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Reccomended Anti Virus?


FantasyAcquiesce

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Avast free works well enough for me with a minimal install (File, Web and Mail Shields + Rescue Disk).  Running on WinXP x64, Win7 x64, and Win10 x64 using one license for my home LAN.

If you want advanced features, you should tell us what you're looking for.

Edited by 5eraph
Specificity.
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As above - you need only anti-malware (real time, scanning, signature-based scanning + some heuristics) or some well-suited security suite? Oh, and OS you use might be important. Protection at all cost or something lightweight for old PC?

if only AV, Avira might be the choice. New versions has some modern idiotic design implemented like only online installer, some retarded launcher forced to users etc. It also spins up on-demand scanner slowly if you need to scan some downloads or pendrive. In case of detection rate, it's on top or near top of AV-comparatives charts for at least two years, and it has decent UI.

If ISS, I recommend Comodo. AV engine is not it's strongest point, but it's HIPS and firewall modules are really useful. Note it needs a bit of play with configuration and aware user to respond to pop-ups, but might be worth it. And it has quite-secure virtual desktop too, maybe not a full VM, but has it uses. And AV only can be replaced by something with better detection... like Avira. Additionally Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit and you are pretty well bunkered :>

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  • 3 months later...

Avast Free here too, for years on several computers. I dislike some additions they made meanwhile, like website reputation and so on, but these can be switched off. It just takes more time and attention at installation. The present v2016 runs on Xp and up, not W2k. Recently I noticed v2016 slowed down one machine but didn't investigate; v2014 didn't - possibly because I switched off some shared reputation feature so Avast now scans every file.

Since Avast Free has been around, I see few reasons to pay for an antivirus. Depending on the test, Kaspersky may be slightly better. An added advantage is that is comes from Russia, hence may better reject the malware developed by European or US agencies - but to sell in Europe I fear they have to put holes in their protection.

I won't take BitDefender any more, never-ever. Once I installed the Universalis Encyclopedia, which brought that #@*!! C-Dilla on my computer. When I told BitDefender's firewall to stop C-Dilla calling home, C-Dilla just destroyed BitDefender's firewall, which then let everything through. I don't want to know if BitDefender improved that. A curse on their moustache!

Comodo as a firewall. Since I don't mind older versions for the firewall, and keep them with care, I can still install it on W2k and older.

Edited by pointertovoid
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

If I use an AV I use NOD32, been using it for at least ten years now probably longer and the only time I ever notice it is when it wants me to renew the subscription. If it does "spring" into action it does it fast and decisively and does not mess about with "what do you wan't to do questionaires?" for a serious threat, it just deals with it. Over the years, it has not like most added a ton of bells and whistles, turning a reasonably good AV client into a monsterous, invasive chunk of bloatware, it has added a couple of features.

For my clients I used to install AVG Free in the 2000s until that became a bloated nagging mess in about 2005, then I went to Avast for some time until the same thing happened to Avast. Since then I have put trial versions of NOD32 on all my clients PCs and warned them to either pay for it or put their own AV in because in 30 days the trial is up. Often I get a phone call saying, "this NOD thing wants me to pay for it, what do you think I should do?.........................sigh! So I tell them again I recommend they pay for NOD32 (or Kaspersky if they wish which is more bloatware in my opinion but nonetheless pretty good) and they say, "I can put AVG / Avast / AV Freebie etc in it for nothing" so I say - "your data pal you do whatever you want".

I have had this conversation about a million times so my answer is - anything is better than nothing but in the end how much is your data worth to you?

Edited by jonah8208
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