What Anti-Virus Software do you use?

[Guest LilBambi]

I thought it would be great to list the different types of Anti-Virus programs that folks are using; as well as the pros and cons they have experienced; and maybe whether it is a pay-to-play or free regarding the program and/or updates.I use Grisoft's AVG on my personal computer. It is free for personal use; program and updates.The only thing they require is that each user register the software.Doesn't seem to be too high a price to pay for a 100% ICSA Certified Anti-Virus Software program, that works well, as many great features....and a pretty yukky interface :)On my RedHat 7.2 computer, I thankfully already had a fairly recent version of F-Secure's F-Prot (that I update with wget in commandline). They are apparently now selling this product for about $80 ... it is even more expensive for the Desktop than McAfee and Norton....go figure!

Edited March 28, 2003 by LilBambi

[shoe]

I use Mcafee 7.02 http://www.mcafeeretail.com/products/virus...default.asp?m=1

[Frank]

I use Norton. I had McAfee at one time, but if I remember correctly, it gave me some problems. That's been about four years ago so I can't judge how it is now. Norton seems to be OK. I like the easy way it is to update. Just click on the LiveUpdate icon and it takes care of it. Frank

[dicknite]

Norton.I like the transparency. Automatic updates and scans - I don't have to do a thing - open it once in a while and check things out, that's it!Also once a month use one of the online scanners and check the whole network (only 6 pc's, so it doesn't take all that long). This is just as a "second layer" or second opinion, so to speak - can't be TOO careful. That reminds me - I went to the doctor last week, and he told me I had 6 weeks to live... I told him I wanted a second opinion, and he said, "You're ugly too."... Anyway. I've tried McAfee 3 or 4 times and never was successful at having it get along with the rest of my system.d|:^)Dick

[Stryder]

I am a Norton 2003 user. Have been a Norton guy four about 3 years now. Hey dicknite: My doctor is much more gracious than yours. He told me I only had six months to live. Told him I could not pay the bill.....he gave me another six months.

[Guest LilBambi]

Norton is my all-time favorite pay-to-play anti-virus software because I personally haven't seen any computers that have had problems with it.McAfee on the otherhand, I have seem several computers that have problems with their software. And I am apparently not the only one who has seen this.Go figure...McAfee was the one that was first on the block back in the DOS days and they did a great job. I would have to say that I have been disappointed with McAfee in recent years.There is a saying...If you don't want to know, don't ask. I don't go to the doctor

[Big Jeff]

I use e-trust e-z Armor pay-to-play. It's an anti-virus, firewall, deskshield package recommended by the guy who built my machine. If I didn't choose to do sig updates and scans manually I'd forget it's running. I'm quite happy with it.

[SonicDragon]

I use Norton 2003. No problems with it here. Unfortunately, it is pay to play, but, o well. If i remeber correctly, Norton 2002 did have some problems with XP, but once i upgraded to '03, everything went smoothly.

[Scot]

NAV 2003. I keep trying others, but I also keep coming back.-- Scot

[Guest ComputerBob]

In the past, I've used Norton, McAfee, AntiVir Person Edition, Avast Home Edition, Grisoft's AVG, InoculateIT, and Inoculan.My all-time favorite was InoculateIT, but it stopped being freeware.My second favorite, and the one that I use now, is Grisoft's AVG.

[Guest LilBambi]

me too ComputerBob ... although as I mentioned, Norton is my favorite Pay-to-Play one.

[havnblast]

I like Norton, I got Norton 2002 and 2003, just have not installed 2003 yet. I have fixed a lot of computers with different antivirus software on them and the most troublesum was Mcaffee - I hate that program with a passion. I have never gotten a virus running Norton and they come out with fixes for viruses usually in 24 hours.I have heard reports that the 2003 version is taking after Windows with installs. If you install it and than uninstall it than decided to reinstall it - it throws a fit. I don't like that and that is why I have not installed it yet.

[muckshifter]

Norton Utilities 95 - Norton SystemWorks Pro 2003.I still use the 95 version. It has gotten many a "Customer" out of a problem.

[Acadia]

NOD32. In my humble opinion NOD and Norton are the two best on the market (that opinion based on most independent testing). Whenever I get a new PC with a modern processor I could very likely switch to Norton but with this slow, antiquated system I prefer NOD, it does not slow me down and please believe me, that is amazing. Take care.Acadia

[Guest LilBambi]

Norton Antivirus' Removal Tool and Information to make life easier when going from one version to another or just removing it from your system.This Norton AV page states:

Rnav2003.exe is a utility that manually uninstalls the program files and registry entries that are installed by NAV 5.0/2000/2001/2002/2003. It does not remove the files or registry keys for the virus definitions, subscription information, entries in the Task Scheduler, or other shared files. The utility should be used only when you cannot uninstall through the Add/Remove Programs applet. Uninstalling NAV through Windows does a more thorough job of removing the program.

havnblast -- If you run into any problems with the normal install, I hope this removal tool will make the upgrade path easier for you.

[havnblast]

Thanks LilBambi I will look into that - as far as the registry I can clean that out myselfThanks for link.

[Guest LilBambi]

Thanks LilBambi I will look into that - as far as the registry I can clean that out myselfThanks for link.

