Looking for advice on virus software!

[Speckled28]

So I'm wondering what everyone else out there uses for computer virus protection....and where you purchase yours from. For as long as I can remember I've been using Norton Antivirus.....but it can be a bit pricey if it's not on sale. I also saw that in Canada it's usually around $50-59 for the basic.....but when I checked Amazon.com it was listed at $14.50!!!!(for the download though...not the actual disc) I've never purchased anything from the states before though so I'm not sure if I'd actually be saving anything by the time you factor in customs and shipping etc etc.


Any thoughts? Not just about ordering from the states, but about what you find works and where you find the best deals.

[marstec]

Speckled,

I have a long-standing hate for Norton. Every computer I've ever bought with it pre-loaded, the first order of business is to delete this AV from the system. It takes up a lot of your memory, which slows down your computer. For my pc's I use the free Microsoft Essentials - it has been very good and there isn't a nag screen to update to a paid version. I also have Mac's which haven't needed any form of antivirus softeware (so far anyways). Make sure if you are wanting to try a new antivirus program, you need to delete the old one first. You will be without AV for a brief time, make sure you don't do any risky web-browsing or downloading before you have the new one up.

[glowworm2k]

I use Avira, which is also free. It has worked great for me over the past 7 years; honestly, I trust the software with my Ph.D. thesis, which is really saying something about how much I like it. Yes, you get an ad popping up when it updates, but just click 'ok' and it's gone. Definitely worth looking into, IMHO

Here's the website in case you're interested: http://www.avira.com/en/for-home

[GoJays]

i'm a big fan of Avast, it scans while i'm surfing.. it's also free... i also scan my system with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (free) on a (semi)regular basis to make sure nothing snuck in under Avast's radar

[GoJays]

Speckled,

I have a long-standing hate for Norton. Every computer I've ever bought with it pre-loaded, the first order of business is to delete this AV from the system. It takes up a lot of your memory, which slows down your computer. For my pc's I use the free Microsoft Essentials - it has been very good and there isn't a nag screen to update to a paid version. I also have Mac's which haven't needed any form of antivirus softeware (so far anyways). Make sure if you are wanting to try a new antivirus program, you need to delete the old one first. You will be without AV for a brief time, make sure you don't do any risky web-browsing or downloading before you have the new one up.

mcafee is the same way, hate it

[anastasia1009]

I use avg free and bf uses Avast plus one that came with Windows 7. I use to be such a fan of Norton than I realized how the program got imbedded into my computer and how it took up so much RAM.