# Best Antivirus?



## Michaelstedman81 (May 24, 2011)

Anyone got any recommendations on antivirus software (non Mac)?  What works best while also not slowing down the computer?

When I got back from deployment, my laptop crashed and had it fixed.  The computer guy told me that AVG was the best antivirus software, but I have been hearing mixed opinions on that lately.  On my new laptop (a year old) it came with the regular Norton Antivirus software on it, and it is more annoying than anything cause it keeps popping up with the software expiration thing and asking me to renew it.  I don't want to renew with Norton as I have not heard one good opinion of them.  So, I am wanting to find a good one that I don't have to keep buying updates, but that also doesn't sit there running ALL the time and slowing down the computer.

Also, if I were to get another software and install it, will it take off the Norton stuff that was pre-installed so I don't have to keep getting these annoying renewal requests?  Thanks guys, any and all suggestions and info is appreciated.


----------



## coachn (May 24, 2011)

Here's what my computer guy just sent me when I asked the exact same question:

Eset for anti virus
Malware bytes for malware


----------



## Brent Heilman (May 24, 2011)

I use AVG and have never had any problems with it. You can download a free trial and if it isn't what you are looking for you can delete it and move on to something else.


----------



## Beathard (May 24, 2011)

AVG is what I use at home and work.


----------



## dbryson821 (May 24, 2011)

If you are military you get macafee and norton free on your ako or dko portal.


----------



## Benton (May 24, 2011)

I use Malwarebytes for malware as well, though with Windows 7 I really haven't had too many problems. I would also agree with AVG. Currently using McAfee, but only because I got three years free when I bought my computer.  Once the sub is up, it'll be back to AVG for me.


----------



## Michaelstedman81 (May 24, 2011)

Lol, thanks guys.  Ya'll confirmed what my gut was telling me.  I always liked AVG, but was just curious if there was something new that is out and that is better.  I saw a commercial on TV about one called Kaspersky (or something like that...I can't remember the name) and didn't know if anyone had tried it.  I'll be going to get AVG again when I can...lol


----------



## JJones (May 24, 2011)

I use Spybot and Avast! here and haven't had any virus problems so far.

(I probably will now that I said that though.)


----------



## Benton (May 24, 2011)

I used to use spybot and avast. I've had better luck with malwarebytes and avg though.

Although, honestly the best antivirus has been upgrading to windows 7.


----------



## MikeMay (May 24, 2011)

On my windoze machines (XP, Vista) I use Avira Antivirus, Spywareblaster and Spybot.  Malwarebytes and Hijackthis if there is a problem. Avira is low cost the rest are free.   For my email I use Thunderbird...haven't had a virus or malware problem in over 3 years.  

However the best protection is using Linux...Virus free.  I'm slowly transitioning away from Windows OS, once WineHQ works with the Adobe CS suite completely, I'm saying good bye to Windows forever...

The other Best protection is not surfing in places where viruses lurk...:40:...just sayin!


----------



## Michaelstedman81 (May 25, 2011)

Benton said:


> Although, honestly the best antivirus has been upgrading to windows 7




What is up with that?  Why is having Windows 7 been a good thing in regards to defending against viruses?  Is it just cause it is still pretty new and there aren't that many viruses out there yet to hit it?  Or is there something about the way Windows 7 is designed that automatically defends itself really well?  When I got this laptop I'm using now it came with Windows 7 on it and it has done pretty good.  I just started getting worried about virus stuff lately cause I got an email from a friend of mine that I opened with my iPhone and it sent out the same email to everyone in my contacts list.  I have gotten the same thing from the same person a couple of times now but just didn't open the email at all and deleted it.  I also deleted everyone from my contacts list on Yahoo in case I got one from another person so it wouldn't send out another like that to everyone.




MikeMay said:


> The other Best protection is not surfing in places where viruses lurk




Well, thankfully I don't surf anywhere that has a problem with viruses hanging around (that I know of anyway).


----------



## Brent Heilman (May 25, 2011)

MikeMay said:


> However the best protection is using Linux...Virus free.



Out of the 4 computers I use 2 of them are Linux. Best thing I ever did was moving to Linux from Window$.


----------



## Benton (May 25, 2011)

Michaelstedman81 said:


> What is up with that? Why is having Windows 7 been a good thing in regards to defending against viruses? Is it just cause it is still pretty new and there aren't that many viruses out there yet to hit it? Or is there something about the way Windows 7 is designed that automatically defends itself really well?



Yes. 

It's still a small enough market share, and new enough, that it doesn't have a huge library of viruses written for it like xp has. ALso generally more secure than other versions of windows (from what I hear, I'm not knowledgeable in programming and have to take other's word for it.) Had my Windows 7 machine for almost a year and a half now, and I haven't had a single virus. Only one instance of malware that was easily removed. By malwarebytes.

I could perhaps see myself using Linux, except I'm a pretty big gamer. There are enough compatibility issues that I don't really want to bother with it. However, if I ever get a laptop (which I wouldn't use for gaming as much as composition, internet, word processor, etc) I might look into linux.


