Best Antivirus Program for WinXP

[DD]

I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
Thanks for any responses.

[Malvern]

"DD" > wrote in message
...
> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
> Thanks for any responses.
Symantec/Norton seem to be the antivirus leaders. FWIW, I have v. 2003 on
my system after having2002; I've had no compatibility problems. I run daily
"Live Updates" and it caught a few nasties.

Malv

[Walter Clayton]

http://www.kaspersky.com - worth every cent and then some.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org
http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/default.asp


"DD" > wrote in message
...
> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
> Thanks for any responses.

[Unknown]

Xref: kermit microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics:125694

Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none at all'. Turn on your
firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to you particularly
anything with executable attachments. Prove this to yourself. Run this way
for about six months and you'll have an almost error free experience. Then
install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the problems you'll
have.
"DD" > wrote in message
...
> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
> Thanks for any responses.

[Gene K]

DD wrote:
> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
> Thanks for any responses.

I use Norton's "Internet Security" for my Anti-Virus program and for my
Firewall. If you just cannot live with their stuff [why?], McAfee has good
programs and so do others, some free. Whatever you get, keep it updated.
Gene

[Ken Blake]

"DD" > wrote in message
...

> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and
effective
> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton
products.
> Thanks for any responses.


The problem with questions like these is they generate lots of
responses, but they are all nothing but opinions. And because
people have different opinions, you end up without a real answer,
and just as confused as before.

That said, if you're tallying votes for products (which I do
*not* recommend as a good way to make a decision) I'll tell you
my preference: Norton Anti-Virus.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

[SunSpot]

"Unknown" > wrote in message
.com...
> Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none at all'. Turn on
your
> firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to you particularly
> anything with executable attachments. Prove this to yourself. Run this way
> for about six months and you'll have an almost error free experience. Then
> install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the problems you'll
> have.

So long as they never go on the internet and visit any webistes, your advice
would be sound,
otherwise it's foolish.



> "DD" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
> > anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
> > Thanks for any responses.
>

[Ken Blake]

"SunSpot" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Unknown" > wrote in message
> .com...

> > Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none at
all'. Turn on
> your
> > firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to you
particularly
> > anything with executable attachments. Prove this to yourself.
Run this way
> > for about six months and you'll have an almost error free
experience. Then
> > install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the
problems you'll
> > have.
>
> So long as they never go on the internet and visit any
webistes, your advice
> would be sound,
> otherwise it's foolish.


Or insert any diskettes or CDs. It doesn't happen often, but
viruses have occasionally even been transmitted on commercial
installation diskettes and CDs.

Not having a virus checker is just foolhardy. The are free or
cheap, and good ones don't create any problems at all.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

[SunSpot]

"Ken Blake" > wrote in message
...
> "SunSpot" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Unknown" > wrote in message
> > .com...
>
> > > Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none at
> all'. Turn on
> > your
> > > firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to you
> particularly
> > > anything with executable attachments. Prove this to yourself.
> Run this way
> > > for about six months and you'll have an almost error free
> experience. Then
> > > install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the
> problems you'll
> > > have.
> >
> > So long as they never go on the internet and visit any
> webistes, your advice
> > would be sound,
> > otherwise it's foolish.
>
>
> Or insert any diskettes or CDs. It doesn't happen often, but
> viruses have occasionally even been transmitted on commercial
> installation diskettes and CDs.
>
> Not having a virus checker is just foolhardy. The are free or
> cheap, and good ones don't create any problems at all.
>
> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>

Your correct, it is foolish not to have a virus checker.
I forgot about disks and CDs. ;-)

[Unknown]

Many facts also. And to prove it you have to try the various suggestions
with common sense. Read through these newsgroups and track the problems
caused by Virus Programs. Another phenominon, most people that get a virus
have a virus detect program. Why? Same old excuse, they didn't update. Of
all the friends I have that use computers, only one, has ever had a virus
and he clicked on an executable file he received from nobody he knew.
Norton and the others use scare tactics to get people to buy their products.
"Ken Blake" > wrote in message
...
> "DD" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and
> effective
> > anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton
> products.
> > Thanks for any responses.
>
>
> The problem with questions like these is they generate lots of
> responses, but they are all nothing but opinions. And because
> people have different opinions, you end up without a real answer,
> and just as confused as before.
>
> That said, if you're tallying votes for products (which I do
> *not* recommend as a good way to make a decision) I'll tell you
> my preference: Norton Anti-Virus.
>
> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>

[Ron Martell]

DD > wrote:

>I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
>anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
>Thanks for any responses.

I agree with Walter Clayton - Kaspersky is probably as good as it
gets.

