Can I run Smadav and Avast or should I just choose one?

Coding Kreatif - Confronting the question of whether you should run Smadav and Avast together or simply choose one is a crucial cybersecurity dilemma for many users. While the idea of combining the two seems like a layered defense strategy, the reality is that for the vast majority of users in 2025, choosing a single, powerful primary antivirus solution is the superior, safer, and more efficient approach. This article will unpack this dilemma, analyze both approaches, and provide a clear recommendation to help you make the best decision for your PC's security and performance.

In our quest to secure our digital lives, we often fall into a "more is better" mindset. We use longer passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and install security updates relentlessly. So, when it comes to antivirus software, applying the same logic—combining the strength of the global security giant Avast with the local threat specialist Smadav—seems like the intelligent next step. It feels like recruiting an elite security team, with one guard watching for international threats on the horizon while the other patrols the local perimeter.

However, the world of cybersecurity, like many technical fields, often defies intuition. Here, simplicity, efficiency, and harmony frequently trump brute force and redundancy. The decision to combine two antivirus programs is not just a matter of adding another layer of security; it is a decision that fundamentally alters the inner workings of your computer's ecosystem. It introduces a complexity that, if not managed with surgical precision, can cause far more harm than good. So, let us tackle the question head-on: should you really join forces, or is it time to choose a single champion?

The Case for Both: Analyzing the Layered Defense Strategy

To understand why anyone would consider running Smadav and Avast simultaneously, we must first appreciate the strategy behind it. This is not just a random decision; it is often a calculated move based on the perceived strengths of each program.

The Allure of Perceived Synergy

In theory, the combination is perfect. Avast is a comprehensive endpoint protection platform. Its vast threat intelligence network, powered by hundreds of millions of sensors worldwide, gives it an unparalleled ability to detect and neutralize emerging global threats, such as ransomware and zero-day exploits. Smadav, on the other hand, has built a reputation as a highly effective local malware hunter, specializing in cleaning up infections spread via USB drives and repairing registry damage that larger antivirus suites often overlook.

The idea is to create a safety net. If a new, local threat that has not yet registered on Avast's global database slips through, Smadav will be there to catch it. It is a "belt and suspenders" strategy, and from a purely theoretical standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. It is an attempt to achieve total security, covering every conceivable gap in one's defenses.

The Brutal Reality: Why Choosing One is Superior

While the theory of a layered defense is appealing, the technical realities and the modern cybersecurity landscape present an overwhelming argument in favor of choosing a single, comprehensive antivirus solution.

The Inevitable Architectural Conflict

The most potent argument for choosing one is the avoidance of the near-inevitable architectural conflict. As has been documented extensively by security firms like Kaspersky and confirmed by IT professionals worldwide, running two real-time antivirus scanners simultaneously creates a state of war within your operating system.

Both programs try to control the "file system filter driver," a crucial low-level hook necessary for real-time scanning. This is like two drivers trying to turn the steering wheel of the same car in different directions. The result is chaos:

• Severe Performance Degradation: Every file you access is essentially scanned twice, causing severe system slowdowns, longer boot times, and sluggish application load times.

• System Instability: This conflict often leads to application crashes, system freezes, and even the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

• A Paradoxical Security Hole: In their fight, one antivirus may mistakenly disable a critical component of the other, ironically leaving you completely unprotected.

Redundancy in the Modern Era

The "security gap" argument that once supported the use of a secondary scanner has largely become obsolete. Advances in antivirus technology have made the distinction between "local" and "global" threats almost irrelevant from a detection standpoint.

• Behavior-Based Detection: According to recent reports from security institutes like AV-Comparatives in April 2025, leading antiviruses like Avast no longer rely solely on known virus "signatures." They use sophisticated heuristic and behavioral analysis. This means they are not looking for a specific virus; they are looking for malicious behavior. Malicious actions like attempting to encrypt your files or replicate to a USB drive are universal, and a modern behavior-based engine will detect them regardless of the malware's origin.

• Integrated USB Protection: The ability to automatically scan removable media is now a standard feature in virtually all major antivirus suites, including Avast and even the built-in Microsoft Defender. The need for a specialized tool for this task has greatly diminished.

When "Both" Might Make Sense: The Niche Scenario

So, is there any scenario where the question can I run Smadav and Avast has a "yes" for an answer? There is, but it exists in a very specific, limited context, and it comes with a major caveat: they must not be run simultaneously in real-time mode.

The only safe and logical way to use both programs is to establish a strict hierarchy.

1. Choose Your Champion: Select one antivirus—be it Avast, Bitdefender, or even the increasingly powerful Microsoft Defender—as your sole, real-time protector.

2. Demote the Other: Install Smadav but immediately disable all of its real-time protection features. This transforms it from an active guard into a passive, specialist tool.

3. Use On-Demand: Employ the now-inactive Smadav as a manual, "second opinion" scanner. If you receive a suspicious USB drive, you can right-click and scan it specifically with Smadav. If you suspect a stubborn piece of adware, you can run a manual system scan with it.

In this configuration, you get the benefit of Smadav's specialized cleaning without the system-crippling risks of conflict.

The Final Verdict: Simplicity is the Ultimate Form of Security

So, should you run Smadav and Avast, or should you choose one?

For over 99% of users, the answer is clear and unequivocal: choose one. The complexity, performance risks, and potential for conflict from running two antivirus programs simultaneously far outweigh the diminishing theoretical benefits in the 2025 security landscape. The power of a single, comprehensive, and well-maintained modern antivirus suite is more than sufficient to provide top-tier protection against both local and international threats.

The decision to run two antiviruses often comes from a good place—a desire for absolute security. However, in the pursuit of that security, we must not sacrifice the functionality and stability of our systems. Rather than building a complicated and conflict-prone fortress, the wiser strategy is to choose a single, powerful, and reliable guardian and ensure they are well-equipped. In the world of cybersecurity, it is often the most elegant and simple defense that is the most effective.