Question about anti-virus programs:

Originally posted by Palynka
For those of us who still prefer to have an AV, which is the best one if I want something very light on resources?

do a free online scan every now and then. no impact on memory nor cpu while you're not needing it, and the scanner is always up to date.

http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/online-scanner/

the downside is it takes a while to load, and you need to reload it anew every time you use it.

Originally posted by hopscotch
NOD 32 every time. Everything else is small time.

But if you want a free one there are quite a few to choose from e.g. AVG, A-Squared.

Is Microsoft Security Essentials ok? The tech-guy out back told me it was the best for free, but I just don't like that MS word.

Let me have a link to an alternative if you think it's worth uninstalling and switching up.

I'm happy with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, but if you have a better solution let me know.

P-

Originally posted by hopscotch
NOD 32 every time.

Really? I've never liked their products, even though their 'protection' is very good.

Panda and Kaspersky are all great products too, and depending on which reviewer you read, both are 'better' than ESET.


AVG is still very good for a free product. I've been trying out MicroSoft's Security Essentials at the moment and I'm impressed. It stays out of the way, is decent protection-wise and seems to use the least amount of resources out of all the recent ones I've tried.

Originally posted by Crowley
Really? I've never liked their products, even though their 'protection' is very good.

Panda and Kaspersky are all great products too, and depending on which reviewer you read, both are 'better' than ESET.


AVG is still very good for a free product. I've been trying out MicroSoft's Security Essentials at the moment and I'm impressed. It stays out of t ...[text shortened]... e and seems to use the least amount of resources out of all the recent ones I've tried.

Sounds like I won't be changing pants too soon.

P-

Originally posted by Phlabibit
1. Is Microsoft Security Essentials ok?

2. I'm happy with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, but if you have a better solution let me know.

P-

1. Yes, definitely.

2. I tend to use Malwarebytes in mostly "after the bomb has gone off" situations when fixing computers, or to cross potential problems off the list. I don't know how well the real time protection works because that's something you have to pay money for.

Originally posted by Crowley
Really? I've never liked their products, even though their 'protection' is very good.

Panda and Kaspersky are all great products too, and depending on which reviewer you read, both are 'better' than ESET.

I used NOD32 in a corporate environment on about 20-25 computers, it is so smooth and easy to admin, and no one in that company had a virus on their computers again, from the time I installed it until the time I moved on a few years later. It's also so light on resources, it's hard to notice it at all even on the crappy computers they had.

Originally posted by hopscotch
I used NOD32 in a corporate environment on about 20-25 computers, it is so smooth and easy to admin, and no one in that company had a virus on their computers again, from the time I installed it until the time I moved on a few years later. It's also so light on resources, it's hard to notice it at all even on the crappy computers they had.

Does anyone know of recent head to heads of these products? I got trend micro because some PC rag ran them head to head against Norton, Macafee and the like and at the time it was head and shoulders above the others. Not so sure now. For instance, I have been running TM on the family machine just now and it is almost 3 hours into it and still under 70% complete. Which good AV takes the least time and still kills the bad guys?

Originally posted by sonhouse
Does anyone know of recent head to heads of these products? I got trend micro because some PC rag ran them head to head against Norton, Macafee and the like and at the time it was head and shoulders above the others. Not so sure now. For instance, I have been running TM on the family machine just now and it is almost 3 hours into it and still under 70% complete. Which good AV takes the least time and still kills the bad guys?

You can check out AVTest @ http://www.av-test.org/certifications

These guys are independent and a good source of informations, because as you know personally, asking for this type of advice on a forum not dedicated to this subject can be counter-productive.

Originally posted by Phlabibit
Is Microsoft Security Essentials ok? The tech-guy out back told me it was the best for free, but I just don't like that MS word.

Let me have a link to an alternative if you think it's worth uninstalling and switching up.

I'm happy with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, but if you have a better solution let me know.

P-

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/microsoft_security_essentials

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/utilities/anti-malware-software/microsoft-security-essentials-640587/review


http://www.buzzle.com/articles/microsoft-security-essentials-review.html

http://www.spywarenews.org/2010/07/microsoft-security-essentials-review-free-antivirus/


I think you will these to be interesting articles about Security Essentials.

I personally use Essentials on all systems I am associated with.

Originally posted by wormwood
do a free online scan every now and then. no impact on memory nor cpu while you're not needing it, and the scanner is always up to date.

http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/online-scanner/

the downside is it takes a while to load, and you need to reload it anew every time you use it.

Put your PHD in the bin. Who is still running XP or windows 7 on a computer with 128 MB of RAM?

Originally posted by Phlabibit
Is Microsoft Security Essentials ok? The tech-guy out back told me it was the best for free, but I just don't like that MS word.

Let me have a link to an alternative if you think it's worth uninstalling and switching up.

I'm happy with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, but if you have a better solution let me know.

P-

It goeth like tis :-

AntiVirus with active protection. e.g. Kaspersky 2011 or Eset Nod32

AntiSpyware - e.g. MBAM (http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php) for support but not active protection.

Active protection means that it protects actively (downloads, emails, scans memory, scans usb drives) and in the case of Kaspersky bans urls that are dangerous.

MBAM is not active so a user without active protection can get one of those "niceties" that uninstalls/disables MBAM, changes your browser, redirects searches.