Which sorftware should I use? Help?

Hi Jeff:

You ask a common question, to which there is no correct answer. There are pros and cons to using suites, but the most important question to ask in your situation is "Does it work well for me". McAfee is a reputable vendor, and if it causes you no grief, and you are not getting infected I would stick with it, particularly since you have paid for it.

When it comes time to renew, however, I would recommend you give serious consideration to the excellent free programs available, such as Microsoft's MSE, avast! 5.0 and Avira. I truly believe there is no need for home users to pay for good security these days. You can find more info on these free products in the link in my signature.

Jeff,

I agree with Joe wholeheartedly. But, from my experience, McAfee caused me lots of problems.  I currently use Aast!, but I've tried Avira and AVG as well. I would recommend trying out McAfee for the 15 months and if you find it isn't doing  a good job or causing you trouble, try some of the free ones Joe mentioned and that most of us here have tried. It can't hurt to try. Then, if you still don't like those, there's a bunch of other paid anti-virus protection out there. Good luck!

Here are two additional lists of:

FREE SECURITY SOFTWARE  

FREE SECURITY SOFTWARE

Thank You Everyone! I do have a registered copy of McAfee for the 15 months so I guess I will just see how it goes. Everything seems just fine at this point. However I did notice from reading older posts that many of you run multiple "protection type" programs I understand that you can run only one AV at a time...... Is there something I should add? As it stands now I am running the McAfee Security Center and whatever may be native to Windows 7 Home Premium. I apologize for asking such basic questions but if you don't know - You don't know! Thanks again for all the help now and , hopefully in the future.

Jeff

Hi Jeff.

I ran McAfee Security Center for almost two years in my sys without any major mishap. Now, I was very careful on my web surfing and did not use any P2P program. One thing I can advice you is to register your McAfee to have an account:

 https://home.mcafee.com/Secure/Protected/Login.aspx

That way you can download the latest version of the program without any problem because if you got a McAfee DVD with your sys most surely is a trial version without a Key Code.

After you run your McAfee for 15 months, you can follow Joe´s link and decide what is best for you and your sys.

Safe surfing.

Jeff:

I would recommend you download and install Secunia's PSI from here:
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/

This freeware, which is supported by Windows 7, scans your machine and alerts you to any Windows security  patches you are missing, and also any vulnerable and out-dated  3rd party programs and plug-ins which expose your PC to attacks.

I can also recommend some programs that confer passive protection:
http://naut.homestead.com/files/Free/free2.html#Programs with Passive Protection

I recommend you switch to OpenDNS:
http://www.opendns.com/

Finally, I recommend you install the Web of Trust (WOT) toolbar:
A good demo on how WOT works is here:
http://www.mywot.com/en/demo
You can download WOT from here:
http://www.mywot.com/en/download/

As far as I know, all these programs are supported by Windows 7, and will not conflict with your McAfee, nor slow down your system or your browser(s).

You're totally welcome, Jeff! And no need to apologize. We all had to go through a learning process. You are correct though, in that most of us DO have different protection software, besides an anti virus. Personally, I run SuperAntiSpyware and WinPatrol as well. Both of these are absolutely 100% free. They are also absolutely wonderful, in my honest opinion. SuperAntiSpyware is a real-time malware remover and WinPatrol protects users from attacking your computer resources. Google them to read more. I love them and trust them wholeheartedly. Good luck! 

Thanks Again - I think I have a little better handle on things now. I installed SuperAntiSpyware and upgraded it to Pro. (Only $9.95 today) Back in the day with my IBM XT and 2400 baud external modem the world was not as dangerous! Mostly B Boards run by the guy down the street. Anyway, I feel much better now. But be WARNED: I seem to have a never ending supply of silly questions!! Thanks again for everyones time and trouble.

Jeff:emotion-43:

I hope SuperAntiSpyware suits your needs well. Sadly, as  technology advances, so does the viruses and spyware and the like. How annoying! Things did seem easier back when I had my old Compaq laptop with windows 1998 running on it, but then again, it soon became ransacked with viruses and Windows had discontinued its aid for the poor operating system. 

