Community weekly poll: Which antivirus utility protects your computer?
- 11/23/05 11:16 AM
AntiVirus Protection
by Patrice Gallagher - 1/20/05 9:07 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My Mac IS my AntiVirus
FOUR REASONS WHY Avast is better
by kpruppel - 1/21/05 5:02 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1) Avast uses PUSH to make sure you are updated.
2) Avast is broken up into modules that can be turned on/off as you need. Email,IM,Network/internet activity,P2P,Outlook/Exchange. I turn on Email and Internet, since I don't IM, P2P, or use Outlook. Lean and mean.
3) It creates 3 old-fashioned audit tracking files like Norton used to do. If it detects something suspicious but has no matching virus for it, it checks against the three audit files to see if anything has been tinkered with in the file-in-question. It creates 3 weekly rotating files, invisibly, to the user.
4) Did we already tell you it's FREE?!
I have tested every one (EVERY one) of these packages you listed for 2 weeks, in search of something I consider the best. AVAST wins hands down.
Which antivirus utility protects your computer?
by Draco - 1/21/05 5:49 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
McAfee is the antivirus I use now,, I did use Nortons until I started having some minor problems that seamed to just keep getting worse so I took my computer to a tech and found two problems,, first my Nortons had a trojan in it its self and second my Nortons was having problems interfacing with the new sp2 pack Microsoft put out. My tech also informed me I was not the only one having the same problems so he removed Nortons from my computer and put on McAfee and proceeded to run it. In the process McAfee found 119 trojans and viruses in the registry and 89 in the rest of the computer that Nortons never picked up. And as for running in the back ground McAfee does not use one forth the memery that Nortons did. So I say McAfee just got a new customer and Nortons lost a customer of 6 years.
Which antivirus utility protects your computer
by Bagsey - 1/21/05 8:29 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
For at least 9 years I have been using AVG6 and have now gone to AVG7 which is even easier to upgrade and is very effective and FREE. I has saved me from 3 virus attacks since just before Christmas.
Must update Norton antivirus daily
by kimm - 1/21/05 3:25 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have recently replaced Norton with Sophos a corporate solution. We had numerous machines loaded with various Norton antivirus versions which had been compromised to the extent that even after downloading the latest updates could not be rescued.
This is not the products fault that virus writers appear to have it as number two on the hit list after Microsoft.
Many viruses will target Norton's shared folders filling them with infected files disarming Nortons capabilties. My worst case was a machine with a current corparate version but out of date virus files when scanned with Sophos returned 215 infected files, 5 different viruses. Norton gave this machine a clean bill of health with a full scan when updated too late.
Anti-virus
by jmathewson - 1/23/05 10:39 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I prefer NORTON Anti-virus because of user friendly apps.I have less trouble with this program than others.Like you say"IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT."Tust me Norton ain't broke.
P.S.Cnet ain't broke either.Keep up the great work.
Zero Knowledge Systems via Adelphia
by kblackwell - 1/24/05 4:55 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I previously used Mcafee, but since I went to cable, I am using the "Freedom Suite" provided by Adelphia.
No problems with either anti virus system, but my biggest problems lately have been spyware. I am currently using several anti-spyware software. This whole security business is abominable....and has gotten worse in the past year.
Problems with Norton Antivirus 2004
by james.bowater - 1/24/05 9:12 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had been a user of Norton 2003 until July last year when I upgraded to Norton 2004, and noticed that my machine started to really dog it speed wise. I didn't make the connection with Norton until I installed 2004 on my Laptop as well. It killed it completely... I had to rebuild the hard drive from scratch!!!!!
The desktop was running XP Home Ed and the Laptop was running XP Pro.
After much hard work getting Zone Alarm Pro, Norton AV 2004 and XP Home ED SP2 working together I am still not convinced that Symantec have got it sorted.
My Laptop now used CA eTrust and I am thinking of moving to AVG when my Norton subscription ends in Jul 2005
Any one else had problems with Norton AV 2004?
