Antivirus / Antimalware Recommendation Thread (May 2011)

aidan_walsh

To keep the information on your choices of AV and Antimalware fresh, I'm going to start rebooting the polls periodically (not decided how often yet, probably every few months).

You can find the old stickies on the topic here and here.

The current poll options are the most popular items from the last poll. If you use something else, tell us here on thread.

janchi

K7 Computing is not well known over here. Worth of placing it in to the poll though.

Dave Van Ronk

McAfee

cookie1977

Bitdefender - pay to use
Microsoft Security Essentials -free

JP Liz V1

McAfee

finbarrk

Hi, I had a 3 year subscription to Norton on my Dell laptop which is up next month. Their annual sub is almost €50. I understand there is some good free anti virus stuff out there, can someone recommend the best company to go with please? Thanks.

flutered

any thing, but my preference is for microsoft security essentials, there is a great thread here on boards, where you will get the best advice advailable on the net.

drunkmonkey

Microsoft Security Essentials & Malware bytes Anti Malware, get the 2 of those and you'll be right.

Download app remover to get any old security software like norton off your computer.

All those programs are free, just google.

flutered

i forgot to mention malware bytes, also use superantispyware and ccleaner also oldetom, use one daily keep them upgraded, never use adminastrator on the net, it attracts undue attention.

finbarrk

Ok, thanks lads. Is it necessary to remove the Norton thats allready on the laptop so?

ballsymchugh

yep, just installed microsoft security essentials tonight and you have to remove old antiviruses.

do you need malwarebytes too though? MSE says it's anti malware too, and i deleted malwarebytes too, should i get it again??

Hal Emmerich

ballsymchugh wrote: »

yep, just installed microsoft security essentials tonight and you have to remove old antiviruses.

do you need malwarebytes too though? MSE says it's anti malware too, and i deleted malwarebytes too, should i get it again??

Avast or Microsoft Security Essentials for free real-time scanner.

Keep Malwarebytes, the free one is on an on demand scanner which means you have to run it, run it once a week/month/before you buy something or whatever. You can have more than one Anti-Malware. It's been regarded as the best for a long time. Run it in safe mode.

As above, don't use your computer in an Administrator Account, go into User Accounts and set up a Standard User Account, helps stop dodgy websites installing stuff in the background.

Install an ad-blocker. Don't use it on boards or your other favourite sites though, unless they have those click here to win ads.

paddyandy

I had problems with firewalls with paid full anti virus etc.Then i got microsoft security essentials with free daily downloads.All FREE.No problems at all and i still think of the € i've spent over the years.They could have told me in the pc shop where i'd spent money on other products.I won't be buying my next pc there.My pc is in it's 4th year.Everthing better than ever.25mb/sec.

PaulSco

Avira AntiVir is good

Teutorix

Common Sense 2011 should definitely be on the list.

finbarrk

Teutorix wrote: »

Common Sense 2011 should definitely be on the list.

I'm sorry I didn't stay with Norton. I have a keyboard now that some of the letters come up as numbers. That Microsoft Security Essentials seems to have let me down.
I'm using my phone for this post as the keyboard is unuseable this evening.

Teutorix

finbarrk wrote: »

I'm sorry I didn't stay with Norton. I have a keyboard now that some of the letters come up as numbers. That Microsoft Security Essentials seems to have let me down.
I'm using my phone for this post as the keyboard is unuseable this evening.

Norton is terrible, you should use MSE in conjunction with avast.

That sounds like a hardware issue, tried another keyboard?

paddyandy

I have thought of the p.c. industry as a glasshouse.I cant see the giving away of unnecessary anti- virus stuff with a new pc as adding up.Their Credibility is open to question? Why do they do it ?Related to other s/wares?

paddyandy

paddyandy wrote: »

I have thought of the p.c. industry as a glasshouse.I cant see the giving away of unnecessary anti- virus stuff with a new pc as adding up.Their Credibility is open to question? Why do they do it ?Related to other s/wares?

