What anti virus software do you use on your personal computer?

[64Paramount]

I was using McAfee and after loading the most recent update, some of my games no longer worked.

So I went back to a restore point prior to loading the McAfee software update and everything works fine.

Then I made sure Windows was up to date and then loaded the McAfee update again to verify. Yep, the McAfee update broke it again.

I contacted McAfee tech support and they had me stop their programs from running. (Not remove the software, just stop it) The games still wouldn't work so they told me it was a problem with the game software.

I removed the McAfee software and now everything works fine.

So, I'm looking for some new anti-virus software. What are you all using, do you recommend it, and how much did it cost?

 

[alienator]

I use Virus Barrier, by Intego, but I also have Macs. I don't know if Intego makes PC software.

When I used a PC, my anti-virus package was PC-cillin. It was an excellent package. I can't remember what it cost per year. I used Zone Alarm as my fire wall, but now I see that they have an anti-virus app. I'd trust them. Again, Zone Alarm was a yearly subscription, and I don't remember the cost.

McAfee, Norton.........no, thanks.

 

[64Paramount]

McAfee, Norton.........no, thanks.

No kidding! My PC originally came pre-loaded with the Norton security package and I had problems with it trying to load an upgrade (It just wouldn't download completely and a few days later they figured out they had a problem). But at the time their tech support connected to my PC, removed ALL of the Norton software, and then told me it was a Microsoft problem. So then I didn't even have the original version to use and they just left me that way.

So I bought the McAfee package in June based on a friend's recommendation and it did work well until the software upgrade they released last week. And you can't download the daily virus database updates seperately from operating system updates...when you click "update" you download everything.

So I can't keep the anti-virus protection up to date and that makes it worthless to me...

I'd forgot about Zone Alarm. I ran the free version of their fire wall for years on my old Windows 98 PC and never had a problem. I think I'll see what they have.

Thanks Alien!

 

[cyberlegend1994]

McAfee. Free, courtesy of Comcast.

Windows Firewall is all I need, I have a LAN with a VPN Firewall Router so I don't need firewall software to bog the systems down.

 

[kdelong]

AVG Free from Grysoft. I've been using it for three years now and it has been outstanding. No viruses, no gaming issues, no conflicts with any of my other software. I have it set up to update daily and scan once a week. It has anti-virus, anti-spyware, e-mail scanner, link scanner, resident sheild, and an update manager. This is all free. They have ID Theft Protection, Root Kit Protection, and a High Security Firewall on their pay versions.

I also use Spybot Search and Destroy. You can visit www.kimkommando.com for many more free security software options. With all the good free stuff out there, why pay for anti-virus protection?

 

[cyberlegend1994]

I also use Spybot Search and Destroy.

I used to use that religiously, until I got a very stubborn malware infection on my laptop last year around Election Day. McAfee and Spybot both failed to get rid of it. An exhaustive search led me to a program called Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, which detects and removes far more stuff than Spybot and Ad-Aware combined. It took three scans by MBAM to get rid of the malware, the process took over three hours and two reboots.

 

[limerickman]

I used to use that religiously, until I got a very stubborn malware infection on my laptop last year around Election Day. McAfee and Spybot both failed to get rid of it. An exhaustive search led me to a program called Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, which detects and removes far more stuff than Spybot and Ad-Aware combined. It took three scans by MBAM to get rid of the malware, the process took over three hours and two reboots.

Malwares bytes is a superb product.
Bought a laptop recently and an IT colleague suggested Malwarebytes.
Have not had a problem - for $20.00 it's well worth it.

Still use AVG and Norton anti-virus too.

 

[64Paramount]

Thanks for the input Kdelong, Cyber, and Limerick.

I've been checking out the AVG Free and Malwarebytes software on the links you've provided, and I think I'm going to give them a try.

I wish I would've asked you all about this back in June, I would have saved myself some money and aggravation with the McAfee product.

Better late than never I guess...

 

[cyberlegend1994]

Malwares bytes is a superb product.
Bought a laptop recently and an IT colleague suggested Malwarebytes.
Have not had a problem - for $20.00 it's well worth it.

