What's the Best Anti-virus?

[cytherian]

i guess avira is one of the bext antivirus n spyware software...

They recently released an update that screwed up a lot of Windows installs.
http://www.sevenforums.com/security...rus-update-cripples-millions-windows-pcs.html

Ouch! That's nasty.

I tried out Avira last year and found it OK, but the UI was a bit lacking for me. I'd been using AVG Free for quite some time before then. I went back to AVG but still wanted to try something new. That's when I read about Avast! I installed it and haven't looked back since. Very robust performance and nice UI. It does make offers every once in a while, but they're very easy to dismiss. I'll eventually pay for a license, as I like to support good work.

 

[A Guy]

i guess avira is one of the bext antivirus n spyware software...

They recently released an update that screwed up a lot of Windows installs.
http://www.sevenforums.com/security...rus-update-cripples-millions-windows-pcs.html

Ouch! That's nasty.

I tried out Avira last year and found it OK, but the UI was a bit lacking for me. I'd been using AVG Free for quite some time before then. I went back to AVG but still wanted to try something new. That's when I read about Avast! I installed it and haven't looked back since. Very robust performance and nice UI. It does make offers every once in a while, but they're very easy to dismiss. I'll eventually pay for a license, as I like to support good work.

BTW, Avast had a similar problem last year, It flagged system files as viruses, and made the system unbootable. They qquickly fixed it with an update, so most were not affected. Myself, personally, did not have the issue, and continue to use Avast to this day. It can happen. A Guy

 

[lehnerus2000]

AVG had a similar problem a couple(?) of years ago.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Haven't had a problem since the days of Windows 98SE (Knock on wood).

 

[cytherian]

It's a little frustrating to see a crowded anti-virus market. While there is no question that it's nice to have some freedom of choice, there is this matter of who the "winners" are in the shoot-out tests or editor's choice evaluations. Are they really fair tests?

I say that they may not be. A lot of how well an anti-virus product manages a test rests a lot on the definitions. Does one product always have the best and most current set? Not necessarily. Each company becomes aware of viruses and vulnerabilities at different rates. So, it's theoretically possible for an anti-virus product test to produce different winners if performed across a period of several months. This is why I'd like to see an anti-virus shoot-out be based on several months of testing.

 

[thegoose]

I use Microsoft Security Essentials on my machine and to remove virusses on machines installed with even paid anti-virus software and other freebies.
The nice thing is it updates with Windows updates (optional) and has a very easy and simple GUI.
Well done MS!

 

[thegoose]

I use Microsoft Security Essentials on my machine and to remove virusses on machines installed with even paid anti-virus software and other freebies.
The nice thing is it updates with Windows updates (optional) and has a very easy and simple GUI.
Well done MS!

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
as others have said -- for HOME computers what's wrong with MSE. It takes almost no resources, runs in real time and is updated very frequently -- and is actively being developed in W8 too as the new "Windows Defender" -- but this runs identically to MSE -- user interface to set scanning aschedules etc.


There is 100% UTTERLY NO NEED whatsoever to install any of the 3rd party solutions out there for A/V protection.

MSE and YOUR OWN method of using the internet will be more than sufficient.

If you use Torrents in a large way or visit "dubious sites" then you are likely to get infected anyway -- and it probably won't be by a traditional virus --but possibly by YOURSELF giving away information over the Internet -- How many facebook accounts were compromised recently -- where do you think that data has gone -- to the Bin --no way. !!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

[dcknw]

MSE

I've been using Security Essentials ever since it first came out in Beta as Morro. It has a small footprint, it's unobtrusive, and it doesn't slow things down the way other larger programs do.

Microsoft Security Essentials...

A no brainer for me.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Jimbo45 said:

How many facebook accounts were compromised recently -- where do you think that data has gone.

100% correct Jimbo, BUT with Norton360 it completely blocked my passage to Facebook. And that isn't the first time Norton 360 exhibited this behavior either. Other ummmmm seedy websites were block this way as well. Whereas I agree with you Jimbo about MSE, the only problem it is NOT a full flavored security suite.

 

[Cyanide]

Well I use the following to help my computer:

Microsoft Security Essentials
Norton 360 w Staples Platinum Online PC Setup
CCleaner

All those 3 help me greatly. Idk about everyone else lol.

 

[Britton30]

Well I use the following to help my computer:

Microsoft Security Essentials
Norton 360 w Staples Platinum Online PC Setup
CCleaner

All those 3 help me greatly. Idk about everyone else lol.

That's not a good idea to have two active AVs running side by side. The nature of how they work gives them access to system files which one AV may recognize the other as malware, then the fight starts.

 

[crazynlazyguy]

I only use Microsoft Essentials cuz I got tired of paying for antivirus.

 

[zapp22]

Free Antivirus You Can Trust - Page 2 | PCWorld
reasonably recent [april].
MSE stinketh. back to the drawing boards, MS. Why don't they just buy AVAST? Aha! the answer is, if they did, in short order they'd ruin the operation.

IMHO the problem with pcworld and other 'test lab' processes is that they are outdated by years. very few infections anymore are "virus" related [I think its around 3% of all malicious cases... somebody correct me]
The line between "malicious" and "marketware" is and has been very fuzzy, very subjective.
I worked on a poor old Vista system sunday that was virtually impossible to use with IE8 [the worst thing ever put out by MS], but the better tools really didn't detect anything particularly viral or "malicious".
But there was a motherload of toolbars, multiple search helpers, then the usual crowd of updaters. together they were making it awful for a user of IE - not so much chrome or other good modern browser. On a whim, I dl'd and ran the latest complete rev of Spybot, still officially in 'Beta'. It is very aggressive and identified over a dozen targets [this was AFTER I had removed a lot of BHO's and other miscreants with HJT]. A handful were legitimate useful items, just consumptive, which I had to uncheck [leave].
So, it illustrates what I'm saying - some are just poorly written, self-serving junkwares, while other's cross the line into malicious. Sadly, some of THE MOST MALICIOUS items floating about are never detected, don't cause obvious system issues, are unknown to 95% of all users. I speak of the "watchers". This is WELL worth the few minutes to 'get smart' on the topic: Gary Kovacs: Tracking the trackers | Video on TED.com
The "common man" needs a way to strike back at these malefactors, and Collusion is a step in the right direction.

 

[lil]

it's not kaspersky that's for sure i'm fed up of getting trojans and whatever else i'm sure is hidden on my system currently.i use a lot of memory cards , usbs and electronic devices on multiple systems though.

 

[adamus]

I go for..

Norton IS and Malwarebytes Anti-malware..

 

[dothackjhe]

BitDefender Total Security 2012 or Kaspersky Total Security 2012 for the win!

 

[MeOnMine]

I have 3 PC's all useing Zone Alarm internet security suite for the last 5 years.
I have Win7 Firewall and Defender turned off.
Never had a problem ever.

 

[ascomputers]

Microsoft security essentials and malwarebytes for me.

Never had a virus to date.

 

[ascomputers]

Can't understand anyone using or paying for norton or mcafee.

I have nothing but problems with both products.