Antivirus Software

marty

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Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
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Location
Buffalo, New York USA
Been using AVG Free. About a week ago I see a little note at the bottom of the screen saying the hard drive is almost all filled up. Look at the different folders to see what is going on? There is nothing listed in the file size column? Seems that, that is the way Windows 7 is. Can see file size when you roll the mouse over the folders. Find 47GB of who knows what here: Computer > Local Disk (C:) > ProgramData > AVG10 > Dumps. Delete all the files in that Dumps folder. A few hours latter it fills up again. AVG went berserk. Try to remove AVG and get a error message. Downloaded avg_remover_stf_x64_2011_1322.exe This works. Black screens with white words flashing around for a few minutes and AVG is gone. Reinstall AVG. All is OK till today. AVG was preventing email program from receiving emails.

Can any one recommend a free Virus Program that does not cause problems?

List of antivirus software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antivirus_software
 
I use avast time ago and i'm really pleased with it,low cpu consumption,quite good at virus recognition and free,you just have to register.
 
marty said:
Been using AVG Free. About a week ago I see a little note at the bottom of the screen saying the hard drive is almost all filled up. Look at the different folders to see what is going on? There is nothing listed in the file size column? Seems that, that is the way Windows 7 is. Can see file size when you roll the mouse over the folders. Find 47GB of who knows what here: Computer > Local Disk (C:) > ProgramData > AVG10 > Dumps. Delete all the files in that Dumps folder. A few hours latter it fills up again. AVG went berserk. Try to remove AVG and get a error message. Downloaded avg_remover_stf_x64_2011_1322.exe This works. Black screens with white words flashing around for a few minutes and AVG is gone. Reinstall AVG. All is OK till today. AVG was preventing email program from receiving emails.

Can any one recommend a free Virus Program that does not cause problems?

List of antivirus software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antivirus_software

Marty;
The question you might ask yourself is why AVG, on your computer, went berserk? Making the quantum leap to AVG is bad, does not follow. If this were a common problem, and it is not, you would be able to find millions of upset user's of the software. Stop and think awhile. While do you not leap to the conclusion that your ram is bad, your cpu is bad, or your cat walked on the keyboard and caused the problem? AVG has caused none of your problems. The Corruption (by unknown means) of AVG was/is your problem, which by your own statement "All is OK till today" supports.
None of these ideas are logical.
 
Stuff happens. IIRC, that AVG issue has come up before... not often tho.

AVG is pretty good, Avast is too. MalwareBytes and Spybot S&D are some other good tools.

I own more than one kind of hammer too.
 
Ubuntu is good too. Immune to those nasty windows viruses. I use it and don't even think about or consider what anti-virus software I'll ever need.

http://www.ubuntu.com/
 
+1 Microsoft Security Essentials work charm on my Vista and never had any nasty viruses or trojans. Used work as system administrator for I-Sphere Interactive Internet provider 5 years. 8)
 
AussieJester said:
Avira Anti virus Personal Been using it for a few years works a treat

KiM

Make it +2 on Avira, it gets both of my thumbs up! Protects all our computers and kept the kids safe at College for 8 years now.
 
I don't use an antivirus with win. 7 ultimate. MalwareBytes antimalware scanner thing is the only "virus protection" I have.

I use it to scan all of my downloads before I install them or stash them away. I also do an occasional system scan. I have been virus-free for over a year now.

Antivirus programs slow down your computer and use up your memory. It's not a big problem for me, but it's still something to consider.

Also, the way I see it, if a person is trying to write a big virus, they will write it to get by the latest and greatest antivirus software. I think antivirus programs are a joke, especially if your computer is worth less than a few hundred bucks.

Just be careful. Be smart. :D
 
bmxed said:
Ubuntu is good too. Immune to those nasty windows viruses. I use it and don't even think about or consider what anti-virus software I'll ever need.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

my netbook is dual-booted with ubuntu and windows xp and my windows partition crapped out on me because of a virus earlier this week. i wish this thread came up sooner so i could have some good suggestions for antivirus software.

but ubuntu has been running flawlessly on my netbook since i installed it earlier this year. but im still getting used to it since i havent used it very often.
 
I hated AVG. I got Avast now and I'm happy. The thing with Avast is that it only use 2 processes and I think AVG had like 6 processes going. you can turn Avast off in the system tray and never even realize that you have an anti-virus running which is what I like. I never even know it's there.
 
you don't need to register Avast ...do a search on youtube for Avast registration key...I found a key on a video that still works !!!! hahaha. Didn't even have to give them my e-mail address.

Ok, what I don't understand is how come no one has written an open source anti-virus program yet. How come every anti-virus needs to be installed and basically take over your computer. I want one that you download...ok, I can handle it if it needs to be installed but how come I can't find one that I can manually run when I want to and not have it always on. How come they don't make one where I can just run it once a week at my leisure? I couldn't find one like that but I'd love to have one that is like that. They all want to have these "Shields"...realtime protection shields.
 
