Antivirus Software

[Sandman]

What antivirus software do you use? Now that Oakhurst Computers is open, I see a lot of people use Norton Antivirus Software. Norton is my least favorite. Not only have I seen it let viruses through, but it is very difficult to remove from your computer. Not to mention it costs an arm and a leg.

I have used BitDefender. I liked that software, but it didn't seem to run well with my Vista.

I used Kaspersky and liked that software a lot.

In the past, I have used AVG FREE. It is better then nothing, but it really isn't the best solution. You get what you pay for. LOL

Now I am using Webroot Spysweeper and I love it. Not only is it cheaper then the others, but it works great! It has built-in anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall. So far, I love it!

BTW: Oakhurst Computers carries anti-virus/ant-spyware software, starting at $34.95 if anyone is interested. Don't leave your computer unprotected!

What software do you use? Do you recommend it?

[Dodgergirl]

Yup, get something good on there or you'll be really, really sad.. I just lost everyone my files, from an issue which started out with a virus.... Hopefully the Tech Geeks at Oakhurst Computers can salvage my drive and at the very least retrieve my pictures, at the most?

[jakobscalpel]

I use Avast for all our home systems. We've never gotten a virus. However, we are also very careful about what goes on our machines. Human prevention is always better than software.

[Dodgergirl]

I use Avast for all our home systems. We've never gotten a virus. However, we are also very careful about what goes on our machines. Human prevention is always better than software.

you have teenage boys at home? lol.... :rotflmao:

[jakobscalpel]

you have teenage boys at home? lol.... :rotflmao:

Heh. Not yet, fortunately.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

I use AVG. It is all I will ever use. When I get a new puter, I delete any of the CRAP that Dell or Gateway put on my puter. AVG rocks! I will NEVER NEVER put Norton on Macaffee on my puter again.

[Ironhorse]

I use AVG on mine also. And I have AdAware on it also.

[Iris]

I also use and LOVE the pay version of AVG 7.5 as well as Ad-Watch. NEVER again will I EVER rely upon Norton or MacAfee! As well as the filters offered by STI, I also use Spam Eater Pro to filter out the junk and spoof mails (there are many options for setting up various types of filters and for bouncing the junk back to the moron(s) who sent it to begin with). I also and very happy with using Mozilla Firefox as my browser!

[Sandman]

I have heard good things about the paid version of AVG. However, I have seen viruses get through AVG Free and it turned out to be very nasty. Like I said, you get what you pay for. AVG Free is better than nothing, but it isn't the best. It's the best for someone that isn't willing to pay for anti-virus software, but that's about it. If you really want to be protected, I suggest BitDefender, Kaspersky or Webroot.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

I have used both the paid and the free versions. both have worked wonderfully. In fact, I have a friend who just keeps re downloading the free version and he has yet to get a virus in 3 years.. I reckon it all depends on where on the net you surf.

[Mysteefied]

I also use AVG the paid version and haven't had any problems, I went to it after I had serious puter issues related to Norton.

[Primestone]

Antivirus? Who would use any of that? ^_^ ...

I have used computers for 11 years and have never had had any Antivirus installed for more than a few hours. Within those 11 years I have had 0 viruses and 1 trojan. What I do is every 3 or 6 months I will make an image of the HDD, install Panda or Kaspersky AV and do the 1 free update they allow and then if it's clean I'll load the HDD image and I won't have any trace of Kaspersky or Panda AV. ^_^.

I having no viruses actually says something too, heh, I downloaded around 4TB's in 2007. Or it could of been more, I'll never know.

The trojan was from when I was 11 years old and a friend had told me he had made a new web browser and wanted me to try it out. I ran it, and told him that it didn't work. Few hours later while I was playing an old game called Faldon, I started to see some odd text start to type on my chat bar. He never did anything malicious, but the stupid thing of him was that he actually had left a text file called "IPlog.txt" with everything he had tried to do. Since I never keep any passwords on my computer his attempts were futile and I just went and changed my external IP and blocked all but port 80 and 81 so the trojan couldn't contact him again. Then I went and just downloaded the fix and tada! ^_^.

[EdBailey]

I use Webroot which I purchased from Oakhurst Computers. I had Norton before. I like Webroot better. By the way, the guys at Oakhurst Computers are some of the most knowledegable and the most reasonable computer guys I know. I recomment them highly. Also, I am very pleased with Matthew as my webmaster and host.

