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Antivirus Recommendations?

post #1 of 27
12/3/09 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
Hi there!!
My Free AVG is running out, and I am looking for recommendations on what to install into my computers... AVG wants me to pay $50 for the obligatory 9.0 version, which for me is just out of control...

I do not like Norton for PCs - LOVE for MACs; for macs, there is no better IMO, but for PCs, I do think it is not really a clean software...

I need something that works well with Outlook, MSN and of course the regular stuff, browsers and such...

Any recommendations?

Thanks!!
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post #2 of 27
12/3/09 at 7:49pm
It's been a while since I needed anything, but have you checked out Avast?

And I agree... Norton is next to useless.
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post #3 of 27
12/3/09 at 8:02pm
I like Avast, been using it for many years.
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post #4 of 27
12/3/09 at 8:09pm
^ How long did it take you to set the update to a time that it wouldn't scare the living daylights out of you or you learned to turn your speakers down?

I had a bad scare several years ago when it updated in the middle of the night.
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post #5 of 27
12/3/09 at 8:27pm
advast pro here ... but I use the puter for business also
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post #6 of 27
12/3/09 at 8:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
^ How long did it take you to set the update to a time that it wouldn't scare the living daylights out of you or you learned to turn your speakers down?

I had a bad scare several years ago when it updated in the middle of the night.

My speakers are usually off, so is the computer when not in use. There is the odd time it gets me though.
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post #7 of 27
12/3/09 at 8:45pm
I use COMODO Internet Security. It got really good reviews from CNET. I really like it so far.
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post #8 of 27
12/3/09 at 9:37pm
We use windows live onecare
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post #9 of 27
12/4/09 at 4:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
Hi there!!
My Free AVG is running out, and I am looking for recommendations on what to install into my computers... AVG wants me to pay $50 for the obligatory 9.0 version, which for me is just out of control...
Like all previous versions of AVG, the update is free. You need to be careful to click the right link instead of the one for the paid version. I can see if I can find the link for you if you wish?

I have avg 9, (downloaded the install files when I first started getting notice of the expiration so I don't exactly remember where I got it but I know it was off the notifications.
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post #10 of 27
12/4/09 at 6:15am
A lot of my friends like Black Ice, but I don't have any experience with it personally. I'll probably give it a go after my McAfee subscription expires.

Best of luck!

Dave
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post #11 of 27
12/4/09 at 9:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave T View Post
A lot of my friends like Black Ice, but I don't have any experience with it personally. I'll probably give it a go after my McAfee subscription expires.
I remember that one as being fairly good firewall - but you'll have to find yourself something else. IBM bought them out and canned the product.
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post #12 of 27
12/4/09 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
advast pro here ... but I use the puter for business also
Sharky - How do you like AvastPro? I am considering this one... I do need the computer for consulting, and my family members are PROs in sending viruses... so... what's your take? Whats the good, the bad, and the ugly?
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post #13 of 27
12/4/09 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rachelh1018 View Post
I use COMODO Internet Security. It got really good reviews from CNET. I really like it so far.
Could you give the pros and cons on this one? My security software is also coming due next month and I thought about switching.

And what about Mcafee anyone?

BTW carolinalima great thread!
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post #14 of 27
12/5/09 at 7:17am
Blah HATE McAfee, Norton, Don't like Avast - I'd stick with AVG, I've found it the most flexible & secure of all the systems I've used.

(Updates for McAfee are just as expensive)
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post #15 of 27
12/11/09 at 6:46am
Has anybody heard of Kaspersky? I've been using it now for over two years and I like it very much.

I had Norton, but it bogged down my computer so badly when it would update or scan that I couldn't even use it. I tried AVG, but didn't really care for that. When a friend suggested Kaspersky, I did some reviewing and people seemed to like it. Talked to a friend who also had been using it. So I decided to give it shot. It works well for me.

I had some problems setting it up on my computer, but that was largely because even when I deleted Norton, there were still little "snippets" of the software throughout my computer and those snippets were creating issues with Kaspersky. Once I cleaned everything out in the registry, it worked fine.

It's not free, but I didn't think the price was all that expensive either.
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post #16 of 27
12/11/09 at 3:04pm
If you're running a current version of Windows, anything from XP on you can now get free anti-virus from microsoft. It's under 'security essentials' if your search for it. Since its designed by the peopel who make windows it gets along with your OS much better.

