Which anti-virus is everyone using

[Charlie E.]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Charlie

 

[Adrian Tuddenham]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Mac OS 8.6

 

[Rich Webb]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

I like Avast, except for their recent addition of a "real-time,
crowd-sourced" file reputation check, which is a PITA for (a) developers
or (b) users of obscure command-line utilities. Fortunately, it's easy
to turn off (Settings | Cloud Services | Reputation Services) and may
even be potentially useful for mainstream users.

 

[miso]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Charlie

Microsoft Security Essentials.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials

It handles spyware too.

Reviews at

http://www.av-comparatives.org

Generally Kaspersky is the overall winner.

I was running avast, but it would take forever for it to catch up to
viruses in my email. Naturally I didn't open them since the virus was so
blatant. When avast finally discovered the virus attachment, it would
trigger all sorts of warnings on the dangerous attachment. Really
annoying. I also grew tired of the yearly contract renewal avast required.

 

[Nico Coesel]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

I use AVG free. Wife and kids use limited (non-administrator) accounts
on their computers. Never any problems.

 

[Jamie]

None. I run the Microsoft malware removal tool now and then, but it's
never found anything. I run Spyzooka occasionally to remove snoopware.

Do you really think $MS would report it's own software in the scan ?

Jamie

 

[Martin Riddle]

Don't visit porn sites ?

That's what I tell the ladies in the office.

Cheers

 

[Chieftain of the Carpet Crawlers]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Charlie

Here? None.

Windows 7 has one integrated in already.

What? You are on Windows 95 first release? That *IS* a virus!

 

[Nico Coesel]

My kid highly recommends Avast. I use Ubuntu Linux, and wait in dread
for the day that the @#$% virus writers decide that it'll be a lucrative
target for infection.

McAfee has gotten a reputation as being a resource hog -- I still use it

Its not a reputation its a fact! I have used McAfee for years but in
the end I got rid of it because it made my system slow. If you like
your system fast then stay away from Panda as well.

 

[Chieftain of the Carpet Crawlers]

Its not a reputation its a fact! I have used McAfee for years but in
the end I got rid of it because it made my system slow. If you like
your system fast then stay away from Panda as well.

ANY AV app that performs "real time scanning" is going to mean your
machine will be twice as slow. as a minimum.

The ONLY thing one can do is tell it to only use a certain percentage
of the resources when running, but that is for scanning, NOT the real
time stupidity.

It works well with a multi-CPU or a multi-core machine (relatively
speaking). Anything else becomes a pure dog.

My iPad Rules! I got a few engineering apps for it.

Now, I can tell a manufacturing engineer what the proper torque setting
is for a fastener. Even nylon!

Better still is the Wolfram application! Way better than google could
ever be! And great on the iPad too!

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

 

[Chieftain of the Carpet Crawlers]

One of these days I'll get tired of it, and I'll have to either switch to
Avast, or start using a bookkeeping program that'll run on Linux.

Why not simply DISCONNECT while you are doing your books?

For that matter, DISCONNECT whenever you do not intend on using the
Internet.

The term (Internet) does have a very specific meaning, after all.

Or use dial-up

The only one that can hack you on a dial up is the provider you are
dialed up to. THEY can hack you locally then.

Then, if you get a virus, it is pretty assured that it was something YOU
clicked on, not an external hack coming your way.

Also, getting a virus on a dial-up machine means the person trying to
remotely connect to you is gonna give up real quick (in the case of that
type of virus, which most are these days).

Still. TCP/IP Hardware level IP encryption will arrive soon enough.

Right about the time quantum computer stuff gets started up and delivers
uncrackable crypto to the mil boys, the IP encryption stuff they
currently use will end up in our channels.

 

[miso]

Why not simply DISCONNECT while you are doing your books?

For that matter, DISCONNECT whenever you do not intend on using the
Internet.

The term (Internet) does have a very specific meaning, after all.

Or use dial-up

The only one that can hack you on a dial up is the provider you are
dialed up to. THEY can hack you locally then.

Then, if you get a virus, it is pretty assured that it was something YOU
clicked on, not an external hack coming your way.

Also, getting a virus on a dial-up machine means the person trying to
remotely connect to you is gonna give up real quick (in the case of that
type of virus, which most are these days).

Still. TCP/IP Hardware level IP encryption will arrive soon enough.

Right about the time quantum computer stuff gets started up and delivers
uncrackable crypto to the mil boys, the IP encryption stuff they
currently use will end up in our channels.

Viruses don't attack in real time. He goes offline to do the books, then
goes online and gets a virus. Seems to me going offline didn't do a damn
thing.

Dial up? You seriously think that will make a difference? You go online
with dial up, and then the virus can call out.

And you wonder why you are called "always wrong."

 

[miso]

Here? None.

Windows 7 has one integrated in already.

What? You are on Windows 95 first release? That *IS* a virus!

MSE is a download. Free if you have Win7. It is not built in.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials

The can't build it in because some PCs are bundled with crapware like
Symantec, etc.

 

[notbob]

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Yep, and has been fer 20 yrs. It's called Linux and it doesn't cost a
cent. I started using it about 12 yrs ago, after suffering my 3rd total
trashing of my Windows boxes, and haven't had a problem since. I don't
even run AV software, anymore.

nb

 

[T]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Charlie

I'm up on AVG 2012 - it's pretty decent. I had gone away from it with
Microsoft Security Essentials for a bit but it didn't offer quite enough
in my opionion.

I do see some bloat happening with AVG though.

 

[Chieftain of the Carpet Crawlers]

Viruses don't attack in real time.

That is not a very bright statement. NO virus requires cycling offline
and back on to be active.

 

[Chieftain of the Carpet Crawlers]

Dial up? You seriously think that will make a difference? You go online
with dial up, and then the virus can call out.

Idiot. If you go online with dial-up, the virus doesn't need to call
out, because you already have.

You could be a little more stupid, but not today.

 

[Charlie E.]

I'm up on AVG 2012 - it's pretty decent. I had gone away from it with
Microsoft Security Essentials for a bit but it didn't offer quite enough
in my opionion.

I do see some bloat happening with AVG though.

Ok, as an experiment I went and uninstalled AVG and installed MSE. So
far, things are running quite a bit faster. Now have to do this on my
wife's computer...

Charlie

 

[qrk]

Ok, it is that time again. My AVG just popped up, and said it
couldn't charge my credit card to renew my license (YAY!)

So, since I need to renew or change, I thought I would ping the group,
and see what everyone else is using. AVG has gotten to be more and
more of a hassle, taking up more and more resources on my system. When
it decides to scan or update, it slows every other function on the
system to a crawl.

So, anything better, or cheaper, or more reliable out there?

Charlie

Personally, I don't use a real time virus scanner.
For other folks computers, I've been using M$ Security Essentials.
It's not the best, but not a hog like some of the other programs out
there. Plus, it's free. The best thing, it stays quiet, unlike some
programs that are chatty.

I always keep an up to date version of Malwarebytes on computers. It's
an on-demand scanner. I've used this program to disinfect a few
systems which were hopelessly hosed. This is one of the better
programs for disinfection.

Know about Kaspersky TDSSKiller. If you get a rootkit virus, this
works well to root out those pesky kits. It's a free download from
Kaspersky.

 

[Nemo]

Last time I evaluated this (2 yrs ago) for our home Windows PC's, AVG
stood out as the best. We use the free version, for home use. Norton was
much more resource hungry and interfered with lots of operations.
McAffee was VERY resource hungry.