your problems as you have installed several new security programs in rapid succession when the recommended approach is to ensure the system is running normally before and after each new install. If you did not image your system prior to all of this then your best bet may be to use system restore in an attempt to get back to the pre-existing state and then proceed in a more orderly manner. Personally I feel you are well into overkill and would just install MBAM Free, SpywareBlaster and one AV, plus Iobit Uninstaller and WiseCare365. None of the others.

 

I uninstalled CCleaner, Advanced System Care and SuperAntiSpyware.

I had IObit do a deep scan when it uninstalled SuperAntiSpyware, but for some reason it left SuperAntiSpyware's shortcut on the desktop, so I just deleted that 'manually'.

I hadn't remembered this, but apparently adwcleaner was portable, since it didn't appear in IObit. I didn't realize that at first, so I clicked on it to try to uninstall it from itself. It said my version was out of date and took me to a webpage to get the latest version. I responded by exiting the browser, and adwcleaner disappeared from the desktop. Then I figured out it must have been portable and was therefore never really installed in Windows, and that it was written to delete itself if an out of date version was launched. I doublechecked by looking in Control Panel > Programs and Features, and it wasn't there.

I turned Avira's real-time protection back on.

I kept Glary Utilities. I've never had problems with that, so unless I have some problems in the future, I'll keep it.

Pluto TV seems to be working fine now, so I kept it to explore it.

I downloaded Downloading Wise Care 365 3.92.350 from the author's site and installed it. I didn't run it, though.

Please don't think that I'm blaming MG for anything. I certainly meant no offense. As for not seeing the nearly invisible option in IObit Uninstaller's Install Wizard, I have to admit my eyes are not what they once were. And as for free programs' Install Wizards installing additional programs,, it's my recollection that they usually give you the option of installing them or not, but even if they don't, I guess it'll be no problem anyway what with me now having IObit Uninstaller. Regardless, it's all part of 'live and learn' for me.

Anyway, everything seems fine now.

 

Well clearly there were some conflicts but we won't know what they were unfortunately. One change at a time is my creed.