There are no FAQ's or discussion groups I have found with my problem....
James
Problems with Norton Antivirus 2004
by dgilliam - 3/28/05 10:28 AM In reply to: Problems with Norton Antivirus 2004 by james.bowaterI switched to Norton 2004 from McAffee after having problems with McAfee. I noticed two problems with Norton 2004. My computer immediately slowed down after installing and it never would properly run my scheduled scans. I just recently uninstalled it and noticed that my PC is performing better. I made the switch to AVG. My son found AVG and started using it. I used it on another computer at the house and haven't had any problems. I use the free version but I am considering upgrading to the professional version of AVG.
Antivirus
by tbltx - 1/25/05 7:16 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I recently switched from Norton Antivirus 2005 to Trend Micro PC cillin and it is great. I get updates several times a week. It also does not seem to have a hold on my computer like Norton had. Direct download from Newegg was cheap for PC cillin. Try it out.
Norton Internet Security in Canada
by chas888ca - 1/30/05 10:08 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Getting a little dramatic in it's messages "you are not protected against a new threat etc etc ) vs ( updated definitions needed) but Norton does a good overal job. Like the old Norton only much more versatile and secure. When you buy it as a discounted program with a Quick Tax it is low priced as well.
Much better than Bell Sympatico Canada's free for first year Virus & Security packages which are mostly bluster and overpromising marketting jiberwash combined with some serious time consuming lock in to Mother Bell approaches..Just dont like their "free" approach which tries to force feed you to buy little add ons necessary to make a useful security system which is effective.
Norton is good enough for me!
chas
anti-virus comparison
by Excks - 1/31/05 4:45 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Let's start with Norton I used Norton for quite some time but stopped because
1-It's hard on resources
2-When you try to uninstall it it says complete (meaning its gone)not true by far it buries it's itself in more places than you shake a stick at (not including the registry) the only way to ensure all traces of are gone is a system format (ouch) it acts more like a virus than some viruses do!
3-If activation was just serial it would be alright but how much faith can you have in an anti-virus that...well since it's beginnings have been hacked almost every release
4-If you like to tweak your system and have an NTFS file system and disable 8.3 Name creation for preformance norton starts causing errors
5-Norton also has started doing the microsoft thing,Run your computer the way we want it run not the way you want it run eg..it see's certain decompliers as viruses (Because in their eyes they are hacking tools) even if you use them for legal reasons to my knowledge they haven't blacklisted programs (Like EA) but have made key word lists where if the program is legal but has one of the keys words in it even though its legit the program gets ousted
I could go on about Norton but there's my top 5
Sorry not Familar with Kapersky
McAfee I tried for about a week found it a niether here nor there anti-virus but got fed up of them always pushing/making you feel the need to buy their other products its about anti-virus not sales if the anti-virus is good the sales will speak for them selves what next from them built in popups?
Panda little bit resource heavy and can be intrusive but all in all it would be somewhere in my recommendation list just for the fact that you can send them a suspect file and they will respond in a resonable amount of time
PC-Cillin seems to be light on resources unobtrusive ,but under windows really haven't given it a shake down but I do use its dos editions for boot scans and scanning from dos as do alot of techs PC-Cillin is like Maxell tapes & cds they have been on the market for so..o..o..o long that they must know what they're doing plus most boot discs have they're scan on them
Nod32 not on the maket as long as PC-Cillin but everything I said about PC-Cillin can be said about Nod32 as well
Avast is still one of my favourites average on resources (less than Norton) but very fast realtime scanning excellent updating nice interface but unfortuneatly interfers with my outlook express (known issue check website)
AntiVir little bit above average resource use but is really really aggresive sometime so to the point that it gets crazy and really obtsusive (for the paranoid at heart)
AVG is what I use now light on resources unobtrusive quiet ,simple interface even if it's not pretty, good updater
Note even though as you can see I don't fancy Norton too much I have to admit they have a really vast knowledge base and you don't need their product to use it
I Don't Need no stinking anti-virus
your choice if you think that you're that good but keep in mind what knowledge can one person have that a company of teams and teams of employees and years of collected knowledge can't compare to
Notes on anti-viruses in general remember people they are only anti viruses and usually don't or can't filter out all trojans and or adware because adware works like trojans and are found in most trialware some demos and hey if you didn't know ad-supported software (go figure)different software for that but do some research on them before you decide, and not one i've encounter does it all i run 3 different ones i'll save that for later comparison,and for the web make sure you have a web filter (activeX Blocking Script blocker ect... the web is and don't ever forget a nasty nasty place)Maxthon has those built in easy turn and off outpost firewall has them built in as well and firefox is a nice secure browser as well there are many other though.
