Fastest antivirus software? (eg. is Nod32 all that great?)

jmk396

Gawd
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Jul 22, 2004
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I've been using Nod32 (v4.0 I think?) for a while now but I'm thinking about switching to another program because I think it's part of the reason for my system slowness.

For example, because installing nod32 my system is very responsive but afterwards I hear the hard-drive grinding all the time...

Anyways, is nod32 possibly responsible for this?

Also, what is the "fastest" antivirus out there? I have 8 GB of RAM so I don't care about the memory footprint but I don't want the antivirus program slowing everything down, etc.
 
I run NOD32 v4 and don't experience this issue. You could try Avira Antivir.
 
Nod 32 is the smallest footprint, fastest running I've ever seen.
 
Nod 32 is the smallest footprint, fastest running I've ever seen.

X3

never experienced this with NOD32

using version 3.5 I believe

edit: OP... Clamwin is also very very lightweight but I don't think that it does realtime protection
 
I just dumped NOD32 because of issues with it and Vista SP2. Components of it would fail to load, requiring a reboot. I discovered after uninstalling it that it doesn't really slow anything down, but causes a lag before it starts running. It inserts a delay before anything you open. And the web scanner could be faster. V3 is still better than v4 as far as speed. I am currently trialing avast! Professional and it is far lighter than NOD32. Their web scanner doesn't even seem noticeable. I will likely buy a license for it at the end of the trial. As of late it has been outscoring NOD32 on detection rates anyway. I have always liked NOD32 but hesitate to recommend v4 in its current state.
 
I've been using Nod32 (v4.0 I think?) for a while now but I'm thinking about switching to another program because I think it's part of the reason for my system slowness.

For example, because installing nod32 my system is very responsive but afterwards I hear the hard-drive grinding all the time...

Anyways, is nod32 possibly responsible for this?

Also, what is the "fastest" antivirus out there? I have 8 GB of RAM so I don't care about the memory footprint but I don't want the antivirus program slowing everything down, etc.
Make sure your not doing scheduled scans/updates during the times that you use the PC. Also consider lowering the scanning level.
 
SP2 is still a beta though.
No, it's not. It's been final for a while now...it just isn't available to the general public. I'm using NOD32 v4 with SP2 and I'm not seeing any issues. I also haven't had any slowdowns with it either. Avira doesn't either, for that matter.
 
In terms of free antivirus, I'm using Avira and it seems to be very fast and efficient, I've also used NOD32 and I didn't notice any difference switching between the two in terms of speed.
 
I have access to Technet and MSDN both so SP2 is definitely final. If you're not having issues with NOD32 v4 consider yourself lucky. Not everyone has a problem, but if you check out their official forums at Wilders Security you will see a long thread about complaints with Vista SP2. And many complaints with v4 in general. The thing should have really not come out of beta yet.
 
Also, what is the "fastest" antivirus out there?

NOD32 2.7 was awesome, very light, etc. Version 3 was a little heavier, had some issues. Version 4 doesn't seem to have issues, but it's "heavy"...they really beefed up the web protection against stuff like the rogue antivirus programs that self install through your browser.

I don't have issues with SP2, but I am reading issues about it.

I'm a Gold Partner reseller with Eset...so I have a few thousand installs of all of the versions on alllll sorts of various hardware/software configs to base my opinion on.

I'm hoping newer builds of v4 will lighten it up a bit. Yeah it runs fine on my duo's with 4 gigs of RAM fine, but clients of mine with slightly older P4 systems and just a gig of RAM or so have complained of slowdowns since upgrading them from v2.7.

You want to know which antivirus brand is really light?
A year ago I'd swear I'd never say this....
I've been a huge basher of Norton/Symantec for quite a few years now...but....they got their 2009 version very...VERY light. It's very effective, you don't notice it's there, hardly any system impact at all.

Ready for this? Norton 2009....under 8 megs of RAM. Yes..under 8 megs!

NOD32 version 4, is 44 megs...steady.
Even their older light version 2.7 was 24-28 megs or so...is fluctuated based on system
AntiVir..I think was in the low to mid 20's.
 
NOD32 2.7 was awesome, very light, etc. Version 3 was a little heavier, had some issues. Version 4 doesn't seem to have issues, but it's "heavy"...they really beefed up the web protection against stuff like the rogue antivirus programs that self install through your browser.

I don't have issues with SP2, but I am reading issues about it.

