More Awesome Than You!

At the risk of being burninated for being an ignorant fuckwit, I'm going to ask a question that is weighing heavily on my mind lately...

What antivirus programs are the best?  I have used Norton for years at the recommendation of a good friend.  S'ok.  But it's getting more and more expensive, and it's bugging me that I can't shut it down from task manager.  (I'm running Windows XP Home Edition and have Roadrunner internet access if that info has any bearing on anything.)

I tried McAfee and loathed it.  When I try to research antivirus programs online, all I seem to call up is tons of propaganda from each company, and people bitching randomly about whichever one they just uninstalled.  Hard to judge by that.

ZoneAlarm ... very good

http://www.avast.com

My technician said it's the best.

But you can disable it through the icon in your tool bar. 

I use Norton at home and have for years; we use AVG at the office (which is free).  I don't think it offers the same level of security as Norton, but the price is better.

I also use MailWasher as a secondary security system.  While it was developed for use against spam, you can examine your email before you download it.  If you don't like what you see, you can delete it from your ISP mailbox.  http://www.mailwasher.net/

I like Trend Microsystsem.

AV programs are basically in a tech arms race with V programs. Chances are pretty good you won't encounter a virus unless you turned off your firewall. On the other hand, if your computer is used by several people or if you use your program with a lot of questionable software (free screensavers and such) the chances that an AV program will stop a virus are pretty close to 0%.

Personally I have microsoft antispyware running silently in the background with avast and zonealarm on the front lines. I also use process explorer to kill unwanted tasks and programs from running and keep a watchful eye on my startup configuration especially after installing something new....or after the mini me uses the computer. And for that extra bit of overkill I only use Firefox for my browser and only online email rather than any of the microsoft mail programs.

I've very carefully preserved an ancient copy of Netscape with the integrated mail program.

I've been using AVG Free from Grisoft after it was recommended on an antispam newsgroup and I haven't had any problems with it so far. Plus it's free, which is always nice :P

I use the Sophos virusscanner that comes with Webroot Spysweeper. My sister works for them so I got it for free.

Same here and it has caught viruses that Norton didn't even detect. I use it on both my home and office computers.

I use.... NOTHING! I have ad-aware and that's it. You don't need all that junk sucking your resources. Even if you catch a virus or get spyware; it's pretty easy to get it removed if you know how to get rid of it.

If you have "DAR DAR DAR" people who get on the comp and install retarded stuff, buy a program that requires a password anytime -anything- get downloaded, then laugh at them when they complain that they can't be morons and download anymore pretty screen savers.

I tell you, people get viruses and spyware, most of the time, because they're like children and can't help but click the pretty, colorful, ad about how they won a free laptop, or how a magical product will make their wang the size of that picture that porn spammer sent us all a while ago.

ugh, curse you dyslexia.

I'm very happy with Avast.  It doesn't bug me when it shouldn't, but it works where it should.

I was pompous once, but children kill that quickly - especially after about the third or fourth time of having to reformat in a year because the computer is so clogged up/fouled up with all the crap they click on, download etc that its not worth the hassle of trying to play hide and seek with the multitude of garbage that ends up on there. Securing the computer with passwords against downloads teaches the child nothing by the way, other than how to be rebellious and figure out the password so they can do what they want to do anyway. Now that she has her own computer and even though all those safety nets where there for her, she has still managed to bloat it to death, although this time it took a full 8 months instead of the usual 3 weeks. She wants it reformatted again, I told her to learn how to do it herself this time. :P

Sign me up for a copy. I'd have some potential clients for such a program.

Anyway, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for me. Or F-Prot. Doesn't matter. They hardly do anything useful for me, so I don't care.
And Kaspersky's customer service is more than lame, I swear.

I use the Avast free home edition plus Spyware Blaster and Spybot and so far so good.

Seconding or thirding AVG. I know there's a big update coming--are they going all pay?

Nah, but you need to deinstall and reinstall the new free version.

Oh, sweet, thanks. In your opinion, is there a good reason to get the pay version? Anyone know?

For free: Avast or AVG.
Paid versions: Avira or NOD32.

avast! is a damn good AV and I used it for the longest time.  I found AVG too annoying since it wants to ask me to update every day where avast! would just do it automatically.

NOD32 has more protection for about the same resources as avast! though so I use NOD32 instead.  Heck, NOD32 only uses 40% of my CPU during a thorough scan.  The problem with NOD32 is the fact that it's not free, but it's cheaper than Norton and BitDefender.

Assmitten: I don't believe in paying for antivirus software (antivirus should be a part of the OS, or rather, the OS should make it impossible for viruses to infect it), but I guess if I were to support any antivirus company by buying their stuff it would be AVG, as AVG is committed to releasing a free and good virus scanner.

Thanks again.  ;D

Thanks everyone for some very informative and well-reasoned answers.  ;D

Anyone on my computers who pulls that crap wil be in "NO COMPUTER FOR YOU" Land for a long, long, LONG time.

I've taught the kids that use my comp that a computer is not a toy, unless your playing a game on it. They understand the rules, but they also know from one that thought he would be cute and try to ignore my rules (he can't use the computer at his house even now) that I don't play around when it comes to how computers are handled and what is accessed.

Children and teens are morons and should be judged as morons until absolutely proven to not be morons and versa.

