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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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Which antivirus utility protects your computer?
Nov 25, 2005 9:29AM PST

Norton AntiVirus, and I love it.

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AntiVirus on a PC
Nov 25, 2005 10:46AM PST

I use AVG, Free version. It works better than McAfee or Norton, with frequent upgrades. On the MAC, I Use nothing. People don't write viruses for the Mac.

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Computer Associate
Nov 25, 2005 11:36AM PST

I find Computer Associate ,very reliable and they seem to give a dam about their customer's safty ,they are not selfish and give you a long time to try their product plus I feel more secure than my own IP protection.
Thanks
Doug Last

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AntiVirus I use
Nov 25, 2005 11:38AM PST

Norton AntiVirus 2005

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AVG on the laptop; KAPERSKY on the desktop
Nov 25, 2005 1:31PM PST

To me this is the right combination. Kapersky offers the in-depth coverage I need for the desktop which has most all my files (except for the backup drive which is always turned off). As for the AVG, it offers also the coverage I need, but especially without taking up all my resources. This is my "on the go" solution. I used to be a symantec user hands down, but gradually they became more and more memory intensive and precessor un-friendly. Finally I stopped using them altogether, and thank God have done ok without them (remember... the operative word is "BACK-UP FILES.")

Happy holidays!
kds

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OOOPS! Correction....
Nov 25, 2005 2:12PM PST

It's actually AVAST on the laptop, and KAPERSKY on the desktop. Sorry 'bout that; and again,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
kds

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Fix -it -utilities and no other...
Nov 25, 2005 1:57PM PST

I have used Fix it utilites nearing 6 years now. I have never had a virus get on my pc since. When I had Norton, I had over 10. Reason being, Norton does not act quick enough, and takes forever to do a scan. Fix it utilites will catch a virus in seconds, quarantine, and do a complete scan in 10 to 15 minutes,(depending on how many files.) I kid you not.
It does not integrate into your system , bog it down, or force you to keep it. Not to mention the other hundred things it can do aside of anti virus. I have, in the last year, had over 30 people switch to it. They won't buy anything else after they use it. It also has adware scanning and cleaning now and does a full scan in about a minute. i tested it against adaware and it found the same things in way less time.
Also, it seems to have a 3 to 4 year run before you need to buy a new version which comes with version upgrades for free in between. What is Norton, every year? I get the latest updates quickly, they download and install in minutes. I also get recovery commander with it and it is easy as heck to use, and recovers great. it also makes check points if you like, before anything gets installed which is great.
Like I said, many features and far too many for me to list but the best is the anit-virus for the main reason, it works better than any other I have tried. It is real time and has email scan, file scan manually, etc...and puts Norton to shame. I don't say this to put Norton down, but anyone who uses fix it, would never go back to norton or any other, this I could almost guarantee. If you go to a web site with a virus potential, it pops up immediately and either warns you or tells you a java virus, etc... just got into your files or is on the web site, and shows you where if you remove it or does it on it's own. Very good anti virus. I pay 39.00 or 29.00 for my 3 year upgrade. A very fair price. Note: I am not a newbie, I have been into computers for quite a few years running now and have quite a bit more than average experience, just to let people know that I have ran and tested more software than I can count and that I do have a good working knowledge of how well certain softwares work. (I say this so you understand I didn't buy a first time software, and stay with it or refuse to try others. ) But still, stay with what makes you happy.

Paul

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antivirus utility whichprotects my computer
Nov 25, 2005 5:52PM PST

i like AVG Anti-Virus

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Norton
Nov 25, 2005 8:13PM PST

use luall to instantly get updates

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Anti-Virus
Nov 25, 2005 10:29PM PST

I use Norton, and it's pretty good.. No major complaints, except that MSN uses a version of MacAfee, and AOL (who I just dumped like a thieving girlfriend) also uses MacAfee.. Can't these systems use an Antivirus that gets along with Norton?? Plus Windows has their own Antivirus, that conflicts with Norton..

