Anti Virus Opinions Please

[bfuller]

I have used Norton for years and I am sick of it for two reasons---(a) it costs $$ and (b) my Laptop runs like a dog and the HD activity LED seems to be on a hell of a lot of the time.

Not so long ago I got one of those little netbooks and it came with Trend.....seems to behave OK and is certainly less "dominating" than Norton.

I would like to uninstall Norton (I already know that is is not so easy to get rid of all the remnants--I've tried before on an old desktop!) from my good laptop, but I don't want to leave myself unprotected-----------so, what are the opinions of this community? Are the "free" applications any good? Are the other commercial applications better or worse than Norton? Any other relevant opinions?

Another question, is there an (easy) way to see what application is hogging my HD?----maybe it is not Norton, but some other background task. I am probably using it wrong, but Windows Task Manager doesn't really help much.

[Richard]

I use a free version from Comodo antivirus. To read a review and download...
http://download.cnet.com/Comodo-Interne ... 60704.html

[dodicat]

Avast free is pretty good, doesn't hog the system. I've had no problems in a year, only requires your email address to register.
Anything suspicious, like running fb code, it gives the option to run in a sandbox or normally.
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

[vdecampo]

I would recommend Linux, but if you don't want to switch OS's I would recommend AVG.

-Vince

[JohnB]

Clamwin

JohnB

[Sisophon2001]

On a new computer with Win7 I use the Microsoft Security Essentials. It provides virus , spyware and unwanted software protection. It gets updated with system updates, it's free, reliable, has a good reputation and stays out of the way.

I have used the free version of AVG for years on an older computer and I highly recommend it. It lacks the sypware option unless you pay up.

In your case, with an old computer, AVG might be best.

Garvan

[roook_ph]

I recommend formatting your entire hard drive to DOS. Linux messes up fat or ntfs partition used by windows. that way no trace of norton cam be found. Then boot live cd version of windows. It would no be very practical to do if you have lots installed on your hd

[Gonzo]

i would recommend no anti-virus at all... as a programmer you are supposed to see through the veil that most people view as magic
if you want to be badass, download a trojan (susp. keygen or something, like diablo 9 keygen), unplug yourself from the internet, and install it... then remove it
download all sysinternals tools, like procexp, tcpview, and use a debugger (remember to make them unkillable)
in 2004 i used to track down botnets and report them since most people running them were pretty clueless.. so many "script kiddies"

if not, just use comodo firewall, as it will ask you when a program attempts to do something you might not want it to
antivirus' only function is to make people feel safer, and remind them they need it
if you think im being overly crass, its because i always hoped one day people would get a clue and just read the manual
just like you cant drive without a drivers license, people shouldnt be using internet without web-license!
if you download and run a modified installer (some installers out there are injected with a trojan), then its YOUR FAULT for allowing it to happen, and you become a burdain upon everyone else because the net export of your computer will be port scanning, stealing your visa and passwords, and spamming all your friends until its removed

its so very ironic, that the worst trojans have always been the fake anti-virus programs =)

comodo firewall, will tell you if you are about to make a mistake, so its very convinient
btw. im not all-knowing either, some trojans are well disguised, and thats why i use comodo firewall

[h4tt3n]

For anti-virus I recommend either avast! or AVG, they're both good. For anti-spyware I recommend Spybot - Search & Destroy and the freeware from Lavasoft.

Cheers,
Mike

[joseywales72]

I agree with Gonzo. If you don't use Internet Explorer, you already are protected from%95 of all malware. And if you don't open suspicious attachments in the mails (like ~100kb zip files trying to hide themselves as mp3s or videos) you are all right. Windows' firewall is more than enough, but if you need some additional protection, go for Microsoft Security Essentials. Light and free. So, no need to lend precious CPU cycles to bloated antivirus programs.
Or better, use Windows for gaming and Windows-only apps, and use Linux for the serious business. (I'm on Linux like this for 5 years and I boot Windows only for gaming nowadays.)
I install Avira to my customers (I build and sell custom built PCs) and instruct them to never use IE and I rarely have issues with malware now. Btw, Malwarebytes Antimalware is a great scanner (not realtime, but on demand) and takes care of most the nasties.
Just my thoughts and sorry for the probable mistakes, not a native speaker.
Anil

[marcov]

No antivirus, and the last bug I caught was "stages" (the wave just after I love you)

[bfuller]

Some good food for thought there, thanks team.

Its a difficult subject, full of jargon and mistrust. For instance, I tried stopping cookies once, and almost all my web based business ceased----good idea in theory, but impractical to implement. Then I tried the option of asking permission to allow cookies, that nearly drove me crazy.

From the replies, I think I will give Avast or AVG a try.

Keep the opinions coming please. I would still like to know for sure what is driving my HD so hard-----the HD LED is flickering like crazy, but CPU load is way down (ie it's "idling"), especially when I have been away from the keyboard a while, when I wake it up, there is a long delay and I have to wait for the HD LED to go off before I can get anything really happening. I am just assuming this is Norton doing "background scan" or whatever they call it---but is only an assumption until I can check for sure. Another possibility is Adobe downloading patches in the background----Adobe is another program that seems to hog HD space and CPU--huge Mbyte upgrades for what is essentially a document displayer---why so big?-----sorry, I'm ranting!!!!

To partly answer my own questions, there seems to be some good tools here http://www.sysinternals.com I will have a poke around, see if anything useful is available.

Best Regards

[jevans4949]

I'm using Avast, but if using the latest version, I suggest you turn off the "Reputational Service" and "Streaming Updates" (under "Cloud Services") They slow you down noticeably.

Having said that, I don't often get viruses. The main problems that get through are the trojan "your system is full of viruses" viruses. I think some of this may be due to how good your ISP is at preventing things from getting through.

[marcov]

'
Keep the opinions coming please. I would still like to know for sure what is driving my HD so hard-----the HD LED is flickering like crazy, but CPU load is way down (ie it's "idling"), especially when I have been away from the keyboard a while, when I wake it up, there is a long delay and I have to wait for the HD LED to go off before I can get anything really happenin

Most antiviruses show when they are scanning. (unless it is on-access scan). I would bet on Windows superfetch or search/index.