Seeking Best antivirus AND best registry cleaner

I have used AVG for a couple of years and, for some reason, it is blocking access to any email. I have d/l the latest and re-installed after removing the old one.

I also used Norton AV and resent both the annual charge for updates that AVG doesn't have, and the impossibilty of reaching Symantac help.

So --- I would like recommendations for an anti-virus app - not necessarily a freebie but that would not hurt
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Separately, what is the best registry cleaner downloadable?

 

Hi tenbob,

This may not answer your question, then again maybe you will see something you can use.

I have also given the major antiviruses the "flick ". Norton, McAfee and other background AVs have caused me, and the systems I have worked on, many problems, from those like the one you describe to making HDDs unbootable.

I decided to find out where viruses came from and how to avoid them. I changed from a download style email to a web-based one with it's own AV scanner for all "casual" email, I only use the download one for "offical" stuff so that I can keep records on my HDD (funny, no junk mail on that email address ).
Other areas are messaging services where file downloads can take place, from disks that come in contact with your system (obviously, an offical-original CD is not going to drop a virus onto your computer). I hear that now some websites are virus sources, although it will be what is downloaded to your system.

Maybe I have been lucky for the past 4 years or so, but I have been using the F-prot free AV. It is DOS based, so I have formatted my drives as FAT32. I have found that I only have to run it if I may have been exposed to a possible source of a virus. It has all the latest updates so I know I am covered. I suppose you have NTFS formats so it would not work for you.

This is how I handle AV anyway.

Matt

 

Thanks Mattman.

I appreciate your suggestions but, you are right, I do use NTFS. I may have my problem solved with a reply from someone else that pointed to Zonealarm. I have modified ZA and so far it looks better

 

Interesting, thanks for the reply.

From my reading, AVG appears to be quite a good AV. It would be my first choice it if my current AV (F-prot) seemed to be wanting. I very rarely see problems associated with AVG.

Matt

 

Hi, tenbob, I am surprised by several responses to your question and I will try to clarify some things here.

1.- Norton antivirus is good (when he wants to) and it has been plagued by many problems in Windows XP and their tech support stinks as many customers have complained and they charge you for everything. I know by own experience of watching friends having problems with this software and above all they always had to update Norton manually because the automatic updater almost never worked. Forget about Norton.

2.- the Free AVG I have read on some reputable websites like PC world, CDNet etc that it is a good antivirus (I don't have experience with it) but I am reading here that you and others are experiencing problems with it. Well, as many experts say... free software is good for your pocket but not neccesarily good for your PC ".

The leading antivirus nowadays is Trend Micro Internet Security 2006 (Pc-cillin) and its past versions (2005, 2004, 2003...) all of them has won 5 stars and awards from almost every expert websites. I personally have been used it since 2003 version and NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING and it complements beautifully with Windows XP (specially with SP2) and apart from being antivirus it also provides you with a strong firewall (windows firewall is no good at all, all experts recommend to get a professional firewall like Zone Alarm or Trend Micro, etc but Zone Alarm also has been plagued by many problems and compatibility in Windows XP. I strongly recommend Pc-cillin Internet Security 2006, you can go see the features for yourself at:

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/pc-cillin/evaluate/features.htm

I have tested my Pc-cillin regularly at PCPitstop and other websites that check your PC for free and your firewall and Pc-cillin passed everytime with flying colors and their tech support is very good and fast responses within 48 hours to your emails (I know people that have been waiting a week or more for a response from Norton).

You can download a TRIAL software of Pc-cillin 2006 and use it for a month or so and while you are using it go and test their firewall at these websites and you will appreciate how strong is that firewall.
It is always better to spend some money on a good professional software than get some mediocre software for free.

 

I was the only one that has responded to this thread.

I am sorry if I seem to suggest not using an antivirus, take antivirus flipantly or use a substandard product.

As far as I have found, you can manage antivirus yourself if you wish to do so. Please see the first and last sentences of my first response. I know there are people at this forum that could do the same as me...people that would not feel comfortable trying my system should use "automatic" antivirus (my system involves learning where viruses come from).

Put it this way...
As far as I know, at worst a virus will trash your harddrive. The harddrive may mechanically fail tomorrow. Either way, I backup my data so could be back to where I was in a few hours.

Matt

 

I ditched running any kind of anti-virus/trojan/spyware programs a couple of years ago and like Mattman have taken control myself. A firewall and restricting active content in IE and OE is all I need for most things. I use common sense for what I download and what attachments I open. I also self monitor what is running on my system. Never had a problem.

I do keep AVG and Spybot installed but neither runs resident and I only update them and do a manual scan about once a month. I still run Win98se out of the box without a single Windows Update, but XP I do add the updates every couple of months and additionally run Process Guard as an extra defense of what can run and install on the system.

My main defense however is backup. Personal data is secured on a regular basis and the OSes are clones that I only use for a couple of weeks before I replace them.

 

I apologize if I misunderstood something or if I was misunderstood by you. I am still trying to find out who started this thread, but my response was directed to those who complained about Norton and AVG antiviruses.

