anti-virus software

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:27 pm

I'm finally biting the bullet and replacing my clunky old computer this weekend. (Wish me luck....)

I need to install anti-virus software. I've been using Norton for the past few years and I guess it does a decent job, but I find it very annoying. "Live Update" runs randomly and slows things down to a halt. Actual scans literally take hours, and cripple the system for the duration.

Any recommendations on effective options?

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:33 pm

AVG: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/
and Ad Aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

both good, both free.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

I use what Rodus suggested, having sworn off Norton forever.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:43 pm

Avast! antivirus, Zonealarm firewall, Spybot -search and destroy plus Ad-aware. Then add Noscript and Adblock to Firefox.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:46 pm

NOD32!
www.virusbtn.com/ (VirusBulletin) is an independant AV tester, so far NOD32 is the best.
It's not free though. (has free trial)

Or just use Linux Smile

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:57 pm

AV:
AVG Free
Avast Home Edition Antivirus program.

Firewall:
ZoneAlarm

Other Malware defense tools:
Spybot
[*] When you install SpyBot, install the TeaTimer as well... it monitors the processes called/initiated. it will also protect your registry.
AVG Anti-Rootkit Free
winpatrol will prevent programs from changing settings... it will not prevent the malware, but will minimize the damage.
SpywareBlaster will prevent the installation of spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
Windows Defender
CCleaner Helps maintain a clean registry and other good tools...

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

^^^ As above, works well

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:06 pm

Is ZoneAlarm a good firewall these days? 2-3 years ago it had a reputation of occasionally messing your system, especially during uninstall. My advice was to leave the thing alone unless it was causing problems (and that's where a complete reinstall was in order).

My firewall of choice was the now discontinued Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6, which still works fabulously on my Windows box.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:19 pm

Tricia:

ZA is still a good firewall. However, based on past experience, I do not install a new version at least a couple of weeks AFTER it was released. I can remember 2 times that they release a version that bombed... one a few years ago (before they have the ZA Suite, they had only 3 products), and one for the ZA Suite about a year ago (that one was a doozy, the ZA user forum was overwhelmed with users posting "Help", that it went down for a few hours).

EDIT:
If you are installing the latest version of ZA -- UNCHECK the option for the additional tool bar... you don't need it.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:44 pm

^^^ ZA, AVG & adaware is what I usually put on clients computers. They seem to generate the fewest callbacks.

That is if I can't talk them into trying Linux.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:54 pm

No advice, I run a Mac with Norton on it and never have had a virus, but this is the first thread I saw with Juan listed as a moderator, and wanted to say congrats!

Lets meet up later pool side at Simbas and have a few cool ones, on me.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:08 pm

^^Dump Norton mate, waste of time and resources. Try http://www.clamxav.com/

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:40 pm

Juan, I'm partial to Avast. And now that we're valentines, you have to actually listen to me! Laughing

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:45 pm

Another nod to AVG here.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 9:08 pm

I don't wish to highjack this thread, but while we're at it, I run Norton on my Mac (G4 w/ 10.5 Leopard OS) and use Safari.
I know that Macs are mostly "security by obscurity" when it comes to virus, worms, mallware, etc.

In your opinion, is this enough or should I load up on more anti-virus?

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:00 pm

I've been fixing computers (professionally) for ten years now and I always love Norton - I can guarantee that by removing it I'll speed the computer up no end!

NOD is the best of the paid-for AVs
AVG is probably the best of the free ones - easy to monitor, too

AdAware SE (1.06r1) is my favourite anti-spyware app (though the update part is causing grief at the moment)

And I find most customers too daft to trust with a firewall. ZA is good but can go wrong (even afer it's 'uninstalled')

If/when you delete Norton, use their uninstall tool (just Google Norton Removal Tool and you'll get the latest version) cos they're too weird to just include it in the app in the first place.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:06 pm

@Hans Moleman, nope, you can have less security, don't bother with any virus checkers if you don't want (seriously). I'm only running clam xav on my iMac as I send stuff back and forward from work and don't want to transfer a virus, not that one can effect my own machine. I don't bother on my other macs and have never worried. Norton uses up resources that a G4 running Leopard should really be using for other things. Norton is overkill really.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:14 pm

@Juan - I use Avast for anti-virus, and Sygate for my firewall. Both are free. They work well together and seem to provide pretty good protection.

I dumped Norton over a year ago due to random problems. I then went to Panda and that was a disaster. I dumped it a few months ago because it has so many problems. The last straw came when it totally blocked my access to the Internet insisting that I renew my subscription when I still had two months of my current subscription left.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:17 pm

Thanks Rodus

(Edit to add:) P.S. your avatar is.....how should I put it......distracting Shocked

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:45 pm

Rodus has this one right again. AVG kicks butt.
I would like to add that CCleaner - free at Downloads.com gets all the crap out and there's also a button that will fix your DLL issues. Not the lads DLL problems, just the ones in your computer that slow things down. Now that I run CCLeaner every day at the end of the session, Spybot and Adaware have nothing to find. CCleaner takes less than 2 secs to run if you run it daily.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:47 pm

AVG's good stuff. I've been using it for a year and a half or so now...maybe a little longer. Free, effective, and doesn't hog system resources. Smile

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:51 pm

<br>AVG and Spybot.

Norton sucks like Paris Hilton's grandmother without her dentures in, Shocked

and it still lingers around like a bad smell after uninstalling.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

GordonBennett wrote:

just Google Norton Removal Tool and you'll get the latest version

I already have that in my faves for when the time comes:

Norton Removal Tool

I currently have AVG and Avast on this desktop, I used to have the Sygate firewall, but I stopped using it when they stopped supporting my version of Windows, I don't use a firewall now as my BT Home Hub has one built in, which tests show as true stealth when I check it. I did use Zonealarm for a while, but like Sheboppe who had a problem with Panda, Zonealarm kept blocking my access to the internet all of a sudden, so I ditched it for Sygate.

I have Norton 2007 on my laptop, only because it was free with my computer, come May when Norton needs paying to update it, it will be completely removed using the tool on the link above, and I will install AVG and Avast on it.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:57 pm

GordonBennett: I too had trouble with the Adaware SE update. Then I went to their site and installed the newer version. It went in on top of the old one, and resolved everything. Probably a snazzier interface, too. I've done this on two computers, and I'll do it on a third soon.

BTW, for the OP, I use Avast!, ZA free, Spybot S&D, Adaware SE, Panda Antirootkit, CCleaner, and RegSupreme. I know some folks don't like the latter, but it's worked well for me.

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:14 am

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I've been using AdAware and Spybot all along. When I get the new computer up and running I'll add Avast to the list and dump Norton. For that matter, I think I'll uninstall Norton on my laptop this afternoon too....