OT: Looking 4 New Anti Virus Software

[Atrocities]

My subscription has ran out for Nortan and I am looking to remove it from my system and install a new AntiVirus software. Any suggestions for a low cost solid, good, non yearly subscription fee free AV software, that is well supported and very good at what it does?

[Fyron]

AVG Free Edition.

http://free.grisoft.com

And make sure to find guides for how to actually remove the malware Norton from your machine. It is worse that most viruses it removes...

[Daynarr]

Another free solution is Avast.
It's on this URL. (http://www.avast.com/)

As Fyron said, Norton does more damage to your system and performance then most viruses do. AVG and Avast are probably best free anti-virus programs out there so you can't go wrong with either.

[Parasite]

I have both Norton and AVG. AVG starts first and blocks parts of Norton from running, basicly the Norton real time scanning. I am also thinking of dumping Norton.

[Fyron]

Its usually a bad idea to try to run two real time AV scanners.

[capnq]

I am currently running ClamWin Antivirus, and am quite happy with it.

[Black_Knyght]

I've been using AVG Anti-Virus (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1) for a couple of years now, and never had a single complaint or problem. It'll even update itself on a regular basis.

[Kamog]

Same here. When I bought my computer last year, it came with Norton Antivirus and 3 months of free updates. Then when the 3 months ran out the program wanted me to to pay for the subscription. So instead I uninstalled Norton and downloaded AVG. I didn't have any trouble getting rid of Norton. I just went to add/remove programs in the control panel and removed and it worked. AVG is great and I am very happy with it.

[Captain Kwok]

Kamog - Norton will leave lots of little pieces around even after uninstalling. There is some tool provided by Symantec that gets rid of these, although it is hard to find on their site. Probably have better luck googling about the matter...

[Atrocities]

I have noticed that NORTAN is a major resource hog and that it really slows my system down during start up.

I like nortan for a few reasons, it has cought many worm intrusion attempts over MSN, Trillan, and other IM programs. It automatically scans my incoming emails and runs checks in the back ground on port activity and blocks other intrusion attempts that the fire wall might not catch.

Will any of these alternate AV programs do all of this? Can they be trusted not to sell out or be exploited by hackers?

How will say AVG interact with my firewall software? Things like that concern me.

[Fyron]

You've got a really bad firewall if it isn't monitoring port activity... That is not the job of an AV program. Norton is famous for bloat as much as the rootkit-like nature of their "personal" programs.

I am not aware of any free AV programs that will scan IM sessions, though they may exist somewhere. But then, I would rather not have any do that due to the excessive load it would place on IMing for no real net gain. Practicing safe computing (not clicking on links or accepting files from strangers) is just as effective.

AV scanners at the mail server level tend to be more effective than client side scanners, since a lot more effort tends to be put into them for robustness and efficacy. If you don't use something like outlook express, mail viruses are hard to infect yourself with simply by practicing safe computing. Delete anything that looks suspicious, never open attachments you were not expecting.

That being said, AVG Free does have an email scanner (not sure if it is a separate download or what, as my copy says it is not installed; but the site mentions it is included).

[Atrocities]

I trust in your advise Fyron. AVG is something that I will download and install. Thank you for answering my concerns. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I wish there were more folks like you in my buddy list.

[Atrocities]

Well nortan be gone and AVG installed. I noticed that a few of the components for this AV program are not "working" in the free version. Such as resident shield and email scanner. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Guess I will have to buy a new AV program after all in order t get the protection that is needed in todays world.

[Ed Kolis]

Avast perhaps? I've been quite happy with it...
www.avast.com (http://www.avast.com)

[rdouglass]

Atrocities said:
Well nortan be gone and AVG installed. I noticed that a few of the components for this AV program are not "working" in the free version. Such as resident shield and email scanner. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Guess I will have to buy a new AV program after all in order t get the protection that is needed in todays world.



I don't understand why not. I have it too and all those are active for me. (See my screen shot.) Have you done all your updates?

I too am a user of AVG for at least 2 years now and have had very good sucess with it.

[Fyron]

Did the email scanner come as a separate package? It has never been "installed" for me. It has a select box for the email scanner plugin to choose.

[Atrocities]

Odd that mine are not activated. Oh well, luck of the draw I guess. I cannot activate the emial scanner.

[rdouglass]

To be honest, I don't remember the install but I'm thinking I just did all the default install options.