It's called bloatware.
Licencning and all that jazz.
Exposure to more clients and potential paid customers.

On another note, I know people post antivirus solutions.
Another addition worth mentioning is to have;
An application layer firewall such as comodo, which will observe ,alert and await user reaction to any out going traffic being requested by processes.

Hal Emmerich

Teutorix wrote: »

Norton is terrible, you should use MSE in conjunction with avast.

That sounds like a hardware issue, tried another keyboard?

Your not suppose to use two realtime scanners as they will find each other and slow your computer down while doing it.

Dellboy2007

What antivirus would people recommend for a Mac?

ASJ112

There aren't many as far as I know

This is only one I've heard of

http://www.clamxav.com/

Will_H

Comodo Internet Security (new version now out which is excellent)
Scotty Win Patrol
PeerBlock
SuperAntiSpyware
MalwareBytes
Sandboxie

All FREE & low on resources apart from MalwareBytes which I only run about once a month.

BenEadir

Hi Guys,

I have AVG Internet Security V 9.0.920 running on my machine but unfortunately my hard disk needs to be swapped out (it's faulty) so I'm going to be installing a new drive today with Win 7 32 bit and I might as well take the opportunity to review what security software I'm running. Should I just stick with AVG which will need to a new licence in a few months or should I just go with MS Security Essentials and leave it at that? Perhaps run CCleaner, Super Antispyware and Malwarebytes once a month on top?

Thoughts/comments???

Ben

Going Forward

I currently have AVG home Internet Security.
Have read a bit on here about MSE being good.
Can anyone advise me should I pay for a new renewal of AVG or go with MSE?

I am not a tecchie so any simple advice would be appreciated.
I dont do gaming if that matters do have a router and AVG free on netbook at mo.

Thanks

Hal Emmerich

Going Forward wrote: »

I currently have AVG home Internet Security.
Have read a bit on here about MSE being good.
Can anyone advise me should I pay for a new renewal of AVG or go with MSE?

I am not a tecchie so any simple advice would be appreciated.
I dont do gaming if that matters do have a router and AVG free on netbook at mo.

Thanks

No need to spend money GF,

MSE OR Avast (I just changed from MSE after using it for 3 years, I had no reason for changing, both are brill)
Firefox
WOT (Spend abit of time to set it up right, not hard)
Malwarebytes
NoScript (Spend abit of time to set it up right, not to hard)

BenEadir

Quick question. If I already have MSE installed is there any benefit to installing and periodically running Super Anti Spyware?

Ben

cookie1977

yes. It's no harm using an antispyware scanner periodically along side MSE. I use Malwarebytes free though

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

bridgetown1

is there such a thing as decent but FREE anti-virus software available anywhere?

thanks!!:)

JDxtra

Microsoft Security Essentials.

Copper_pipe

i use avast

Kristopherus

+1 for Microsoft Security Essentials. Have it on 3 machines. Cannot be beaten.

yellowlabrador

I've got a 6 year old desktop with only 256 ram, I find microsoft essentials and avg make my computer really slow and virtually unusable. Avast is resource friendly and has picked up several threats over the past few months.
I also use ccleaner and malwarebites.

BenEadir

Thanks Cookie, are Malwarebytes and Super Anti Spyware doing the same job so it's a case of running one or the other not both?

Ben

Kristopherus

You should not have 2 anti-virus systems running on the same computer. They will conflict.

cookie1977

Both do the same job but I just prefer malwarebytes. I have used but no longer use superantispyware. But it's fine.

Tomk1

JDxtra wrote: »

Microsoft Security Essentials.

+1

uch

bridgetown1 wrote: »

is there such a thing as decent but FREE anti-virus software available anywhere?

thanks!!:)

If you looked down the forum about 10 threads you will see there is already a thread about this, saves starting a new one.

