Next Antivirius Software

[catta12]

I have been using Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 for the last year with good results. The spam blocking and parental controls were features I turned off, but everything else worked fine. I have read reviews that KIS 2009 took a wrong turn so am second guessing staying with KIS.

So, my question is: What do you suggest? Any experience with KIS 2009? Has Norton de-bloated any?

I might just put AVG back on for a while.

And I should say that I am running Vista. And no I am not switching the OS right now.

[jonmulzer]

Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, they are all crap. The only thing I have ever recommended was AVG. Honestly, I would not use anything at all on my personal PC if it were not that AVG does not slow anything down for me and keeps a very small RAM footprint. The three I first mentioned are like Vista. They can take an otherwise competent computer and reduce it to a crawl. The absolute best AV program is good old common sense. After that, it is AVG all the way.

[maxparot]

I've used Norton, McAfee and AVG the only one that ever let a virus through was AVG presently I favor Avast Home. Seems to be a modest footprint on my systems resources and in 6 months of use it hasn't let me down. It has caught some malware and I get regular updates.

[crokett]

If you talk to enough people you will find that all the anti-virus programs have let something through at one time or another. The best protection is common sense. For years I didn't run with any AV programs on my home machine and never had a problem. However, after Avast let something through on my wife's laptop last fall I switched her to AVG and put it on the machine downstairs.

[cgallery]

If you talk to enough people you will find that all the anti-virus programs have let something through at one time or another. The best protection is common sense. For years I didn't run with any AV programs on my home machine and never had a problem. However, after Avast let something through on my wife's laptop last fall I switched her to AVG and put it on the machine downstairs.

+1

I own a computer sales/service shop. We get 5-20 machines per week that are massively infected. All anti-virus products are represented.

Some machines w/ Norton, McAfee, and Trend have no virus, but the anti-virus software is so hosed the machine won't boot or has other problems. Other machines w/ those products are infected to the max.

AVG is on every machine that goes back out the door. The # of machines that boomerang (come back w/ a virus) after we install AVG is very low. It does happen (AVG is not foolproof), but we've been very happy with the performance.

I continuously try other anti-virus products. The last time I used avast! and was googling I ended-up at a rogue page and was infected in no time.

I took avast! off, put AVG on, and it cleaned it right up.

[JSUPreston]

I had to rebuild my home machine last year after the (at the time) most current version of AVG and signature let a virus through that was over two years old at the time. I don't trust them any more, and don't recommend them.

Also, hate Mcaffee (they screwed me out of a purchase years ago, still hold a grudge), Norton/Symantec (home products are too resource intensive and buggy, corporate stuff just doesn't work) and AVG (for reasons above). I"ve also run the Computer Associates stuff at two different jobs. It sucks as well.

I used to like TrendMicro, but they bundle too much crap with it now. If I by AV, I want AV, not a firewall and other stuff. I'm currently running Avast, but don't really care for it either.

My favorite was the old IBM antivirus, but it wouldn't work in today's world of needing real time scanning. The old IBM stuff was all manual, and it worked, until Norton bought it.

Basically, I've seen something get through on every AV solution I've ever seen, even with all the patches and sig files up to date.

Seems to me the best AV is the one that you've personally had the least trouble with that doesn't get in your way. FWIW, a quick google search shows that PC Mag is beating the Norton 2009 Suite drum. They state that it is the "slimmest, , most unobtrusive Norton ever." (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2333445,00.asp)

[BobSch]

FWIW, a quick google search shows that PC Mag is beating the Norton 2009 Suite drum. They state that it is the "slimmest, , most unobtrusive Norton ever." (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2333445,00.asp)

Ever? Or since Symantec bought Peter out? Saying Norton is slimmest ever strikes me like talking about a slim elephant.

[dbhost]

Not sure about Vista, but I have installed and used Clamwin on several XP boxes with good success.

[JSUPreston]

Ever? Or since Symantec bought Peter out? Saying Norton is slimmest ever strikes me like talking about a slim elephant.

Probably since the buyout. Back when ol' Pete was involved, Norton made great products. Seems like anything Symantec gets a hold of goes to pot. Don't even get me started on their Backup Exec stuff.

[MilDoc]

Relying on just ONE program for protection is, IMHO, foolish. I've used Norton since version 1, no problems. But now I also run ThreatFire, Registry Mechanic, and Spy Sweeper. Perhaps overkill, but I continue to be amazed when one program catches an intrusion the others missed, then another that the first missed, etc.

[siliconbauhaus]

I used to run avg free...cos I'm a cheap *******. I then bought vipre after reading the write ups for it and it was under $50 for the whole house. Everything was ticktyboo until they released a new definition and it buggered up every comp in the house.

I immediately emiled them about it and they hed me un-install / re- install several times. I emailed them again saying that it still didn't work and they then sent me a link to bypass ( I guess) the updater.

I haven't re-installed it on anything yet.....but I'll give it a go this weekend and hopefully I'll have a fair ammount of shop time and not nurse maiding computers

[Jim Padgett]

Sunbelt VIPRE

Sunbelt has good products.. I don't like to renew licenses, but how else is work to get done...

http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Home-Home-Office/VIPRE/

For cleaning and anti-malware..

www.malwarebytes.org

[Rand]

Another vote for AVG free. The only problem I have had with it is scanning emails with large attachments. I had to turn off email scanning.

I also use the free version of Ad-Aware.