I had mcafee and it was bogging my 'puter down something awful. then I switched and my computer is working much faster.
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post #17 of 27
1/6/10 at 12:20pm
For the last couple of years, my computer guru, Frank, was installing Panda on all of his customer's computers. A year ago, he switched us over to Bit Defender....I really like it. Mine needs to be renewed in March. I'll see what he recommends this year!
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post #18 of 27
1/6/10 at 12:47pm
I use Mcafee total protection and have never found any problems with it. I get it free.x
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post #19 of 27
1/6/10 at 8:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
Sharky - How do you like AvastPro? I am considering this one... I do need the computer for consulting, and my family members are PROs in sending viruses... so... what's your take? Whats the good, the bad, and the ugly?
seems good ... it catches things that normally are not checked..will go back to free version as I am not using the two pro parts much
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post #20 of 27
1/7/10 at 11:28am
I've always used Avast, and I like it. I've never had any problems - nor have I ever picked up a virus or anything (knock on wood: I hope I don't jinx myself now by saying that! ).
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post #21 of 27
1/27/10 at 12:53pm
They recently upgraded and it has lots of great stuff. I have never had a virus or any other problems since I purchased my Dell computer with Norton already installed. They now have a back up process which is fantastic and a few other upgrades. Yes it costs $59.99 annually but worth it and the price has not gone up for years. All in all I'm very happy with it
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post #22 of 27
1/27/10 at 1:45pm
Recently reading another debate on a forum I mostly lurk on about antivirus programs in linux (yes they exist, but they're for scanning for windows viruses). The main thing that protects linux users is that we don't run as root. Which begs the question, are all of you running as admin or have you properly set up a limited user account?

Setting up a limited user account will protect you from a lot of windows viruses, too. Unfortunately many windows user do not do this. When you run as admin any malicious code can get full access to your system. When you run as a limited user you can't even access that, let alone the virus. If ones does manage to compromise that user account, you make another and use that to clean the old one.
Any OS and any software is only as secure as the person using it makes it.
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post #23 of 27
1/27/10 at 8:53pm
I have really mixed feelings about Norton/Symantec. On one hand, it is really getting my knickers in a twist at work because it tells me there is a virus on two computers (different computers, different viruses), but it won't actually find & delete the root cause of the virus. On the other...if it hadn't at least quarantined the virus replications, the computers would be DOA with no way to even salvage the important information on them. It's a catch-22 in a sense. It still leaves a virus on the computer, but it at least contains it while you try one thing after another to eradicate it.
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post #24 of 27
1/29/10 at 7:07am
I am glad to see this as I am getting my new laptop tomorrow
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post #25 of 27
1/29/10 at 11:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Which begs the question, are all of you running as admin or have you properly set up a limited user account?

Setting up a limited user account will protect you from a lot of windows viruses, too. Unfortunately many windows user do not do this. When you run as admin any malicious code can get full access to your system. When you run as a limited user you can't even access that, let alone the virus. If ones does manage to compromise that user account, you make another and use that to clean the old one.
.
I'm not too educated re computer stuff, have a vague idea of what you're saying, how do you do that?
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post #26 of 27
1/29/10 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bookworm View Post
I'm not too educated re computer stuff, have a vague idea of what you're saying, how do you do that?
I'll assume you're on XP (if not, say so). But here's the info right from microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u.../accounts.mspx With pictures. Do know, though, that some things are a bit messed up in windows (all the way up to 7) that makes running as a limited user a pain in the butt sometimes, and that if you get asked to authenticate/log in as admin to do everything all the time (such as vista does) that you still have to be careful and understand what you're agreeing to.
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post #27 of 27
1/29/10 at 7:33pm
If you want a free option that seems pretty good, Microsoft Security Essentials is out, FREE and obviously they are the ones most targeted. The definitions are updated daily. Don't know if that means they are truly up to date, but they are updated. That's the one I'm currently running, but I'm not a high risk user, either. I know not to open suspect emails, and my surfing habits are to regular sites that are known to be virus free.

Another one is AVG 9.0 (current version) Free. There is also a paid version of this one, but this is the one that did finally get the nasty, horrible virus off of the computer at work. Can't attest to the day to day use of it, but the virus scanner, especially in safe mode which scans in command line, is good.
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