What antivirus software do you use on your M11x?

I'm just curious what antivirus software you guys are running on your systems these days. I've been using Comodo for years, and am looking to switch to something else. People seem to say Microsoft Security Essentials is decent, but to be honest I don't have a clue.

What are you guys using?

 

absolutely none. for the past 2 years, and havent gotten a single virus.

 

Avast has the smallest memory footprint of any of the freeware antivirus packages I've tried. It also seems to work well. So that's what I use.

Also I have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware which I run from time to time.

I still startup a new PC and remove McAfee as a first step.
It's such a habit, that I haven't even rechecked if McAfee is any good or not these days.

Dell seems to think McAfee is pretty good as they force New Zealanders to purchase 15 months of the crud with a new PC. No more thirty day trial version.

Oh and my LAN is behind two firewalls, plus the Windows 7 firewall, so it's just if you're a loon and install dodge software you run into problems.

 

MSE or Avast

 

AVG before but Avast now.

 

Avast

(switched over from Zonealarm Internet Security after the SU7300 didnt seem to cope too well with it being installed)

 

avast with malwarebytes on the side, both free versions

 

I go with MSE, but use a batch file to kill the service/process when I'm not using it so it doesn't take up any memory/cpu cycles. It's good and it's free, so you don't get any popups like in Avira or other free AVs.

 

MSE and S&D- no infections for over a year now.

 

I use Avast (both on my M11x and on my desktop gaming rig). It's unobtrusive and not a resource hog.

 

same combo as alienware-joel...

 

avast free here, no problems so far

 

MSE in all my computers and is works great

 

Norton. It slows down your computer, but you are always safe

 

avast here.

 

MSE..love it.

 

ok just a test for everyone. to see how "good your antivirus is"

install windows on a separate hard drive and run it without an antivirus. and tell me if you get any viruses. because iv been running NO ANTIVIRUS for over 2 years, without an infection.

you may call me crazy or what not, but i think antivirus is more trouble then its worth.

 

The problem for "power" users isn't themselves but other people. Got any pals that send you pdf or doc files? Maybe they bring a thumbdrive over with some cool game patches? (etc)

Then you might have a home network. Got family? Buddies? Anyone that visits and gets on your network is potentially a hazard.

My wife deals with students who many times now have passed around infected thumbdrives. True, those infections were mild and easy to clear but still annoying.

You can install it and configure for silent mode until a manual scan is needed. I have done that before but now I get ZERO performance impact from MSE so it stays active.

Here is the flip: MSE on older systems I have tried (2 or 3) was impacting performance. Avast was slightly better but default install is annoying with the vocal update announcements etc. It still impacts the older system I'm using now (P4) but better than MSE. MSE on my M11x is noooo problem.

Tip: MSE by default does NOT scan removable drives. You need to enable that.

 

yeah i have my best friend come over all the time with his flash drive and gives me some of his music/game files.

id rather just have a network firewall then antivirus.

antivirus programs that use active scanning degrade performance. and that sucks especially when your a heavy benchmarker like me. the only thing i do is run a malwarebytes scan every week or so, and the whole time have come up with nothing.

and also when you run 2 partitions, 1 for windows and files, the other for backup which is encrypted, it takes about 20 minutes to reinstall windows IF anything ever happend.

 

Run your bench, install MSE, run bench again You can always disable active scanning btw. which makes it an on demand tool no different from any other

 

I agree! Avast is great and so unobtrusive I don't even know I have it running.

The only reminder is when a female voice notifies me that my virus definitions have been updated

 

just ran Wprime with microsoft security essentials, and without, 1.5 sec difference...

 

Used Avast then switched to MSE

 

i agree 100% i dont use anti virus either and never had a virus. only way you will get one is if you go on sites or download cleary virus filled software

 

Using VIPRE Antivirus PC Lifetime license.
It uses 0~1% CPU for real time scanning

 

Not tried that one. What I can see is zero change in gaming or 3dMark.

 

This is wrong wrong wrong. Go back a page. Sharing files, emails, or letting someone else do those things on your pc or network are all at risk behaviors. You dont have to surf or warez to transfer an infection. Remember when all you needed was a lack of windows updates to get infected? True we have come a long way. Actually taking your wording liberally you are correct: "go on sites" is sometimes enough. heh.

