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Best anti virus for windows 7?


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Hi

I have a little netbook that isn't really used much but it's time to get a new antivirus program. I was using norton 2011 last year (we had a 5 user one but lost the product key :an!gry ), but I'd like to see if there is anything better. So pretty much as per title what's the best antivirus for windows 7 (32 bit if that makes any differnce :P )?

Good night :yaw1: and TIA!

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Hi

I have a little netbook that isn't really used much but it's time to get a new antivirus program. I was using norton 2011 last year (we had a 5 user one but lost the product key :an!gry ), but I'd like to see if there is anything better. So pretty much as per title what's the best antivirus for windows 7 (32 bit if that makes any differnce :P )?

Good night :yaw1: and TIA!

Anything that's not Norton. :)

Microsoft security essentials and AVG Free are both good, like others have suggested. I use AVG free.

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Haven't had a computer virus for years, and I just use MS security essentials with Prevx. Trouble used to be with Norton and the other commercial AV software was that it just took too much of your resources.

If you need to visit dodgy sites, you can setup a virtual machine, and browse from there .. ie. use linux

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I use Avast and Spyware Terminator together for great protection. I haven't had a virus for a few years since I started using them.

I also have Spyware Doctor on hand just in case but have only needed to use it on friends computers.

Easiest thing to do is only go on trusted sites or set up a dummy computer as GrahamC said, and use it for all you web browsing and downloading. If something goes major wrong I find it quicker to wipe the OS & HD and start again.

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If you value your computer dont use a freebie such as AVG.

Ive used it as an interim between proper antivirus, and was astounded at how many trojans were in my system that were detected by proper software.

But +1 for microsoft security essentials.

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If you value your computer dont use a freebie such as AVG.

Ive used it as an interim between proper antivirus, and was astounded at how many trojans were in my system that were detected by proper software.

But +1 for microsoft security essentials.

AVG used with a firewall like sygate personal firewall is all you need. If you are getting Trojans then you're downloading the infected material yourself.

Software like Norton get right into your registry and really do drain CPU and memory slowing down your whole system.

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AVG used with a firewall like sygate personal firewall is all you need. If you are getting Trojans then you're downloading the infected material yourself.

Software like Norton get right into your registry and really do drain CPU and memory slowing down your whole system.

+1

I suggest MS Security Essentials to all my clients, especially on netbooks and machines without a lot of grunt. If you're really worried about Trojans and Rootkits etc use ComboFix and/or Trend Housecall

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

http://www.combofix.org/

Unless you are protecting some serious data you don't need to pay for antivirus software. If you do have some serious data, A, it should be backed-up more than once and B, it shouldn't be on a netbook :D

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when we switched from avg to nod 32 the first time it picked up about 52 viruses

Viruses or just any kind of alert? A lot of virus/spyware scanners can notify you of all kinds of harmless stuff like invalid signatures on files, tracking cookies, etc. I seriously doubt AVG would miss 52 genuine viruses. And I suspect your computer would be absolutely demolished. :)

Just installed MSE, no hits on the first scan compared to AVG.

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To put all that into perspective, I started using linux about 12 years ago and dont use any AV software (I did run clamAV on a mail server I was admin on for 1/2 a dozen people, but they used windows). In that 12 years I have had 1 virus, and that was intentionally run in a Linux VM running Wine.

I sometimes wonder if I should switch back to windows, that wondering never lasts long.

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