which is the best free anti-virus?

[Jonathan Wilson]

I used to be using Norton Systemworks but that expired and I have just
installed the free version of AVG.
Does the free version of AVG pick up all the nasties norton does?
Is it the best of the free anti-viruses (as far as picking up viruses goes?)

 

[Befunge Sudoku]

I used to be using Norton Systemworks but that expired and I have just
installed the free version of AVG.
Does the free version of AVG pick up all the nasties norton does?
Is it the best of the free anti-viruses (as far as picking up viruses goes?)

It's not bad.
We sometimes use AntiVir here: worth checking out.

 

[Offbreed]

I used to be using Norton Systemworks but that expired and I have just
installed the free version of AVG.

Be sure to Google the difficulties that result from trying to switch
from Norton to something else.

I wouldn't know <G> I switched away from Norton several disk formats/
reinstalls ago, but there sure is a lot of belly aching over the problems.

 

[Vanguard]

I used to be using Norton Systemworks but that expired and I have just
installed the free version of AVG.
Does the free version of AVG pick up all the nasties norton does?
Is it the best of the free anti-viruses (as far as picking up viruses
goes?)

The freebies don't fare well regarding coverage.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

AntiVir gets a 94% overall score but that is too low with the other freebies
being worse, and AVG is at the bottom of the heap. Also see VirusBulletin's
VB100% archive list (http://www.virusbtn.com/) to see how various products
have fared. You need to register for this site (which is free) and which
requires a valid e-mail address (so you might want to use an alias or
disposable account).

 

[Todd H.]

Be sure to Google the difficulties that result from trying to switch
from Norton to something else.

But don't let it deter you from your worthy goal.

Be sure to uninstall live update after uninstalling NAV, etc.

 

[Pete]

The freebies don't fare well regarding coverage.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

AntiVir gets a 94% overall score but that is too low with the other
freebies being worse, and AVG is at the bottom of the heap.

Vanguard...Where did you get the percentage results. I went to the
comparatives.org site and checked its links the best I could and I did not
see anything like that (ie a nice table or matrix with an easy to read
format). I did not think it was very user friendly. All I saw (in one of
the links) was a table with "standard" and "advanced", and "advanced
+"....Pete

Also see

 

[Art]

Vanguard...Where did you get the percentage results. I went to the
comparatives.org site and checked its links the best I could and I did not
see anything like that (ie a nice table or matrix with an easy to read
format).

Look under Comaratives. Here's one example:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/ergebnisse_2005_08.php

Art
http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[Jonathan Wilson]

I just uninstalled LiveReg, LiveUpdate and Norton System Works 2005 from
add/remove programs and then deleted a few folders labeled symantec.
AVG seems to be running great

 

[Pete]

But don't let it deter you from your worthy goal.

Be sure to uninstall live update after uninstalling NAV, etc.

Todd...just for your info, my Norton 2004 also has a "Norton Update" and a
"LiveReg" in the add/removes of the control panel (for a total of 4 items
you have to remove). Then I bet you will have to remove the leftover shit
manually . What a lot of overkill. I will be switching to AVG when it
expires in April on my xp (I already have it on my old Me)...Pete

 

[slartyb]

symantec provide a good tool [symnrt.exe] for removing remnants of
norton products, it seems to do an excellent??? job,
details here:


http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=

Todd...just for your info, my Norton 2004 also has a "Norton Update" and a
"LiveReg" in the add/removes of the control panel (for a total of 4 items
you have to remove). Then I bet you will have to remove the leftover shit
manually . What a lot of overkill. I will be switching to AVG when it
expires in April on my xp (I already have it on my old Me)...Pete

ban rectum thermometers

 

[drifter]

I used to be using Norton Systemworks but that expired and I have just
installed the free version of AVG.
Does the free version of AVG pick up all the nasties norton does?
Is it the best of the free anti-viruses (as far as picking up viruses
goes?)

Been using AVG for over a year now on a variety of machines. Works fine
and updates at least once a day, sometimes more. Dumped Norton (had been
using it since version 4.5) as it was beginning to be intrusive in terms
of resource usage. Avast is also a good aV to look at.

 

[Noel Paton]

symantec provide a good tool [symnrt.exe] for removing remnants of
norton products, it seems to do an excellent??? job,
details here:


http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=

even that leaves a load of crap behind it - but it's better than nothing!
Note that you MUST run the two other utilities as well as SymNRT - if you
want to get back to anything approaching a clean system!

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read on how to post messages to NG's

 

[Pete]

symantec provide a good tool [symnrt.exe] for removing remnants of
norton products, it seems to do an excellent??? job,
details here:


http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=

even that leaves a load of crap behind it - but it's better than
nothing! Note that you MUST run the two other utilities as well as
SymNRT - if you want to get back to anything approaching a clean
system!

