I have no experience with NSW, but if you decide to keep it another year I would imagine you will still have to pay the yearly subscription for definition updates. Whatever you decide, don't run an AV without current updates!
If you do decide to uninstall NSW, you should probably get the download from Symantec's website that ensures a complete uninstall of NAV, before installing a new AV.
You will end up waiting a long time before a "clear leader" AV emerges. Paid or free, each of them have their pros and cons. And the current leader depends on which review you read. I chose Avast because of its ease of use, small 'footprint', and its lack of conflict with my other defensives. It may not be the absolute best AV out there, but it seems to do the job with a minimum of fuss. Then again, I'm not protecting the Crown Jewels on this PC, and have probably accepted a conpromise between user-friendliness and maximum security. Other reputable free AV's to consider are AVG and Antivir. Among the paid AV's, Kaspersky, Nod32, and Bitdefender get high marks.
Your version of ZA firewall is pretty old- you might consider updating it. The most recent version is 6.5, I believe. (I still use 6.1, for various reasons). As far as other antispyware and defensive programs go, see my sig below.
So is it worth paying for AV software? I never upgraded the ZA firewall because of some posts on their forum about problems with newer versions. They recommended keeping what I have at the time. However that was a while back. Im assuming your happy with ZA's performance?
Many regulars here are happy with the free AV programs mentioned. Others are just as happy with their favorite paid AV. Generally speaking, the free one's don't come with the level of support you get with the paid, although all have user-to-user forums for troubleshooting. (Of course, it's hard to beat the support you can get for free right here!)
AVG, Avira, and avast are all certified by the independent ICSA Labs and also passed the Virus Bulletin's VB100% test (100% detection of known "in the wild" viruses) for XP. That's good enough for me.
On the other hand, if you believe strongly that "you only get what you pay for"...
As far as ZA Free firewall goes, there have been problems with several versions over the years. My preference is to use a recent one (generally the latest but one) that appears to be trouble-free, and not to upgrade til I know that all the bugs are sorted out. Version 6.1.744.001 is recent enough for my comfort level, and working well. Problems with 6.5 are documented in the ZA user forum here:
I got rid of Norton and "upgraded" to Comodo which can be found here: http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/ You will also find that this software is rated as one of the best and it is free with lifetime validation. You will find that Comodo has other parts to give you total protection.
zbestwun2001
3 Apprentice
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8.8K Posts
0
December 11th, 2006 23:00
I would look at the free ones too.
zb1
joe53
2 Intern
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5.8K Posts
0
December 11th, 2006 23:00
- avast! antivirus v.4.7
- ZoneAlarm firewall v.6.1.744.001
- Windows Defender (Final release) Resident Anti-Spyware
- AVG/ewido anti-spyware v.7.5 (demand anti-spyware/anti-trojan scanner)
- a-squared Free 2.0 (demand anti-spyware/anti-trojan scanner)
- SpywareBlaster v.3.5.1 (blocks bad activeX installation)
- MVPS Hosts file
- BillP's WinPatrol v.10
Gnardo
84 Posts
0
December 12th, 2006 20:00
Gnardo
84 Posts
0
December 12th, 2006 21:00
zbestwun2001
3 Apprentice
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8.8K Posts
0
December 12th, 2006 21:00
.....and here's the best part, here is the link to the free version of AVG 7.5- AVG7-AntiVirus-FREE
zb1
Message Edited by zbestwun2001 on 12-12-200603:25 PM
joe53
2 Intern
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5.8K Posts
0
December 12th, 2006 22:00
Message Edited by joe53 on 12-12-200608:09 PM
Othalian
7 Posts
0
December 15th, 2006 06:00
Hope this helps
Othalian