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Kaspersky's Security Suite
Nov 26, 2005 12:19AM PST

i recently switched to Kaspersky after several years with CA. i was never unhappy with CA until i got caught up in the vsmon.exe problem with the firewall. the response from their support was totally unacceptable so i thought it was time to move on. kaspersky's updates are great and i see no speed decrease with scanning so everything is good so far. the only issue i have is that the anti-hacker (firewall) is a little more in-your-face than i would like but as long as nothing gets through i will learn to live with it

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Norton Vs. AVG
Nov 26, 2005 12:46AM PST

At the moment, I'm using Norton anti Virus (still using Win 9Cool. I won't be using it anymore because Symantic is using Bundle software that I don't need. Example; Norton Utilities 2001 was voted by Cnet as the best. Today you can't buy it stand alone without it bundled with something else attached, same with other Norton product's, they are bundled with something else I don't need in my comp. I've since installed AVG in my kids collage computers (simple and easy on the brain) that is NOT bundled with anything else...oh, I forgot to mention my kids are using NEW DELL with Win XP that came bundled with Norton stuff that has since expired after 90 days (I had to run down to their collage locations to reinstall something else to keep their comps protected, thanks to cnets download.com site, I found AVG).

Doc_Sean

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Norton Rules
Nov 26, 2005 1:41AM PST

Norton Antivirus, packaged in with their Systemworks and Internet Security, is the best package for dealing with all puter issues that I have come across, and that covers a rather large number I have tested. When set up properly, those and/or other Norton progs interact almost flawlessly to provide an extremely wide range of both protection and fixes for both common and advanced puter function and "housekeeping" activities.

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ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite
Nov 26, 2005 4:09AM PST

Had ZA firewall and Norton AV for years but got rid of Norton AV when ZA came out with the security suite. Norton has gone downhill since being acquired and I don't like their activation scheme, they remind me of Intuit's organizational arrogance. Symantec is on my "never use" vendor list, as is Intuit.

ZA is a great product that has never failed or angered me.

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Four happy years with Nod32 after 2 disasterous yrs w/Norton
Nov 26, 2005 4:57AM PST

Hello:

At just a bit more in price than Norton AV, I fell in love with www.eset.com(parent company) www.nod32.com (brand name) Anti Virus program. Why?

1: Norton never responded to any of my support requests by e mail. Norton web pages were all angled at selling me their program and support was non existent, and when I contacted customer service I was also ignored.
2: Updates took forever. Sometimes as long as 15 minutes by dial-up 56K modem. Updates were not available more often than about once a week. Were not automatic operating in the background so I was not able to do anything else while the update was going on.

3: I was hit by a new virus created only 200 miles from where I live for 9 months of the year. It came in through my Norton AV. Norton never responded to any of my calls for help. I had to carry my computer to a computer shop where they found it necessary to reformat my hard drive. What a mess. Some 4 weeks later Norton developed the cure after the virus had spread from Mexico to the USA, to Europe, and to Asia. And it was a complicated cure that involved going into files and deleting them manually, etc. Naturally that cure was too late for me.

I switched to Nod 32 after this happened.

1: My updates are automatic, and never take more than 1 to 2 minutes maximum by dial up modem. Updates sometimes occur once or twice daily but usually every day. Ocassionally they do miss a day. Not often. The updates are in the background and do not interfere with my work.

2: Nod 32 has detected five or six virus attacks before they entered into my machine. Nod 32 also inspects all my incomming e mail and attachments and has detected and deleted many infected attachments.
My main computer is in Mexico and we seem to be subjected to many more virus attacks than my computer in Texas.

3. Despite my happy experiences with Nod32 incoming protection, I have been infected twice more. On both ocasions Nod32 support responded by e mail within 3 to 12 hours and gave me clear, written instructions on how to clean my computer, including registry keys which I hate to enter. Their technical representatives in Austrailia--probably because of the time zone--have been particularly helpful. On both occasions Nod32 asked for virus samples and on both occasions had the solutions published and on their updates before Norton or Symantec offered similar solutions in their technical bulletins.

Why shouldn't I be in love?

mel king

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I so agree, NOD32 is fast, very effective and economical
Nov 27, 2005 11:09AM PST

After years with other virus checkers and lots of infections and problems, I switched to NOD32 which is much faster than other programs, works very effectively in the background and stops more infections than any other program. So far in 2 years we have only had one minor infection, that was very easily dealt with. I wouldn't even think of changing to anything else as it seems so far superior.

