[xblindx]

Hi, a lot of the screenshots and stuff are outdated, any chance of updating them? Just a thought

[Advertisements]

Is it ok to turn off some of the shield features in avast?

[m8dman]

Is it ok to turn off some of the shield features in avast?

[mjdona]

I just found your site yesterday and today I found your recomendations for free antivirus and free antispyware software. Thank you. Getting ready to download a new antivirus.

Thanks again,
mjdona

[Essexboy]

For Avast if you do not use for example P2P then yes, however there is no overhead if they are running

[surfy]

Hello,
I have read this thread very carefully and have installed some of the recommended software.
I am stuck when it comes to deciding which firewall to install. I was leaning towards Comodo but just wondering if it's still the recommended choice since it has the Antivirus protection which may not be needed for some. I use Avast and don't want to change. If Comodo is installed by just checking the Firewall does it do the job?
There is also the option of Trust Connect (please see below). Is this part of the firewall, or like an Antispyware program?
I am hoping to get some opinions before I install because I have read that some people have problems uninstalling Comodo.

Any help is greatly appreciated.



COMODO TrustConnect:

· Secures Wireless and Wired communication between your PC and other computers
· Makes surfing safe while at public places such as coffee shops, hotels, airports etc.
· Keeps you and your information private, secure, and out of the hands of criminals during your online sessions
· Provides fully encrypted traffic to/from your PC

[Buttons1]

Hi surfy,

You can install just the firewall, anti-virus or both. Trust Connect encrypts your data over wifi. However it's only a trial. Also note, Comodo tends to bark for every flea that goes by. I highly recommend going for something else. Definitely the one you should avoid if you're not that knowledgeable about computers. Online Armor and Outpost Free both do a much better job.

Edited by Buttons1, 26 April 2010 - 04:45 PM.

[surfy]

Hi surfy,

You can install just the firewall, anti-virus or both. Trust Connect encrypts your data over wifi. However it's only a trial. Also note, Comodo tends to bark for every flea that goes by. I highly recommend going for something else. Definitely the one you should avoid if you're not that knowledgeable about computers. Online Armor and Outpost Free both do a much better job.

Hello,
Thank you very much for the information. I will take a look at the ones you suggested.
Thanks again!

[Buttons1]

No problem.

[Bryztama]

thanks for the post
but for windows users i recommend microsoft security essentials
the best AV for windows OS, and its free
website http://www.microsoft...ity_essentials/

[Buttons1]

thanks for the post
but for windows users i recommend microsoft security essentials
the best AV for windows OS, and its free
website http://www.microsoft...ity_essentials/

Yep.
MSE is an okay choice for average users, but it's not that good. I've found that MSE fails to protect its files from termination/deletion. Plus it has some performance issues.

[sari]

I'm running MSE on a Win XP netbook with 1 GB ram, and have noticed no performance issues. The scanner is fast and overhead is low. Many of the experts on the site recommend this product right now. We've found it to be effective, and it's very easy for the average user to set up and use.

[Buttons1]

I'm running MSE on a Win XP netbook with 1 GB ram, and have noticed no performance issues. The scanner is fast and overhead is low. Many of the experts on the site recommend this product right now. We've found it to be effective, and it's very easy for the average user to set up and use.

From what I've seen, MSE causes a noticeable delay in windows explorer. Takes several seconds longer to load folders/files. Also stalls for a minute or two once a day. Malware also can delete its files easily, plus the scanner can break. I wouldn't call an 8 hour full scan fast. That's pretty pathetic

Edited by Buttons1, 19 May 2010 - 08:57 AM.

[FNP]

I'm with Buttons1 on this one. My full scans took an inordinate amount of time; scans with Avast and even AVG didn't take half as much time (and I only have about 35 GB of data on the drive, defragged and junk cleaned). And it feels... too lightweight. Maybe it would work well for a netbook, but I like the feel of a solid AV with shields and such.

Easy for the user to set up, but so is Avast. It's good that we have multiple options, though. And it's good we're discussing it.

Edited by FNP, 19 May 2010 - 10:53 AM.

[sari]

Well, out of curiosity I ran full scans on both my netbook and my desktop (160 gb hard drive, 80 gb used, running Vista Pro). I didn't clean out temp files first or anything. My netbook took approximately 1.5 hours, my desktop took ~2 hours. I don't call that an inordinate amount of time for a full scan; I also noted that during the scan, I noticed no degradation of performance. I have seen no issues with Explorer - my files/folders open pretty much instantly on my desktop PC. I'm not sure what you mean by "the scanner can break". I will stand by my recommendation; for many people, a lightweight simple product is sufficient, and it's important to have a product that you're comfortable with.

Edited by sari, 19 May 2010 - 11:07 AM.

[FNP]

To each his (or her) own. When I was testing MSE at the end of April it took over 4 hours to run a full scan on my notebook (250GB). It does do it's job- no argue with that. I guess it just boils down to personal preference.

Or we could all go back to pen and paper and not have to worry about it.