[jakobscalpel]

Antivirus? Who would use any of that? ^_^ ...

...What I do is every 3 or 6 months I will make an image of the HDD, install Panda or Kaspersky AV and do the 1 free update they allow and then if it's clean I'll load the HDD image and I won't have any trace of Kaspersky or Panda AV. ^_^.


I'll tell you who would use "any of that". Those of us that don't have the time to waste making images of our drives every three months to avoid using a current anti-virus program. Seriously, I can't tell why you would bother. Does losing 15 mbs of free memory while running a resident anti-virus prog really bother you that much? Why make things needlessly complicated?

[Primestone]

You seem to think that making a 10GB image is complicated.... I don't run AV Software because it's pointless to run if you know what you are doing.

[Primestone]

I do admit I got tired of imaging, so I just started using a 512mb Flash Drive that wasn't doing anything and installed a minimalistic version of Linux on it and it has all my diagnostic software on it including Panda Anti-virus.

[jakobscalpel]

You seem to think that making a 10GB image is complicated.... I don't run AV Software because it's pointless to run if you know what you are doing.

Heh, no. It isn't complicated. I said "needlessly" complicated. You know, compared to doing nothing while the AV software does the work. But if it gets your motor running, more power to you. Playing with geek stuff is a good thing to do, especially since you want to break into the computer field (saw your internship request). I did the same type of things back in those college days of infinite free time.

Are you trying for hardware (repair, engineering, etc) as a career or software? Or none of the above?

[Primestone]

I am going into Computer Engineering, it's a broad term but I'll hopefully narrow it down....

The reason I chose CE is that the Computer Science field has a bit too many people and why not just combine what I already liked (CS) with Electrical Engineering and go into CE?


I used to do some computer repair, it was all for friends and friends that had computer problems, but nothing like a business.

[Primestone]

But if it gets your motor running, more power to you. Playing with geek stuff is a good thing to do

First off, sorry about multiple posts but it doesn't seem like editing posts is instant... Anyway you reminded me of my newer project to do to this laptop.. I used to quad-boot into Mac OSX, but it was hardly near native speed... The newest thing out is EFI Emulation so you can run a Vanilla installation of the operating system and actually identifies the computer AS a Mac so you can update an use all the drivers.

[jakobscalpel]

The reason I chose CE is that the Computer Science field has a bit too many people and why not just combine what I already liked (CS) with Electrical Engineering and go into CE?


Yeah, going into CE is smart. CS is much like a high school diploma now.... everybody has one.

I'm not personally into the hardware side (at least in gory detail). However, I will say that you can't go wrong by getting an engineering degree, just because it is so broadly applicable. When we look through resumes I could care less if the applicant has a CS degree (we're software) since it means almost nothing. What people do on their own is a much better predictor of computer ability. But if I saw a CE degree I would notice.

[Primestone]

Heh, that's what everyone has told me through HS, and I took their advice to mind. =].. FYI You can contact me from any of the IM's located above me, I use Pidgin (Trillian-like application) so I am on them 24/7.

[jakobscalpel]

Sent you a PM Primestone.

[american]

Like Primestone, I used to surf the web without Anti-Virus software. I too, didn't get any virus in that 10 year period. However, I did get some nasty viruses a few years back. Not sure where they came from. I now use the software to be safe. I see or hear about computers with viruses very often, so I know how important it is to protect yourself. Your anti-virus software is like using a condom. You can choose to go without it and you may never catch anything, but why take the chance? Isn't it better to play it safe? Also, other people may use your computer and they may not know how to avoid these kinds of things. So, my advice is to get the software and save yourself a whole lot of grief later.

[Primestone]

Isn't it better to play it safe?

No, not really. If on the off-chance something DID happen to my computer, I still have 3 other operating systems I can boot into. (Vista / Linux / Mac OSX ). There's also a thing I've been experimenting with called Sandboxie, it creates a sandbox in which you can run your applications.


Also, other people may use your computer and they may not know how to avoid these kinds of things. So, my advice is to get the software and save yourself a whole lot of grief later.

That is why I don't let my friends use my XP or Vista installations, I give them only Mac OSX and Linux to work with.

[Sandman]

Running your computer without anti-virus is never recommended unless you are a computer expert and could repair a problem if it should arise. I see viruses on computers every day at Oakhurst Computers. It is always a good idea to protect yourself before a problem arises.

[Primestone]

Heh, that's very true for the average users. I am very well protected incase anything was to happen.