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General discussion

Which antivirus utility protects your computer?

Jan 14, 2005 4:01AM PST

Which antivirus utility protects your computer?

AVG Anti-Virus (love or hate it?)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (love or hate it?)
McAfee VirusScan (love or hate it?)
Norton AntiVirus (love or hate it?)
Panda Titanium Antivirus (love or hate it?)
Trend Micro PC-cillin (love or hate it?)
Other (what is it?)
I don't need no stinkin' antivirus app. (really, why not?)

Discussion is locked

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Panda works well.
Nov 25, 2005 2:29AM PST

So what more could you want? It doesn't seem to hog system resources, and after a couple of years using it I have never had a virus or trojan on my systems (Gateway PCs running XP Pro). We have a multiple license for all our PCs and it seems to be worth every last cent.

(BTW my next system is going to be an Apple G5, and I have a Linux box as well, so let no-one assume I'm implying nice things about Microsoft - only Panda! Actually I will say good things about Gateway, over the last 10 years I've installed well over 120 Gateways, from notebooks through servers, and they have been remarkably trouble-free, even with Windows.)

Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas etc to all geeks out there.

Alan

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antivirus
Nov 25, 2005 2:31AM PST

I use Zonealarm suite

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AVG
Nov 25, 2005 2:39AM PST

AVG by Grisoft and I love it!

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I use KAV5
Nov 25, 2005 2:47AM PST

and have had no attacks whatsoever but I also have a very excellent hardware firewall and it's brilliant.

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Trend Micro PC-cillin
Nov 25, 2005 2:49AM PST

Trend Micro PC-cillin I have found to be better then all the others I have tryed. They keep up on all the latest data. I have tryed all of them just about. With the others I have still gotton a virus but with Trend Micro PC-cillin I haven't got one so for.


Ernie White

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ALLREADY PROVIDED
Nov 25, 2005 2:52AM PST

PROVIDED BY ISP FREE OF CHARGE

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Norton SystemWorks simply does not work.
Nov 25, 2005 2:54AM PST

I have been using Norton SystemWorks with it's antivirus for about 10 years. Many of the included programs are worthless -- Disk Doctor on C drive will not operate, one must use checkdisk. Speed Disk stopped working properly on two drives, so I now use windows defrag.

And because weekly images are made with Acronis True Image, Norton's Cleansweep, Ghost & Protection are not used.

Spent considerable time with their tech to get Speed Disk operational and finally gave up and uninstalled SystemWorks, including searching the Reg for both Norton & Symantec. Then reinstalled it with Antivirus only. This will be used until the one-year update contract expires in March, then I'll look for another product!

I have been through their worthless tech support for many years, and have no desire to try it again!

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i used to use mcafee
Nov 25, 2005 3:08AM PST

i used to use mcafee but all the problems i had with them i gave up on them....im using norton now

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Bit Defender - My 'other' AntiVirus
Nov 25, 2005 3:24AM PST

I really like Bit Defender. It has everything the more popular brands have and it is very inexpensive as well.

After several months of using Bit Defender, I ran Norton's
Anti-virus on-line on my whole system just to check up on Bit Defender. Norton's couldn't find a single virus, trojan or other infection on my machine. That's good enough for me.

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Symantec AntiVirus
Nov 25, 2005 3:39AM PST

I use Norton SystemWorks. Have been since they took over Central Point Software/PC Tools. Always had a choice of what I wanted to load. Now I don't have the choice of anti spyware. Norton loads it whether I want it or not. I prefer a different flavor than Norton. Back to SystemWorks 2005 for me and I'll use 2005 Antivirus and my own flavor of anti Spyware.
They are becoming like, or leading the pack, a sotware company forcing me to do what they want, not what I want or need.

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I like Nortons
Nov 25, 2005 3:55AM PST

Ever since McAfee failed to find the stoned virus on my system, I went back to Nortons.

I have been hit with other unknown viruses, but they also took over my Nortons, and I haven't been hit again after they sent a patch.

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My experience with PC-cillin leads me to say ''Don't buy it!
Nov 25, 2005 3:57AM PST