A Warning about Avast. Avast made many of my shared folders and files randomly appear and disappear. Like 3 episodes out of a season of TV all of a sudden can't bee seen by certain users. Or all folders that start with the letters d-f can not be seen by a certain user etc.

It took me quite a file to figure out that it was Avast on the server that was causing the problems, not user rights settings. Many other users report the same problem.
 
Found this thread, and instead of creating one, I'll use this to post my need.

Presently on my PC, I use Microsoft Security Essentials on my box at home, and is free to download direct from Microsoft. It catches 99.9% of the crap that flies through. That said, sometimes there's that one really furry bugger that it can't trap. When that happens I turn to Malwarebytes.com which is the bomb!

And now the problem: I have this client on a Mac that has been harping for weeks and months that he can't send email on his domain to any other user on the same domain. Today we figured out that he must have a virus (long story). The problem I have is I have no clue who makes AV software for Macs. Please don't suggest Norton or McAfee; they are non-starters.

Looking for apps that don't nag. Something pros would use.

Thanks in advance.
Remotely, KF
 
I think most people don't bother to use anti-virus software on their Macs but here are two free ones:

ClamXav is a free virus scanner for Mac OS X. Apple includes ClamAV in OS X Server. Also recognizes PC viruses.
Avira Free Antivirus for Mac.

I've seen people suggest that either of these could be installed, turned off normally, and only run once in a while. I don't use any AV software on my Macs. Mac OS X is a UNIX-like operating system less popular than Windows so less the target of viruses. Not meaning to butt in on the can't send email problem but what does a manual email send test show. Or just a little better yet this: SMTP testing from the command line.

I thought there wasn't but looks like there is a lot of AV software for the Mac. Following are a couple more and avast has a comparison table listing the other brands:
avast! Free Antivirus for Mac
Comodo Free antivirus for Mac

Sorry, kinda failed answering your question and also don't know which will bug the Mac user the least. I do understand being free is not a requirement (and not a selling point in business environments). These just happened to be free. Since Apple uses ClamAV, ClamXAV might be analogous to your using MSE. Otherwise maybe something enterprisey-sounding like Kaspersky or ESET would make a client happy.
 
I don't use antivirus and I'm running Unix/Linux. Viruses useless on Unix/Linux :-D
 
I used free Avast for 2 years with no problems then purchased their service and caught a virus within a month. Avast tech support was Iyogi based in India and they tried to charge me $169 plus a monthly fee to debug my computer. I tried Norton and they also used IYogi for support. Been using Ubuntu for 2 years no cost no problems.
 
I love the argument "Macs don't get viruses".

The very first virus I ever caught was on a Mac Plus back in 1985: It was attached on the disc of a very popular game called Dark Castle. Back then, PCs didn't get viruses because "they are not that popular". :p

You cannot exist in this world with that kind of thinking, especially today.

I don't care what system you have; they can all be targeted. Believing you are risk-free is like dating without a condom. :shock:

Be smart. Get protection. Or get infected and have your personal data stolen. It's very simple math.

When I go to bed or take run up to a client, I unplug from the Internet. I believe I have the best AV solution, yet I don't trust my PC to be on its' own because I've come back and found it awake trying to ring out many times. What sort of software can boot a computer from sleep?

Mac peoples: Please keep sending what you use and your experiences; it is greatly appreciated and I will forward it on. :)

Digging the mote deeper and filling it with oil, KF
 
@Kingfish - Yeah MacOS before the OSX came out the hackers discovered expliot and they created virus for old MacOS. Unix/Linux has viruses but it wont work unless you run it. That's why you see my name chroot meaning everything are under sandbox even desktop! I used be run system administrator for many years in past. Go figure 8)


Chroot is the process of changing of the apparent disk root directory (and the current running process and its children) to another root directory. When you change root to another directory you cannot access files and commands outside that directory. This directory is called a chroot jail. Changing root is commonly done for system maintenance, such as reinstalling the bootloader or resetting a forgotten password.
Definition: chroot (jail): A UNIX feature that creates a limited sandbox allowing a process to view only a single subtree of the filesystem. The jail call in BSD is a more advanced version for creating the same sort of sandbox.
 
@chroot

I love it! Awesome handle 8)

Mine is less elegant: I've been called Kingfish since I was a squirt.
Thought it was a compliment until I was old enough to learn the origin. :roll:

Thanks buddy, KF
 
Mac AV software tests, 2-part article:
1-28-2013: Mac anti-virus testing, Part 2
11-14-2012: Mac anti-virus detection rates, Part 1

Note: the author writes there are no known viruses on Mac OS X at the time of writing according to the traditional understanding of what a virus is. There is malware (aka trojan horse) though.
 
bmxed said:
Ubuntu is good too. Immune to those nasty windows viruses. I use it and don't even think about or consider what anti-virus software I'll ever need.
http://www.ubuntu.com/

People should listen to you because Linux base operating systems are so god to use, you just turn it on and use it. I dont like being monitored by everyone So I use a mac. I just get monitored by Apple.

Just for fun for the computer geeks out there- this is funny but also stupid because mac operating systems contain linux.
macandlinux.jpg
 
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