Resolved [Is Avast a resource hog?]

Is avast a resource hogger? If so, is there another AV that is light but efficient with a simple user interface?

cheers

 

Everyone's idea of a resource hog varies. I can't speak for avast but I use Avira on this relatively old system with no perceptible performance hit.

You do get a popup add when Avira updates but it's only a minor annoyance.

 

I used to use and recommend Avast Free on my WinXP laptop and then on my Win7 netbook. I chose it because it was NOT a resource hog (unlike McAfee Enterprise, which I have on my WinXP desktop), and I definitely needed something that wouldn't make huge demands on my old laptop's system and then on my netbook. However, when version 5 of Avast came out, I ran into serious problems with Avast. Many other people did as well. Since I didn't want to spend still more of my time diagnosing the problems and trying to fix them, and since I had found that removing Avast cured the problems, I uninstalled Avast and installed Microsoft Security Essentials as my AV. I'm happy with it. It doesn't seem to make excessive demands on my netbook's system nor to give me any other problems (knock on wood ). If Avast ever gets its act together, I may go back to Avast, but at this point I'm staying away.

 

Microsoft Security Essentials requires Windows Updates turned on (which is good)
Plus it allows your computer to send information to MS all the time (although MS state not private information, it doesn't specifically state every thing it sends)
Obviously Microsoft Security Essentials installed on your computer needs to check if its updated, so at least we know that is sent to MS.

But I notice your specs state SP2. So does that mean you have allowed Updates but declined SP3? That is strange.

I generally say and use Free Avira Antivirus, it works perfectly well.
Also if you previously had McAfee installed you may wish to run the McAfee Removal Tool, as the standard uninstall doesn't remove everything!

 

Thank you to all who have posted. Everything was useful that was mentioned.

cheers

 

Running Avast 5.0.396 with no problems.