After reading the CNET reviews on Trend Micro PC-cillin 2005, I was anxious to buy it and have an excellent, easy to maintain security system on my pc. Nothing could have been further from the actuality of the situation after installing PC-cillin.
PC-cillin is extremely sensitive. I have uninstalled programs (not PC-cillin) and after doing so Windows would post a message saying there was no anti-virus protection on the computer. This happened a number of times.
Another issue with PC-cillin is that it is not compatible with certain other programs. Tennebril's Ghost Surf is one such program. Windows also posted that same error message (mentioned previously) when I installed an Inter Video Win DVD 7 player.
The techs at Trend Micro told me the problem is with Windows XP. For some reason, according to the Trend Micro Techs, Windows XP does not recognize PC-cillin on some computers. This is ridiculous. This is absolutely a problem, in my opinion, with PC-cillin and not XP. I say this because I have two computers. Before I knew of the problems of PC-cillin and taking the word of the CNET critics, I made the mistake of installing PC-cillin on both of my computers. On one computer PC-cillin is recognized by Windows except when it isn't. On the other computer PC-cillin is not recognized at all by Windows and never has been. However, the main PC-cillin control board shows that PC-cillin is protecting the computer. I called the Trend Micro techs and they told me to turn off Windows ability to recognize that there is an anti-virus program on the pc (this includes turning off Windows ability to recognize that there is a firewall on the pc, as well).
I did this on the computer where Windows has never recognized PC-cillin was installed. I did not do this on the computer on which Windows did recognize PC-cillin was installed.
Also, it is not necessary to uninstall a program for PC-cillin to stop being recognized by Windows. Sometimes Windows shows that PC-cillin is not installed for no apparent reason.
It has been a major hassle using PC-cillin. I am planning to remove it from both computers.

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Trend Micro support (or lack thereof)
Nov 25, 2005 10:26AM PST

That's interesting. How did you find someone at trend micro to talk with? They would not answer any of my emails and I couldn't find a phone number. My solution was to uninstall pc-cillin and install avg. No problems since.

Good luck.

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Anti-Virus Software
Nov 25, 2005 4:02AM PST

Although it appears that Trend PcCillin' Antivirus software only has 6% of your readers, I personally believe it is the best on the market.

I first used Tread in the late 1980's and have never had an infection or a worm. PcCillin' has stopped many threats, and quanentined all.

Before Trend I used Norton, which was very obtrusive. After shifting to Trend I have never turned off the program to install, or delete programs. Tread's PcCillin' has never failed me.

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Norton. I love it!
Nov 25, 2005 5:14AM PST

Norton. I love it!

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Other - Avast Antivirus
Nov 25, 2005 5:23AM PST

I use avast antivirus it has worked out for me.

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Had Vet, moving on.
Nov 25, 2005 5:27AM PST

We had Vet AV for many years. Now they have their new version 11, it appears to have had a massive dumming down forced on it by Computer Associates to make it palatable for the home market. All the useful featuers, like settings for logging all the results, delete if you can't clean a file automatically. For example - a recent scan of the mail-server turned up 4 viruses in mail folders. There was no option to clean or remove the files. Ringing helpdesk, which used to ring the next suburb to talk to local support, took me to being on hold for 30 mins to India. The attendant who took the call then admitted that there was no way now to remove those viruses and I had to delete them by hand. I chose to remove only one thing by hand and that was Vet.

We're now profiling a range of other solutions. The price to buy a corporate license (~75 computers) is ferocious for a small business (~45 people). When you don't expect to have this as an expense this late in the year, paying $6K-$10K for an AV package is very hard to arrange.

The old Vet was nice and simple. Daily or better updates, reasonably resource-shy and ran in safe-mode for all the benefits that entails.

For now, we are doing a month-by-month evaluation across the company of the offerings from each company. We had good results with F-secure, although this is tricky to install on some computers (had to do it in safe mode more than once) and it won't run in safe-mode so when your computer is suffering from a virus and running very slowly, you have to wait for it to boot and run f-secure to identify what is killing it.

We are evaluating trend pc-cillin. The first problem was that it firewalled some, but not all of the network resources until you manually configure it be in an office LAN. It seems to be quick enough, although not startlingly so. It certainly has the best price quote so far for the big commercial names.

On the list to match up with it are f-prot, sophos and AVG. The ones we would never touch are the made-for-home market and anything with the Norton badge. The sad thing about Norton is the once great products are now surviving on reputation. A lot of the supporters in this list of Norton won't realise why Norton is bad nor what their computer can be like running other software. We all have plenty of battle stories regarding it's misdemeanours that convince us to go elsewhere.

Our mail is scanned by Messagelabs to guarantee it is all shielded long before it ever makes the domain. This saves huge amounts of time. We will also run our web-proxying through them for the same reason. They endorse McAfee as one of the best. We've had bad stories with customers using McAfee, particularly with false-positives to our software as a virus.

All I want is something that is quick, unobtrusive, reliable, able to be locked down so users can't deactivate it, updates automatically, mails the admins when there is a problem. Oh yeah, and it would be nice to be centrally monitorable too. And I don't want to have to pay 3 years at a time license to get the price down to something vaguely realistic. Is that too much to ask?

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I use NAV, and am surprised that many other ppl do as well
Nov 25, 2005 5:48AM PST

I also use NAV. Norton AntiVirus 2005. It runs well, but it better since my PC is still about up there if not at the very top of the peak (P4 3GHz, 1.5GB RAM, WinXP Pro SP2). I had 2004 the year before. Was $25 to renew my one year subscription, but was only +$5 more from that to upgrade from NAV04 to NAV05, so I did it.... based on Cnet's decent ratings of NAV05. When my subscription runs out this year, I'll have to weigh the discounted upgrade fee for customers with other options. I may stick with NAV b/c I'm used to it, or just go with AVG b/c it's freeware and has a good track record at what it does so far.