Now... what I don't understand is why some of you go to all these inconveniences by:
a) changing from NTSF to FAT32 (this format is becoming obsolete, it was good on Windows 98- but for the current (and most used) Windows XP the format is NTSF which is superior and more flexible that FAT32.

b) Using some type of antivirus that uses DOS (again this is ancient). It is like watchin yourself your home instead of using a well trained, professional and armed security guard to do the job for you so you can sleep like a baby.

c) You say that you have not had any problems with viruses but if some virus, for some reason enters your system it will be extremely difficult to remove it manually (ENTER the professional cleaners). You can not compare
freeware or DOS based anticuated antivirus with the most modern, 21th Century, digitally enhanced, nuclear powered, tomahawk precise professional antivirus to do a thorought job for you. Remember that it is always BETTER to stop the virus from entering your system that to try to remove or kill it ONCE it has entered your system and have disguized itself and gone in deep cover inside one of your system vital file (which means that if you remove that virus your OS also goes kaput and you will have to reinstall the OS).
I don't understand you guys! Come on, if I want to buy a gun to protect my life, I would buy the best gun in the market regardless of cost, I would not buy a .22 caliber toy at walmart (I will be already a dead man walking).

Do yourselves a big favor and spend $50 a a professional first rate antivirus like Trend Micro Pc-cillin 2006 and you won't regret it and forget DOS based applications and FAT32, get yourselves up to date.

 

I often deliberately let viruses and spyware infect my system just to see what they get up to. I never have to clean them out or repair any damage as I simply reboot into the next clone of my OS. Once I’ve trashed say 5 OSes then sometime when I’m making a coffee I’ll set my cloning app going to delete all the infected OSes and write new clean ones over them – takes about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the OS) to do all 5 at once.

If you only have the one OS on your computer then yes I can see the value of a good resident anti-virus, you have to protect it at all costs. Myself, and Mattman I’m sure, was just saying there is another way.

 

Hi, thanks for the clarification. I was talking with one OS in mind, I have never used 2 or more OS in a single computer (I don't see the point in spreading your documents and music files over two OS, then you have to switch from one to the other, etc...).

I don't know what type of cloning program you are referring to but I know that Acronis True Image includes a cloning application for migration purposes to transfer all the contents of your OS to another computer or to a new Hard Drive (but migration is somewhat different procedure and proccess than backing up your entire Hard Disk).

By the way, I also use Shadowsurfer (makes a virtual copy of your HD) when I am surfing new or strange websites so this way whatever viruses I get or whatever spyware enter my system, when I finish the shadowsurfer session they are all destroyed and my REAL OS does not get infected.

 

I forgot to mention, regarding a Registry Cleaner, that I have been using
Registry First Aid for more than a year (current version is the 4.1) and it is considered, if not the best, one of the best in the market.

I have tried a bunch of them before deciding for RFA and other Registry Cleaners simply find a list of entries for you to make the decision of which to clean or which to leave alone (and you must be a computer expert to make that decision because if you remove the wrong entry your system may be adversely affected)

RFA, however, put marks in different colors (green, red, yellow) on each entry to let you know if they are safe to delete (or fix) or if other entries need caution from you before removing (and they explain why) and other entries simply have a red flag meaning they are not supposed to be removed and it is better to leave them as they are unless you are an expert that know what you're doing. It also backups your registry (and also creates restore point) before removing or fixing any entries. RFA is worth a try.

 

There are lots of good reasons for multiple booting. I know of senior people here that test various OSes.

In my case:

Number one, as a backup. If one gets hosed, I have the other and can take the time to fix any problems.

Running different software/security apps. I run two AV's for instance, I can cross check them.

Run complicated or beta software on one w/o having to worry about the effects on day to day work.

Both OSes can acces the other's files so that is not a problem as you suggest.

Agree with you on RFA, have used it for years, and like it the best. Another one I like is the last free version of jvPT and a 3rd one is RegSeeker.

Regards - Charles

 

Registry Cleaner and much more

I use EasyCleaner to clean my registry it contains not only a registry cleaner but several other useful tools as well it can be downloaded free at
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download414.html

 

Hi Mazaprin, or course data has to be handled differently on my system. All the clones are identical and were taken from a master clean install that was set up to store all data on a separate data partition, so every clone I boot into automatically sees and uses the same D: drive and so the same email folder, favorites and documents etc. Any data changes I make in one clone are there in the next.

Any changes I make to my OS I will do in the master install when I’m sure I want them to be permanent, so all future clones will have those changes. I will boot into the master now and then to add changes and do any updates, but basically the master remains completely unused, so it is always a clean fresh install. Hence each new clone is like a reinstall of Windows.

 

mazaprin
Re: Antivirus
You make some good points.

Don't be mistaken though, DOS is very powerful and it will fit on a floppy disk. Most non-harddrive based utilities, that if misused could turn your computer into scrapmetal, run under versions of DOS.

I have not had virus problems on my computers using my current system. As I said, I take steps to avoid them (not let viruses infect my machine/s). If we are using analogies, I might say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ".

Where I have found my DOS based antivirus extremely useful is for computers that have given to me that are infected with a virus. I can load the updated program onto a (bootable) CD and scan the infected machine (saved two so far). You would be lucky (or brave) to do that with an NTFS formatted WinXP antivirus, scanning one HDD with another.

Antivirus is just scanning files and comparing lists of instructions. My system does that as well as any other.

For the moment, I am keeping my $50 in my pocket, unless my system gets "blown away ", but then I can still be back to where I was in a few hours...so maybe not even then

Matt