Windows Vista Best Anti-Virus for Vista?

I just saw this post as I am looking for a good virus checker and have been reading so much bad stuff about Norton and McAfee. I don't think I really want to mess around with the freebees. Sounds like too much of a hassle and not sure I'm really getting good protection from them. Did a search for top 10 and came across this one: http://www.6star-antivirus-reviews.com/?Refer=GoVPNEW&Keyword=virus protection. The Shield Deluxe looks interesting. I need some input on what you all might think of this. I need to know real soon, as my 90 free trial of McAfee Security Center is about to quit! I'm also looking at price. Am willing to pay up to $40 as I feel you shouldn't have to pay a really high price for protection. Am I right, or wrong?

Thanks for the help.

 

You might have to clear a space for my soapbox, thanks

Panda, people have added comments to this thread about antivirus programs they have used. Someone reading may have experience with that particular program (Shield Delux), otherwise we would need to go by the experience of others (on the 'net) or say, that review website which just happens to also sell the product

One person may have had a "dream run" with a particular program, someone else using the program may have no end of problems with it. Try looking for where else it is available for sale and see if there are any user reviews. Try www.cnet.com, www.znet.com and www.tucows.com.

My experience is that some antiviruses work as smooth as silk when you first install them, later they seem to start checking everything all the time (or at least startup, even though they may have checked all the files before the last shutdown). That's what I have found at least.

Shield Delux, I would try to get some user reviews or some that were not involved in the sale of the product. "Double Guarantee ", as I said, it may go great in the short-term.

One tip I have is to use an internet based email, that way, anything nasty will not be automatically downloaded to my system (I use Hotmail which has a virus scanner on the server). I only use Vista Mail in discreet circumstances (not even for my close friends).
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Reading the McAfee review, they are going to charge you about the same cost as the purchase price for a support call
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Like the rest of us, you may need to use "buyer beware ".

Matt

 

Hi Panda,

I use Kaspersky and NOD on my XP installations and sort of felt the same about "freebees" as you. I decided to try AVG free on Vista, partly because Grisoft was one of the first AV vendors that had a product that worked on Vista from the beginning.

To my pleasent supprise, it has worked smoothly and effectively since January on my Vista system.

A problem with a thread like this - the "best ", is that users are in no position to tell you what the best is since no average user has tried them all and tested them against malware. If they did, they aren't average users.

I use as a guide a site such as this: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ and people here and on other forums whose opinion I have respect for.

Once you're in the top tier of products, it then becomes a matter of ease of use, price, and Vendor reputation.

 

For what it's worth, here's my recommendation.

This might even be valid for you, despite you not having a Beta version.

 

Wow! Great responses! Exactly what I was looking for! One more question, though. I've never been too hip on Suites. I don't usually need, or maybe THINK I don't need, some of the options that come with them. I don't do backups and I feel that my PC firewall does it's job just fine. I don't need parental controls. I just prefer using a straight anitvirus that keeps tracks of the most vicious of worms, trojans and spam. Is it really neccessary to buy the Suites? I know it's a personal preference thing, but really need some input on it.

Thanks!!!

 

Hi Panda,

My preference has always been to use single use security software for much the same reasons you cite, and historically, suites may have been strong in one aspect and weak in another.

Another consideration in my mind is if something goes wrong with a part of the suite or something takes one function down, it would affect the other functions. A classic example of something prone to going wrong was Norton's LU - always a neuralgia point for a great many users. Certainly made me dump Symantec permenantly after the 2005 version no matter how good it was otherwise.

The classic security concept that I try to follow is "layered defense ", built on the premise that if one wall is breached, there is a second wall behind it.

I will say though that the current suites are better than ever, and for those that don't want to take the time and trouble to mix and match, not a bad option these days.

 

My sentiments, exactly. My first and last bad experience was way back about 10 years ago when I had a McAfee Suite and it messed me up so bad I almost got turned off to computing. I was a newbie back then and just didn't have the know how to fix whatever the problem was. I just remember that it caused a lot of problems and I ended up going to Norton and had used it ever since. But, now that I'm a tad smarter, , I know how to use my own judgement on what is safe and who to ask if I run into trouble. If this BBS has been around back then I'm sure I would have stopped using McAfee.

So. Thanks again, everyone, for your help and now I just need to decide which virus program to use.

 

Where do you guys see CA vs. NOD32 or others...I've used both in the past, and also never got infected due to safe computing and networking.

 

update

Just wanted to let you all know that I ended up getting the CA version 9 on a 3 month free trial basis. It only has anitvirus on it. No spam check, firewall, etc. So far I like it. Easy interface and I'm hoping it's really doing its job. When my time is up I think I may go for the full blown version. Windows Vista has some pretty neat security checks on it and I feel comfortable just running with the virus checker right now. I do use SpyBot Search and Destroy to check for spyware.

Thanks again for all your help and good luck with your searches.

 

Bring us up to speed on it when your trial period is up, please. I'm always curious of others experience(s) with CA, since I use it exclusively.

I can send you some files or links if you really want to see if it's doing it's job. I often have to look into my Realtime scanner logs when trying to obtain some of the files I receive for analysis. I forget to snooze the AV and the files go missing, quietly. Realtime log shows they got eaten by eTrust.

 

I like AVG for its simplcity, but I have to re-install it EVERY TIME I reboot. It says the serial number was abused. How can a FREE or TRIAL version be abused?????? Arghhh...I run Vista Ultimate (32-bit version)...

 

Crunch, I would suggest you contact Grisoft. This sounds like a problem on their end.

Have you tried downloading another copy?

 

Arie: Yes, I've replaced it with avast already, but I like AVG better.

charelesvar: Yup, I downloaded a free trial of the Pro version, then uninstalled it and installed the free one. It's definitely on their end, and I have already contact Grisoft. I had forgotten the trial and free key codes at the time, so I'll let them know how well their codes work later today. It's probably something in my Vista installation.

Maybe they have a clean-up tool like McAfee does, when their de-installation fails. I think that's what the problem is. Something in my registry, or files embedded somewhere, so that a trial cannot be used again and again. I used my 30-day trial for 2 days, so if the software were sophisticated enough, it should recognize that and give me the rest (28 days). But now, I really only want the free version.