Steve

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My anti-virus
Nov 26, 2005 6:11AM PST

Frisk F-Prot; has auto update, easy configuration & reasonable price.

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norton systemworks
Nov 26, 2005 7:14AM PST

I am very satisfied with this software...would not have any other

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non-root users of Linux don't require A/V software!
Nov 26, 2005 8:45AM PST

I'm yet to find a virus (or spyware for that matter) that will adversely effect my Linux systems. Thus, I do not run any A/V or anti-Spyware and enjoy the added RAM & CPU cycles for MY use!

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Symantec Client Security
Nov 26, 2005 10:26AM PST

I use Symantec Client Security which consists of Symantec AV Corprate Client and Symantec Client Firewall
and its really marvlous .. never been infected and updates available daily .. and also detects some spyware
as for the firewall its nice and good protection .. nothing connect without ur knowledge which i like it Wink
hope this was useful enough

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Anti-virus
Nov 26, 2005 10:40AM PST

AVG - neither love nor hate - seems to do the job ok and is reasonably easy to use.

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KasperSky AV
Nov 26, 2005 11:55AM PST

Hi All,

Well I use Kaspersky... I guess it's perfect!

But the most bugging thing about it is that it requires more than one update per day, which means; interrupting me more than once while I'm online.

But anyway, as long as it's for my PC sake, I can take it!

Tahani

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Panda
Nov 26, 2005 3:09PM PST

panda AV rocks... ive never had a virus with it and it has good features- inclusive firewall and is constantly being updated. It is much better than sluggish norton (which i had before this).

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way better than norton!
Jun 4, 2006 4:59AM PDT

i have been using panda for quite some time now.
so much better than the sluggish norton antivirus.
its updated everyday..and it does it automatically.

i love panda!

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NOD32
Nov 26, 2005 6:13PM PST

I've tried all the others and had problems. Except for Norton. Their paranoid copy protection and high priced subcriptions was what did them in.

Kaspersky crashed my computer during installation. (So badly that I had to pull the plug.)

McAffee was furnished free by my company. It used so much
CPU time that I took it out 15 minutes after installation.

Some of the others were just old computer driver's instinct. That is, something just didn't look right and I lost my nerve.

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I don't need no stinkin' anti-virus app.
Nov 26, 2005 9:31PM PST

Because I am running OS X. Never had any anti-virus software, never had any viruses.

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Mcafee
Nov 27, 2005 12:27AM PST

I have had an online subscription with Mcafee for about 5 yrs. on 4 networked computers. I have yet to have any virus problems.

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Buyer Beware: McAfee is NOT USER FRIENDLY!!!
Dec 4, 2005 6:48PM PST

I have been dealing with McAfee since buying my computer in early 2001. After the virus protection that came with that purchase expired I purchased McAfee Internet Security ver. 5.0. When that expired I began getting annoying and frequent pop-ups telling me to update my service. I went and purchased McAfee internetsecuritysuite 2005 ver. 7.0. After I installed it the pop-ups continued. McAfee support failed to provide the correct means of stopping them. I finally stumbled across something that looked promising in my Add/Remove and got rid of the pop-ups.
My ver. 7.0 was due to expire March 29, 2006 but something went wrong. It somehow expired a few weeks ago. I had to Add/Remove expunge all of it from my computer before I could get my internet service to be allowed to operate. Of course I could not get to McAfee's internet support site without doing this.
McAfee's Customer Support responded that I should go to its Technical Support. McAfee's Technical Support did not even verify that their response matched my computer's operating system. I have still not re-installed the software because McAfee has yet to respond to my response to their response to being informed that their first Technical Support response was useless to me. So if you have not learned to operate 4 networked computers and are concerned about more than virus problems, try to find something user friendly.

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Norton Antivirus
Nov 27, 2005 2:30AM PST

They do a good job of updating. I have little or no complaints.

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Which anti-virus utility protects your computer?
Nov 27, 2005 4:52AM PST

I used CA EZ anti-virus and it was ok up until one year ago when I caught a virus. They looked at my problem and concluded that it was not a high priority virus and that micosoft needed to make a change in order to rectify the situation. Reading one of your forums, someone wrote about Avast. Since it is free, I downloaded and tried it. It immediately cleared the virus and I haven't had a problem since.