What is your email client?

[mac5732]

AT, I found some of the norton files you may want to see if you still have them. I havn't dumped mine yet as I still have serval wks to go on subscription, but I plan on dumping it as well. be sure to clik on the files and make sure they are symantec files.

Under Common Files.. Symatec Shared
Under Programs.. Symantec
Norton Virus
Symnetdrv

as far as I know these are all tied in with Norton.. If anyone else knows more about them, post.. good luck

[Baron Munchausen]

Atrocities said:
Well nortan be gone and AVG installed. I noticed that a few of the components for this AV program are not "working" in the free version. Such as resident shield and email scanner. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Guess I will have to buy a new AV program after all in order t get the protection that is needed in todays world.



You must have botched the install somehow. I use AVG free and I've got both. Best to uninstall and re-install. Read the instructions carefully as you do. You'll probably find some option that you missed last time or realize that you clicked something you shouldn't have. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Atrocities]

I regret to say that it was not the new Nvidia drivers that caused my PC to crash upon restart, but unfortunetly it was AVG. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif After hours of troubleshooting, I finally decided to try and remove AVG to see if my PC would boot. Once removed, via safe mode, the PC booted. I restarted the PC many times to ensure that it was properly working before reinstalling AVG. Once reinstalled the PC began to crash again upon restart. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I guess AVG does not like HP/XP/AMD computers. Looks like I am going to have to buy Nortan 2006. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif:(:(

[Fyron]

Never buy a Norton AV product... Better to have none than Norton AV personal edition.

Have you looked on the AVG support forums for solutions?

Failing that, try Avast, as mentioned earlier.

[Captain Kwok]

I wouldn't say that Norton was useless, just not preferable. In my past experience it always did its job well.

[Baron Munchausen]

Atrocities said:
I regret to say that it was not the new Nvidia drivers that caused my PC to crash upon restart, but unfortunetly it was AVG. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif After hours of troubleshooting, I finally decided to try and remove AVG to see if my PC would boot. Once removed, via safe mode, the PC booted. I restarted the PC many times to ensure that it was properly working before reinstalling AVG. Once reinstalled the PC began to crash again upon restart. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I guess AVG does not like HP/XP/AMD computers. Looks like I am going to have to buy Nortan 2006. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif:(:(



As Fyron says, you should visit the forums and ask for help. It's likely a config problem in Windows XP that they can tell you how to fix. Or it might be something particular to HP computers, but even that could still be fixable.

[Black_Knyght]

Something really is rotten in Denmark...

I've been using WinXP for a long time with AVG, and never had the slightest issue with it. Even my e-mail scanner works from day one.

I wonder if the issue might be a compatibility issue with Nvidia. Doesn't seem likely, but who knows?

Face it,<font color="red">AT</font>, you apparently pissed off god somehow somewhere.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Daynarr]

Atrocities said:
... Looks like I am going to have to buy Nortan 2006. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif:(:(



Seriously, it's better to install some virus instead. And it's free!

Check if your d/l is corrupted (redownload), check forums or try avast - as lots of people already suggested.

[Daynarr]

Another thing to consider is possibility that your AVG has conflict with some other program in memory. Make 100% sure you got rid of Norton completely. Just uninstalling it normally wont usually be enough. Check norton web page to find tool to remove it completely (or just google it). It's possible that some trace of norton still loads up in memory and disrupts AVG's normal operation.

[Atrocities]

If it does have a conflict, I will bet it is with the crap left over after the Nortan uninstall. That is the jist I am gleaming from AVG posts.

Nortan, use our product or use NO product.... there ought to be a law that protects consumers from malicious back stabbing bull [censored] like this.

[Fyron]

*gives AT a second o for his Norton*

See Kwok, Norton AV Personal is a virus/rootkit itself!

[Captain Kwok]

I never said that it wasn't inefficient and bloaty, I just said it does work. And I did warn AT about getting the complete removal tool for uninstalling as well - so naa. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Atrocities]

CK I could not find the complete removal tool and even their support person had no idea what I was talking about. This just goes to show you that they don't want us to remove their software. They make too much money selling our private information to all of the wrong people.

[Captain Kwok]

Here's a link:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/Norton-Removal-Tool.shtml

[Atrocities]

Thank CK. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif You should host that on your site just incase someone else might need it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif