OT - Antivirus software... best?

[SharkmanBMW]

Please don't say Mac

For those of us that have a PC, which software is best?

norton blows, I want something that doesn't take over my computer, just protects.

Input is welcome!

[Fetch]

I like Mcafee a lot. I haven't tried 'bought' version if that's different, but the versions 7 & 8 I have gotten free thru my school are both very backround/transparent.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

for years and have been lucky.

Although if you run all the firewalls and filters it slows some stuff down.

[Tiger]

You are right... Symantec does hog your computer. Mac sucks in the way that it is too inquisative.

Computer Associate EZ Virus is a small program and very efficient. I'd use this anytime.

[tim s]

tim s.

[HDhandyman]

Shark,

I throw AVG on all customer computers. It's free, and after years of experience, I feel pretty certain about the fact that there isn't a lot of difference in virus protection software. Still, along those lines, McAfee rules for pay software and Norton sucks because it's so invasive.

Really, the best thing you can do is manage your system properly. I think I wrote something on the subject in the OT section. The thread is only a page or two down and has to do with computers in the heading...I'm too tired to look for it.

Cheers,

[pundit]

I have used Norton in the past but it has now become an instrusive hog.
McAffee also appears to now be heading the same way.

For the past couple of years I have been using VET (http://store.digitalriver.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayHomePage&SiteID=capac&Locale=en_AU&Env=BASE) by Computer Associates with no obvious problems.

[KenB]

Agree on AVG, the priice is right. I only use Zone Alarm firewall, no virus program at the moment on this laptop.

I put AVG on the puter that my GF's kids use.

[632 Regal]

AV? no such thing.

[BillionPa]

NOD32 or Kaspersky is the only way to go.

AVG has horrible "in the wild" heuristic detection and really bad polymorphic virus detection.

check http://www.av-comparatives.org/index.html?http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/comparatives.html for details

[shogun]

http://www.free-av.com/

[Guapo]

NOD32 or Kaspersky is the only way to go.

AVG has horrible "in the wild" heuristic detection and really bad polymorphic virus detection.

check http://www.av-comparatives.org/index.html?http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/comparatives.html for details

Fully agree. I use NOD32 on all my computers.

[HIe34]

Please don't say Mac

For those of us that have a PC, which software is best?

norton blows, I want something that doesn't take over my computer, just protects.

Input is welcome!


And you hardly notice it.

[Bill R.]

most of them seem to be huge bloatware .






Please don't say Mac

For those of us that have a PC, which software is best?

norton blows, I want something that doesn't take over my computer, just protects.

Input is welcome!

[ProZak]

I use Computer Associates. Used to be a free product called InoculateIT that we used in my computer repair shop to disinfect Norton and Macafee. :) It's now up to, I believe, $20.00 / year for the antivirus alone, and it's quite transparent. Here's a link to the information page:

http://www3.ca.com/solutions/Product.aspx?ID=156

And a link to the free trial:

https://www3.ca.com/register/form.aspx?cid=40068

[liquidtiger720]

I have both norton corp and mcafee on different computers,


I must say...norton corp seems better, and not as big of a system hog.

[JerseySi]

Another fan of AVG here - never had any problems with it, and it's less of a system hog than norton etc for me...
ZoneAlarm Pro firewall too

[Omega]

I've used the f-secure av suite for a few years now. Not intrusive and good at finding/killing.

You do have to pay but it has never let me down.

[F4Phantom]

I think I have the answer here. Avast. Its free, it updates off the net automaticly like all the rest, its lite as and it has NO adds or any crap to do to keep it. You need to register but thats cool.

http://www.avast.com/

[mamilapon]

I use CA too no worries at all. Recomended to me by a software tech I've got the Internet Security Suite.

[Black 535i]

...and not one issue yet. Not a memory or ram hog either which is good.

[Qube]

AVG. This is Microsoft's 'unofficial' stance on that. McAfee and Symantec are much too bloated (like MS). Both their products have filter drivers that are too invasive, and leak pool memory almost every other patch. Of course, corporate MS uses eTrust.

[Booster]

Definatly AVG accompanied with Mozilla !! 3 years and running with zero probs.
........V':D

[Jay 535i]

Not sure what your problem is with Norton. It's kept my virus-free for five years, and I'm confident that it's watching every possible back door.

