Computer anti virus program

[gear junkie]

What's the best kind to use? I currently have webroot spy sweeper with antivirus. Any better ones out there?

[Tyman]

I use AVG Anti-Virus and it's free. No problems.

Here is a link. http://free.avg.com/

Stay away from Norton Anti Virus.

[VASandy]

I have quit recommending Norton A/V to my clients. The program works well for the first year, until you have to upgrade. Then there's too many problems and the upgrades don't work right. Clients that have attempted to uninstall Norton A/V have run into major problems. One of them had the uninstall recommended as the only way to fix a problem caused by the program. The uninstallation caused so many follow-on problems that the system had to be wiped clean and redone.

I use AVG for most of my clients. The program runs well, catches lots of malware and viri and updates often, mostly without notice by the client. One thing about A/V programs is you HAVE TO UPDATE frequently.

Another program (free) is Avast! antivirus. You can find it here (http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html). It's highly recommended by several reviewer sites. I, personally, have not tried it.

[Woussko]

A good FREE one to try out is House Call by Trend Micro. They have it setup so you can scan your PC from their web site. Warning: This may take several hours depending on hard drive(s) and how much is on them. Please allow time. Also a good high speed broadband connection to your ISP is needed. No slow speed cable or economy class DSL and don't even think about it with dial-up service.

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/

Be sure you are on the USA part of their site and watch out as they really want yo u to buy their program(s) from them. You should be able to find and run House Call for free to try it.

As for Symantec-Norton, do stay away from them. They used to be good but anymore support is zilch and their new Anti-Virus program is a resources hog bugging down even high end super PCs. Personally I use McAfee and so far, so good.

As for anti spyware, I had and hated SpySweeper. It was hyperactive all the time. I use Lavasoft AddAware which is free for the basic version or you can pay and get extra features. It is for spyware and is not an anti-virus program. You really need both.

You can download the FREE version from C/Net here
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2008/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5&cdlPid=10844457

Once installed you need to run the manual update and then do so about every 3 or 4 days. The program has to be manually run and just let it work. This is one program where you sort of have to just learn it on your own by prowling about in the program.

Sandy, If you only knew the hell friends and I went through uninstalling Norton Antivirus. People (other than for you) just will not backup their work files and the names they do save them with and where they are on a hard drive .... <bombs> LOL

Put real simple, boot from a wipe-out diskette or CD and totally scrub Drive C clean, then set it up, format and onward. Anything less really doesn't get Norton to leave you alone.

[Service Guy]

Buy a MAC, then you don't need any. I switched to MAC a few years ago. I have never needed anti-virus or anti-spyware software. my computer also never has any glitches or start-up problems, etc. I had PCs running on the piece of garbage 'Windows' for years and they always ended up with major problems. I will probably never go back to using Windows.

[stxrus]

we've been using Kaspersky for about 2 yaers now. very good and not nearly as bloated as Norton and does a better job. it's not free but it works.

in the past i've had conflicts with AVG and some of the free apps.

steve

[gear junkie]

As for anti spyware, I had and hated SpySweeper. It was hyperactive all the time.
What do you mean by "hyperactive". Don't know computers so no big words.

[NHMaster3015]

I really like Norton, nothing seizes up the computer faster.

[JCsPlumbing]

Correct me if I'm wrong. You can't get a virus unless you download something unknown, open a strange email with file etc.

Don't download. Or have a separate "junk" cpu for your fun downloading.

J.C.

[gear junkie]

Correct me if I'm wrong. You can't get a virus unless you download something unknown, open a strange email with file etc.

Don't download. Or have a separate "junk" cpu for your fun downloading.

J.C.
Porn, hello!!! I just saw a movie about a serial killer who's a computor hacker and I've become very paranoid, not as far as Woussko but still believe in cya.

[JCsPlumbing]

:lol: Don't download any "Porn, hello." Watch your hardrive light once in a while and listen to it. If it gets too busy, then someone is forcing something on you.

