Anti-virus options (Full Version)

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bobby -> Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 12:55:11)

I'm looking for suggestions from the members about AV software... specifically good alternatives to Norton and McAffee.

What else do y'all use to keep your inbox safe?



Taz -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 12:59:11)

I used to use AVG from Grisoft, but switched to McAffee security suite to make my life easier as I was using Zonealarm firewall which kept causing network issues.

I thought AVG was pretty decent, but I didn't see the point of running different products when I could run them all in one go if you get me.

I thought Norton sucked when I tried that, it missed loads of stuff I found.



bobby -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 13:01:04)

I've used AVG's free version before and had no problems. I switched back to Norton since I loaded System Works (which includes AV)

I'm just not entirely happy with the way Norton is working on my system. Eventually (soon) I'll be upgrading the whole kit and kaboodle so I'm trying to make some software decisions ahead of time...

Thanks for the input...

Personally I've never liked any of McAffee's offerings.



Taz -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 13:11:33)

I tried McAffee's firewall ages ago when AOL was offering it for free (Don't even go there!) & I found it to be a royal pain in the you know where, but the security suite version & AV set up is pretty sweet I have so far found.

Though one nag so far, when you update the firewall it asks to shutdown & reboot, which is a nag but I can live with it as there are no network hassles & it does what it should so far. [:)]

On the virii side of things, it killed & deleted a download yesterday cos it had a trojan in & it caught it seriously fast, so that impressed me.

Which is what I ask of any AV gear. =]



Giomanach -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 13:49:05)

I've got ZA Security Suite 5.1 installed...AV disabled..cos it's s**t..lol...firewall works tho...

I use AVG 6 Free Edition no problems....



Reflect -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 14:27:56)

I use what I admin at work. Keeps me "up" on issues. I use Symantec corporate version 9.0.0.338.

I have found by going to their KB and searching on cegetter it will walk you through setting up the daily download as opposed to "Live Update" which is a weekly update. It made all the difference in the world. I am amazed they even use the weekly option.

I also like SOPHOS but it is much more corporate based than personal license.

Take care,

Brian



tekola -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 16:45:39)

I use FREE Avg from www.grisoft.com. It has been reliable for over 3 years.
Protects Outlook Express email specifically.



bobby -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/4/2004 17:34:40)

I've been leaning towards AVG again... looks like a good (and inexpensive) choice.

I only ran it for a few months, but never had any problems...

Thanks for the input, all



jaybee -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 6:02:25)

AVG good and I've installed it on several clients' machines but I use Bit Defender Pro.

Cheap, includes a firewall, automatic updates, online support (live response during their working hours) family firm so they have a reputation to uphold.

Check it out here



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 6:57:46)

At home and work I use PCCillin (Trend) and it's always kept us clean. It has a built-in personal firewall and email checker.

We are just about to upgrade to the latest version which also has adware & spyware protection. The company that supplies us with our IT needs reccomends we also install Spy Sweeper.

For several months now following advice from these forums I have had SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster, Spybot search and Destroy, and Adaware protecting my system.

Our guy's advice is that we should have only one as they will all conflict and stop each other from picking up some of the infections. This advice conflicts with that given a few months ago in these forums (I think by Gorilla). This guy is a professional with a Degree in Computer science and he has successfully looked after the protection needs of several large organisations for some time. I am minded to take his advice, but before I do, what do the experts out there in Outfront land think?

He is saying that after investigating all the current AV offerings the best combination is PCCillin and Spy Sweeper. Apparently Mcafee is nearly as good but he wouldn't advise anyone to use Norton.



jaybee -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 8:08:02)

quote:

I have had SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster, Spybot search and Destroy, and Adaware protecting my system.


Peter, I have all of those running as well and I've had no problems with conflicts. In fact the only conflict troubles I've ever had are between Windows' and my own firewall so the XP firewall is switched off.

I scan regularly and never find anything has got through so I doubt if conflicts are letting things in, more to the point, they act as a backup to each other and if one misses something then the other one gets it.

I would be more worried having just the one thing running.



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 9:31:47)

Gill,
I tend to agree but if like me you've got them all running how do you know if they are causing each other to miss something? When you scan surely they won't pick up what has already been missed? I'm thinking of uninstalling the lot then putting them on one at a time and scanning to see if anything turns up. Does that make any sense?



Giomanach -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 9:39:38)

Peter

I have Spysweeper 3 and Adaware 6 installed on my machine. I run Adaware, and it picks up a few, then I run Spysweeper, Spysweeper picks up Registry entries that Adaware doesn't



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 9:51:34)

OK Dan, but how do you know if they are stopping each other from picking up something else?



Giomanach -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 9:59:06)

Simple - They use a lot of processor, and take forever to scan files etc

Back when I used to use Internet Clean-up, having an AV program just open, background scanning, it slowed the program down, and it never picked anything up, removed that, installed Adaware 6 and Spysweeper 3, and I had thousands of files that needed removing. (And curiously enough, it saved me 20MB HDD space[:D])

If programs clash, they will no doubt slow your computer down

Easy way to make sure with Ad/Spy/Malware removers is to run them one at a time[;)]



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 10:06:36)

quote:

Easy way to make sure with Ad/Spy/Malware removers is to run them one at a time

Do you mean leave them on and run one at a time, or uninstall and install them one at a time?



Giomanach -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 10:09:27)

Have them installed at the same time, but don't scan with them at the same time

Each one will use a slightly different algo to scan your computer, all of which use simialar components of Windows, just in different ways, hence the slow down of PC

Any clearer?



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 10:26:59)

quote:

Any clearer?
Starting to be... just one more question, does having multiple anti spyware programs on your computer slow it down or is it just when you run them simultaneously?



Giomanach -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 10:29:29)

If running simultaneously as a background task - Yes
If one running as a background task - Not noticeable

If scanning simultaneously - Yes
If scanning with one at a time - Depends on PC specs, but generally, not noticeable with newer systems (I say newer, I mean 600Mhz and faster, with a HDD at 5400rpm)



bobby -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 10:49:35)

You can't have too many spyware detectors... just don't run them at the same time... and watch out that they dont detect each other as spyware...

Older versions of Adaware and Spybot used to not like each other.

Run as many of them as you like... just avoid running multiple AV programs... that causes a lot of problems...

I'm checking out PCCillin and Bit Defender now...

Thanks again!



Donkey -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 11:46:39)

Thank you all for the info, I'll go and argue it out with our IT supplier now.



jaybee -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 13:54:13)

You might also like to know that the CEO of one of the companies actually recommended one of the others as it was better at removing one specific trojan than his was.



Peppergal -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/5/2004 14:32:39)

I use Spybot and Ad-Aware.

Ad-aware automatically scans when I start up the computer. Spybot does it's job running in the background though I don't notice until I use IE (surprise...nothing happends to trigger it when I use Mozilla).

Everytime I go to an MSN group in Internet Explorer Spybot pops up t tell me some Avenue A something or other is trying to download...and gives me the option to block it. I may have blocked it permanently.

I do not have any issues with spyware and they don't seem to conflict with each other. Sometimes Ad-aware scans and turns up nothing....and later, Spybot finds a couple things. Sometimes, Ad-Aware finds problems (after running IE, of course) and fixes them...then spybot finds nothing.

I never run them both at the same time. Just the fact that they've each missed something that the other picked up makes me feel pretty secure in having them both.

It would be quite a thing if one program could find ALL problems, but I find that difficult to believe.

For AV, I use AVG and it has worked fine for me. My only issue with it is it won't detect anything automatically in Thunderbird - when I used Outlook Express, the Norton that came with the machine would tell me as soon as an infected email would come in my inbox. With AVG and Thunderbird, I have to wait until I do a system scan and it finds it.

I use the Zone Alarm firewall, and it doesn't recognize AVG - it keeps nagging me - warning me that I don't have AV installed. LOL



bobby -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/7/2004 10:47:06)

I use AA and SS&D too... usually they both find something on the machine to get rid of. I was using Spybot by itself... until I was having some trouble and decided to reinstall AA6 and scan, just as an added precaution.

AA found an additional 90 items that spybot missed... so I've run them both ever since.

Good info on AVG. I use Mozilla mail and it would be a pain to have to run a manual scan on everything...

So far BitDefender is looking like one I may try next...



womynaloud -> RE: Anti-virus options (10/11/2004 10:55:50)

For what it's worth, I use ad-aware, spybot, and spyware blaster, and avg. I only use the avg on systems that use an email program avg works with. For systems that use thunderbird (or mozilla) mail, I use avast. You do have to do some tweaking to avast to get it to scan correctly, but all the info can be found on their website, in help files, or on the thunderbird forums.

Gayle



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