Antivirus software

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Folks,

Okay, it's time to get serious about replacing my busted Zone Labs Security suite. People are praising Kaspersky. Anyhoo, please make a recommendation. I'm running Windows XP Pro.

(There was a thread about this a year ago, but I figure things have changed since then.)

~~ Paul

[Pyrrho]

I use AVG.

Trend Micro is also highly recommended.

[slyjoe]

What happened with Zone Labs? I run it on XP and it seems to work well. The last time Consumer Reports reported on these products, Zone Labs came out pretty well (and no I don't work for them). Now you have me worring about Zone Labs!

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

It interferes with Eudora. I can't update my virus definitions (it times out and then leaves some process running). It interacts oddly with Trillian. And it shuts itself off sometimes.

~~ Paul

[strathmeyer]

I use Linux.

[Dan O.]

I haven't used an anti-virus since they stopped updating Disinfectant over 8 years ago. When the known vulnerabilities get patched in about the same timeframe as it takes to release virus definitions I don't see any point in adding another layer to slow me down.

I'm running Windows XP Pro.

Then you are in a different boat. Good luck.

[Rat]

I'm running McAfee VirusScan. That works fine. When I'm loading up other machines for people, I usually put AVG on, because it's free and it seems to work. Norton is Satan.

I think when I finish building my new machine and load it up, if I put on any AV at all, I'll probably put on ClamWin. It's not for use on computers used by children or idiots, as it doesn't do any realtime scanning, but it will scan files or drives and can be scheduled to run every day or whatever; I'm told it can also be coupled with another open source thingy to provide realtime scanning, but I don't really need that.

[Soapy Sam]

I use the Systemsuite package. Used to be Ontrack, then VCOM, now Avanquest. The package includes a software firewall , antivirus and a number of useful utilities. I've had no problems at all in four years with Win 98SE and XP home.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

I haven't used an anti-virus since they stopped updating Disinfectant over 8 years ago. When the known vulnerabilities get patched in about the same timeframe as it takes to release virus definitions I don't see any point in adding another layer to slow me down.
And for that matter, I'm sure my ISP is updating their virus database even more fast and furiously than I would be.

~~ Paul

[negativ]

I'll add another vote for Kaspersky if you want a full security suite. If you're only interested in Antivirus, Kaspersky again is good, but NOD32 and Sophos are worth a look too.

[Smart_Cookie]

I use AVG.

Trend Micro is also highly recommended.

And you don't notice your system slower with AVG?

My subscription to Norton ran out last month and I had decided that I was NOT renewing with them. I've got AVG on the 30 day free trial, but I'm finding that it's not as "behind the scenes" as Norton was. And my system seems to be running REALLY slowly.

I was just reading a bunch of recommendations, and the Kaspersky and NOD32 do seem to be pretty highly rated.

[NickUK]

AVG Free Edition (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5)

[Janus]

I moved from AVG to AntiVir (http://www.avira.com/en/pages/index.php) after finding it was the only thing that would rid a friends machine of UltimateDefender (http://www.spython.com/spywaredetails.aspx?id=c888c2b7-c295-4d03-9741-ff9f85f03b12). I even bought infected dlls to a clean machine, nether AVG or Avast identified them.
The interface and auto update lacks some of the polish of most other products, however.

[merentha]

I ditched NAV the moment the temporary license expired on my new notebook and installed BitDefender. Love the small size (compared to the bloated NAV) and the hourly updates. It was also cheaper than Kaspersky and came with 2 licenses for 2 years.

[The Great Hairy One]

AVG is pretty good, and free to the home user. I've not noticed any performance problems with AVG installed. I would not touch NOD32, it's not reliable.

Get a different product for spyware, not all anti-virus software picks up spy ware. Check http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-features.htm for more info there.

Norton, McAfee and Trend Micro are extremely good, but generally prefered by non-technical users.

Cheers,
TGHO

[RayG]

People are praising Kaspersky.
.
Of the 58 anti-virus programs tested here (http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82), Kaspersky was the cream of the crop.

Personally, I use the free version of AVG, and have yanked both McAfee and Norton off brand new systems I have purchased.

Paul, if you're using Windows XP, have you considered doing your day-to-day computing from a limited user account (http://nonadmin.editme.com/WhyNonAdmin)?

Although I use very similar procedures to those described in this article (http://nonadmin.editme.com/RunningAsNonAdmin) , I password protect the Administrative account on each of my systems to prevent accidental access.

I'm presently running 5 systems, connected to the net 24/7, and I've had one instance of malware in the past four years, and that was via the admin account. My wife thinks I go overboard with security/passwords/etc., but it helps keep things running smoothly.

Smart_Cookie: I find system slowdown with AVG only when it's doing an actual scan. For that reason, I set AVG to scan and check for updates during the wee hours of the morning. I also removed Norton from a new system I purchased precisely because it likes to do stuff "behind the scenes".

RayG

[Yllanes]

Another vote for Kaspersky. It not only seems to be good at virus interdiction and removal, it also doesn't clog my computer like Norton used to.

[ClintonHammond]

McAfee and Norton both suck rocks!

AVG for me thanks!

[Almo]

I use AVG Personal (on XP). it's free, updates cleanly, and never bothers me. I don't use any AV on my Mac.

[negativ]

AVG is pretty good, and free to the home user. I've not noticed any performance problems with AVG installed. I would not touch NOD32, it's not reliable.


Are you kidding? NOD32 has consistently had one of the lowest failure rates of any AV scanner ever tested by Virus Bulletin. (http://www.virusbtn.com)

[Pythra]

I use McAfee, and although it does it's job, I don't think I'd recommend it. It's become increasingly cumbersome and some of the pop-up notifications are just plain irritating. I had to manually disable a function that caused it to open a warning notification every time I opened a new browser window!

[The Great Hairy One]

Are you kidding? NOD32 has consistently had one of the lowest failure rates of any AV scanner ever tested by Virus Bulletin. (http://www.virusbtn.com)


I'm not talking detection rates, I'm talking screwing up your system. I've tested this software here in Australia, and NOD32 regularly caused problems on machines it was installed on.

Cheers,
TGHO

[BPSCG]

I use AVG and AntiVir. No AV software is perfect, so why limit myself to just one, especially since they're both free? I update them both every night during the wee hours, and do regular full system scans with both of them.

[Guile]

Don't even use an Antivirus, all you really need is a good Firewall. The person behind the keyboard is the best antivirus. Just browse safe, don't open HappyBirthday!.exe files in your email, and have everything backed up. Becareful about what programs you find and use from the Internet.

Haven't used a antivirus in years and no problems since. Kind of nice without the performance drop of an Antivirus working in the background.