Anti virus software

[Howard]

Chaps and chapesses,

I have just taken delivery of my new laptop and it comes with a Norton Antivirus disc to install ...

Now, i have heard (mainly from you guys and other IT chaps) that Norton is a pain , using loads of memory and is a nightmare to uninstall....

So, should i install it or not , or just get AVG free , which is what i have used in the past ....

All advice appreciated IT 'boffins' as the Sun likes to call you .....

 

[pammy]

I've always used AVG free and not had any issues with it at all. Why buy a free lunch

 

[scotth_uk]

Norton is also free for a 6 month term if you download it as part of Google
s Pack of software. I used it a bit, not quite as bad as some people make out. I just find that it slows the boot down a little.

http://pack.google.com/intl/en/pack_installer_required.html?hl=en&gl=us

McAfee is what I have been using for 2 years now and it's excellent, and light on resources. Almost always 20 quid at PCWorld.

But....

AVG is great and free. ;-)

 

[Howard]

I've got Norton already .... it came free with the laptop....

Just wasn't sure whether to install it or not after the problems i have heard ...

 

[masqueraid]

Personally I try to avoid Norton, if you've a fast PC it will slow it but you may not notice the effect. AVG is a good free alternative as is Avast
But also consider paid for products such as NOD32 and CA AV (Formerly EZAV).

Perhaps we should have a sticky thread showing what the "boffins" on this site are actually using.

 

[BearFace]

I've used McAfee, Norton, AVG and Zone Alarm on various systems and of them all, McAfee has been consistently the most problematic (once fatally so ). Norton is okay, although certainly nothing special, as is AVG. Zone Alarm is very impressive - my ex has it on both her laptop and desktop PC's and she thinks it's marvellous. As she's an IT-savvy person, that kinda means something, I guess.

I recently bought PC Shield online as it was voted "the best" on numerous websites and also in a few mags I'd read. Seems to do a good job and my PCs are stable with it, so I'm happy. However it, along with both Adaware and Spybot (paid for versions, not freebies) recently allowed a malicious program to invade my main PC with almost catastrophic results, so imagine my surprise when a free (trial) program called Prevx1 not only located and repaired the problem (which was giving me blue screens virtually every five minutes, in addition to practically running my entire system...), but it also found 18 other malicious programs and dealt with them to. None of my other so-called security programs had even noticed them.......

I suppose the point is that you need to do what you're doing now and research these things pretty carefully. As far as AV software is concerned, I'd personally suggest that you avoid McAfee and ensure that any spyware/malware programs you have on your system actually work.

 

[lotusmark2]

I use AVAST and have been very happy with it!, that said I also use Xsoft-spy to get the bulk of the spyware off the system (on average 15-30 spyware per day!!!)

 

[fuzzer]

im quite happy with norton corporate edition. Can't complain.

Mcafee is rubbish and altho good , sophos is a pain to keep up to date.

 

[Kinky]

I also run Norton CE on all my machines, along with Check Point Integrity Flex (was Zone Labs) with no noticable problems at all.

K

 

[BTB 500]

I'm happy with Norton, no problems. Upgraded to Internet Security 2006 this year, running XP Pro.

 

[Brian WH]

I'm happy with Norton, no problems. Upgraded to Internet Security 2006 this year, running XP Pro.

Im happy with this package too.

 

[PJH]

..., so imagine my surprise when a free (trial) program called Prevx1 not only located and repaired the problem (which was giving me blue screens virtually every five minutes, in addition to practically running my entire system...), but it also found 18 other malicious programs and dealt with them to. None of my other so-called security programs had even noticed them.......

....

I hadn't heard of Prevx1 before, so I've just tried it. It's claiming the following are Malware:-
DSETUP.DLL......................Microsfot DirectX file
REGCLEAN_GOAW.EXE.........Regcleaner
TFTP2564.........................Microsoft Trivial File Transfer Daemon
WUAUCLT.EXE...................Windows Update Program
NAV10ESD.EXE..................Part of Norton Anti-Virus

Having clicked on TFTP2564 for more details, Prevx1 is now saying it wants to remove SVCHOST.EXE

Edit:- I have used NSW2003 and not had any problems.

 

[Howard]

Thanks for all the replies Gents .....

Have installed AVG free for now, pending further investigation (should read : Biting the bullet) and installing Norton ....

