I've also heard using different browsers can help avoid getting viruses but for the most part you have to use your better judgment.
For a while i was using AVG and/or Avira, but i saw the need for some extra features and returned to using McAfee.
Weird thing too, is that it recognized Il2 as a trojan, but for me, i'd rather the false positive than having other things go undetected.
I turned the priority down, and sill gives me a red bar with Il2, and i even told it to skip over scanning games. go figure....


I still think you'd have to be pretty careless to get a virus, and the biggest threats actually come through email and IMs. Its the dialers, and spyware, adware, keystroke trackers, and bots i really don't want.

So you use McAfee for the extra features?

yep.
It has the same firewall and anti-virus features, but it also tags websites that have been known for suspicious downloads, which helps avoid getting adware/spyware in the first place.
It has a parental control to limit internet access for every user on your system, which i can make it think the ASP-NET user (usually hidden) is a young child and block any access from that user.
I'm not sure what the ASP-NET user is exactly but its basically another user that i think Windows uses to communicate with other programs via the net, and i think its used to code websites and other Microsoft features.
Blocking it doesn't create problems so i'm not sure exactly what its for on my computer. As far as i know its another user capable of hitting the net when i'm not aware so i'd just assume block it until i get an error, which so far has never happened.





Another cool program that came with McAffee is the anti theft package, which lets you create vaults, lockable files that need passwords to get into, as well as the original program that created it.
In a way, it partitions your hard drive, and you can section off as much as you need secured, or make a 1kb file and store it away.

I have an external drive with nearly 2/3 lockable. Good to have for the portable stuff in case it ever gets lost or stolen. Plus a lot of my artwork and production stuff is better guarded and easily backed up that way.
Out of the entire McAffee line up, i probably recommend this one the most.

I've heard all the arguments for and against different products, and i really can't say anything bad about it except that when my subscription is up, i know i will be bombarded with an automatic message until i subscribe again. I know this, because even with all notifications off, it still lets me know its time to update ever week. Norton's was doing that just about every day til i replaced it, and that was the reason for not buying that one again.

You really have to be careful with some of the freeware AV programs because some also include adware and trackers that will pin point their sponsors to your interests. That's how making freeware is profitable for them, but as for getting viruses i still think it takes bit of effort or very careless browsing.

I used to use AVG 8.5 free but since reading up on Antivirus, Antimalware and Antispyware software and the like, I've gone whole heartedly back to Microsoft. I use Windows Defender for Spyware and Microsoft Security Essentials for antivirus. Live One Care ends this summer and M.S.E takes over, http://www.av-comparatives.org/home, placed M.S.E in the top three antivirus packages on the market (the other two were Kapersky and ESET NOD32). The fact that it's free, small and really powerful has sold it for me, it's built on proven technology; Malicious Software removal tool, Live One Care, Windows Defender; so it can only get better, for reviews head to these websites, but also google, bing and other search engines are your friend!!!!

Website reveiws
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/rev....cfm?reviewid=117961
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/mse_beta.asp

@BillSwagger:

Try Norton Internet Securety 2009 or 2010, same packadge, difrent name and hardly uses any system resourses + non of the crazy McAffee problems.

Tried the 2009 one from McAffee (because it came with my new computer) and took it off after a few hours, way to much system load and to much stuff gets blocked because it sees it as a "posible" virus etc. etc.

quote:

Originally posted by NDS_Camp.:
@BillSwagger:

Try Norton Internet Securety 2009 or 2010, same packadge, difrent name and hardly uses any system resourses + non of the crazy McAffee problems.

Tried the 2009 one from McAffee (because it came with my new computer) and took it off after a few hours, way to much system load and to much stuff gets blocked because it sees it as a "posible" virus etc. etc.

Why do you use Norton??

Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!

Avira Antivirus Personal is what I use at the moment.

When I purchased my PC a couple of years ago I had a 3 months Norton free trial but man what a heck of job to get rid of it. I asked the ICT boys at work how to get rid of it and looked for it on the internet but the message is the same: it ís a problem removing Norton. It is fixed of course but never again.

So after some advice I decided to install Avira and it seems to be the best free AV program.
According several independent tests freeware is as good and sometimes better than paid options.
The only little thing with Avira is you get once a day an ad popping up but I can live with that.

Avira free for me as well.
And common sense browsing (mostly!)

quote:

Originally posted by NDS_Camp.:
@BillSwagger:

Try Norton Internet Securety 2009 or 2010, same packadge, difrent name and hardly uses any system resourses + non of the crazy McAffee problems.

Tried the 2009 one from McAffee (because it came with my new computer) and took it off after a few hours, way to much system load and to much stuff gets blocked because it sees it as a "posible" virus etc. etc.

Compared to Avira its only about 40 kernels more on my system, but it does have a web feature that scans sites so when i'm browsing it nearly doubles its usage. Still, i really notice no difference or lag on my system, and i doubt i will ever be browsing the web and trying to play a video game at the same time.
Since i upped my RAM its really of no concern, but if you are inching toward your system capacity then i could see why you might steer away from it. You can also choose to only install the AV and firewall, and not install the extras, but for me, its those extras that i like and really separate it from the other programs I've tried.

