Need Anti-Virus Recommendations

1Wolf

1Wolf

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 10, 2007
Messages
433
I'm investigating a new anti-virus solution for my home PC's that will come closest to meeting my criteria. I prefer a "slim", low impact anti-virus. I prefer anti-virus that, on install, does not worm its way through your system and end up entrenched and difficult to remove completely. I prefer anti-virus that is simple. I prefer anti-virus that has a very very small fingerprint on system performance. I understand that the price to pay for these things is "effectiveness" of the anti-virus at preventing and fighting viruses. In the past, my anti-virus solution has been Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7 64-Bit combined with imaging regularly and simply being careful. However, recently, my wife's PC picked up a virus and I had to restore from image so I thought this a good opportunity to revisit my anti-virus solution and see if maybe there might be something better you guys and gals know about that might meet my criteria and be better suited for my uses.

Thanks!
 
Free AV - Get Avast, it's not very intrusive.

Paid AV - Bitdefender. Just turn off the annoying-ass "Bitdefender Wallet" crap, and it's pretty decent.
 
I like Kaspersky, if you can get a discount or buy for multiple users/years (I end up paying less than 10$/y per PC for the biggest suite) Full price I wouldn't buy.
 
Bandalo said:
Free AV - Get Avast, it's not very intrusive.

Paid AV - Bitdefender. Just turn off the annoying-ass "Bitdefender Wallet" crap, and it's pretty decent.
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BD does have a free version, but it's cloud based. I used to run it on an ancient laptop that still had XP. Didn't slow the system down at all.
 
Bandalo said:
Free AV - Get Avast, it's not very intrusive.

Paid AV - Bitdefender. Just turn off the annoying-ass "Bitdefender Wallet" crap, and it's pretty decent.
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This. Bitdefender can be had cheap in many places. Completely worth it imo.
 
antok86 said:
i just use MSE/MS defender with paid malwarebytes
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yeahthat.gif
 
Free---Avira combined with Malwarebytes

Paid---ESET or Webroot & still run Malwarebytes.
 
Kaspersky or nod32 or eset smart security which is a security suite that contains nod32
 
No need to waste your money on Anti Virus software that just slows your PC down and wastes precious system resources. Just continue to use Microsoft Security Essentials and if you get a Virus, format and start fresh. Its a pain to format, I know, but its the only surefire way to know that you've taken all the infection out.
 
Krenum said:
No need to waste your money on Anti Virus software that just slows your PC down and wastes precious system resources. Just continue to use Microsoft Security Essentials and if you get a Virus, format and start fresh. Its a pain to format, I know, but its the only surefire way to know that you've taken all the infection out.
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That would be true 10 years ago, nowadays with how fast cpus and ram are and with ssds now here in large numbers AV programs no longer slow your pc down.

The days of formatting just to get rid of a virus are also gone unless its a very nasty bastid, use good security and you shouldnt even get a virus, I cant remember how many years ago it was that I last got one that actually made it onto my system, and we are talking atleast 10+ years and all thanks to good security software which has either blocked a known bad website or physically blocked a download from commencing as its detected something bad.

Nowadays security cannot be taking seriously enough.
 
I'm going to recommend AGAINST bitdefender, simply because it's very hit or miss. Half the people who try it have it run like a dream, the other half have it slog their system down so badly, it's unusable. You can check the forums on wilderssecurity.com for general testimonials.

Kaspersky is pretty heavy and deep seated as well, so that doesn't really fit your parameters.

My recommendations? Avast & AVG are now the same company, and they're both free, light, and very good. If you want the absolute lightest around, I highly suggest (and use) Webroot. You can get it on sale at Newegg for about $5-10/year, and it's like you're using nothing at all.

After that, I would recommend Avira free, and then Eset, and finally F-Secure. (In order: Webroot, AVG/Avast, Avira, Eset, F-Secure)

Microsoft Security essentials was HORRIBLE protection, but everyone here swears by it for some reason. Windows 10's defender is better, but it still slows down the system pretty fierce, which is laughable considering it's a MS product.