After working in Tech-support I have to say that that's the default state for all computer users.
The user is worong unless they can prove otherwise.
I'm a complete network nazi.  I will set up computers and networks to prevent people from doing anything potentially idiotic, including simple things like changing their desktop background or running any exe-file I didn't put there.
I once took a call from a person who stated simply "There are dots on my screen."  I was afraid he somehow had got himself into command prompt when he says "many dots".  Turns out his screensaver was on; the windows travel through space one.  He never bothered to even move his mouse
before calling us.

Using a computer is a privilige.  There's a ladder, and every step has to be earned.
Play Sudoku on a spyware site:I take away your ability to right click.  If you install the smiley toolbar?  I take away your ability to left click as well!

That's the way you have to do it to slam it into their heads, both adult and kids. I've learned you -must- make them feel like complete idiots to make them change their habits. If you don't treat them like complete and utter shit; they will think it's the computers fault that these things are happening, and not the fact that they're too dumb to breath.

Well, that works both ways though. One time, for some reason the library's computers all became infected w/ some nasty ass toolbar that kept bringing up giant ads every time you so much as moused near it Couldn't uninstall the stupid thing. Couldn't install a diff. browser. And since I had to do an assignment I had to patiently suffer through it.

And I've heard that it's better to go w/ a smaller antivirus company, since virus writers tend to target the big names first. I use Kaspersky now. Used to be McAfee, then Norton.

I got tired of Norton's hogging all my system resources, and I switched to AVG.  I haven't had any problems with it nagging me every day to download updates.  It does this automatically in the morning at 5:00 a.m. while I'm asleep.  :P

I did the same thing, Rainbow. I know someone who has the latest version of it installed, and you can't even cancel it's applications with Task Manager. I hate Norton.

I use AVG but don't have it running all the time. Saturday morning when I do my (real) housework, I run backups, defrags and virus scans for my PCs. But like others have commented, I don't use IE, nor do I download every damn search bar/screensaver/screenpet I see. I did at first but soon got over it. :)

I'm lucky that I don't have to share my computers.

ETA: I have the new AVG - supposedly you can't set it to scan on schedule and something else has been taken from the free version.

I have the new AVG - version 7.5.432 - and the main limitation on scheduling is that you can only run a complete scan, you can't set up additional schedules or pick which drives/folders to scan, and it will do a basic update every day between the hours you specify (if online).  This is good enough for me at this point in time.

They wouldn't even need to hack the password if they are logged in as the administrator at any time, all they would need to do is make a "Prevent forgotten Password" disk using a floppy or flashdrive and get right in.

The problem with people using Norton is the fact that it's $20 after rebates (One time I saw it for free) and most PCs come with a preinstalled 60 day trial.  Then, some people don't update it and get viruses along with the Norton Virus.  Sort of unrelated to this, Symantec and McAfee complained to Microsoft about Vista being too secure and complained about not getting kernel access.  Yeah, these are the kinds of people that I want to get my AV/Firewall from.

As for scanning, I've never actually come across a virus using NOD32 except for when I did the eicar test.  I scan every so often just for kicks.

This is why you need case locks, a BIOS password, and (if you use GRUB) a GRUB password.

In addition to AV, Firewall, Spybot and AdAware, I also use Cookie Wall - I can keep the cookies I want (the one from here for instance), autodelete the ones I don't want (home page of my ISP provider) and with the general delete option (i.e. what's left) it seems to get rid of a lot of the stuff Ad-Aware and Spybot used to pick up.

Avast kicks ass. I had Norton, but it is a bloated piece of crap and costs way too much. All the people I've recommended Avast to are more than happy and, if you have Spybot as well then I'd say you're pretty much sorted.

Bloated piece of crap indeed, my ex the techie, says Norton Internet Security can play havoc with networks, the whole package is trying to be too many things to too many people. All very Microsoft.

And Micro$oft is Teh_Evil.

;D

Hey - I just noticed when I quoted you, RainbowTigress? What's the story behind that? Just nosey, me.

Just trying a more unique nickname.  :)

How do you do that? Please save my mother;s life cause if I get one more bug from those damned game sites she will not make it y'all

Unplug the mouse.  ;)

Depends on what operating system you're using.  With most versions of windows the easiest way is to set up a no-priveliges account for your mother and a full administrator account for yourself.  It don't think that lets you put as many (fun and cruel) restrictions as you can do with group policy on a Windows server, but it certainly helps.

There's a longer story than she's apparently willing to share with you, which involves eating some guy alive (and I DO NOT mean it *that* way). This is the much tougher, much scarier, MUCH more frightening version of our gentle rainbow.

LOL, Elfie.

Well, it's true, isn't it? ;)

Well, RainbowTigress, I sincerely hope that full oral hygiene was maintained and not just a quick rinse... These things can play havoc with your gums. I recommend chewing on the thigh bone.  :P

I use AVG Free and I'm happy with it. Still need to download the new version though... I should really get to that... god I hate dialup.

You DID NOT mean it which way?  :P

My goodness Ms Tigress, what have you been up to? I'll have to make a RainbowTigress zombie in the new mad hood I want to make.

Surely you know me well enough to guess, witch. ;)

Yes, I always appreciate a good, tasty thigh bone drumstick.

Offers RainbowTigress some floss before the thread is completely derailed and sent to RL.

LOL.  Yes, dental floss is also an effective antivirus measure.  :D