[DaCan23]

I had problems w/ CA's Virus & Protection programs while using Win XP, after install my puter was blue screening... gave up figuring it out. I have comcast broadband and get Mcafees for free from them so I use that. All virus programs and security programs and firewalls are resource hogs, wish it wasnt necessary but now a days the net is too dangerous.

[BillionPa]

norton is a good virus scanner..... for viruses in its database, for new viruses not in the definition file it has a very low chance of detection, and its outrageously slow, like, really bad in terms of system performance, which is i think the primary complaint of everyone who has used it.

[fkong777]

I tried Avast.. too slow.

Now I use AVG and Spybot Search and Destroy. Antivirus alone doesnt protect everything. If you are behind a router AVG and spybot will do both free.

If you buy anything. Go with TrendMicro. PC-Cillin. simple to use and very up to date updates.

[Bill R.]

not the best test score every time on the virus bulletin 100, and it uses so little resources compared to symantec , norton, mcaffe etc. that you almost can't tell its running. They have a free trial download of the full version for 30 days, try it , you'll see.





I had problems w/ CA's Virus & Protection programs while using Win XP, after install my puter was blue screening... gave up figuring it out. I have comcast broadband and get Mcafees for free from them so I use that. All virus programs and security programs and firewalls are resource hogs, wish it wasnt necessary but now a days the net is too dangerous.

[Derek A.]

Clam Win for Servers http://www.clamwin.com/

Avast for pc's not a problem since.

[Elekta]

Shark,

I throw AVG on all customer computers. ,

yep, AVG here too. Spybot once a month and window washer to flush the caches. behind the netgear wireless...

took forever to finally get that last POS symantic file off.

[misfortune]

I use nothing at all, but I'm not an idiot. I don't go to that many webpages or download exe's from just anywhere. Nod32 is about as good as it gets.

[pundit]

I use nothing at all, but I'm not an idiot. I don't go to that many webpages or download exe's from just anywhere. Nod32 is about as good as it gets.
Yeah I never use condoms but I only screw people who don't have the clap or AIDS...

And oh yeah... "BUT I'M NOT AN IDIOT!!" ;)

[SharkmanBMW]

Thanks for all the input!

I am going to try a few ... NOD32 first.
So far it is less "appealing" than my old Avira Antivir Pro.

BUT if it does the job...

Next I will try CA eTrust antivirus, then AVG.
I tried Kaspersky, liked it, but my system crashed, and I think it was because of that. Who knows.

Any tips for setting up NOD32???

[t_marat]

Why AVG the last? I read a review somewhere were it was rated the best free antivirus.

[genphreak]

I completely disagree with allthese products. Have used all of them, and despite Symantec's and CA's good reputations and McAfee's bad one (and everything in-between) I recommend using www.avast.com (http://www.avast.com). It is free for personal use and is programatically the best there is. Others have too much bloat in them. AVAST rocks hard.

[t_marat]

Did not see any bload in AVG. Its interface is not the best but very simple.

[SharkmanBMW]

I am not trying to get a free version... I want the best, non intrusive software.
I had Avira, which is excellent, but it ran out.

I am trying to find the most friendly one.

NOD32 was a little different than what I am used to, so I switched to etrust, I am trying that now.

I have my computer, and 3 others belonging to family to consider, they are not computer savvy, so I need software that is simple.

Avira was simple and worked well.

If I don't find one I like, I will just cough up some $$ and pay for Avira.

If anyone has input on each software... how to set it up so it works best, I would appreciate it! (Nod32 kept warning me of a file I know is ok, it would repeat this warning every 5 minutes! I am not deleting the file, so it just kept warning... I could not find a way to stop it).

??!!

[SharkmanBMW]

I have just uninstalled CA eTrust... it made my puter take 10 minutes to show the desktop after a reboot!

Back to Avira, I will do some reading on AVG and NOD32.

If anyone has more input... let's have it!

[HDhandyman]

how many more opinions do you need?---If you have all those computers at the house, set up a network with a free standing server computer and keep the ports tight.

[ThoreauHD]

Please don't say Mac

For those of us that have a PC, which software is best?

norton blows, I want something that doesn't take over my computer, just protects.

Input is welcome!

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5#avg-free

Or, if you want to use an OS that doesn't need AV or Defrag or anti-spyware programs:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/toasty0z/tuxbliss.png