I have tried several different anti virus programs. They seem to slow down the computer, cause conflicts with software. And in the end do not protect. I was running a major one and then checked with an online scanner and my computer was still infected. I am sure that there are virus programs that will destroy hard drives and raise havoc. Can't we protect the computer from the real bad stuff without having to load these huge and ineffective anti virus programs. Or should I just forget about it and switch to Linux. Help!
2007-05-25 04:34:07 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
The antivirus program that you should use is Avast. This program doesn't slow down your system. Some virus comes form everyday things like check the news on CNN.com or checking emails. So we do need it.
2007-05-25 04:39:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-08-23 11:00:55 · answer #2 · answered by Brianne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Working in the IT business, I build computers on a daily basis. If I put a new computer on the Internet to get updates, etc before I have anti-virus on it, the average length of time it takes for the computer to get a virus is about 6 seconds.
Try "AVG Free". You can get it at http://download.com for (duh) free. Unlike tha full suites (Norton, McAfee, etc) it does not include a firewall and other extras which greatly slow the computer.
As far the as "online scan", keep in mind that every software company wants to sell you there product. So they will usually design the product with a "scare factor" included. For example, if one virus installs 25 files on your computer, the scanner may not list it as 1 virus, but as 25 infections. You are more likely to buy the program if it finds 25 problems rather than 1.
Plus the list of what is considered a "virus" is decided by people. Norton may class something a "virus" and McAfee does not. So one virus scanner may find something minor that another scanner did not feel was a virus.
So it is recommended that WHATEVER virus scanner (or spyware scanner) you use, you make it a habit to run an occasional scan with a different program. They each will flag different things. Since you can only run one anti-virus at a time, use an on-line scan (such as micro-trend) for the second scanner.
(And there are viruses for Linux)
2007-05-25 04:45:10 · answer #3 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
True, anti-virus programs aren't necessary. You can operate without a safety net if you choose, but you run the risk of getting infected.
Consider an AV program as an insurance policy. It's there in case a virus comes along.
I had a friend who felt safe with his 4 year old AV program which he'd never updated. Then his machine got a virus. He went and bought a new Norton AV package and ran it then installed it only to discover that the virus he had was set to disable the top 10 AV programs. He was so frustrated that he unplugged his machine and bought a new tower. After that, he was so worried that installed Norton and set it to run a scan every 10 minutes. That was overkill because his new computer was constantly scanning and running slower than the old machine. I set him straight on system scanning and after that he was ok, but the experience really scared him.
It's a pain in the butt to try to remove a virus by yourself. Personally, I trust my Norton Internet Security to keep the bad guys out and I keep it up to date. I only notice a slowdown when downloading mail into Outlook.
I think if your computer is running really slow, you might want ro check your AV security settings to make sure that they're not set too high.
2007-05-25 04:50:21 · answer #4 · answered by Den B7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Excellent question to start a bit of cage rattling. It's gratifying to see that people are now increasingly aware that the old anti-virus brands (Norton and McA) are crap bloatware.
I think you've also made a well aimed shot at Microsoft. Whether XP or Vista it's amazing what Bill has got away with.
Yes, switch to Ubuntu or Mac and save the money you would have to waste on annual anti-virus subscriptions.
2007-05-28 23:04:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the system is slow down by antivirus because of low speed of ur
pc .because anti virus will search ur entire program installed in the computer and also the backup in the computer so that to run antivirus need more space in ram. if ur frequently using internet anti virus is needed . otherwise try on upgrading ur computer
2007-05-25 04:47:17 · answer #6 · answered by balu m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are some Antivirus programs that do a good job without bogging down the pc, AVG is a good one, but remember the Antivirus is only as good as the updated definitions it has installed, always run an update daily for new virus definitions and you should be ok
2007-05-25 04:39:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, they are. I don't bother with Norton or McAfee, they are a waste of space. I like Avast ( http://www.avast.com ). It is free, doesn't slow my system down, and they update ALL the time. Since I have been using it, I've not had one problem.
Unfortunately, there are code monkeys out there with nothing better to do that create virii and crap. Wastes of flesh, if you ask me. So, until they are all eliminated, yeah, you need virus protection.
2007-05-25 04:39:19 · answer #8 · answered by Dave L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The major players like Norton, Mcafee etc are pretty useless and resource hogging.
Try Avast (its free from www.avast.com - its very lightweight and good)
Remember anti-virus programs wont catch spyware (you'd think someone would bundle these into one program really).
2007-05-25 04:38:24 · answer #9 · answered by maniacmartinuk 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes anti virus programs are necessary unless you want to run your pc wide open to them, pc runs faster with out virus checker but the odds of getting viruses are even greater these days
2007-05-25 04:58:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