Anti Virus software

[490Dave]

Im looking for some Antivirus software for the Home PC. What kind of options are there and what should i be looking for?

Got a Gateway Essential with Windows ME and Office 2000. We do very little "surfing" so it's mostly used for E-Mailing and online Banking.

I appreciate your comments and ideas!

Dave...

 

[MX-727]

I had McAfee, but now I'm using Norton/Symantec.

I like how unobtrusive the Norton is and how it keeps itself updated better than McAfee. I tried to schedule the McAfee to update and scan in the middle of the night. If the computer got turned off, it never went back and tried the update.

Norton seems to realize it missed a scheduled update or scan and goes ahead and runs it next time you turn the computer on. It does it in such a manner that unless you check the log, you don't even realize it ran. McAfee seemed to really slow thing down the times it did run.

One other thing, if you do go with Norton get the System Works pack.  I really like the Norton Utilities for checking and optimizing the hard disk as well as the One Button update for cleaning up Windows and the registry.  Seems that I saw sale ads for System Works in last Sunday's paper.  Either CompUSA, Best Buy or one of the office supply superstores.

 

[marcusgunby]

AVG6 -free and tested to work very well-as good as the others you pay for.

 

[JasonJ]

I have tried sevral including AGV, McCafee and CA Inoculate IT.
NAV is the best, both for corp servers and single home use. I use it at home. It is great, Symantec (Norton) is extreamly fast and responsive to threats and the Live update is a gem. It is unintrusinve (McCafee is practicly a virus in and of itself) . It dose tax your system but it has to if you run real time file protection. If you just scan ALL incomming emails and DL files you should be ok without real time scanning, but a weekley scan is a good idea. Norton also has a very good easy to use and very robust full featured contol panel and lets you know when your subscription is comming up for renewal. It can also scan and stamp all your outgoing emails as scaned and safe. Very good product and well worth paying for. If only they made an operating system,,, :).

 

[rfs mike]

I agree with the "Norton Antivirus" but you should also check out


"SPYBOT" at...http://security.kolla.de


A lot programs you are browsing on the net are keeping track of your pc. Getting a lot of info about you and your habbits. Even selling that info to third parties. I this is getting pretty serious. The first time I used it it found like 147 programs that were pulling info about me off my pc.
Check it out.

Mike

Try this?

 

[490Dave]

Thanks Guys!.. one of the techie guys at work recommended the Norton as well, the spybot thing will be worth taking a look at too.

Now, who's got Jump Drives? these things are way cool and sized just right (to get lost) but well worth takin that chance.

Thanks!

Dave...

 

[bud]

I had never used an antivirus program till about 18 months ago, I thought I had just been lucky I hadn't had any virus problems, so I got Norton. It never found a virus and caused nothing but problems. The problems it caused were minor, eg I had to disable it to run other apps occasionally, and it made my system crash at times too. I uninstalled it after a year. I won't be using norton again if I have a virus problem.

 

[Chili]

Originally posted by bud
I had never used an antivirus program till about 18 months ago, I thought I had just been lucky I hadn't had any virus problems, so I got Norton. It never found a virus and caused nothing but problems. The problems it caused were minor, eg I had to disable it to run other apps occasionally, and it made my system crash at times too. I uninstalled it after a year. I won't be using norton again if I have a virus problem.

In todays day and age it is foolish to run any system that you value your data and security without antivirus software. I would venture a guess we are either talking about an antiquated or a poorly tuned system being the issue here versus the Norton Antivirus program.

I have run Nortons since 98 and have tested several others. I feel Nortons is the best product available for my antivirus needs. As far as the System Works package while it has some slick utilities in it I found it to be a major system resources hog and got rid of it and stuck with the Antivurs software alone.

 

[bud]

Depends if you consider a 386 with windows 3.1 antiquated? I run win 98 with a celeron 450. Aging yes, but way more than norton required. As for "tuned" wtf are you talking about? My system hardly ever crashes but I suppose I should have my mechanic check it out! :)

I personally found Norton a pita. If you ask around (and I have) you'll find Norton causing other programs not to run or crash is pretty common. For me it was common enough to be more of a pain than it was worth.

What you consider foolish is up to you. Some people consider it foolish to ride without a steering damper, knee braces and a fox jersey. Mine is a home pc, not something I'm trying to run a business with. The important files are backed up to cd regularly.

 

[Okiewan]

I don't think you'll find many that will agree with that line of logic bud, lol.

 

[Senior KX Rider]

I run Norton Symantec. Have for 5 years and I never notice it being there. Has not let me down yet

 

[marcusgunby]

I found norton to work perfectly for over a year-then suddenly games would crash that used to play ok-removed Norton and used AVG6 and games play nice again.Heard of a few others with similar problems.Why pay when you can get a very good piece of software for free ligitimatly.

 

[dthoms]

Does anyone have an address for AVG6?
I use Norton but my subscription is about ready to run out. I don't know that it has ever caused any problems, and I don't remember the last time my computer crashed.
Thanks,
DT

 

[marcusgunby]

www.grisoft.com

 

[dthoms]

Thanks,
I updated my Norton anti-virus and then ran a total system scan. Then shut if off.
I then down loaded the AVG-6 free version and installed it and ran another scan. To my surprise the AVG-6 found a virus that Norton didn't. For now I'm going to keep the AVG-6 on and keep the Norton off.
But I do plan on dropping Norton a line and asking why.
Thanks again,
DT.