Hi Noel...I see you get around. The SymNRT site goes through a bunch of
steps, then ends up telling you to go to program files and delete any Norton
folders. So why not just use windows explorer (out of the gate), and delete
the damn folders that way (which I would have done anyway). In other words,
how is running "SymNRT. exe" doing anything different...Pete

 

[Noel Paton]

symantec provide a good tool [symnrt.exe] for removing remnants of
norton products, it seems to do an excellent??? job,
details here:


http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=

even that leaves a load of crap behind it - but it's better than
nothing! Note that you MUST run the two other utilities as well as
SymNRT - if you want to get back to anything approaching a clean
system!

Hi Noel...I see you get around. The SymNRT site goes through a bunch of
steps, then ends up telling you to go to program files and delete any
Norton folders. So why not just use windows explorer (out of the gate),
and delete the damn folders that way (which I would have done anyway). In
other words, how is running "SymNRT. exe" doing anything different...Pete

SymNRT also deletes about 1400 (potential or real) entries in the registry -
which would not be deleted if you just removed the folders from Windows
Explorer - it also resets dome file associations, IIRC.

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read on how to post messages to NG's

 

[Pete]

symantec provide a good tool [symnrt.exe] for removing remnants of
norton products, it seems to do an excellent??? job,
details here:


http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...sf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=



even that leaves a load of crap behind it - but it's better than
nothing! Note that you MUST run the two other utilities as well as
SymNRT - if you want to get back to anything approaching a clean
system!

Hi Noel...I see you get around. The SymNRT site goes through a
bunch of steps, then ends up telling you to go to program files and
delete any Norton folders. So why not just use windows explorer
(out of the gate), and delete the damn folders that way (which I
would have done anyway). In other words, how is running "SymNRT.
exe" doing anything different...Pete

SymNRT also deletes about 1400 (potential or real) entries in the
registry - which would not be deleted if you just removed the folders
from Windows Explorer - it also resets dome file associations, IIRC.

So the question is for the average user who wouldn't know that - would it
really make any difference if you didn't use SymNRT (and delete the 1400
entries you mention),and just did a normal uninstall using add remove
programs and then windows explorer...Pete

 

[Noel Paton]

So the question is for the average user who wouldn't know that - would it
really make any difference if you didn't use SymNRT (and delete the 1400
entries you mention),and just did a normal uninstall using add remove
programs and then windows explorer...Pete

the answer is yes! - because many AV's will refuse to install on a system
with Norton's registry entries present

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read on how to post messages to NG's

 

[Pete]

the answer is yes! - because many AV's will refuse to install on a
system with Norton's registry entries present

Obviously not the free AVG, because I have it on my old Me, and only did a
normal uninstall. I guess I will do the SymNRT thing (maybe) when my Norton
runs out on my xp. Take care Noel, and see if you can comment on my OE
question in the Me ng (I was surprised you didn't comment).

Pete

 

[Jay]

Obviously not the free AVG, because I have it on my old Me, and only did a
normal uninstall. I guess I will do the SymNRT thing (maybe) when my Norton
runs out on my xp.

My experience with SymNRT was not pleasant. I uninstalled a bunch of
software including a trial version of NAV that came preinstalled on a
new computer (XPH SP2). I ran SymNRT to do a more thorough uninstall of
NAV and it ended up disabling the BITS Windows service. I was unable to
restart BITS and the result was that Windows Update would not work.

I then reset the computer to its factory state and uninstalled the
software including NAV through control panel-add/remove but did *not*
use SymNRT this time. BITS remained running, I was able to install
eTrust EZ AV and Windows Update worked.

Moral of the story for me: Don't run SymNRT unless you have to and even
then I'd be careful.

HTH

YMMV.

 

[Noel Paton]

My experience with SymNRT was not pleasant. I uninstalled a bunch of
software including a trial version of NAV that came preinstalled on a new
computer (XPH SP2). I ran SymNRT to do a more thorough uninstall of NAV
and it ended up disabling the BITS Windows service. I was unable to
restart BITS and the result was that Windows Update would not work.

I then reset the computer to its factory state and uninstalled the
software including NAV through control panel-add/remove but did *not* use
SymNRT this time. BITS remained running, I was able to install eTrust EZ
AV and Windows Update worked.

Moral of the story for me: Don't run SymNRT unless you have to and even
then I'd be careful.

There's a moral to this tale - "Don't trust Norton!"

http://basconotw.mvps.org/SymRem.htm

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read on how to post messages to NG's

 

[Pete]

My experience with SymNRT was not pleasant. I uninstalled a bunch of
software including a trial version of NAV that came preinstalled on a
new computer (XPH SP2). I ran SymNRT to do a more thorough uninstall
of NAV and it ended up disabling the BITS Windows service. I was
unable to restart BITS and the result was that Windows Update would
not work.
I then reset the computer to its factory state and uninstalled the
software including NAV through control panel-add/remove but did *not*
use SymNRT this time. BITS remained running, I was able to install
eTrust EZ AV and Windows Update worked.

Moral of the story for me: Don't run SymNRT unless you have to and
even then I'd be careful.

Thanks for the good info Jay...I just changed my "maybe" to "I will not use
SymNRT" - lol . I also have xpsp2 home edition...Pete