----------



## Brent Heilman (May 25, 2011)

Benton said:


> I could perhaps see myself using Linux, except I'm a pretty big gamer. There are enough compatibility issues that I don't really want to bother with it. However, if I ever get a laptop (which I wouldn't use for gaming as much as composition, internet, word processor, etc) I might look into linux.




I know there are a few companies out there that sell laptops preloaded with Ubuntu Linux. If I were to make the switch from windows to Linux without ever having dealt with it before Ubuntu or Mint would be my first choice in distros. They are a lot like windows in the desktop environment.


----------



## Michaelstedman81 (May 25, 2011)

I guess since I am in the company of some pretty savvy computer guys here, I can ask this question about something that I have been noticing my laptop doing.  I don't know if it is a virus, a bug in the system, or just some sort of problem with the machine.  

As I said, I use Windows 7 and the laptop is only just over a year old.  13 months I think.  Every once in a while (ranges from once every few weeks, to once every few months) all of a sudden I will lose whatever wireless network that I am on at the time.  I try to reconnect, but it doesn't show ANY wireless networks available.  I know the network is still there cause I can see it on other computers and also on my phone.  

So, what I have to do is go into the Device Manager and disable the "Network Adapter" (I'm assuming this is the wireless network card or whatever it is called officially).  Then I get the "Not Responding" thing going on for the Device Manager window and have to use Task Manager to close it out.  I then go back into Device Manager and enable the "Network Adapter".  And of course I have to go through the Task Manager process again to close the "Not Responding" window for the Device Manager.  Exact same thing as when I disable the "Network Adapter".

However, this doesn't fix the issue.  I have to reboot the computer all together.  But during the process it just goes to the screen where it has the normal Windows 7 backdrop and says "Shutting Down..." and it will just sit there.  The little "thinking" LED light isn't blinking or anything.  So, I have to actually take the battery out, put it back in, and then start the computer normally and everything is back to normal.  Each time the issue arises, I have to go through EACH of these same steps exactly as I described it, EVERY time.  Never changes.

It has been going on since the computer was less than a month old.  Has anyone had this issue before or heard if this is virus related?  Bug or maybe just a defect in the computer?


----------



## Brent Heilman (May 25, 2011)

I have had the network adapter problem before but not the other. Normally I would just do what you did by disabling the network adapter then re-enabling it. That would always fix it for a while then a few weeks later I would do it all over again. Not sure what could be doing this to your computer. It sounds more like a Windows problem than anything. My problem first showed up when I installed 7 on mine to get rid of Vista. I will have to look into it to see what I can find.


----------



## Michaelstedman81 (May 25, 2011)

Brent Heilman said:


> I will have to look into it to see what I can find.




Cool, man...I appreciate it.  I am hoping that it is just a problem with Windows and not a virus or anything.  Thankfully, it is just isolated to that one issue that I have.  Also glad to see that the problem is not just on my computer..lol


----------



## Brent Heilman (May 25, 2011)

Mines an HP. What's yours?


----------



## tbone1321 (May 25, 2011)

I have been working on computers for years and honestly non of them work the best one I thing is Norton but you must have malware bytes and spy it search and destroy


----------



## Bogey08 (May 25, 2011)

Check out Nod 32 by Eset.  Used it for years and never had a problem.  They have a version for both PC and Mac.


----------



## jwhoff (May 25, 2011)

I've found penicillin still works on a few things.  Especially if it comes in a large dose.


----------



## AnthonyBolding (May 25, 2011)

I work with computers, that's my job. I recommend Avira. It is free and you can also buy the premium one. It works really well and mozilla is a great browser to get. I would not recommend internet explorer.


----------



## MikeMay (May 25, 2011)

jwhoff said:


> I've found penicillin still works on a few things.  Especially if it comes in a large dose.



Brother, if you can figure out a way to give penicillin to a computer.....my neighbor has an old machine that died from a virus.


----------



## Michaelstedman81 (May 26, 2011)

Brent Heilman said:


> Mines an HP. What's yours?




Toshiba   Wish I would have stuck with HP...lol


----------



## JTM (May 26, 2011)

i don't use any AV program.  I just do my banking while at work and format my computer every 6 months or so.


----------



## MikeMay (May 26, 2011)

jtm said:


> i don't use any av program.  I just do my banking while at work and format my computer every 6 months or so.


 
:lol:


----------



## kwilbourn (May 27, 2011)

I've used Avira and AVG in the past, both pretty good for free products.  I now use Vipre; I'm very satisfied with it, malware detection is as good as most stand alone programs, virus detection is first-rate, and it has the lowest memory overhead of anything I've ever tested.  I use the stand-alone version on my home computer, and the Enterprise centralized version for the ~200 computers we keep tabs on at the office.


----------



## kwilbourn (May 27, 2011)

JTM said:


> i don't use any AV program. I just do my banking while at work and format my computer every 6 months or so.



Ha!  We actually have some users we are forcing onto non-persistent desktops, where it goes back to the image on every reboot.   Travel agencies: you'll never find a more wretched hive...


----------

