Need new anti virus. Please help

[XXXdc5]

I would love everyone's input on what virus software i should use. I am currently using Avast! 5.0.667 and ever since the newer updates it has slowed down my pc CONSIDERABLY. I love all the features and that it has real time monitoring and how it scans torrents and p2p but i need to switch.


I don't have a crazy computer setup or anything like that just a laptop running vista 32


What are your suggestions. Thank you for the help

 

[Intruder]

NOD32 best bar none stay away from norton

 

[SoulTerror]

I run ClamWin as my real time scanner, and when I do a scan I use MalwareBytes. Both free and great programs.

 

[DaSchmarotzer]

I run ClamWin as my real time scanner, and when I do a scan I use MalwareBytes. Both free and great programs.

Quote from clamwin.com :

"Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware."

You might want to change your setup.

As for my antivirus, well, I don't have any. I don't need one and they use resources pointlessly. However, if you are not so secure or you don't know much about computers, I would recommend getting one.

 

[SoulTerror]

Regardless it still works for me. I rarely get a virus. Usually the wife get's them.

 

[XXXdc5]

Quote from clamwin.com :

"Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware."

You might want to change your setup.

As for my antivirus, well, I don't have any. I don't need one and they use resources pointlessly. However, if you are not so secure or you don't know much about computers, I would recommend getting one.

why dont you need one? I've never really had a problem but every once in a while i'll run across an issue and im glad i had protection (hahaha double meaning)

but seriously. lol

 

[DaSchmarotzer]

why dont you need one? I've never really had a problem but every once in a while i'll run across an issue and im glad i had protection (hahaha double meaning)

but seriously. lol

Good one. lol

Well, I'm pretty much the only "computer literate" person in the family, so I've always been the one cleaning the mess on other computers. I know how to remove these things, and often computers would get infected even with an antivirus. I've been the only user on my own laptop for about two years, and I've never been infected. I think having a real-time antivirus would be a waste of resources. I like the boot time to be as short as possible and to have only the required services running for more performance. I have Malwarebytes anti-malware and I run a scan sometimes, but it never found anything (it did find stuff on computers which had Norton products, and some other popular choices). If something goes bad, I can always go back to a restore point which Windows 7 creates automatically. I like this feature and I think it's useful, even though I've never had to use it for a virus.

I also hate not to have control over what my computer does. I once plugged an external hard drive in a friend's computer and Norton 360 started to delete some of my stuff! I even knew it was a false positive. I also find it annoying when people ask for help with their network and the antivirus is the problem (when there's a firewall included...). Those things are supposed to help you!

But then again, if you don't care much for the extra performance and faster boot, then go ahead and get an antivirus for some peace of mind.

 

[ToastPwnz]

For a lightweight AV (which I assume is what you are looking for) I would recommend ESET.

 

[XXXdc5]

Good one. lol

Well, I'm pretty much the only "computer literate" person in the family, so I've always been the one cleaning the mess on other computers. I know how to remove these things, and often computers would get infected even with an antivirus. I've been the only user on my own laptop for about two years, and I've never been infected. I think having a real-time antivirus would be a waste of resources. I like the boot time to be as short as possible and to have only the required services running for more performance. I have Malwarebytes anti-malware and I run a scan sometimes, but it never found anything (it did find stuff on computers which had Norton products, and some other popular choices). If something goes bad, I can always go back to a restore point which Windows 7 creates automatically. I like this feature and I think it's useful, even though I've never had to use it for a virus.

I also hate not to have control over what my computer does. I once plugged an external hard drive in a friend's computer and Norton 360 started to delete some of my stuff! I even knew it was a false positive. I also find it annoying when people ask for help with their network and the antivirus is the problem (when there's a firewall included...). Those things are supposed to help you!

But then again, if you don't care much for the extra performance and faster boot, then go ahead and get an antivirus for some peace of mind.

having an antivirus isnt a MUST but i assumed it was the best route to go. What do you suggest then as a form of protection/prevention/whatever? And yeah i hate Norton. i only used it when i had it for free trial when i first got my computer a long time ago.

