AVG or Avast...

Since I am getting a new computer delivered this week, I will need a new security system.  I plan to get rid of Norton.  Pam and I were discussing both AVG and Avast and she is unfamiliar with Avast.  For those who know about either one of these or both, let me know what you think and which one is a better security system. 

I have Avast now and I like it so far, I also have Malware.  Is it ok to have more than one security system, thanks.

Hi @LaRussa   ...I use Avast on my computers, now.  Both a Desktop and a small netbook. 

I prefer Avast over AVG...but that is only because in the past AVG, seemed to slow down my older Windows XP pentium computer...and then it also seemed to cause the Windows 7 netbook, with a small RAM (512 MB)...to act buggy.  I really don't know if one is better than the other.  Most of the info, I have read in the "User Reviews" section of  http://download.cnet.com/windows/ ..where I also download the programs from.

I also use:  Malwarebytes Anti-Malware;  Spybot...Search and Destroy; and "CCleaner Free".

I don't think you have to use more than one security system....but on my older system I did have ZoneAlarm as a Firewall.  (For some reason, on my Windows 8 desktop...I could not get zonealarm to work properly...so just left if out...and use the windows firewall instead.)

What did you finally decide on getting for your new system?  I mean how much RAM and is it Windows 7 or Windows 8? 

Oh wow, I used Zone Alarm as my firewall for years and really liked that program. I also used AVG and Malwarebytes in conjunction with each other. As well as Spybot and CCleaner Free. I never used Avast and didn't want to tell Carol one way or the other, since I had never used it.

For the last several years, I've been using Kaspersky. I was using Norton and found it to be bloated. When it was scanning, it would slow my computer down to a crawl, it was that bad. I had bought a Norton at Staples one time and I was that frustrated with it that I took it back to Staples. I  buy a lot at Staples and they knew I was really angry with Norton. They don't normally refund money for software issues, but they did for me because I was "this close" to tears. That was when I bought Kaspersky and I've never looked back. I really like it. 

The only thing with Kaspersky is that it doesn't play nice with other virus programs. I had a devil of a time getting it to work properly the first time I installed it. Took me a while to figure out how to get online with it in control. Turns out there was a tiny little piece of AVG still in my hard drive, even using the Install and Removal command in Control Panel didn't get it all out. I finally had to go in SAFE mode and get rid of it that way. I felt like a total idiot because I didn't know how to deal with it.

I'm now using Kaspersky on all the computers and our phones. And the Windows firewall.

Avira is a good free antivirus program

I just had my laptop into the shop, and the guy told me that having more than one on your computer is like playing with fire. I guess they cancel each other out, or don't play nice, or whatever. He said that Avast is okay (I had that on there) but that he always recommends Windows Security something or other.  The computer repair guy that my sister called recently told her the same thing.  So based on that, that's what I now have on my laptop.

Winchester said:

 
Oh wow, I used Zone Alarm as my firewall for years and really liked that program. I also used AVG and Malwarebytes in conjunction with each other. As well as Spybot and CCleaner Free. I never used Avast and didn't want to tell Carol one way or the other, since I had never used it.

For the last several years, I've been using Kaspersky. I was using Norton and found it to be bloated. When it was scanning, it would slow my computer down to a crawl, it was that bad. I had bought a Norton at Staples one time and I was that frustrated with it that I took it back to Staples. I  buy a lot at Staples and they knew I was really angry with Norton. They don't normally refund money for software issues, but they did for me because I was "this close" to tears. That was when I bought Kaspersky and I've never looked back. I really like it. 

The only thing with Kaspersky is that it doesn't play nice with other virus programs. I had a devil of a time getting it to work properly the first time I installed it. Took me a while to figure out how to get online with it in control. Turns out there was a tiny little piece of AVG still in my hard drive, even using the Install and Removal command in Control Panel didn't get it all out. I finally had to go in SAFE mode and get rid of it that way. I felt like a total idiot because I didn't know how to deal with it.

I'm now using Kaspersky on all the computers and our phones. And the Windows firewall.

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Yes, I used to love Zone Alarm, because of the way it asked for 'permissions' and showed the 'intrusions' screen....and which program was allowed access.  But I gave up installing it after the second attempt, because it did not seem to show up in the usual way.  Though, I think you are right, @Winchester...it probably has left trails in the registry files...and I'll have to try a manual or 'SAFE' mode removal, too. (Ahh,...I'm not sure why you would feel "like a total idiot" because you, @FhiCat, and @pinkdagger...would be the top three people I would ask for computer advice, over here,. ..after reading various posts, last year,..as long as your swimming pool is covered...if I remember correctly ).  Thanks for reminding me of these potentially 'running in the background' files.  (I hate it when you think something is gone, and it still has some files left...or else my computer does some operation in the background, and I'm not quite sure what it's up to.) 