I will say that I am *VERY SURPRISED* to see the most ppl using NAV. I know it's popular despite opinions going both ways, but I figured a good number of the NAV and other shareware users would've migrated to AVG or other freeware AV apps by now.

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Avast
Nov 25, 2005 5:55AM PST

Why wasn't Avast in the lineup? It seems to be well received. I just recently installed it when NIS did a number on my Windows XP Pro computer. The only thing I don't understand is why it runs for *everything.* I've used AVG in the (distant) past and thought I'd try something smaller. Anything better (free and small) out there?

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Which antivirus utility protects your computer?
Nov 25, 2005 6:28AM PST

Dear CNET,

Let me start by saying your service & discussion group addresses "BIG" issues that need to be discussed in open forum.

On the Anti-Virus issue: I've tried a lot of the products you have listed below. The results range from clumsy, unless, resource-hungry and fluff-ware; to just plain bad. I was finally directed to a product call ?NOD32? by ESET (http://www.eset.com/home/home.htm ). This product has a very small footprint. But most importantly, since I loaded it, my machine has not gone down once from virus attacks. All those products you have listed below could not stop the attacks. NOD32 got the job done without taking over my machine; and using little resources.

-Gerald in San Francisco, CA

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I use AVAST!
Nov 25, 2005 6:40AM PST

Been using Avast for about 6 months now, by far my favorite antivirus software.

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AVG Anti-Virus
Nov 25, 2005 6:42AM PST

Love it!
After years (from the beginning of the need and availability of Anti-Virus Apps), of using the ''Big Boys'' I stumbled upon AVG and have been a devote' ever since.
It's (Windows version) execution is MUCH faster than the more familiar old stand by's. Updates are always ''on-time'' to keep up with the ''fun''. Has always been on-guard; never any suprises (in conjunction with all the other common security gates). In addition, AVG tech support is always very quick and courteous!
The Pro version's auto-updates liscense covers *2* years. As compared to the older, well known authors' 1 year norm.
I have included AVG on my own Web Site's Recomended Software page.

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An original Central-Point user
Nov 25, 2005 7:01AM PST

I was using Central-Point software for years, along with Norton Utilities. When they all came together, I just stuck with the Norton, but also have acquired other tools to mitigate my systems spyware and virus-free.

Using one anti-virus tool is like parachuting from an airplane without an emergency chute. How lucky do you feel?

Just my thoughts,

Steven Moshlak
www.computerlegalexperts.com

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Prefer double protection
Nov 25, 2005 7:18AM PST

Use McAfee and Webroot Spy Sweeper

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Best Antivirus
Nov 25, 2005 7:19AM PST

Avast is the best and also FREE. Even the commercial one is outstanding, update every time internet is on.
Jean/pepe109

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Trend Micro PC-Cillin
Nov 25, 2005 7:25AM PST

Trend Micro rocks. I have used Norton, AVG, McAfee and had viruses with all of them. In the three years I have used Trend Micro, I have had ZERO problems. It auto-updates several times a day and there is a lot of piece of mind in seeing the updates and the scans and knowing my computer is protected. Yes, I use their firewall and several spyware programs also.

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No virus scanner for me
Nov 25, 2005 8:28AM PST

Haha; I honestly format my computer once or twice a year but not because of virus'.

I last formated my computer near the end of May or mid June and so far I've had no problems. All the problems which Ive gotten so far are either from ad or spyware or from something else which isn't virus related.

If I do use a virus scanner though then it's nod32.

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Which Antivirus?????
Nov 25, 2005 8:39AM PST

I use ZoneAlarm Iternet Security Suite 6. I bought this after reading the CNET reveiw, In your reveiw of this particular Software back in July you clearly state that ZA Suite "Puts Noton and McAfee Software to shame" If this is really your experts opinion, Why then does it not feature in your list of Choices on this poll??? I find that bit unusual. JohnB.

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BitDefender
Nov 25, 2005 8:39AM PST

I have used AVG as well as Norton, Zone Alarm and McAfee and I have had problems with all of them. Norton is a resource hog, McAfee is more a marketing software than a serious anti-virus solution and although I liked Zone Alarm firewall I had problems with the anti-virus and their tech support couldn't find a cure so I tried BitDefender.

It works very well, stops or finds all viruses and when tech support it needed they respond quickly and personally. They issue updates several times a day and I find this to be the best complete suite I have tried so far.

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What Antivirus Utility that protects my systems?
Nov 25, 2005 9:09AM PST

I have been using System Suite from VCOM for several years with good results.
Find them at www.v-com.com