New Laptop, Anti-Virus Question.

[RamFan]

Good morning all,
I just purchased a new Sony Vaio SVS1512DCXB. This is my second Vaio and must say that so far I'm just as impressed as I was with my first one. Windows 8 takes a little taking used to but now that I have gone through and configured everything to my liking I'm really becoming a fan. My one thing I don't like is that the webcam gesture control (Control volume, going forward, etc. using your hand) is pretty finicky and seems more like a novelty that was added for the "cool factor".

Onto my question. Windows 8 comes with Microsoft Defender which is the equivalent of Microsoft Security Essentials. I used Microsoft Security Essentials exclusively on my last Vaio and never had an issue, should I just stick to Defender or is there something I should use with it?

 

[daves66nova]

Why not also use Microsoft Security Essentials?

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted By: daves66nova
Why not also use Microsoft Security Essentials?


Microsoft Defender is MSE for Windows 8. With the new operating system they made a couple changes and changed the name. MSE is pre-Windows 7, MD is supposed to be for Windows 8, onward.

 

[tommygunn]

Personally, you shouldn't need much more than Defender......as long as you browse safely (dont click on ads/pop ups....etc....) and keep to trusted sites.....

With all the annoying user account control yes/no prompts windows had.....don't think AV is really that important.....


Most "infections" I've seen, are due to people clicking the "YES" button on the User Account Control prompt..."Would you like to install fuzzybunny-virus.exe?" and they click Yes......lol.

 

[Nyquist]

I use Norton Internet Security, but that is because I also maintain my parents', wife's, mine & a few others. It seems to do better with zero-day threats.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Avast. It is 100% free, has very good virus and spyware protection and has a ton of other good useful features. There are two additional versions you can pay for that add more features for online banking and password security. I like the fast cloud-based updates in Avast and I really like the interface and how the program operates and is laid out. From what I read online Avast receives zero day updates faster than Norton does. I did a ton of research before changing to Avast recently and found that MSE is actually rated very low in performance and effectiveness. MSE does work but there are other programs that work much better.

I use Avast, MWB and Super AntiSpyware and they all work very well and all are absolutely free. I had a paid version of Norton before installing Avast and my computer is running a bit faster and better now. I am no computer expert but my own opinion is that Avast, MWB and SAS and using common sense while I am online are really all I need.

 

[Voltmaster]

microsoft security essential failed the Anti Virus test almost 100%
heres article
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-57556340-12/security-essentials-fails-latest-av-test/

I would use AVG/Norton/Kaspersky/NOD32/AVAST

whatever you can get for cheapest , they are many stores like frys who have free after rebates, also newegg.

buy one you wont regret it.
from all above i would recomend AVG , its reliable and it wont hog down your computer .
I started using Norton recently and they have gotten ALOT better than a few years ago, also would recomend them.

Avast and Kaspersky are hoggers.

 

[dparm]

I'd avoid MSE for the time being.

Otherwise, there's not much difference between the big names. I've been an ESET guy for many years, but clearly they are not the leader anymore.

 

[Donald]

ESET is a good one with a small footprint.

 

[Corvette Owner]

If you have Comcast, you can get Norton free, it is a good anti-virus.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Check Point Zone Alarm was one of the 'free" top performers at av-test last month. It's easy on resources (won't slow your computer) and comes with their ownfirewall also.

Just be sure to do the 'Custom' install. Otherwise it will make Zone Alarm your Homepage and also add it's own toolbar. The rest of the settings I left alone, except changing the Scheduler settings to their minimum settings.

I like running my own scans and updates.

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
Avast. It is 100% free, has very good virus and spyware protection and has a ton of other good useful features. There are two additional versions you can pay for that add more features for online banking and password security. I like the fast cloud-based updates in Avast and I really like the interface and how the program operates and is laid out. From what I read online Avast receives zero day updates faster than Norton does. I did a ton of research before changing to Avast recently and found that MSE is actually rated very low in performance and effectiveness. MSE does work but there are other programs that work much better.

I use Avast, MWB and Super AntiSpyware and they all work very well and all are absolutely free. I had a paid version of Norton before installing Avast and my computer is running a bit faster and better now. I am no computer expert but my own opinion is that Avast, MWB and SAS and using common sense while I am online are really all I need.


