Whats currently a good Antivirus program?

[Exbajalator]

I'm currently running AVG which I use to scan every morning for virus's, I don't get any but I wasn't sure if AVG was very good to stick with nowadays and might it be missing any that a better program wouldn't. I don't need the excess stuff that you might get with Norton home edition or whatever it's called (My friend said it's preferable if you use the business version as it doesn't get any of the excess features that just take up space and aren't so much a necessity).

 

Anyway pretty basic question, what should I look into getting as my current Antivirus program? (Sorry if this has already been asked, went through the 1st pages topics and it wasn't listed, nor was it stickied).

[Racheya]

AVG is okay, I guess. I use Avast! and that's worked fine. In combination with Spybot Search & Destroy :)

[Sbrideau]

AVG has a pretty bad detection rate since mid-2008, I would go with Avira Antivir or Microsoft Security Essentials.

[Tim]

AVG is a piece of crap, trust me, Im a IT Technician for a PC Shop. I personally recommend using Kaspersky Anti Virus. There's a free 30-day trial which you could just re-install each month or buy a two year licence for one PC for around $99 AU.

[Exbajalator]

Okay thanks, yeah I kinda thought AVG wasn't doing me too good after a while of detecting nothing at all, I doubt I'm dodging virus's completely and so it'll be good to change quickly to something else before it is too late. Anyway I'll look into the options you have given me, thanks again =)

[Will H]

I wouldn't wish Norton on my enemies. Microsoft Security Essentials does me fine.

[Jernlov]

MSE seems to randomly use a lot of CPU cycles for me. That and it always updates when I'm trying to play a game and minimises/crashes it. I've been doing well with avast! for some time now.

[GottaGetDownOnfriday]

If you have a legit copy of Windows, go with MSE. I use it and best of all, it's free. Other AV's I would recommend are Avast! and Kaspersky.

[obfuscator]

I don't know why people hate Norton so much...this isn't like....2005.

 

I've used norton 360 for three years, it's never slowed down my computer at all and I've never had any problems with it.

[Sbrideau]

I don't know why people hate Norton so much...this isn't like....2005.

 

I've used norton 360 for three years, it's never slowed down my computer at all and I've never had any problems with it.

 

As I've been saying since they got better, they might not slow the computers anymore, but the detection rate still is very bad.

[OldJoe]

Norton is good for the everyday surfer, but damn expensive. The most important thing is, common sense. If you click on everything and surf into less than desirable websites, you'll catch crap anyways.

 

I have been using Microsofts av for the last couple of months. I uninstalled Avira (tho still got it on the other computer). Installed it because Avira started giving me crap about my external harddrive and always a pop-up message about it. Anyways, MSE has been working good, altho it sometimes steals a bit from the cpu and i would really like for it to be more advanced with more settings to choose.

 

There should actually be some sticky thread about anti-virus programs because this question always seem to pop up, maybe as a first entry in "unified tech and computers sticky".

[Sbrideau]

I agree on the fact that MSE should be more advanced, but I guess it's not the stripped down version of One Care for nothing. And about it taking a bit more cpu sometimes, I really didn't notice it doing that on my laptop, is there special cases where it does that or it's just random?

[Dracion1]

I use a combination of Avira and Malware bytes, does me just fine. MSE or Avast are also reasonable choices though.

 

@Y_guy: I used to have Norton back in 2008, and it made TF2 completely unplayable on a machine which more than met the requirements for the game (fps would drop off dreadfully and eventually the game would crash). After I removed Norton? It ran TF2 on highest settings without a problem. I rest my case.

[shawn3090]

I tried avira once, but when it updated the definitions file, it crashed my computer (my brother's too). When I restarted I left it alone, and it decided to auto-update. Somehow it also managed to crash my router (???).

 

Anyways, I personally use avast, but MSE isn't that far behind. Don't like the avast 5 update though, it just got a lot harder to disable when I need the system's resources (which is whenever I'm doing anything).

[OldJoe]

I agree on the fact that MSE should be more advanced, but I guess it's not the stripped down version of One Care for nothing. And about it taking a bit more cpu sometimes, I really didn't notice it doing that on my laptop, is there special cases where it does that or it's just random?