There reason I mention the last is because many many people put many many anti-viruses down because they say they aren't working but hey guess what a virus isn't their problem
Conflicting software gets confused as virus alot as well install one thing at a time and run it for about a week then move on
and lastly get some registry securtiy other than your firewall if it has it system mechanic has a start gaurd easy to use but not very in depth just covers startup there's also others some good some bad but the mother of them all is regrun it supplies a whole aresenal of tools and covers the registry for complete protection and not just the startup
And for deleting in desperation though this tool can be devastating or can save your but is move on boot
Remember always research anti-viruses,firewallls,spyware removers and all system utilities and back up it's good practice or get goback
AntiVirus - Norton vs. McAfee
by gtifeld - 2/1/05 2:08 PM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been a PC support person for over 15 years. For most of that time I've worked in the MIS/IT division of major corporations where the decisions were made by others. The task of protecting our PCs from viruses usually tended to run between Norton AntiVirus & McAfee VirusScan. The two products tended to leap-frog over each other year to year in terms of preference, but I have to say in the last few years, I've grown VERY dismayed with Symantec.
Their products have become quite unstable and more of a headache to support and trouble-shoot. In addition, their support has been sadly lacking. Most of the time, when I've encountered problems with their stuff and couldn't figure it out myself, I found I havn't gotten much farther with their website. When I HAVE managed to get an answer from them, 99% of the time their answer was "uninstall & reinstall", which as I'm sure most of you know was never as simple as it sounds. It would always involve multiple steps dealing with the registry and many additional downloads.
McAfee, on the other hand, has become extremely reliable and easy to use. On the few occassions when I've needed to contact them for support, it was quick and painless. Their real-time chat feature has been a godsend, which Symantec doesn't seem to offer.
I have now had McAfee installed on both my PCs at home for 2 years and have had virtually no problems whatsoever. This is currently what I'm recommending to all my customers.
re-mcafee /norton
by mikeaussie - 3/20/05 12:39 AM In reply to: AntiVirus - Norton vs. McAfee by gtifeldI had big problems with norton internet security 2004 and could not even get 12 months use out of it as after a few months I could no longer get on the internet with it to get the updates,it kept getting hacked and crashed from viruses on the net,also this program was a pain to install and setup.It hogs your entire system.I also had problems and conflicts using mcafee antivirus 9 and mcafee personal firewall plus version 6.After installing mcafee firewall it would not let me download the antivirus updates,it kept saying they were up to date when in fact they were not.It is almost impossible for the average person to get a response from big companys,On mcafee website you can only send them one question,and you have to go through alot of mucking about to do just that,also they say they dont support any oem versions and they only offer 30 days support of their products,after that you have to try and extend that.I have had no success contacting any of these big companys for product support.
AVG Free
by masta_krish - 2/13/05 6:05 AM In reply to: Which antivirus utility protects your computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I used to have sophos, but now have avg free.
It has never failed to get rid of a virus or trojan, even when Sophos didnt pick it up.
The only minor issue is that the automatic update dosent seem to work any more and i have to do it manually.
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