J.C.

[Woussko]

Gear Junkie

When it comes to SpySweeper many people really like it. I just found it to be over active at times. As long as you shut it off when installing a program from a legal CD then you'll be fine. I also really didn't like that WebRoot kept pushing hard to get me to buy more of their stuff all the time. It's personal on my end. They program does work and most likely is worthwhile your keeping and using it.

I'm too old school and like to have scanning when I say so and not fully automatic.

[VASandy]

Correct me if I'm wrong. You can't get a virus unless you download something unknown, open a strange email with file etc.

Don't download. Or have a separate "junk" cpu for your fun downloading.

J.C.

You can get viri from web sites without even knowing it. Mostly you'll get them from hijacked sites. The URL looks like where you wanted to go, but it really isn't. There's several ways hackers do this. You can get malware and viri from everywhere and anywhere. Just yesterday, my A/V alerted me to a nasty little rootkit that had got on my computer somehow. I use a very high-quality hardware firewall and run A/V 100% of the time, and update it every day. Somehow this little thing got to me, and I still don't know how. I'm usually VERY careful about websites. It was probably some email (I use Outlook and gmail). At least the rootkit was being blocked from sending out by the firewall. And the PC software caught it and removed it within a few hours.

[Velosapien]

Correct me if I'm wrong. You can't get a virus unless you download something unknown, open a strange email with file etc.

Don't download. Or have a separate "junk" cpu for your fun downloading.

J.C.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

There are many other ways. As a matter of fact I would say opening up suspicious attachments right now ranks very low in ways to get an infection. Most people know better than that by now. There's a lot more malware to worry about now than just viruses. Spyware, rootkits, script exploits, backdoors, and so on. Exploiting weaknesses in websites, browsers and software in general is a lot riskier now, and that can include non-suspicious sites.

Running the antivirus up to date alone is not the only way to stay safe. Keep your windows updates up to date as well. Once those weaknesses are patched they can't be exploited even without an A-V. Oh and as much as some people hate to admit it. Vista is substantially stronger and safer than XP when it comes to security.

[JCsPlumbing]

This is just my experience, but I hate updates. I'd have to say 50% of the time it has screwed something up from the way things operated before. Slower, popup errors at Startup, incompleted downloads that can't be deleted OR corrected. Seen it more than once.

J.C.

[BMJinGA]

I use Antivir (http://www.free-av.de/en/download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html) for my antivirus program. Used it for several years, is highly rated and free for home use. Virus definitions are updated without any problems. I use Sunblet Personal Firewall (http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Home-Home-Office/Sunbelt-Personal-Firewall/) instead of the firewall that comes with windows, it's much better and has a free version that is good for home use.

[DuckButter]

I really like Norton, nothing seizes up the computer faster.

For that reason I don't use Norton either.

As for anti-virus programs, they all recieve the same updates/definitions.

The best are the software that don't take over your computer or attempt to force you into upgraqding for more money.

Norton does that in my experience, when I get a new pc with free Norton, I just download a good program and delete it as long AS I can stand having my pc run slow or until before it expires.

[Velosapien]

You should always try to get a pay version of an Anti-Virus if you can. There's no such thing as completely free. The free ones lack a lot of the protection features and sometimes get the updates later than the pay versions. They have to make their money somewhere. They usually only include basic virus protection which is only a small part of the threat. Pay versions include much broader protection. You want something that can scan for spyware, rootkits, phishing/email, intrusion detection/firewall among other things.

Norton has become a bloated piece of software and is not the best anymore but it is still very capable with a broad range of protection. If a computer brings it free I'd let it run until it expires as long as there is no problem with it.

[NHMaster3015]

My provider does a pretty goot job of virus protection, I run whatever came on the machine but I've never got a virus ever.

[Newman]

The best way to avoid viruses is to stay off the internet. Since that's not feasible, then buy a mac or run linux. Windows will get viruses. Period.

[michael stephen]

i dont recommend using norton..