Bring on the never ending questions! (The sillier the better) When  first came on here, I had a zillion questions. And I've gained some knowledge from hanging out on here. I hope you do too. 

Hi Jeff

I agree with the others who have said that there isn't really a right answer; there's so many anti-virus solutions available.  I myself have always used Kaspersky which I find very efficient:

http://www.kaspersky.co.uk/

If you're looking for a free solution, I would recommend Comodo or AVG:

http://www.comodo.com/

http://www.avg.com/gb-en/homepage

Hope this helps

Archie

Thanks to all who spent the time to help me!!!!!! I think I have a handle on things - at least for now.

Thanks Again!

Jeff

Recent review: Antivirus Freebies: AVG and Avira
April 24th, 2010
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Antivirus-Freebies-AVG-and-Avira-140475.shtml

in reading the above review, it seems to me (i.e., in my opinion) the author has a strong bias to AVG:   Granted, the review did tend to "even out", indicating pros and cons for each product... nonetheless, i still beleive the wording of the above 3 statements is highly biased.

I thought the same thing. However I had already installed Avas! so I am going to stick with that for the time being. It sure seems to be doing the job.

Jefff

in reading the above review, it seems to me (i.e., in my opinion) the author has a strong bias to AVG:

"AVG providing a larger rack of options and components" and "AVG provides a wider palette of choices" can also be expressed/interpreted as AVG is more complicated for a basic/inexperienced user to set-up.

"Avira seems to be less confident in the installation process than AVG, as it lets you enable the creation of a restore point that will help revert the system to its previous state in case something goes wrong" is a very LOADED assertion... it can alternatively be expressed as "Warning:  If AVG messes up during its installation, it does not you offer the benefit of simple restoration".

"[Avira] does not feature a tool similar to Link Scanner to protect your web surfing from taking a turn to shady websites".   Yes, as worded, this is technically a true statement.   However, the touted Link Scanner toolbar is considered adware by many people... who would prefer NOT to install/run it on that basis.   And moreover, "deprived" avira users who wish to have such protection can easily get it by dowloading/installing WOT (for IE and for Firefox).

Granted, the review did tend to "even out", indicating pros and cons for each product... nonetheless, i still beleive the wording of the above 3 statements is highly biased.

Jeff wrote:   "I had already installed Avas! so I am going to stick with that for the time being. It sure seems to be doing the job."

First rule of wise computer usage:  If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Given that you had [or believe you had] a problem with McAfee, it was prudent to consider an alternative.   Avast was a good choice.   So as long as it works for you, you should stick with it.

To elaborate:

Switching an anti-virus program is NOT always a simple matter.   Most "uninstallers" (as the term applies to what you find in your Control Panel, under "Add/Remove Programs") do an  INcomplete  job at removing their underlying antivirus.   So sometimes, when you then try to install a new antivirus program,  it won't let you... it finds lingering remnants of the first program, and refuses to install.   That's why most antivirus programs now offer separate/dedicated "uninstaller tools", that you can download from their website.   Fortunately, these tools tend to do a better job at cleaning up the mess the "regular" uninstaller may have left behind.

In short, I would not advocate people "willy nilly" testing out anti-virus programs.   I believe that people who do, like Joe53 (who I'm sure will comment if I'm wrong on what I'm about to say), take additional safeguards --- like backing up their entire registry with ERUNT --- so that, after completing testing and uninstalling the program, they can futher restore the registry's integrity to what it was before testing began.

Finally (for now), when I said that avast was a "good" choice, i must state, in fairness, that it's not the only choice.    considering only FREE programs here, I believe that each of avast, avira antivir, and Microsoft Security essentials are good choices.   Each has its pros and cons... so I can't assert a clear-cut winner among.   Much depends on just how a user "feels" about each of these.

I used to use... and used to recommend... AVG... but I  no longer  do so.   In my opinion, it is NOT in a class with the three I currently recommend.   I'm sure others out there... particularly happy AVG users... will beg to differ.   And that certainly is their right.