Oh, if you want to take a look - https://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php# They have a great "real world" testing section, and a pretty accurate "performance" test.

For the record, I'm currently using Webroot with Malwarebytes Pro 3.
 
Just wanted to say thanks for all the recommendations. My previous experience had been as another poster above had recommended...using MSE and then reformatting and restoring from an image in the event of a virus. This has worked for me for a few years now but I really think that just isn't going to cut it any more. Especially when the above strategy relies on the fact that, somehow, I know whether or not the system is infected with something. Its probably most likely these days that I may not even know. Even if my system did get slower, it could be like the proverbial "boiling frog" and I wouldn't notice it.

In the past, I've always liked a really slim anti-virus because I game alot and just didn't want the horsepower draw on my system. But as was mentioned by others above, its seems that these days a change in strategy is worth looking into.

Based on the comments here, I'll likely go with ESET or Avast.

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I asked. I certainly appreciate the opinions and advice.
 
Bitdefender Free + Malwarebytes. I only do paid for AV if it's going on a machine that will need active flash drive scanning.
 
I tried several in the past, norton, nod32, avg, kaspersky, bullguard. I finally settled with webroot security because it takes up the least resources and doesnt slow my pc down
 
The slimiest, simplest, least intrusive, and most well integrated into your OS AV you can get is called Windows Defender. And it comes for free.
 
Defender is actually pretty damn horrible on anything less than Windows 10, and there are lighter, better free alternatives out there.
 
I used Avast for years, but it seems more bloated now than ever. I recently (within the past 6 months) switched over to Sophos. Works great, cloud based solution for management and you can install and use it FREE on up to 10 computers. I've not found a reason to be disappointed yet. Check it out at http://home.sophos.com if you think it might fit your requirements.

You're welcome!
 
bigdogchris said:
Qualify horrible?
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As in barely baseline acceptable. Even microsoft said not to use it, it was just for people who normally would use nothing. It's heavy, it's got shit detection, and there are better free options out there.

This is a chart of the GOOD version, on Windows 10.
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php?chart=chart2&year=2016&month=Jul_Nov&sort=1&zoom=3

The detection on anything prior doesn't use Smartscreen, which contributes a lot to the detection rates on Win10.

With free alternatives like Avira, Avast, Avg, heck, even Bitdefender free (if it works well for you), of stuff like Webroot which you can get for $5-10/year (and is WORTH it), it doesn't make sense.
 
entropism said:
As in barely baseline acceptable. Even microsoft said not to use it, it was just for people who normally would use nothing. It's heavy, it's got shit detection, and there are better free options out there.

This is a chart of the GOOD version, on Windows 10.
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php?chart=chart2&year=2016&month=Jul_Nov&sort=1&zoom=3

The detection on anything prior doesn't use Smartscreen, which contributes a lot to the detection rates on Win10.

With free alternatives like Avira, Avast, Avg, heck, even Bitdefender free (if it works well for you), of stuff like Webroot which you can get for $5-10/year (and is WORTH it), it doesn't make sense.
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If you go back and re-read the original post and read my post you'll see that what I suggested fits the bill quiet well. It's easy to just go a website and sort a chart by stars and recommend whatever's at the top. And no where in my post did I say it offers "great protection", rather, it met all of the other requirements he listed.
 
You mean the original post where he said he was USING Defender and it failed him? Cool. Good to know.

And yes, it fits all the requirements outside of the whole "I was looking for something else" part of it.

Again... If you have something that offers sub par detection, sub par performance, and is meant to be a baseline, why WOULD you rely on that to protect your system? If the answer is because "it's free", there's many, many other options that would be better.

I'm not sure why you're taking this an attack on you, because you're coming off as a bit defensive. I stated facts. Microsoft themselves said "this is just a baseline, use another product".
 
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