+1 for Avast, in a corp environment I run McAfee but for home use its Avast. They now have a free very small foot print AV offering for Mac OS as well (and yes, you do need to run an AV product on Macs now despite the sand boxed architecture of the OS)

 

[RamFan]

Thank you for all the responses. I stay away from Norton, I've had some bad experiences with it and they've left a bad taste in my mouth. I'll give AVAST a shot, I've used AVG in the past and loved it but the free version expires in a year, or has that changed?

 

[cmorr]

Originally Posted By: RamFan
Thank you for all the responses. I stay away from Norton, I've had some bad experiences with it and they've left a bad taste in my mouth. I'll give AVAST a shot, I've used AVG in the past and loved it but the free version expires in a year, or has that changed?


Avast is a free 1 year registration that is easily renewed each year (couple of clicks) and you can register once and use that same account to register/re-register all your non commercial PC's. Not sure about AVG, I was a paid subscriber to that product and jumped shipped when Windows 7 was released, they were months releasing a product.

Just make sure you download and install the free version, by default it prompts to a free trial of the pro, I would go with the free version unless you have a specific need. Can always upgrade later

 

[bubbajoe_2112]

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
microsoft security essential failed the Anti Virus test almost 100%
heres article
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-57556340-12/security-essentials-fails-latest-av-test/

I would use AVG/Norton/Kaspersky/NOD32/AVAST

whatever you can get for cheapest , they are many stores like frys who have free after rebates, also newegg.

buy one you wont regret it.
from all above i would recomend AVG , its reliable and it wont hog down your computer .
I started using Norton recently and they have gotten ALOT better than a few years ago, also would recomend them.

Avast and Kaspersky are hoggers.


You can't use the results from that test to judge Windows Defender in Windows 8. Those tests were run on MSE in Windows 7.

The top performers in the latest AV-test.org test were:

1. Bit Defender
2. F-Secure
3. Norton and Kasperskey (tie)

But again, this was all tested in Windows 7. AFAIK, there hasn't been a comprehensive Win 8 test of AV's.

 

[Garak]

Just don't do what my buddy's in-laws did and install multiple virus packages, with none working right.

I did have a laugh explaining to a grandmother that she had an old fashioned "porn dialer" on her computer, which was why her wireless was no longer working.

 

[cmorr]

I once helped an older women in my church with her virus infected computer. When she told my wife that the browser was sending her to an inappropriate site my wife told her to turn it off until I stopped by.

When I arrived the monitor was removed from the desk and placed facing a corner

 

[Garak]

He he. This lady didn't have exactly a "porn dialer" but the modern equivalent. Instead of porn being the catch, it was probably some IM or free music or video thing. At start up, a pop up was claiming that "MSN" was trying a dialup connection without success (obviously, on a laptop not connected to anything). It was decidedly not MSN doing that; it didn't even resemble an MSN popup or window of any sort - it looked like something yanked right out of Windows 98, along with atrocious spelling and everything in caps. A few uninstalls of any abnormal looking programs followed by some runs with CCleaner and Spybot, and the next thing you know, it's trying to hook up to wireless like it should.

Between the three computers I fixed for these people, they had a combined total of 48 toolbars and 9 antivirus programs installed. Of course, they all claimed their Asus laptops came that way. Yes, Asus puts between 12 and 24 toolbars in the IE for each copy of a Windows computer it ships out, with half of them being known spyware. Right.

Of all their toolbars (and I hate toolbars with a passion), the only semi-reasonable ones they had were Bing, Yahoo, and Ask. Everything else was spyware or worse. The problem is that these people see some software or service advertised as "free" without even having a basic understanding of the concept. They haven't even heard of the notion of checking a reputable site, like Cnet or ZDNet (like I did in my Windows days), much less have a clue of the difference between open source and adware or spyware.

All the paranoia people have about banking online or buying things online should be directed at the mirror. People are their own worst enemies.

Next time, I'll wipe Windows and set them up a limited account in Linux. Try to install your bizarre toolbars and weird games in that environment.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Next time, I'll wipe Windows and set them up a limited account in Linux. Try to install your bizarre toolbars and weird games in that environment.

+1. My wife is a high school teacher and she is forever coming home with other teacher's computers for me to "fix" when they have become inoperable; either due to malware or any of the other myriad ways a Windows system can bugger itself.

Fixing their computers is a cyclical thing that gets done every so often unless and until I can convince them to let me install a Linux distro (either Debian or Mint these days) on there for them. Then I never hear from them again; which is too bad since they almost always bought me beer when I'd fix their systems.