 

[DaSchmarotzer]

having an antivirus isnt a MUST but i assumed it was the best route to go. What do you suggest then as a form of protection/prevention/whatever? And yeah i hate Norton. i only used it when i had it for free trial when i first got my computer a long time ago.

Well, I think there's Windows Defender activated on my laptop. I used to deactivate it, but it seems that I forgot to do it since I reinstalled Windows. It's not considered to be so good, but I guess it counts as protection.

If you download a lot of stuff, visit some high-risk websites, use programs like LimeWire, are gullible when it comes to ads and email, etc, you probably need an anti-virus. I simply always visit the same websites which I know won't get me one.

And I ever get infected, well, I'll just remove it (never happened, but it might). If you're not sure on how to do that, just google the virus you have and you'll find tutorials on how to get rid of it.

As I said scanners which offer no real-time protection are good. I've been using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for a while now.

 

[mikedt]

Install Linux, this is probably the best anti-virus one can get.. haha

 

[Bramsy]

im with the Mod... but since i clean up my moms and little sisters puter, i use AVG freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[SoulTerror]

AVG < Malwarebytes. Was just working on a customers desktop, AVG cleaned of 4 infections, rebooted and rescanned said it was clean. Installed Malwarebytes and scanned, found 4 more infections.

 

[XXXdc5]

Well, I think there's Windows Defender activated on my laptop. I used to deactivate it, but it seems that I forgot to do it since I reinstalled Windows. It's not considered to be so good, but I guess it counts as protection.

If you download a lot of stuff, visit some high-risk websites, use programs like LimeWire, are gullible when it comes to ads and email, etc, you probably need an anti-virus. I simply always visit the same websites which I know won't get me one.

And I ever get infected, well, I'll just remove it (never happened, but it might). If you're not sure on how to do that, just google the virus you have and you'll find tutorials on how to get rid of it.

As I said scanners which offer no real-time protection are good. I've been using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for a while now.

I know how to use the webernets so that's not a problem. I really onlydo a lot of torrenting and stuff like that. I've just been keen to the idea of prevention and protection rather than cleaning up the mess later on and who knows how bad it could be. Same reason i dont have unprotected sex with crack alley prostitutes and LETS BE HONEST the internet REALLY is the crack alley prostitute of the digital world.

i'll probably go check out malwarebytes tho. thanks.

Install Linux, this is probably the best anti-virus one can get.. haha

I actually wanted to do that but i dont have the time to do it let alone relearn a new OS -___- I really just need to find a way to get a new laptop BUT since theres nothing really wrong with the one i have and i'm a poor-ish college kid, doesnt look like that is an option at the moment haha

 

[momoceio]

MS Security Essentials works very nicely. Very unobtrusive, works very well and doesn't hog resources. Plus, it's free.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Used AVG Free for years and it was very good but after a while it started to get bloated and the scan got very slow so started using Avast but then that got sooo slow so I am using Avira Free now and have found it pretty good.

Now I use Windows 7 I no longer use a separate firewall as the Windows 7 firewall seems pretty secure.

So Windows 7 and Avira for me

 

[mplevy]

MS Security Essentials works very nicely. Very unobtrusive, works very well and doesn't hog resources. Plus, it's free.

+1

This app consistently gets high ratings. I moved from Symantec (came with my laptop) to AVG then to MSE. MSE BY FAR uses less resources and slows down the boot the least of any of the 3. I now run it on my gaming PC and have installed it on my parent's PCs (2 laptops, 2 desktops). I run Malware Bytes and CCleaner periodically but I never find anything besides the odd "tracking cookie". I mostly use FF with ABP (AdBlock Plus) or Chrome with ABP.

 

[mhrc4]

MS Security Essentials works very nicely. Very unobtrusive, works very well and doesn't hog resources. Plus, it's free.

:werd:

 

[wiretap]

Another vote for MSE.