What's the best Virus protection program?

[LarryP]

I have used many virus programs and am currently using AVG. However, I am tired of AVG's persistent naggings of version upgrades as they usually are worse than the last. I'm not being cheap, these are free upgrades. This one is definitely worse, and after trying it I went back to 8.5. The newest one beats the heck out of my hard drive all the time and I won't have it. It's too bad I have AVG on three computers here, and all for a year more to go with paid subscriptions. Oh well.

Also, I have had several issues that AVG never caught through the years of using it. I believe it is a highly over rated program.

So, any good suggestions? [&:]

[JudgeDredd]

Avast - and it's free and non intrusive...though if you leave your computer on at night, you better turn the sound off - "Virus database has updated!"

[milkweg]

I've used all of the free ones and for gamers I find the lightest on resources is Avira. It also gets high ratings for detection of virii too but sometimes detects false positives, as they all tend to do. Seriously, if you want free, good and light on resources then get Avira. One other minor issue is that it sometimes takes a bit long getting updates due to server overload so I try to update it at odd hours when it is not so busy.

[milkweg]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Avast - and it's free and non intrusive...though if you leave your computer on at night, you better turn the sound off - "Virus database has updated!"

There is an option to turn that off. Avast is my second best pick.

[LarryP]

It doesn't have to be free, but free is nice. I don't mind paying for a good product, but I am tired of intrusive pop-ups begging to upgrade when the upgrade is free but crummy. Plus, I have auto update unselected! I am also tired of having the Resident Shield turned OFF and still having it beat up my drive.

McAfee and Norton are out of the question as they are the worst for intrusiveness. I should have stated this in my first post

OK on Avast and Avira so far. Thank you. I will check these out now. [:)] [&o]

[killroyishere]

There is one that Computer Shopper recommended that you pay for and it starts with a K but darn if I can remember the name of it right now. Do a google for anti virus products and it will probably show up. Here I did it for you Kaspersky is the name.
http://www.kaspersky.com/

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: milkweg

I've used all of the free ones and for gamers I find the lightest on resources is Avira. It also gets high ratings for detection of virii too but sometimes detects false positives, as they all tend to do. Seriously, if you want free, good and light on resources then get Avira. One other minor issue is that it sometimes takes a bit long getting updates due to server overload so I try to update it at odd hours when it is not so busy.

For those false positives, I go to VirScan.org and it checks the file with 37 virus programs. That really whittles it down to the truth. I never take a virus program at it's word anymore. I double check it at this site. I've had many false positives and had programs not work anymore because AVG put them into the virus vault. Then for some stupid reason AVG says it can't get it back out. So hence the VirScan site.

[NefariousKoel]

Been using Avast.

I tried Avira, once, awhile back but it had huge annoying popups asking me to upgrade from free to full version and I didn't bother to dig and find out if I could disable them.

[junk2drive]

We just went through all of this a month ago. Most people recommended Avast.

Now I am using Firefox on Ubuntu (linux), no av at all.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

Been using Avast.

I tried Avira, once, awhile back but it had huge annoying popups asking me to upgrade from free to full version and I didn't bother to dig and find out if I could disable them.

(

Avast is winning so far. Popups don't live long in our home. [;)]

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

We just went through all of this a month ago. Most people recommended Avast.

I should have looked back in the older threads. My bad. [X(]

[junk2drive]

I tried searching to post links for you but it sucked. It all started when Adam got hit by the wargamer banner hack in August.

I use Avast on my XP install and my wife's computer. Free and no promblems.

[LarryP]

Do you Avast users run the Resident shield? In AVG it dogs my PC's to a crawl, so I have always disabled it. [&:]

[junk2drive]

Yes, it's always on and protected me from the virus that Adam got. I got a popup that day stating that avast had stopped a redirect from a malicious website. Good enough for me to leave it on.

And it doesn't hog resources on this old machine.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

I tried searching to post links for you but it sucked. It all started when Adam got hit by the wargamer banner hack in August.

I use Avast on my XP install and my wife's computer. Free and no promblems.

That's right, I remember when Wargamer got hit and I read some posts here.

I have had the resident shield on tonight and played a game for quite a while and no problems yet. Avast sure has a lot of options to choose from. That's nice. So far I like it lots, but heck, this is the first night. [;)]

[junk2drive]

So far I like it lots, but heck, this is the first night.

I think I said that about my wife 38 years ago.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

So far I like it lots, but heck, this is the first night.

I think I said that about my wife 38 years ago.

I set myself up for that one!

[Rising-Sun]

Well when i got popped last couple months ago with this new rig, i couldnt even format my HD argh!. So i got a new pc from cyberpc, inc and pretty good bought it from newegg.com. Anyway i tried alot of options trying to get around this without having to buy anything. So i contact microsoft and see why i cant format my drive or reinstall my Vista, took like four days swapping infos around and send me a full copy of Win Vista SP1 64-bit for free i was saying wtf lol. Anyway on microsoft site grab Essential Security, really help alot for me. Window Defender doesnt help much and Ccleaner or AVG doesnt do much either. So if you happy with those softwares, then stick with it.

Rising

[Nikademus]

When i built my current rig last year it came with a 2009 copy of Kaspersky Anti Virus. Up till that point the only AV i'd liked was Computer Associates as it was non-intrusive, easy on resources and easy to turn off during times for max preformance. I found Kaspersky to also be good. Updates are painless, its not a resource hog and its even easier to turn off when you need too. the 2010 version is Windows 7 64bit friendly and I plan to pick it up soon, having just upgraded to that OS.

[parusski]

I have found three that have given me the best real time/virus/worm...protection. They are are all free.

Microsoft Security Essentials(works great at real time and finding dangerous files, get it here- http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Malwarebytes-Great at detecting malicious software(there is a version to buy, but the only benefit it offers is auto updates of database. You can surely do that manually, I do. Get it here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Avast-it works well, I agree with JudgeDredd on this one. Get it here: http://www.avast.com/

I use all three, they are not very resource hungry and do not degrade performance.

Also, never forget Windows Defender.