I'm a Gold Partner reseller with Eset...so I have a few thousand installs of all of the versions on alllll sorts of various hardware/software configs to base my opinion on.

I'm hoping newer builds of v4 will lighten it up a bit. Yeah it runs fine on my duo's with 4 gigs of RAM fine, but clients of mine with slightly older P4 systems and just a gig of RAM or so have complained of slowdowns since upgrading them from v2.7.

You want to know which antivirus brand is really light?
A year ago I'd swear I'd never say this....
I've been a huge basher of Norton/Symantec for quite a few years now...but....they got their 2009 version very...VERY light. It's very effective, you don't notice it's there, hardly any system impact at all.

Ready for this? Norton 2009....under 8 megs of RAM. Yes..under 8 megs!

NOD32 version 4, is 44 megs...steady.
Even their older light version 2.7 was 24-28 megs or so...is fluctuated based on system
AntiVir..I think was in the low to mid 20's.

Yes, 2.7 was great. Even 2.5, which was the point at which I became a customer. I have maintained a license ever since, and currently have a 3 user ESS license that is good for the rest of the year. I would LOVE for them to come out with a build of v4 that would wow me, but it hasn't happened yet. The Smart Security package definitely has more issues than the plain anitvirus. The firewall is just broken. The web scanner is definitely heavy. Not Kaspersky heavy, but not far behind at this point.

Norton 2009 is pretty light, but I really dislike the lack of firewall control in NIS. There just are no real options.

As far as RAM usage I do not care about that. People complain about it but I bought 8GB so I could run whatever I want. It is not an accurate yardstick to measure performance. avast! uses quite a bit more RAM than NOD32, but is faster.
 
Alas, Microsoft is not on this chart but here you go:
http://www.antivirusware.com/misc/passmark/

None of those numbers surprise me. I would never ever recommend ClamWin for an antimalware solution. (Some might call me biased, since I work on the Microsoft antimalware solutions, Morro, OneCare, Forefront, MSRT.)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
The fastest Anti-Virus software is to just not use any. I haven't been using Anti-Virus software on my Windows Vista machine for over a year, and I am yet to get a virus on it. I scan every so often with a non-realtime virus scanner just to be sure. However, I also keep UAC turned on (UAC is not a child safe lock, it has features such as Registry Virtualization and multiple security tokens), have my file permissions set up properly, and don't browse as many sites as other people, so that might have something to do with it.

However, other people haven't been so fortunate when it comes to viruses, and seem to get them left and right, so I don't usually recommend this method to others. I'd say rather than paying for Anti-Virus software, you should just use one of the free ones like AVG, Avast! or AntiVir. The difference in performance between them and things like Kaspersky and NOD32 is not going to be big, and certainly not worth the high price tag on those other programs.

The $50 you spend on Anti-Virus software could be spent elsewhere.
 
Yes, 2.7 was great. Even 2.5, which was the point at which I became a customer. I have maintained a license ever since, and currently have a 3 user ESS license that is good for the rest of the year. I would LOVE for them to come out with a build of v4 that would wow me, but it hasn't happened yet. The Smart Security package definitely has more issues than the plain anitvirus. The firewall is just broken. The web scanner is definitely heavy. Not Kaspersky heavy, but not far behind at this point.

Norton 2009 is pretty light, but I really dislike the lack of firewall control in NIS. There just are no real options.

Yeah, when I signed up as a reseller with Eset, they were in mid-2.5. Had a few issues back then, it's POP3 scanner was wonky at times.

I was talking just about Nortons 2009 antivirus product, not the full suite...I'm not a fan of full firewall suites either.
 
The fastest Anti-Virus software is to just not use any. I haven't been using Anti-Virus software on my Windows Vista machine for over a year, and I am yet to get a virus on it. I scan every so often with a non-realtime virus scanner just to be sure. However, I also keep UAC turned on (UAC is not a child safe lock, it has features such as Registry Virtualization and multiple security tokens), have my file permissions set up properly, and don't browse as many sites as other people, so that might have something to do with it.

However, other people haven't been so fortunate when it comes to viruses, and seem to get them left and right, so I don't usually recommend this method to others. I'd say rather than paying for Anti-Virus software, you should just use one of the free ones like AVG, Avast! or AntiVir. The difference in performance between them and things like Kaspersky and NOD32 is not going to be big, and certainly not worth the high price tag on those other programs.