The funny thing is you will never know if there is a virus or not. I can say I dont get virus infections either... but then I prevent them and actually have a way to check. There is a way to have A/V options without impact to games or applications so why not? At least you can have a tool for scanning other devices.

What is "clearly infected" look like anyway?

 

its not wrong. i do all of those things. its called being careful. i go to torrent sites all the time. and open email attachment. oh btw, iv never run windows update. just installed service pack 1, thats it.


clearly infected means there's an abnormal amount of processes, random pop ups, when you click on a program it closes immediately, and when things are going abnormally slow.

and when your a major nerd like me you know exactly what processes are running at all times, its not hard to catch and stop it in its track.

antivirus programs are for people who dont/cant manually do all this themselves.

the detection rates of antivirus software is not very good, regardless of what they say. i used to be one of those guys that was like "you neeeeed antivirus!!" but i did a little experiment with all the antivirus software i could find. installed them, and created my own little virus the wreck havoc on my pc. and only 1/13 of them detected a damned thing. oh and btw, windows defender pretty much IS antivirus. it does the same thing. read up on it, there's also an official statement from microsoft that says windows 8 does not need any sort of antivirus software.

Antivirus is for some people, and not for others. its all in how you manage your pc. whether you do it manually or you let software do it for you.

i still think encrypted drives, and network firewalls are the way to go.

 

yup, all you have to to is be careful. ever since windows xp iv never had a virus problem. its been non existent.

 

You are responding to the wrong post. The other poster said to get infected "download cleary virus filled software". Really?

I deny the premise that the only way to get infected is to do "bad things" on the internet. I'm not naive though and will agree that nothing is foolproof even though MY behavior and experience makes A/V nearly obsolete. To imply or state that it is not useful or needed as a blanket recommendation is too far the other way however.

BTW, The single most effective tool I have is script blocking. Awesome.

Anyone that has been into this long enough will have had experiences that shape their view. I have seen infections that do NOT give warning or time to adjust or "stop it in its tracks". On a network this is not only annoying but potentially expensive. I work from home so I treat other systems as a threat. Its being proactive rather than reactive. Reactive is never better.

Again, there is no downside in real world performance in todays security applications. You might find the exception here but it isnt as though there is any cost to it. MSE never speaks, pops up, or gets in the way. Its there when I want to scan something and is just another tool I use.

This is the same silly argument the Apple fan boys make. "Can't happen to me"

 

I score 64xx in 3dmark nearly every time I try it. Lots of running processes, fresh boot, no defrag, with defrag, A/V or no... I dont play every game out there but can't see any difference there either.

Synthetic results and anecdotal evidence are worthless though - in either point of view. Note the difference? *I* say you don't NEED antivirus but that there is no downside in having it and it CAN come in handy. I DO recommend it in a network environment. The other side says "you don't need it" like its some kind of fact. sigh.

 

i just wont use it. thats what malwarebytes is for. to run a scan every once in awhile. and like i said before, if i ever do get an attack, i have en encrypted drive with all my backups. if i cant stop the attack, its simple, reboot into safemode, run a malwarebytes scan, and delete the virus's and boom, your ready to go.
i totally understand the need to have an antivirus program. i'm just fine without,however.

im a heavy folder, so i need all the power i can get. thats why i sold my m11x and built my sig rig.

 

Kaspersky 2012 for me cause it just works

 

Microsoft Security Essentials + Malwarebytes

All you need.

 

After reading through this thread I realise that I've been paying for McAfee for nothing. It's never caught anything that is actually a virus, as I too exercise caution on the net. Is McAfee known for being a resource hog?

I think I'll use MSE when I get my m11x

 

McAfee generally is. and if you were going to run any antivirus software at all, all i can suggest is MSE.

 

MSE if you want free antivirus with decent protection or VIPRE Antivirus for even less resource usage and better support.

 

Security Essentials

 

I use Microsoft security essentials and malwarebytes, that's it. Works really good for me.

 

I think norton antivirus is best. I m using it fro last 2 yrs.

 

Wow a 4 year old thread...