Anti-Virus Software

So you just wander off to the website an renew for another year. Free for non-comercial use, they do try to push you in the direction of the paid for version when you renew, not surprising, but you don't have to pay.

I got well pissed of by AVG Free when it used 500M of download in less than two weeks pulling all the pages from every search result so it could stick up a silly little green "it's safe to visit" splodge. You could jump through hoops to turn it off but then you had dire warnings about not being "fully protected".

I jumped ship to Avast! at that point. Avast! just works without noticeably slowing the machine, something else that started to happen with AVG Free when the above stupid feature came in.

I've never noticed this, but I use CCleaner twice a day which deletes all the temp internet files and millions of other useless junk files, it makes scanning much faster too.

In message , Dave Osborne writes

Have you thought about Microsoft security essentials?

It's become too bloated and invasive

For most of my machines, I see no point in upgrading just for the sake of it.

I run Win7 on a couple of machines, but see no point in moving away from XP on the rest. XP does what I need

In message , Mike Barnes writes

Ah, it has on mine - or rather intercepted some

Something which is a slight pain with MSE is that it wants you to restart the computer every time it finds something

Linux, and run windows off line in a virtual box.

So is Rhino turbocad and Corel Draw, but they run fine inside a Virtual Box, here..

I still get a kick out of a little XP window sitting alongside all the other little X-windows.

If that all you need XP for, consider that route.

OTOH if its OPeeCee games, you need a native installation.

"Well it would say that, wouldn't it?"

About 70% of all cracked software allegedly contains malware.

Nobody has mentioned Comodo yet

I have it on this machine - AV and firewall

Avast! sounds like someone saying 'I talk Pirate!'

Are you sure you really want that?

I use Malwarebytes which keeps everything running smooth, and a visit every few weeks to Trendmicro's housecall online scan is always a good idea no matter which AV software you use

Switch to Ubuntu.

Dave Osborne gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

AVG's firewall is abysmal. Seriously.

I like the AV, but I _loath_ the firewall.

Dave Osborne gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

That's an essential, IMHO.

Indeed - but that can be more hassle than benefit, if the basics of the machine's security are otherwise right.

It doesn't have to be integrated with the AV. Separate products do the same job.

Firewalls running on the host they're protecting are a waste of good electrons.

Neither are the 120,000 (and counting) viruses for Windows. And I see the "Senior moment" thread has degenerated into a Windows re-install saga. Personally I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

It was clear to me that DOS was rubbish in the mid-80s and I've been using Macs ever since.

I run XP, having upgraded from Win7, and Office 97, upgraded from Office