The $50 you spend on Anti-Virus software could be spent elsewhere.

You make a good point. With UAC, Software Restriction Policies, Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall, you are probably as good with any AV as another one. AntiVir and avast! are fine for free for most folks and not that heavy. I'm not an AVG fan. I've not picked up a virus in over 4 years though. And it was NOD32 that let it in... :eek:
 
Yeah, when I signed up as a reseller with Eset, they were in mid-2.5. Had a few issues back then, it's POP3 scanner was wonky at times.

I was talking just about Nortons 2009 antivirus product, not the full suite...I'm not a fan of full firewall suites either.

I see ESET has released new builds today. Maybe I'll test it out, since I am paid until the end of the year.
 
You make a good point. With UAC, Software Restriction Policies, Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall, you are probably as good with any AV as another one. AntiVir and avast! are fine for free for most folks and not that heavy. I'm not an AVG fan. I've not picked up a virus in over 4 years though. And it was NOD32 that let it in... :eek:

Well, if you are a firm believe in that, might I suggest Antivirus 2009. :p (Trojan:Win32/FakeXPA)

For those who feel running no AV is fine, as long as UAC is enabled, I suggest reading about Worm:Win32/Conficker.C. Running an Antimalware solution is akin to the security guards walking around the mall. Defense in depth is always the right strategy to defend a bank vault or your computer.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
Norton might be good now, but their track record ruined it for me. They'll have to keep innovating (instead of playing catch up) to get me to notice again.

As for the slowness, NOD32 is very fast.
.... Until you start a scan. NOD32 can freaking grind Windows to a near hault if you start a full in-depth scan while using it.
 
The slowness comes from HDDs, not RAM or any other component. Once you put the SSD in, you just forget about it.
 
I like avira. I just use the free version. Simple and fast, I just want an on demand scan that is fast and works with paramaters I set, and a passive agent that only scans newly created files.
Avira does this simply and easily, and makes it easy to disable all the extra spyware/misc fluff an enthusiast level user doesn't want or need.
 
I just dumped NOD32 because of issues with it and Vista SP2. Components of it would fail to load, requiring a reboot. I discovered after uninstalling it that it doesn't really slow anything down, but causes a lag before it starts running. It inserts a delay before anything you open. And the web scanner could be faster. V3 is still better than v4 as far as speed. I am currently trialing avast! Professional and it is far lighter than NOD32. Their web scanner doesn't even seem noticeable. I will likely buy a license for it at the end of the trial. As of late it has been outscoring NOD32 on detection rates anyway. I have always liked NOD32 but hesitate to recommend v4 in its current state.

I have Vista Utlimate SP2 with Nod32 V4 and it runs great on my system.
I installed Vista with SP2 and then Nod32 V4 right after Vista finished installing and haven't have any issues.

You can give Vipre Enterprise a try,
www.testdrivevipre.com/technet/
 
Well, if you are a firm believe in that, might I suggest Antivirus 2009. :p (Trojan:Win32/FakeXPA)

For those who feel running no AV is fine, as long as UAC is enabled, I suggest reading about Worm:Win32/Conficker.C. Running an Antimalware solution is akin to the security guards walking around the mall. Defense in depth is always the right strategy to defend a bank vault or your computer.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Never claimed to be a firm believer in that. I was commenting that any of the major free options were acceptable to someone that left the default security options turned on. Anyone that thinks Antivirus 2009 is an antivirus WILL get infected by something sometime. If you have Windows Defender and the Windows Firewall on, you will not get conficker from the web. If you get it from a flash drive you deserve it.

I have Vista Utlimate SP2 with Nod32 V4 and it runs great on my system.
I installed Vista with SP2 and then Nod32 V4 right after Vista finished installing and haven't have any issues.

You can give Vipre Enterprise a try,
www.testdrivevipre.com/technet/

I just installed the new build of Eset Smart Security that was released today (4.0.437) Immediate BSOD. I'm not the only one having the issue. I have tried Vipre previously and didn't care for it. The false positives made it unusable. Thanks for the suggestion though. I just went back to trialing avast! Professional and it is in the lead for getting my money at the end of the trial.
 
Never claimed to be a firm believer in that. I was commenting that any of the major free options were acceptable to someone that left the default security options turned on. Anyone that thinks Antivirus 2009 is an antivirus WILL get infected by something sometime. If you have Windows Defender and the Windows Firewall on, you will not get conficker from the web. If you get it from a flash drive you deserve it.