BenEadir

Thanks Cookie, MSE + Malwarebytes + common sense should see me ok. Appreciate the help.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

I know this is an old thread but can anyone tell me if the free Avast is enough to protect my computer on it's own or do I need to download additional spyware/firewall etc? Thanks

LostBoy101

Blake Salmon Shoplifter wrote: »

I know this is an old thread but can anyone tell me if the free Avast is enough to protect my computer on it's own or do I need to download additional spyware/firewall etc? Thanks

At the moment I have Microsoft Security Essentials because Microsoft know their system and it was recommended to me by a retailer in Computers Works in Drumcondra, Dublin.

Dad11

McAFEE

CyberJuice

hi all

ive been using mcaffee over a year but it expired so i downloaded a trial of avg2012. its only a 1 month free trial and it expires in 5 days.. i have no money at the moment and ill only have my pc for another 3 months at most so it would be a waste to buy a 1 year subscription to a virus protection..

can someone recomend a decent free virus scan/firewall/ virus protection for me?? even a paid one that wil give me a free month or two trial would be fine for the moment

vicwatson

Need a new sub for 3 pcs.

Have Norton. Had no probs with it over last 3 years. Myself and 2 family members used the 3 year/3 pc subscription.

Anyone know where the cheapest place is to buy a new sub?

On Norton website they want usd 60.00 for 3 subs for one year for Norton 360.

I've heard there is free software from AVG??? Should i download this?

Will it automatically take Norton off my pc or...?

I like what i like and would prob prefer just to get the cheapest Norton 360 3 year for 3 pcs available

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

batistuta9

CyberJuice wrote: »

hi all

ive been using mcaffee over a year but it expired so i downloaded a trial of avg2012. its only a 1 month free trial and it expires in 5 days.. i have no money at the moment and ill only have my pc for another 3 months at most so it would be a waste to buy a 1 year subscription to a virus protection..

can someone recomend a decent free virus scan/firewall/ virus protection for me?? even a paid one that wil give me a free month or two trial would be fine for the moment

try avast for the AV & malwarebytes, incase anything gets by the AV run it around once a week

both free versions should be grand

vicwatson wrote: »

Need a new sub for 3 pcs.

Have Norton. Had no probs with it over last 3 years. Myself and 2 family members used the 3 year/3 pc subscription.

Anyone know where the cheapest place is to buy a new sub?

On Norton website they want usd 60.00 for 3 subs for one year for Norton 360.

I've heard there is free software from AVG??? Should i download this?

Will it automatically take Norton off my pc or...?

I like what i like and would prob prefer just to get the cheapest Norton 360 3 year for 3 pcs available

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

there's a load of free AV software other than AVG you know, see above. i don't like AVG so don't use it so can't tell you to download it.

but i've always used free AV software and it does the job, i wouldn't be overly concerned that if something is free - therefore it's no good

you'd need to manual remove norton before installing the other AV, or at least have it switched off then remove it

if you want to keep norton, try amazon maybe for a better price

vicwatson

I'm thinking on going on either the Avast or AVG (as they are considerably cheaper than Norton) route.

Are there any cons to my thinking (apart from the fact I think I'm getting more by buying it?), am I actually getting more by buying it?

cookie1977

vicwatson wrote: »

I'm thinking on going on either the Avast or AVG (as they are considerably cheaper than Norton) route.

Are there any cons to my thinking (apart from the fact I think I'm getting more by buying it?), am I actually getting more by buying it?

I don't think there's any benefit to buying an av program when Microsoft Security Essentials is available. It's a great AV program.

vicwatson

cookie1977 wrote: »

I don't think there's any benefit to buying an av program when Microsoft Security Essentials is available. It's a great AV program.

I tried to find that today online but couldn't get a definitive link, can you possibly provide for me? Thanks

LostBoy101

vicwatson wrote: »

I tried to find that today online but couldn't get a definitive link, can you possibly provide for me? Thanks

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

vicwatson

LostBoy101 wrote: »

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

Thanks.

Do I need to remove Norton first or will this overwrite/take off Norton for me?

Thanks

cookie1977

Yes, uninstall norton. You may need the norton removal tool. Google it.