Be Excellent To Each Other

My dad is interested in buying some new AV software because he's into that sort of thing. Personally I just use AVG Free, but if I can get some proper retail software on my clean Windows 7 install, bonus!

What's the consensus on here? We'd like one licensed for three PCs ideally and I'd like one that isn't bloated to fuck and ridiculously intrusive. My dad has always used Norton but I find it to be exactly as just described - bloated and intrusive - so I'd rather recommend him something else. Well, unless they've massively improved it recently.

What do you chaps use? Is NOD32 still acebest?

Microsoft Security Essentials, for XP upwards.

100% free, 100% nag-free (so kicks shite like AVG into touch), slick, unobtrusive, non-existent impact on system resources, and produced by the same people who produce Windows, who are the people I'd expect to know best how to protect it.

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Only the criminally stupid would pay for an AV solution these days, and/or put up with nagging 'UPGRADE ME NOW' so-called free products.

I actually have a valid license for Kaspersky on Mrs AE's laptop, but when I rebuilt it I just stuck MSE on there instead.

Microsoft security essentials, free and neat. Can't vouch for its efficacy, but it seems to work.

Edit:
Grrrr!

Detection rates up there with the best, according to a recent issue of PC Pro.

They pulled their punches a bit with the 'should you now pay for AV software at all?' question (didn't want to upset too many advertisers I guess), but even then they still essentially concluded, 'Erm, no, not really.'

What the hell? I hadn't even bloody heard of that!

Yeah, I use MSE, and it is rather good.

Really good at being subtle too, which is probably the most important thing bout AV for me.

Well thanks a lot chaps! I can't believe MS have been offering free AV and I didn't even know about it. I've really taken my eye off the PC ball...

MSE here too. The most unobtrusive AV I've ever used and works wonderfully. MS did very good.

I can't remember, is it not included with Windows 7? Or is there an option to install it when you set up your PC? There should be.

I think it's another one of those 'WE MUST STOP THE EVIL MICROSOFT MONOPOLY!' affairs, so they're not supposed to be doing much in the way of advertising MSE, or promoting it with the OS, and all that stuff.

Never mind the fact that Apple get away with shit on a daily basis that would see Microsoft put up against the wall and shot.

So yeah, spread the MSE word, most people I've told about it have never heard of it, even those who work in IT circles.

Hi, we're Microsoft. We'd just love another thorough judicial arse-kicking, please!

I use Bullguard... It's great.

That is all.

How does it compare to avast?

Another vote for MSE. It just seems to get on with it. Either that or it does nothing whatsoever and I've just been lucky.

Avast for me. It's saved my ass on numerous occasion and even repaired a damaged Windows install that would BSOD like crazy. Cannot reccomend it enough.

I use MSE on my 5 year old laptop mostly because it's one of the lightest AV and i never had any problems with it.

I still use AVG free on my desktop. Always suited my needs

I use MSE on both computers, and have never had any issues.

Then again, I don't really use it in a manner that I'd expect viruses. Never had one on a computer I use.

It did fail to catch one easy fake spyware program on the parents computer - probably through operator error, and clicking on things without reading them, according to the operator - but I sorted that out manually rather quickly.

MSE here as well since it was recommended by GazChap(?).

I ran it alongside Avast for four months and when MSE caught a virus that Avast didn't I went with MSE full time.

Does MSE have malware and web traffic protection though?

Avast will refuse to load any web page it sees as a threat.

I'm tempted I must say.

Yes, it does.

I used to use AVG Free as my virus checker and Sunbelt Personal Firewall as my firewell. Then I found out that SPF isn't available for 64-bit on Windows 7, so I then changed to COMODO Internet Security for both virus checker and firewall.

It's got more fiddly options than SPF, and it doesn't nag like a stupid arse like AVG.

COMODO IS good.

Aye, for some reason Avast doesn't deal that well with ancient trojans. Avira used to be good (if you didn't mind a pop-up advert every time it dowloaded updates), but it's turned to shit too. MSE seems to be the best of the bunch just now, my maw's been using it for a wee while & it seems to do its job.

Although, to be extra safe you could do what I do with my own Windaes PC & rarely connect it to the Interwebs (updates is all it needs to go on for these days). That way you don't really need AV

I use my PC for the Internet a hell of a lot less since I got my iPhone. Don't think I'll ever unplug the main box though.

It wasn't entirely serious advice

My main PC runs Linux with a Windows VM for running Lightroom, Tattieshop & whatever else I'd need Windaes for.
The gaming PC is offski!
The dedicated Windaes PC/laptop only runs music software, to keep it behaving itself and save headaches it's got no AV and doesn't get patched (hence no networking).

Nope, not me.

I think it was DavPaz.

Well I've got it now.

Ah, similar syllable construction possibly led to my confusion.

Also: Who?

MSE here too

It's a good job Gaywood's gone to Canadia.

While we're at it - is there anywhere I can get a functioning copy of Office 2007? My usual source seems to have died come update time... Ahem. In my defence I actually tried to buy the cheap student download version on the MS website but Digital River or whatever they're called have rejected my Debit Card with some strange error around four times and I'm scared to try again.

2010 is out very soon, and based on the beta I tried it is really good.

I got 2010 yesterday for £8.95 through the NHS Home Use Program. All the way through the order it was saying that it was Office 2007 but when it gave the key and download it was 2010. Not installed it yet, though.

I hadn't heard of MSE. I'll have to check it out next time I can be bothered.

Got a router? If so, and you've got MSE on the local machine, I can't see a single valid reason for having a local firewall.

Yep, the Airport Express has a firewall built in.

ZoneAlarm is so shit. I have a friend who bought a computer and it came bundled.

When I made him uninstall it he couldn't connect to the Internet. When he reinstalled it access was restored. Amazing.

The Windows firewall, post XP SP2, is fine anyway.