Anti-Virus etc. Software?

[El_Cid_2000]

I'm looking for something to run that will help me remove and keep stuff off of my computer. I currently run Ad-Aware and Spy-Bot about once a week. Something for free would be great but I'll gladly pay for something good.


Michael

 

[Mike_Rupp]

I've got windows defender. In all the time I've used it, its only found one thing to remove, but it was that nasty crap put on some BMG music CDs.

 

[Cannondale96]

Give AVG a try the have a free version of it. From what i read its spos to blow norton away. The only prob i have found with it is my mcafee picks it up as a trojon.

Ken

 

[PCracer51]

Gahh AVG is horiable, I used to run that on client's systems who didn't have any kind of an antivirus protection, and I found it detected less stuff than my copy of McAfee 8.0i

Anyways, antivirus apps are like beta fish, if your PC is the aquarium, you should really only be running one, if you toss 2 in there, or more and they have active protection, its going to end up killing performance while the 2 fight with each other.

I've started to run Avast Home edition on some of my systems and found it is a very good antivirus solution for a freeware. You have to register it and they email you a code, but its all free of charge. http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

As for antispyware/antimalware, what you have is rated as the best combination out there. Ad Aware SE + Spybot 1.4 in CNET test showed to detect and remove the most stuff when combined than any other product, or product combination on the market. Defender is nice because if you leave the system on all the time it does an automatic scan for you.

 

[barefoot]

dont know about antivirus software....only that i havent had any for a long time....but hijack this seems to work well for spyware and such! i run adaware and it finds alot but hijack this seems to find more....

of course...im not a computer person! i just satyed at a holiday inn a few yrs back!

 

[lifeslemon]

Ad-Aware SE is one of the best. I run Norton and it works, but Ad-Aware SE is still my favorite.

 

[ChrismonDA]

I'm looking for something to run that will help me remove and keep stuff off of my computer. I currently run Ad-Aware and Spy-Bot about once a week. Something for free would be great but I'll gladly pay for something good.


Michael

Ad-Aware is one the best even though its free for personal use.. I have heard Panda virus software is also good but is not for the novice.. Check out CNET.com they have alot of choices and editors picks. here is a link for Panda www.pandasoftware.com

 

[lunchbox]

I will seccond avast. I've been running it for awhile at the reccomendation of a programmer friend. Free too...

 

[az_max]

I use Mcafee's VirusScan. I have the enterprise client version loaded on my laptop from a previous company. It scans for malware (spyware, adware, jokes,etc) as well as viruses.

Also, Spywareguide.com has a free online scanner. I recommend my friends start there first.

 

[Mudquest]

...someday, it'll all come to light that it was actually the virus, and add-crap, spying, phishing, worm makers (geeks) all along that were on Norton, Symantec and the 'likes' payroll lists.

How or why else would those companies need to be in business, requiring constant 'updates'. Sorry to hyjack, just needed to rant.

 

[az_max]

...someday, it'll all come to light that it was actually the virus, and add-crap, spying, phishing, worm makers (geeks) all along that were on Norton, Symantec and the 'likes' payroll lists.

How or why else would those companies need to be in business, requiring constant 'updates'. Sorry to hyjack, just needed to rant.

Yes, I've thought that many, many times. All it'd take is one hacker to come out and it'd ruin the whole industry.


btw, spywareguide has a active X block list. It stops known bad active X components from running even if they get installed from that porn... er... rover site you just visited.

 

[El_Cid_2000]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just stay with what I've got.


Michael

 

[PCracer51]

Yes, I've thought that many, many times. All it'd take is one hacker to come out and it'd ruin the whole industry.


btw, spywareguide has a active X block list. It stops known bad active X components from running even if they get installed from that porn... er... rover site you just visited.

If you wanna get truely technical here, not all hackers cause the problems, just the ones the industry referes to as black hats and then the crackers and script kiddies.

 

[Twilsey]

Also, try using a web browser other then Internet Explorer.... Fire Fox is the one I'm using right now, or try Opera. Many people who make viruses design it to break through the most common software, if you are running a less used web browser, there is a better chance that it will stop the virus.

I find just switching to Fire Fox stopped my virus and spyware problems almost all together, oh yea and I also am very impressed with AVG Anti-Virus. I have been using both of these programs for about 3 years and would go no other way. My .02

 

[kennith]

Ad Aware SE, with it's Adwatch program, works great for me. I'll run that constantly, and run the full scan once a week. That, plus Spybot, really does a great job for me. I have very few problems. Even when I scan I don't find much at all if I have been using the Adwatch program properly. The things Adaware doesn't catch, Spybot does. I've tested against Macaffe and Norton before, Ad Aware SE smokes them both, while Spybot cleans up what's left.

Both Norton and Macaffe are system hogs that spread through so much of your computer they are almost as bad as what they are supposed to eliminate. Of course, that's just my personal opinion. I have lots of those, on a great many subjects.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[itdnwiwbp]

Both Norton and Macaffe are system hogs that spread through so much of your computer they are almost as bad as what they are supposed to eliminate.

Agreed. I bought Norton last year and used it for a day before I wished I still had my $70. I got Trend Micro PC-cillin as a replacement and its great.

 

[mike97d1]

I use ad-aware and AVG free on my laptop and office rig. no problems at all.
Norton blows,it works but it's a pain.

 

[Jburt]

I bought a Mac...

 

[Trog77]

X-whatever on the avast. I've been using it for several years and have remained virus free. At my old job, we had the norton coporate edition and we started running very poorly. I downloaded avast and it removed i think 26 viruses that norton failed to even see. I have a friend in IT at a university here in denver and he says it's better than anything you can buy.

 

[PCracer51]

I bought a Mac...

Somehow I knew this was going to come up.