What's the Best Anti-virus?

I gave Avast a whirl once and tossed it! It lacks quite a bit. I had been in regular contact a few years back with a senior security analyst at one of Symantec's overseas divisions and have heard from people here seeing great results with the updated form of Norton Internet Security which I would put in second place with GFI's VIPRE Internet Security I've been running now since 2010.

VIPRE blocks bad sites with the web filtering included in the program's firewall which prevents 99% of most malwares not including things you download. When going to run a downloaded utility with options for McAFail trial or an IE toolbar it will flag the download on the spot "detected adwares" being the message seen in the prompt.

On one occasion once I was able to move the exe file for a scamware that blocked access to the task manager to another location and then booted up in safe mode to toss that VIPRE cleaned the bug plus the trojans it downloaded. In fifteen years this I would have to rate as a number one av software after trying out several others!

There's one other thing that review misses entirely. That would be the mobile scanner for cell phones, smart phones, etc. in the compact arena there.

The firewall does work however. In fact that can be a little stubborn at times when going to add exceptions in there are not programs already installed on the system. You see that only mentions "blocks bad URLs" but not the fact that the web filtering is part of the firewall itself.

In order to get on a site that gets flagged when knowing it's not loaded with bugs I have to shut VIPRE down entirely at times. The site will be a http:// unsecure compared to the https:// you don't see when looking at some vendor's site like newegg being one example due to the higher security level. When the "s" is in there it's a clean site and when not seeing the front of the address that's due to an even higher security.

Exceptions seem to be problematic.

In Avast, you are supposed to be able to add an exception to an item that has been moved to the "Virus Chest" ("Restore and add to exclusions").
It never works on my PC.
I have to restore the item and then manually add the exception.

I ran into the same type of problem here on a few occasions when evidently something too hard coded in a new download was blocked until I shut VIPRE down and had a look only to find some unwanted check box options I left unchecked until the app was on. Once VIPRE was started back up there was no interference when going to run the app.

No one word of caution in regards to scamwares is be prepared for those to slip right past any system protections once you click on some link or download something and then run it while being in the admin account. Usually an exe or other type of executable will take over the task manager as one of the more common targeted system options to prevent immediate shutdown once the rogue ware loads up with Windows. Some of these are also multiple platform bugs that can lock up your smart phone or android having a variety of installers like the FBI PayPal scam.

A friend's kid just got on his android phone a friend sent him a link likely for a media player and the screen was locked solid with the scare tactic that he was required to pay out $300 or face imprisonment. That one first appeared a year ago but is still making the rounds it seems. For pc booting up in safe mode is the obvious for the experienced user while tapping the menu button on a hand held for that type of safe mode or admin mode allows for manual removal of the bogus app.

Night Hawk said:

Some of these are also multiple platform bugs that can lock up your smart phone or android having a variety of installers like the FBI PayPal scam.

A friend's kid just got on his android phone a friend sent him a link likely for a media player and the screen was locked solid with the scare tactic that he was required to pay out $300 or face imprisonment. That one first appeared a year ago but is still making the rounds it seems.

Unfortunately since Western Governments are getting rid of "innocent until proven guilty", these type of scams will increase in effectiveness.

Well if the FBI or other law enforcement finds evidence(s) you broke some law your phone or pc doesn't simply get locked up remotely! They come knocking on your doorstep with badges and possibly a court issued search warrant when there's sufficient indication of wrong doing on your part. Simply trying to find a free app for an android or other device like tablet with an embedded OS like an mp3 player wouldn't be considered an offense let alone prompting the FBI to fine you. Parking in a no parking zone or a traffic violation or littering sees fines you pay at a court house!

The same goes for other fake wares that download bugs onto your system and want you to buy a program that doesn't exist. And there a site for report internet crimes like those you may not be aware of. Filing a Complaint with the IC3

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

It is more likely that they would download spyware onto your PC, rather than lock it.
If they were interested in what you were doing, they wouldn't want to tip you off.

Here in Australia, ASIO, ASIS, and the Australian Federal Police have recently been lobbying the Government for the right to do whatever they like, without having to go to the trouble of getting warrants.

Apparently, having to prove that they have evidence that justifies a warrant is too much of an onerous burden.