All that deters me is the stories of it not uninstalling itself properly if i want to get rid of it ..

H

 

[Benzowner]

Thanks for all the replies Gents .....

Have installed AVG free for now, pending further investigation (should read : Biting the bullet) and installing Norton ....

All that deters me is the stories of it not uninstalling itself properly if i want to get rid of it ..

H

Easy uninstall,...............new laptop

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Used Norton for 8 years plus and had no problems at all. Switched this month to the free security software provided by Blueyonder, and impressed so far.

Norton un-installed without problems, but Live Update is there somewhere as it keeps trying to connect to the Internet!!

I am generally wary of freebie security software as it can have malicious code hiding in it. What finer way of hiding it, than in the software that the user thinks is protecting them?

I've heard people say a mate of a mate had big brand software, downloaded a freebie and found a shedload of spyware and viruses that the big brand never spotted. Maybe I'm a big fat cynic, but maybe it never was there - how do you know it isn't a ploy to get you to tell all your mates so they download it too, or even upgrade for the paid-for version?

Yep ...I probably am a big fat cynic!!

 

[big x]

I use the free AVG,Spybot,firewall and Adaware and have had no problems in two years using Firefox.Don't use IE 6 although the new IE 7 looks better with the antiphishing option.Mind you it's a lot less hassle to use a Mac which has none of the requirements of constant updating.


adam

 

[Benzowner]

Norton un-installed without problems, but Live Update is there somewhere as it keeps trying to connect to the Internet!!

Uninstall Live update (Symantec) in your settings, remove programs

 

[BearFace]

I hadn't heard of Prevx1 before, so I've just tried it. It's claiming the following are Malware:-
DSETUP.DLL......................Microsfot DirectX file
REGCLEAN_GOAW.EXE.........Regcleaner
TFTP2564.........................Microsoft Trivial File Transfer Daemon
WUAUCLT.EXE...................Windows Update Program
NAV10ESD.EXE..................Part of Norton Anti-Virus

Having clicked on TFTP2564 for more details, Prevx1 is now saying it wants to remove SVCHOST.EXE

Edit:- I have used NSW2003 and not had any problems.

That's interesting, because I downloaded it and it only found genuine malware (and nothing else), and I then recommended it to a friend on whose PC it found nothing whatsoever and just yesterday my girlfriend downloaded it and it found two malicious programs immediately. In all cases, nothing other than nasty programs have been revealed, and this has been consistent for me for over a week. When the trial runs out I'll definitely be buying it.

The other day I mentioned Prevx1 to a neighbour of mine, who's a software engineer. He'd already seen it working and told me it was a safe bet, so it made me feel better about my choice. I can only think that in your case the settings are perhaps a little aggressive? I left mine on default.

Edit: I'd be interested to know how you ran the prgram just out of interest, because once it's completed it's scan, Prevx1 holds suspicious files and then goes online to cross reference them with a community database. Clearly something doesn't smell quite right if the same community database considers valid programs to be malicious, especially as I can vouch for three seperate PCs on which it's done nothing of the sort. You should perhaps contact the helpline?

Edit II: Apparently Prevx Home is one to avoid, and indeed it's been discontinued. People found it complicated and difficult to remove, whereas Prevx1 is generally highly rated on software sites, although it's not ideal for the less computer literate among us.

 

[Sp!ke]

I would advise against Norton and strongly advise against Zone Alarm. In fact, I would go as far as saying ZA is possibly the most troublesome product of its kind on the market....

Avast or AVG with the standard XP SP2 firewall, with the PC hidden behind a NAT'd router is the best way forward. Oh! and throw in window defender for good measure.

... and I know some will say how great ZA is and what I say in response is that I am ultimately responsible for the image on a fleet of 30,000+ PC's and notebooks. If there are any trends or problems, it is my responsibility to get to the source and i can catagorically say that if ZA works for you then you are a lucky person indeed. Personally, I wouldnt take the risk as the damage it can do is often permenent requiring a complete rebuild from scratch.

 

[Howard]

Thanks everyone ...

At the mo , i am running AVG free with windows firewall ....

When i am at home, it is behind a Netgear firewalled wireless router ...

At work it is behind a wireless hotspot router , which is presumably firewalled in some way ?

Will keep Norton in the drawer for now ....