Do you use anti-virus software

[M. Worthington]

Is anyone here brazen enough to use a Windows computer these days without anti-virus software. I have a new machine and am tempted not to install it because it always seems to cause problems.

[Naturalist]

I always have anti-virus running as a precaution. Better safe, right?

[brian.austin]

"Problems" is relative. I run AVG Free Edition with no issues. It's enough for the type of stuff I do at home. At work, I used to run Norton AV Corporate Edition (which is different than you'll find for the home user). We didn't have issues there, either.

There are several AV threads in this forum. Browse through and you can review some good threads with lots of personal experience from others.

[thoots]

I haven't used any "constantly running in the background" anti-virus software for several years now. Mainly due to two reasons:

1. It usually hogs resources mercilessly, and slows everything down.

2. You don't really need it, if you generally avoid Microsoft "go ahead and run active content sent via e-mail" applications and other Microsoft "extreme target" applications -- Internet Explorer, of course.

I've used Opera as my web browser essentially since it was originally released, and I use a program called "The Bat!" for my e-mail application. Opera appears to be considerably more "secure" than IE, and "The Bat!" absolutely, positively will not run any "active content" whatsoever -- it will not even display images sent "via links on a remote server" rather than sent as part of the message.

So, I use Opera as much as possible (I have to drag out IE every now and then for the "exclusive" web developers out there, the scum), and I'm very safe and secure with "The Bat!". Add in a common-sense comprehension of what looks like spam (which I delete) as opposed to legitimate e-mail I expect to receive, and I just haven't wound up with any viruses or other nasty things, ever.

I'll go to Symantec's site and run their free scanner maybe once a year, and that always just confirms that I've got nothing nasty on my system.

"It's that easy," for me -- and it lets my system run "full speed ahead" without the hefty impact of anti-virus software running in the background all the time.

[JDArt]

Honestly I've been running every installation of Vista that I have (probably three) without antivirus of any kind. Why? I think it's because of the supposed extra protection you get from the UAC (user account control). I haven't even run a spyware scan on these machines. Maybe I should?

[Lee4145]

I started using Avast after using Norton for years. It's also freeware.

[davew]

I use AVG on all machines at home

[jfrancho]

I voted, "Yes, you should have it installed at all times," however, I don't use it on my main photography machine. I do use it on my work laptop, and my secondary PC. Do as I say, not as I do!

[smokey]

Used to use Norton Corp at work. Tried Avast on a few 'clean' machines according to Norton. Avast found several viruses. Have removed Norton from ALL machines and went with Avast. Originally tried AVG first, but it didn't work well with Mozilla Thunderbird (pre v1.). Otherwise it also works well.

[felix.reichardt]

Anybody tried Norton 360 yet and what's your thoughts about it? I tried AVG but it seems to slow down everything.

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by felix.reichardt

Anybody tried Norton 360 yet and what's your thoughts about it? I tried AVG but it seems to slow down everything.

AVG slows things down? That and Avast are about the two 'lightest' AV products on the market from what I've seen.

Are you using pure anti-virus or the bundled firewall, anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-germ products? Between THOSE types of products suck the life out of any computer, regardless of manufacturer.

[jfrancho]

If you leave AVG set at the defaults, it scans every time you start up. Maybe that's the hangup? You can go into the options and change that.

[Rense]

I use zonealarm pro with anti vrusprotection on, webroot spy sweeper.

Never had a bad virus.

[riha]

I use BitDefender Antivirus 10 and it works great. Before that i used AVG antivirus, but i like BitDefender better.

On my macbook pro with macosX i have no antivirus installed, only on my windows patition on the same machine.

[Softix]

I am using AVG and avast anti virus at the moment. Although before am just using AVG but Igot some problems with updating sometimes so I am using Avast anti virus right now.

[kevgermany]

Anyone naieve enough to run a windows machine that accesses the web without Av and firewall is a fool.

It's only a matter of time before one of the nasties gets in, then the machine gets used for spam forwarding, keystroke logging, possibly as an unwitting store of illegal material. Once the malware gets hold, the machine is a lot slower than an IV software makes it. Trouble is guys who's machines are compromised forget about the rest of us who have to put up with spam originating from compromised machines. I'm getting upwards of 50 spam emails a day, and the spammers are also spoofing my email address, so I get all the bounces from the invalid addresses they still use as well. I was getting another 50 or so at hotmail, and another 200 or so at work until hotmail and work put reasonable filters in place.

Even if you don't care about your machine and it's performance, don't do it - for the rest of us.

[TrooperUK]

Use Bit Defender its brilliant, catches everything.

[Gaius]

I used to use AVG, but since upgrading to Vista I dont use anti-virus.
Every so often I'll use Pandas online scanner.

[Paul Shields]

I've installed lots of AV products in the past but currently run 'commando' style. I've found some AV software to be so intrusive that it's a nightmare to deal with (Symantec comes to mind particularly). I'm 100% OSX/Linux at home these days so I guess I'm less likely to be infected (insert smug attitude here).

Simple steps like not installing random apps found on the Internet and being careful with email is enough for me.

[jfrancho]

Paul, I ran commando for over two years. No issues. I think AV is highly overrated. I don't recommend this for the average user, though. I tested out AVG and Nod32 and they both get my endorsement. Email is the scourge, as is all the scripting from ads. Outside of that, I think a little education about how computers interact with the internet and a simple google search of new sites can go a long way to avoiding the issue. It goes without saying, if you like porn and gambling, you can expect to put your computer on the curb every 18 months or so, even running AV.