[Question:] Do you have suggestions for an anti-virus software?

[sweep]

Do you have suggestions for an anti-virus software?

My Norton Anti-virus will be expiring in a couple of days and I have to find a replacement. I know Norton is good but I need something that doesn't need to be downloaded every year so my parents will not have to fuss about it when I'm not around.

Do you guys have suggestions?

Is it better to use anti-spams or anti-adware or stuff like that? If so, can you recommend me some good ones?

Thank you very much.

[jiali]

Try Microsoft Anti Spyware. It's free and good. This programme just needs to be upgraded about once a year. When it's time to upgrade, there will be a pop up. Doesn't take too long to upgrade.

The programme can be downloaded HERE (http://www.download.com/Microsoft-Windows-AntiSpyware/3003-8022_4-10418686.html?tag=lst-0-1)

Spybot helps detect and remove adware files too. Free of charge as well. haha.
Click HERE (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10401314.html?tag=lst-0-1) to download

[lattae]

I don't think you can replace anti-virus with anti-spyware. They are different in nature. Antivirus can actually go after the bugs that get onto your com from emails/software/dLs etc. Antispyware only rids you of the trackers from websites etc.

For the best protection, your computer should have both, and a firewall if possible.

I don't know of a good antivirus without yearly subscription. However there's a free online scan called Trend Micro Housecall:
http://uk.trendmicro-europe.com/consumer/housecall/housecall_launch.php

It's pretty good except that it can't "fix" the problems, you'll need to solve the virus on your own.

[junnleenfaah]

i use spyware doctor, and i'm pretty satisfied with it. i used to get a whooole bunch of pop ups, but now i hardly have any.

you can d.l it for free here:
http://www.download.com/Spyware-Doctor/3000-8022_4-10377263.html

[luvdamonkeex3]

i use this program called AVG Anti Virus [Free Ed] (http://netscape.com.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3640-2239_4-10342876.html) and so far its pretty good... i barely get any pop ups and stuff.
also i dunno if this works for everyone buh i use Mozilla Firefox internet browser which in my opinion does a better job blocking popups.

[chineseguyjl]

Well I was using Avast Anti-Virus Proffessional Edition, I thought i had all the protection that i needed. Then i tried others and one of the free ones found one that mine didnt. So at the moment I recomend Symantec or Norton products. For spyware and adware, i highly recomend Ad-aware SE. It finds so much more than the others including spybot. Either that or spyware doctor. If you really want to protect your computer get a anti-virus, spyware/adware scanner/blocker, virus/worm scanner, firewall, pop-up blocker. and occassionally clean the temp files

[TheSuperOne]

If it virus, i would recommend Norton and Symantec, and if anti-spyware, i would recommend spybot. This is some of the anti-virus/spyware that the pc helpers recommend me. So i had trust on them and recommend to you guys.

[lattae]

READ THIS!!
you know your installation disk for norton antivirus? just reinstall it and then itll give you another year membership. lol i foudn that out because everytime i reformatted my laptop and reinstalled norton, it woudl say my expiration date would be a year from teh day i reintalled it. so it just keeps resetting so essentially you can keep reinstalling forever.(though that's kind of immoral and illegal..probably)
but that is if you reformat your disk. Norton will leave some form of "mark" on your registry such that you won't be able to reinstall the software with the same serial code. Unless you know how to meddle with your registry, you can't get rid of it easy.

The other way is to reformat the entire drive :sweat:

[Vicluva]

I don't think there would be a good antivirus software that wouldn't need to be updated each year, fighting viruses isn't a piece of cake, why would someone do it for free?

Probably don't use Norton. It's famous and everyone knows about it, so that's the program bad people aim to get past when they create the bad guys. Also, I had Norton for a year and everything was fine on its scans then I changed to a new antivirus software and I found 3 viruses. I recommend Trend Micro's PC-Cillin. Anti-spyware would definetely be Spybot *waves pom-poms* And installing Zone-Alarm as a firewall would be smart too. I did this internet hacking security test thing a few weeks ago where they try to hack into your computer to see if it's safe and mine got full marks (mainly thanks to Zonealarm)

Avast is a pile of dung!! My school installed it on everyone's laptops (and the fact that I don't even have an adminstrator account on my laptop makes it near impossible to get rid of it) and all the stupid thing does is make my comp slower. It has also never detected a virus. I ran Pc Cillin with it at the same time and bam, detected two viruses (this is on laptop).

And for anyone who still isn't clear, virus and antispyware software are two different things! (you would be wise to have both)

[sweep]

Thanks for all of your suggestions!:happy: I really didn't know that I still need anti-spyware.

I'll try them out once my Norton expires. I just want something that my parents wouldn't have a hard time in reinstalling or updating. But if the software really recommends it, I guess I'll have to teach my parents how to do it even if its complicated.

Thanks again. If you have more suggestions, I'll gladly take them.

[navlem]

bitdefender and kapersky is one of the best ones out there, but i prefer symantec corp AV