Still use AVG and Norton anti-virus too.

A few months after installing MBAM on my lappy, I ended up installing it on one of the computers at the office I work out of, our secretary/bookkeeper picked up some nasty stuff in an e-mail that was passed on to her. Since the Norton subscription expired there, I also installed AVG free version anti-virus on that comp, then installed MBAM to get rid of the nasty stuff that actually masqueraded as an anti-virus program. MBAM actually comes in two versions - the only difference between the free and paid versions is that the paid version will run in the background and stand guard in real time, the free version only does manual scanning on demand.

 

[64Paramount]

I loaded up the AVG Free and it seems to work well.

The McAfee would take an hour and 40+ minutes to scan my computer and I don't remember it ever finding anything.

The AVG took 23 minutes to scan, found and removed 13 items, some of which were over 6 months old.

I think I'm going to load the MBAM software too and run it manually every once in a while.

Thanks again you all for your help on this!

 

[steve]

Lately we've been using Microsoft Security Essentials ( http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/ ), its lightweight and pretty much set and forget

A quick scan takes about 40 seconds, i'm not sure how long the full scan takes.

 

[konasunset]

I am a Mac... and I don't use protection Maybe I am living on the edge but I am clean so far. Don't knock it til you try it.

 

[alienator]

I am a Mac... and I don't use protection Maybe I am living on the edge but I am clean so far. Don't knock it til you try it.

Macs are great for passing Windows viruses, especially when they're owned by Mac users that aren't aware or just don't care.

 

[konasunset]

Hmmm so how is it that a Mac can transmit a windows virus? I personally don't download or send anything dubious so I am curious how I can pass on something that isn't even made for my platform? Please enlighten me... because I do care. Maybe everyone should just switch to Mac and then Windows viruses won't be able to be passed on to them although I do hear they are starting to make viruses for Mac. Any suggestions on that one?

 

[alienator]

Hmmm so how is it that a Mac can transmit a windows virus? I personally don't download or send anything dubious so I am curious how I can pass on something that isn't even made for my platform? Please enlighten me... because I do care. Maybe everyone should just switch to Mac and then Windows viruses won't be able to be passed on to them although I do hear they are starting to make viruses for Mac. Any suggestions on that one?

First, it's myth that Macs are immune to viruses. Any apparent immunity has only come from lack of market share. Not that the market share is increasing, and Macs are getting popular, they are becoming targets of viruses. Any Mac news site will tell you that. Moreover, what do you think the security updates are for, eh? For the hell of it? They're issued because of weaknesses or vulnerabilities discovered in the OS or other applications. Guess what viruses do: they take advantage of vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an OS or applications.

As for passing PC viruses, it's simple. All that has to happen is for you to get an email from a friend on a PC that's infected. That by doing nothing--as you are--that virus can be passed back to another PC user.

If you're running Bootcamp, Parallels, Virtual PC, or summat, you are vulnerable to PC viruses.

There are a lot of Mac users that operate on the ignorant idea that the Mac OS and Mac apps are somehow virus immune. It ain't true. In fact, given that the Mac OS is built on a Unix kernel, and given that there are Unix viruses, it doesn't take a big stretch of imagination to see that writing a Mac virus is possible.

Hello world.

 

[konasunset]

I have seen the light.... thank you

 

[jhuskey]

I use Bit Defender, it doesn't bog down my PC like some others do and so far has worked very well.

 

[64Paramount]

I ran the Malwarebytes last night and it found something called Hkey Hijacker. I don't know exactly what it was, but it sounded nasty and Malwarebytes rebooted my PC after it removed it.

 

[64Paramount]

I have seen the light.... thank you

Go forth and spread computer cooties no more!

 

[cyberlegend1994]

I ran the Malwarebytes last night and it found something called Hkey Hijacker. I don't know exactly what it was, but it sounded nasty and Malwarebytes rebooted my PC after it removed it.

Some malware has components that start up automatically when the PC starts and embed themselves into Windows components, so with those malware programs you need to reboot in order to fully get rid of them.