Bit late reply.

I have noticed it sometimes that the cpu isn't free. But just randomly. Nothing major tho.

[Ouchy]

My experiences with Norton weren't good either. When I was younger, I stupidly downloaded something I shouldn't have. Norton didn't pick it up. My computer had to get fixed because of it.

 

I'm currently using ESET Nod32 and Malware, and I haven't gotten anything since. I have used MSE before and I recommend.

[Albel]

I use AVG and Spy bot search & destroy. Two good programs that is free from the net.

[Nadril]

I use Microsoft Security Essentials.

 

Honestly I really like it. Really low memory use and unlike other free anti-virus software it doesn't bug me with annoying ass popups that are more annoying than what I was trying to stop in the first place. (I'm looking at you Aviria, you piece of [cabbage]).

 

I have been using Microsofts av for the last couple of months. I uninstalled Avira (tho still got it on the other computer). Installed it because Avira started giving me crap about my external harddrive and always a pop-up message about it

 

Same reason here lol.

[riptide5000]

avast anitvirus avast pwns its free updates 2x a week kills every virus in nexistance and its better than most pay antiviruses

[Sbrideau]

avast anitvirus avast pwns its free updates 2x a week kills every virus in nexistance and its better than most pay antiviruses

lol @ your fanboyism. 2x a week is quite low for the amount of definition updates on an antivirus. Also, no antivirus can get every single virus that exists.

[shawn3090]

avast anitvirus avast pwns its free updates 2x a week kills every virus in nexistance and its better than most pay antiviruses

lol @ your fanboyism. 2x a week is quite low for the amount of definition updates on an antivirus. Also, no antivirus can get every single virus that exists.

That could just be a typo. I get updates 2x daily from avast!

[GuidesForScapers]

Run AVG constantly and perform daily scans with Malware Bytes. This is BY FAR the best combination of anti-virus.

 

If you know/think you are infected, go into safemode without networking, run Malwarebytes and HijackThis.

[Kalran]

Microsoft Security Essentials is a very good antivirus. It is light weight and gets daily updates. Though it will only install on valid OS.

[Tim]

What Kalran said.

 

This is the pro/cons for Each one that I've noticed at work that are Free:

 

[hide=Anti Virus List (In my studies)]

AVG:

Pro - Good for beginners to the internet and people who dont surf the net alot

Con - bad virus detection rate.

 

Microsoft Security Essentials:

Pro - Free, good with a good detection rate

Con - must be a Windows machine and Genuine OS

 

Avast:

Pro - Good all-rounder

Con - Eats alot of memory for what it should.

 

Avira:

Pro - Same as AVG

Con - Pain in the arse to remove, constant pop ups about external drives.

 

Norton:

Pro - Isn't too bad as a starter.

Con - removing it can be a pain, comes as a trial for 360 and is highly not recommended for networks.

 

CA:

Pro - Doesn't have one

Con - Eats up RAM, pain in the arse to remove and conflicts with Apple software. So iTunes above 9.1.2 WILL NOT work. Don't even think about installing it.

 

Kaspersky:

Pro - excellent virus detection rate, easy to use

Con - only has 30 day trial or purchase option.

 

Trend Micro

Pro - good detection rate.

Con - pain to update and remove, constant pop-ups for External drives.

[/hide]

[All_Bogs]

I'm really fond of Avast. It can be configured to shut up and not bother me unless it really needs to. It's not causing any memory issues on this laptop with a whopping .75 GB of memory, so I don't see why that'd be an issue, unless you're one of those OCD types who just can't stand memory being wasted :P

 

I used AVG prior to this, but after a major version upgrade it started having some random technical issues where it'd just explode and no longer function, requiring a reinstall. And with the old version no longer getting definitions updates, that wasn't really going anywhere...

 

 

I haven't used MS Security Essentials yet, but if it's anything like the old MS Anti-spyware of old it's probably worth checking out. I'll probably check it out after Avast goes through the update-that-shouldn't-have-been :P