Antivirus Solutions
 

Do the free ones perform as well as the free versions?

Currently paying for Nod 32 but if the free versions work just as well is it worthwhile continuing with?

no

I use AVG free and it works a treat. The MOD police use the exact same solution, but they pay a nominal fee for a corporate licence

search for AVG in this forum. . . .

I'm sure they don't work quite as well if you subject them to lab. tests. However, in the real world, if you have a HW firewall (router with these functions) PLUS the free Zonealarm (SW firewall) AND you run things like AdAware on a regular basis AND you keep up to date with Micro$oft OS patches AND you're not a stupido who opens unexpected emails for Viagra or foreign lottery wins then you'll be fine.

Dave

That's what I was thinking. Might not renew and put the money aside for more petrol :D

Good call! My wife is a *stupi ... sorry, novice* user and she's fine with AVG.

Dave

Microsoft Security Essentials is free and reviews are very good.

2nd MS Essentials, I use to use nod32 but this is just as good and free.

MS Essentials is very good and it's free, the only caviat with their stuff is that it sends random information about your system and things on it back to MS (read the very fine print)

I use Avast and it is bloody good, uses minimal systems resources and performs very well, even the webguard works a treat and quickly

AVG...... I would never ever install that on my PC again, it just seemed to hammer the machine and get resource hungry... Shocking! and the paid Version aint much better, a recent review came out and the product got a total of 2/10.... ****e!! you might as well have nothing on your PC that uses no resources than this product

If you have internet banking with Barclays you can get Kaspersky from them for nothing.

Other banks might have similar offers?

Seconding for Avast, it is reportedly the best free anti-virus software with the biggest definitiions.

Apparently, Avira runs it second and AVG third

MS essentials on this work laptop when i use windows (usually use linux though)

On the home desktop that i use for office/gaming stuff, i removed AVG as it was slowing things down, tried kaspersky that was a free offer from my bank, but that seamed to want to grind the hard disc quite a bit, which was giving me texture streaming problems while playing games (microstutter)
Ended up installing MS Essentials on this machine as well.

The office CCTV windows xp machine just runs AVG as i am not bothered about sluggish performance at all on that one (it is a 98% pure cctv setup and gets minimal other types of use)
MS essentials seams to have been the most reasonable one i have used so far, it seams pretty easy on the bloat.

None are any better or worse than any other.

Is MSE just "windows defender" re-branded?

Microsoft*recruited*a*huge*team*of*Antivirus*resea rchers*a*year*before*the*launch*of*their*
latest*product,*the*team*are*very good,*the*product*is*probably*excellent.

Check*out*my*stars!

Looks like jack is struggling with another HTC touch screen ^^ :lol1:

I picked up a copy of Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 from "The Works" last weekend for £7.99 for the 3 user license (In fact, I bought 2 copies)
Have previously been using Zonealarm and AVG free for ages but then ran into some problems recently so decided to get rid...
Apparently, the Kaspersky can be upgraded to the 2010 version too. Oh and remember it's firewall and AV :D

I use AVG both on all of the Laptops at my work and at home, works out to be 45p per month per laptop.. never had a problem with it and i have been using it for about 4 years i think..

If you buy it online from AVG its more expencive than amazon's 3-user pack.. so hunt around for the best price.

Don't use AVG it's cheap and/or free for a reason, it's sh1te! It doesn't even detect alot of the nastier viruses out there and therefore provides no protection against them.

I would never consider using the FREE version i always use the licenced version..

It has always detected more than any other anti-virus program when i have used it.

Well you must of used some really poor ones in the past then.