Avast does sometimes seem to pause certain programs, and animates its taskbar icon. It does not seem to be a problem on the desktop (8 GB RAM), but on the Windows 7 small netbook, it seems to hang some streaming european t.v. news programs...So I have to suspend it for 10-20 minutes to get the show to stream properly.  (It might be the small RAM size, though, and not exactly Avast.)

I used to use Eset NOD32 as antivirus, and it was very light, but once the subscription ran out, I just went to the free antivirus programs.

The Kaspersky one, I had read was an extremely good one, but I have never tried it.  And yes, Norton was the worst for slowing down my system, when scanning.

Regardless, of which one Carol chooses, I think she will be very happy with her new system, and won't believe how much faster it is, in load up times, and opening of programs. It will probably take a month or so, to get used to all the new features, and still find new things all the time.

What @Misty8723 said about not having two anti-virus programs running at the same time, is what I read about also...that they have conflicts.

diana

Thanks, Diana! And yes, the pool should be covered whenever I'm messing around with something in the computer room. 

I'm a big Kaspersky fan. They have a great support community and if you have a question, they'll do their best to help you. They have a program that you can download. It will list everything on your computer down to the last byte. Then you upload it back to the support site. That's how I realized there was a little AVG nestled in my computer that time, even though I had removed it properly. One of their support team found it (AVG does not leave willingly). He told me how to go about cleaning it out and it worked. I had another problem with Kaspersky, too, and by that time, I figured that I could just download the program, run it, and then upload it again on my own. That time, I found the problem on my own and was able to go into SAFE mode and kick it out. And it runs so smoothly, it doesn't slow anything down, it just does its thing as it goes; after dealing with Norton, using K is great. Kaspersky runs about $70 annually. It's a good program.

For free avast is probably the best one out there. Kaspersky, Bitdefender and ESET NOD32 is great paid versions. Bitdefender have a free one which you just install and forget. My brother who works at Geek squad said for many people Microsoft security essentials is good and avast is feature-rich

If you have windows 7 or newer, I don't think you need to download a third party firewall because the built-in one works pretty well and don't take up extra resources. Anyway if you experienced with computers Comoro firewall is great otherwise I would go with zonealarm

If you getting a windows 8 or 8.1 computer she don't need to install a antivirus as it already built-in

mwallace056 said:

If you getting a windows 8 or 8.1 computer she don't need to install a antivirus as it already built-in

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I respectfully disagree. Yes, you are correct in saying that Windows 8 does have built-in virus protection. However, it's not all that great. Everything that I've read pretty much says that while Microsoft Security Essentials (which runs basically on the same platform as Windows Defender)  is good at removing malware, it's not so good at finding it. So what it can find, it can remove. But if it can't find the malware, it can't remove it. Other software (AVG, Avast, etc.) does a much better job at finding the malware to begin with. 

That's my 

Winchester said:

 
I respectfully disagree. Yes, you are correct in saying that Windows 8 does have built-in virus protection. However, it's not all that great. Everything that I've read pretty much says that while Microsoft Security Essentials (which runs basically on the same platform as Windows Defender)  is good at removing malware, it's not so good at finding it. So what it can find, it can remove. But if it can't find the malware, it can't remove it. Other software (AVG, Avast, etc.) does a much better job at finding the malware to begin with. 

That's my 

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I didnt mean't it was better. I read the same things, I actually hate mse and I would recommend avast over anything plus malwarebytes and spybot search and destroy.

This is why I switch to Linux among other reasons. I don't have to worry about malware

I'm no expert, but just wanted to say that we have had AGV for a few years and like it. Seems to be a good one.

Thank you all so much for your input.  I like Avast and will keep that right now, the free version.  I really like the way it tells me if I have a problem and they fixed it, the female voice just comes over my speakers and tells me, cute.  The main thing is that it works, of course, so far I really like it.

Consumer Reports has them ranked like this: 2014 versions

Avast - recommended             score of 57

Avira - recommended              score of 53

AVG                                         score of 51

Microsoft Security Essentials  score of 38

Just wanted to say android 4.2 and up have an antivirus built-in and based on my experience works if you want to check if it enable go to your app drawer and find "google setting" then security and it called verify apps
When a developer upload a app to the google play store, it automatically get scan but sometimes malicious do get though. If i remembered right when they do find one, they will remove it from your device. Don't install apps from anywhere but the play store doing so will increases tne risk of getting an virus