You're welcome. I should have known that you would be well capable of taking care of the registry cleaning on your own judging from your previous posts on the forum

[Rockin Ronnie]

I use AVG Grisoft on one computer and PC-Cillin 2002 on another. I am quite pleased with both as they seem to intercpt most anything. AVG is free and to my mind an excellent product. PC-Cillin seems to be very good and I have never been in trouble with any viruses it has detected. BTW, I use AdAware for spyware.Ron

[Guest LilBambi]

I use AVG Grisoft on one computer and PC-Cillin 2002 on another. I am quite pleased with both as they seem to intercpt most anything. AVG is free and to my mind an excellent product. PC-Cillin seems to be very good and I have never been in trouble with any viruses it has detected. BTW, I use AdAware for spyware.Ron

Rockin Ronnie --Your mention of Ad-aware was very timely. I have just added a poll on this very subject.You can cast your vote in the poll: Spyware? and it also gives us all a place to voice our thoughts on adware/spyware too

[LadyL]

Norton SystemWorks2002 - which has NAV as part of it ...been a Norton's user since I got my first computer in 2000.

[Guest LilBambi]

Norton's great ... wasn't Norton the company that absorbed PCTools from the old DOS days?

[LadyL]

...don't know anything about computers before 2000 ...sorry

[jbredmound]

Well, Norton has been my main AVS for some years, and I am running 2003 now.I continually read articles saying that one should have TWO perimeter defenses, and I thought they were a bit paranoid, or out and out crazy.Then came the WORM

[jbredmound]

I musta pushed the wrong button. As I was saying, then came THE WORM. Dude came right through the McAffey perimeter set up by my ISP, took out my Norton (I eventually had to uninstall and download again), and then tried to worm it's little self all through me (erasing e-mail addresses, trying to send email, messing up my browser, etc.).I think that the only reason I didn't crash and burn was I had stayed up with the patches, and it just couldn't find a big enough hole.So, today, older and wiser runs Norton 2003 AND Grisoft's AVG. The ISP still has McAffey on the perimeter. Gotta have that second row of wire, folks, because when they hit you, they mean business.

[Guest ComputerBob]

So, today, older and wiser runs Norton 2003 AND Grisoft's AVG. The ISP still has McAffey on the perimeter. Gotta have that second row of wire, folks, because when they hit you, they mean business.   

On the same computer at the same time? I've always heard that you should never run two anti-virus packages on the same computer, because they can conflict with each other and actually provide LESS protection than one of them would provide by itself.

[Mike]

ComputerBob...That's always been what I've read/been told as well... although I can certainly scan my drives from across my network without a problem... I use NAV 2000 - 2003, and Sophos I don't have anything on my linux box... what's good for that? (not that I am all too worried about that one...) --

[Guest LilBambi]

I finally found it! Free for personal use Linux AVS!f-prot for Linux (for small businesses) that is free for personal use!Here it is in tar.gz and .rpm formats:http://www.f-prot.com/download/download_fplinux.htmlI knew it was out there, just couldn't find it on their main site anymore where I found it before...it is now under the small business area only. ;)BTW: The still have it for BSD, free for personal use on personal workstations as well:http://www.f-prot.com/download/download_fpfreebsd.htmlAND DOS, here:http://www.f-prot.com/download/download_fpdos.html(Trial version only for Windows users...but we already had AVG and others that are free for personal use for Windows users).

Edited March 31, 2003 by LilBambi

[havnblast]

LilBambi - way to go for finding thoseI have to comment on running two anti-viruses programs at same time is not a good thing. Those programs are resource hogs to begin with and running two is not stable. Pick one good one and if you ever have any doubts use an online virus scan such as the ones at housecall or norton. Housecall

[Guest ThunderRiver]

I have 3 machines.First one is a laptop running Windwos Xp, and it runs Norton Antivirus Corporation Edition 8.0, and it is very very sleek. Of course, you can't get it from retail stores though.The Second machine is running Windows 2003 Server, and since I am in Microsoft beta testing, it is now running PC Satisfaction trail, which comes a package of firewall + backup + antivirus package. It even downloads virus definitions from Microsoft.Third machine is running OpenBSD, and it doesn't have any Antivirus installed, and you dont' need one because virus needs root access to do anything bad.

[benhenry]

LilBambi - way to go for finding thoseI have to comment on running two anti-viruses programs at same time is not a good thing.  Those programs are resource hogs to begin with and running two is not stable.  Pick one good one and if you  ever have any doubts use an online virus scan such as the ones at housecall or norton.

Hi Havnblast,I agree with you, and several others who have posted similar concerns about running 2 virus scanners... but ...I think that you mean don't run 2 virus scanners on a single computer in real time scanning mode.I run a variant of PC-cillin that came with a program called SystemSuite 4. And I also run the wonderfully priced Grisoft AVG. No conflicts- no problems.I let AVG do the real-time scanning because it makes less of an impact on system resources in Win98... I also use it for "command line" situations, for example, my GetRight download manager can call it conveniently to scan a download upon completion.PC-cillin does a much more thorough job of full system scans... although it is slow. I start it sometimes just before I have a long job coming up somewhere else... when I come back it has completed a very thorough scan.AVG does a better (I'm not sure but it feels good) job of "right click" context menu scanning.In summary, I think using 2 virus scanners on a single computer is a good thing. As long as they both don't load as services at startup, and you turn off one of them in real time.