One interesting note:
For a while i would be using Il2, and i noticed my FPS would be lower at times by about 20-30 percent. This seem to happen off and on, so i started to pay attention to the processes under task manager, and eliminated what wasn't absolutely necessary at start up, along with a handful of processes i regularly use.
I upped my ram, and got noticeably better frames so i thought that could have been the problem but with in the same week it had returned. This prompted me to check my task manager options and i saw that my svchost.exe (system process) was running above 120,000 kernels and seemed to be increasing (normally runs between 30,000-40,000 kernels). No scans or other programs were running. I'm very watchful of my computer, so when these things occur its sort of like knowing that someone else has driven my car or eaten out of my refrigerator. I later installed McAfee, and that problem hasn't returned and I'm seeing how long it will be before it does. Before i was using Avira which i saw no problems with but i think that it was not able to detect something that maybe McAfee was able to block or allow me to block using the extra features.

quote:

Originally posted by mortoma:
Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!

I dont know where you got that info from, or how many years you live in the past...


Norton was pretty bad in the past but they seem to do a really good job now, there 2007 version was pretty good and they improved a lot since than also. (and it does find Rootkits also)

Just got Norton Internet Securety 2010 (full version) and its the best so far.


Anyway, some of you might want to give this a try:

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta version

http://www.microsoft.com/SECURITY_ESSENTIALS/

Hearing really good things about it.

quote:

Originally posted by NDS_Camp.:

quote:

Originally posted by mortoma:
Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!

I dont know where you got that info from, or how many years you live in the past...

NDS_Camp.
Why are you a strong supporter of Norton

quote:

Originally posted by Tuphlandng:

quote:

Originally posted by NDS_Camp.:

quote:

Originally posted by mortoma:
Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!

I dont know where you got that info from, or how many years you live in the past...

NDS_Camp.
Why are you a strong supporter of Norton

He is just saying something thats not true at all anymore, people seem to look back to much to there own experiance or what they heard a few years ago than looking at the facts as they are now.

Been using Norton since 2007 and had no problems with it from than on.
I did have 2002 also in the past wich was pretty bad indeed.

Just saying judge for your self, try som Trial versions of some Securety packadges and see, maybe you dont like Norton Internet Securety at all, and feel more comfortable with McAfee or Microsoft securety Esentials (Beta) or something else.

Just try it, but dont flame something for something it did/didnt do years ago.

I currently have 3 versions of Norton System works. I an older version on a Diag Computer that is never on line. I really thought MORTOMA's coment"Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!" was funny,I pictured an elephant in a bath tub w/candels and a glass of wine. I really don't think he was trying to"flame" or other wise discredit any one.
You said:
"Been using Norton since 2007 and had no problems with it from than on.
I did have 2002 also in the past which was pretty bad indeed."

Please tell me more pros and cons of the anti virus program you use.
Try to include use of system resources aggravating POP-UPs and protection.

I am putting together a gaming computer that I hope to use as a server for inter net play.


So YOU as a gamer what system do you use and why????
And please keep in mind that price may be an issue.

Currently running 2009 (on Vista) and 2010 (on Windows 7)

Its good because it hardly uses any system resourses, waits till your "inactive" with running scans and updates, no anoying popups, nothing bothering you wen gaming.
Dont need to configure it to play games online etc.

2010 seems to be even better so far... but its only been released a few days ago.
It has a new bunch of new features and works with Windows 7.


Anyway, im waiting with my new system till the new AMD 890FX chipset mobo's come out.

quote:

Originally posted by WOLFMondo:
I used AVG. Often though I have it completely switched off. Sensible use of the internet is your best way of avoiding viruses.

Exactly.

I use AVG and malwarebytes, although I have the daily scanning turned off. Its pointless

F-secure will find rootkits that none of the others will because of their special technology. But even then, rootkits can be so sneaky by avoiding the Windows API and such that only an offline scan will find them. And the only way to do it is to use two computers. Using my laptop, my desktop and a Thermaltake Black Widow docking station, I'll remove my laptop hard drive, put it in the Black Widow and connect it to my desktop gaming rig. Laptop drives are actually easy to remove. Then I use F-Secure on the desktop to scan the laptop drive. I have found a rootkit this way already! When Windows is running, rootkits can avoid detection in many cases because so many files cannot be scanned when they are running processes. And also they can't hide from the API when you use one install of Windows to scan another install of Windows. I use the same technique in reverse to scan my desktop drives using my laptop.

Am I the only one in here that worries about ( and finds ) rootkits?? They are by far the most virulent and dangerous viruses out there and have been since 2004 or so. F-Secure is the champ when it comes to rootkits.

quote:

Originally posted by NDS_Camp.:

quote:

Originally posted by mortoma:
Norton couldn't find an elephant in a bathtub, let alone a virus, worm or trojan. And rootkits?? Fuhgeddaboudit!!

I dont know where you got that info from, or how many years you live in the past...


Norton was pretty bad in the past but they seem to do a really good job now, there 2007 version was pretty good and they improved a lot since than also. (and it does find Rootkits also)

Just got Norton Internet Securety 2010 (full version) and its the best so far.


Anyway, some of you might want to give this a try:

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta version

http://www.microsoft.com/SECURITY_ESSENTIALS/

Hearing really good things about it.

Actually it's kind of the opposite, back in the 90's Norton was quite good. Mostly because it was about the only one out there period, until McAfee came along about '96 or so.
Then by the late 90's I thought McAfee was the best. By Y2K, there all of a sudden were a lot more anti-virus companies out there and now there are dozens. It's hard to try them all, but I've tried at least six over the years.

I recently tried Sophos Anti-Rootkit and was impressed for a while. But now it's giving me lots of false positives, saying every other file on my machine is a rootkit!! If I were to remove every files it recommends, I'd probably not be able to boot into Windows any more because a lot of them are important system files. So I no longer use it. None of them are prefect but I am satisfied with what I have for now.

I use "Avast" free and have done so for about 2 years and have never had a virus problem. It updates automatically. Give it a try, I love it.