*snip*

How does Defender protect one from Worm:Win32/Conficker? The signatures for Conficker are NOT in Defender. The firewall argument is also interesting, since most people have File Sharing enabled through their firewall.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
For those who feel running no AV is fine, as long as UAC is enabled, I suggest reading about Worm:Win32/Conficker.C. Running an Antimalware solution is akin to the security guards walking around the mall. Defense in depth is always the right strategy to defend a bank vault or your computer.

It's never given me any trouble. Why should I waste my system resources/money on an anti-virus program, when I am yet to even get a virus even without running AV software? If I don't get viruses in the first place, what purpose would anti-virus software serve?

If you don't feel comfortable enough with your computer habits to run without Anti-Virus software, then by all means, you should use an AV program. I'm not saying you shouldn't. However, I don't see why you're telling me I should, when my way of doing things has worked perfectly for me without a single incident.
 
It's never given me any trouble. Why should I waste my system resources/money on an anti-virus program, when I am yet to even get a virus even without running AV software? If I don't get viruses in the first place, what purpose would anti-virus software serve?

NOD32 uses 40 megabytes of RAM. Your argument fails. :rolleyes:

I've never been in a car accident, either. Does that mean I can stop wearing my seat belts and shut off my airbags?
 
It's never given me any trouble. Why should I waste my system resources/money on an anti-virus program, when I am yet to even get a virus even without running AV software? If I don't get viruses in the first place, what purpose would anti-virus software serve?

If you don't feel comfortable enough with your computer habits to run without Anti-Virus software, then by all means, you should use an AV program. I'm not saying you shouldn't. However, I don't see why you're telling me I should, when my way of doing things has worked perfectly for me without a single incident.

lol. Since I'm an antimalware researcher as my day job, I'm pretty comfortable about my habits. I'm not one to name victims, but I assure you, multiple sites with high visibility have been caught serving malware. I will always advise running Antimalware, because quite frankly, running without is like driving without a seatbelt on. If you never get in an accident, it's fine, but that one time you get in an accident, bad times.

The horrible thing about malware these days, is you won't even know you got infected. There are alot of rootkits out there. (Hell, Sony shipped one on all their Audio CD's Virtool:WinNT/F4IRootkit) 2007 had more malware than 1978-2006 combined. I haven't looked, but I'm pretty sure 2008 continued that trend.

I will always advise Defense in Depth. It's the only way to be sure.

For the question of UAC, UAC will defend against you running the sample as a low rights user, it will not prevent install from over the network, or installs by exploit. (But to actually run Conficker, it does take some work, you have to know the install steps)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
For the question of UAC, UAC will defend against you running the sample as a low rights user, it will not prevent install from over the network, or installs by exploit. (But to actually run Conficker, it does take some work, you have to know the install steps)

How does UAC not prevent install from over the network?
It still requires authentication and then user-intervention to write to a system directory...
 
It's never given me any trouble. Why should I waste my system resources/money on an anti-virus program, when I am yet to even get a virus even without running AV software? If I don't get viruses in the first place, what purpose would anti-virus software serve?

If you don't feel comfortable enough with your computer habits to run without Anti-Virus software, then by all means, you should use an AV program. I'm not saying you shouldn't. However, I don't see why you're telling me I should, when my way of doing things has worked perfectly for me without a single incident.

A - You don't know for sure your system is clean. I actually doubt it's clean. People who sleep with prostitutes without protection all the time often don't know til many months or years later that they have an STD..and by then, they've helped spread it to many others.

B - You can be as careful as you think you are, but the reality is...the recent trend is TONS of legit websites are hacked into, with the drive-by install code injected into them, so that people visiting these everyday normal websites suddenly get malware on their systems. Just several months ago I was doing research on the main United Auto Workers website...and suddenly a rogue antivirus push install began on my system. Many of my clients have gotten zapped by going to their normal everyday websites they do for business, banking websites, etc. Heck...look at how frequently these forums here crash..you don't think they're under frequent attack? One day you may log onto these forums (or any other forum you habit)..and ZAP!
 
How does UAC not prevent install from over the network?
It still requires authentication and then user-intervention to write to a system directory...

No. If the user infecting you is an admin on your box, it just propogates across... I tested this in my test environment, assuming the domain controller got infected.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
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