"xxx_" wrote in message
...
I have AVG Anti-virus free edition installed but I do not know if
Avast is better. I do not want to pay for anti-virus as I feel that
I can get real time protection for free. I will be willing to pay
for anti-spyware programs as it seems that free anti-spyware
solution do not provide real time protection - either AVG
anti-spyware or Lavasoft Ad-aware Plus. Share you opinions here for
options between AVG and Avast. I have almost made up my mind between
AVG anti-spyware and Ad-aware Plus.


AVG free uses less resources (memory, CPU usage) than does Avast.
Your host will be more responsive with AVG than with Avast, especially
if you ever have to copy/move several hundred files at a time. There
are features missing from both in the free versions that make them
incomplete AV products, like script blocking. Don't bother with
Avast's exclusion option (to exclude some files from scans) because
they don't use a hash to ensure *that* file is what is excluded and
not some malware that slid into that path under that filename. And
don't use "smart" scanning in either as that relies on the extension
of the file but any file regardless of extension can be executable if
it has a header that says it is executable ("smart" is how they
attempt to make themselves look faster and have less impact because
they don't check all files).

AntiVir has better coverage, even in its free version, than does AVG
or Avast, but AntiVir is nagware. They use a screen during updates to
prod you to buy their commercial version. You can use an IPS
(intrustion protection system) program, like DiamondCS ProcessGuard,
System Safety Monitor, or AntiHook to regulate what loads into memory
and have it prevent AntiVir from loading its avnotify.exe program to
get rid of the nag popup - but then you are adding more security
software to eliminate AntiVir being nagware (however, maybe you are
already considering using or already use an IPS program). AntiVir and
Avast has about the same impact to the responsiveness of your host,
both of which are noticeably more impact than for AVG.

Go read http://www.av-comparatives.org/ to check on scanning coverage
of various AV products.

I've trialed Avast, Antivir, and AVG (free editions) and decided on
AVG. If I were to reinstall an IPS product then I'd probably consider
using Avira's AntiVir (and use the IPS to prevent loading their
avnotify.exe program to eliminate the nagware popup) but knowing there
would be a bit more impact to my host's responsiveness with AntiVir
(so maybe I'll wait until I do a motherboard/CPU upgrade).