Also very good is eTrust (http://my-etrust.com) and it has a very
light impact on overall system performance.

AVG (free for personal use from www.grisoft.com) is quite popular and
is what I am using myself at present. It also has a relatively light
impact on performance.

Norton and McAfee have had frequent instances of "bad" updates causing
errors or crashes on the computer and they also are very demanding in
terms of CPU cycles and RAM. McAfee in particular can be described
has having the "who dropped the anchor?" effect on a computer.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

[DD]

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 10:39:53 -0300, DD > wrote:

>I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible and effective
>anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on Norton products.
>Thanks for any responses.
I would like to thank all who responded to my antivirus query.
Right now I have the Kerio Personal Firewall and find it very good.
I know it is designed to thwart hackers. It can't really stop viruses
and similar threats. I just wanted to know what people found the
most effective with WinXP. The big thing that is important to me
is the availablity of updates and how fast they are kept current.
I have used Norton Antivirus professional Edition with Win ME
and Win98 and found it satisfactory. Not the case with WinXp.
It slowed it down too much. Anybody have similar problems?

[Malvern]

Then don't come bawling on the newsgroups because *you* failed to have an
anti-virus program installed and someone nailed your hiney. Norton can be
set to run automatically at startup; all it takes is setting it up.

And QUIT posting highly erroneous information which can destroy another's
computer. I've been accused of stupid advice by Kadaitcha Man, but this is
unbelievable. Wonder what he would say ?

Malv

"Unknown" > wrote in message
.com...
> Many facts also. And to prove it you have to try the various suggestions
> with common sense. Read through these newsgroups and track the problems
> caused by Virus Programs. Another phenominon, most people that get a virus
> have a virus detect program. Why? Same old excuse, they didn't update. Of
> all the friends I have that use computers, only one, has ever had a virus
> and he clicked on an executable file he received from nobody he knew.
> Norton and the others use scare tactics to get people to buy their
products.
> "Ken Blake" > wrote in message
> ...
> > "DD" > wrote in message
> > ...

I would have to agree with unknown here. Norton has
crashed my system many times. I am now also running anti
virus program free.
>-----Original Message-----
>Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none
at all'. Turn on your
>firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to
you particularly
>anything with executable attachments. Prove this to
yourself. Run this way
>for about six months and you'll have an almost error
free experience. Then
>install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the
problems you'll
>have.
>"DD" > wrote in message
...
>> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible
and effective
>> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on
Norton products.
>> Thanks for any responses.
>
>.
>

[Timothy]

> wrote in message
...
> I would have to agree with unknown here. Norton has
> crashed my system many times. I am now also running anti
> virus program free.
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none
> at all'. Turn on your
> >firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to
> you particularly
> >anything with executable attachments. Prove this to
> yourself. Run this way
> >for about six months and you'll have an almost error
> free experience. Then
> >install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the
> problems you'll
> >have.
> >"DD" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible
> and effective
> >> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on
> Norton products.
> >> Thanks for any responses.
> >
> >.
> >
i use norton utilities virus scanner and firewall and do not have any probs
on xp ...but each pc is different youll just have to try it..
i have used mcaffee and the pc would crash almost daily then i switched
....so it just depends ...that is my best answere..

then again i could be wrong :)
tim

[Khemyst]

Anyone who has had problems with a virus checker has usually forgotten to
turn it off when installing new software. I had loads of problems with
McAfee- and they had zero tech support to help. I gave up and bought NAV.
Norton has been problem free for me for 4+ years and the system tools/doctor
have cut down on the number of Windows rebuilds that periodically need to be
done to bring speed back up, get system running smoothly again, etc..

If you have a firewall, its not enough. Viruses can come in the guise of
emails (iframe) and launch in autopreview mode and lots of unwanted popups
and you didn't even open up an email- all you did was preview it..
Firewalls won't always be of help here. You click any link on a web page
and you are playing Russian Roulette with no AV checker.



> wrote in message
...
> I would have to agree with unknown here. Norton has
> crashed my system many times. I am now also running anti
> virus program free.
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Absolutely by far, the best antivirus program is 'none
> at all'. Turn on your
> >firewall and NEVER open any e-mail that is strange to
> you particularly
> >anything with executable attachments. Prove this to
> yourself. Run this way
> >for about six months and you'll have an almost error
> free experience. Then
> >install the virus scanner of your choice and see all the
> problems you'll
> >have.
> >"DD" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> I would appreciate any input as to the most compatible
> and effective
> >> anti viral program for WinXp. I'm not too keen on
> Norton products.
> >> Thanks for any responses.
> >
> >.
> >