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Reliable, Free Anti-Virus Software?
oahazmatt writes "Some time ago my wife was having severe issues on her laptop. (A Dell Inspiron, if that helps.) I eventually found the cause to be McAfee, which took about an hour to remove fully. I installed AVG on her system to replace McAfee, but we have since found that AVG is causing problems with her laptop's connection to our wireless network. She's not thrilled about a wired connection as the router is on the other end of the house. We're looking for some good, open-source or free personal editions of anti-virus software. So, who on Slashdot trusts what?" When school required a Windows laptop, I used Clam AV, and the machine seemed to do as well as most classmates'. What have you found that works?
http://www.avast.com
Free for personal use.
avast the best free one with no lock down like avg8
http://www.avast.com/
I second this. I've been using avast for years with no problems.
Soylens viridis homines es
Well you already mentioned Clam AV. I use that myself. I'd go with that. Some of my friends use Avast, and I don't have a problem w/ that either, but Clam works for me.
That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
Add me to the chorus of Avast. It simply works and works well.
Enjoy Every Sandwich
When school required a Windows laptop, I used Clam AV
I second the mention of ClamWin. The biggest missing feature in ClamWin is scanning every file on fopen(), and that's what usually causes the resource hogging behavior that some people believe to be typical of antivirus. In my experience, a computer user really doesn't need real-time operation unless he's looking at pr0n (erotic web sites), downloading w4r3z (infringing copies of proprietary commercial software), or doing something comparably dangerous. A weekly full scan is enough.
I agree on Avast! if you have to be free, but my personal favorite is Eset's NOD32 (www.eset.com). $40 MSRP (but you can find it cheaper if you look around). This is the most efficient (very very small memory footprint) and effective antivirus I have ever used. We use Symantec Corporate where I work (but are switching once our subscription runs out) and this has picked up several viruses on PCs that Symantec missed. Not to mention the fact that Symantec likes to do in-depth scanning every once in a while in the middle of the day for no apparent reason and starts consuming 100MB+ of RAM and hits 50% CPU utilization.
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Linux. Someone had to say it.
Yeah. Frankly though, all I'm thinking about at the moment (this being Saturday night and all) as that free Linux beer you guys are always talking about. How does it stack up against the other imports?
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Because no malware will ever come to you if you're smart. Because Firefox has never ever had a security hole discovered. Probably not very good advice to just train the user to be smarter. I've used AVG without any problem for a couple years. I prefer Ubuntu though.
Ran across Moonsecure recently. GPL'd AV software supposedly. Never used it myself though.
... you don't need to surf on "weird" sites to get a virus. An unpatched XP machine gets infected within ~10 minutes of being online after a fresh install.
No, and besides being open source, ClamAV is rather unobtrusive, which is a feature I like. It doesn't get in the way. If I want it to scan something on-demand, it will through the shell extension it installs. I don't want something scanning every damn executable I click on.
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Wow, someone has never been around someone who doesn't know much about computers. With Windows users there are two modes, either paranoid as in "OMG!!!11! I can't go to Google!1!1! It will give my computer a virus!11!1!" or "My computer has *insert program here* installed so I can do whatever I feel like and never, ever, ever get a virus, ever". The real ideal solution would be to switch to a different OS, either Linux or OS X, but a lot of Windows users will only use Windows and refuse Linux even when it is easier to do most tasks than on Windows.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
My experiences with windows AV is pretty lame. At one job, I had to deal with huge numbers of reads and writes to the disk. The anti-virus software (Symantec I think) would bog things down, trying to check all these writes until the drive plain died.
We did not reinstall it when the new drive arrived and there were no problems.
That sort of cemented my idea that AV software was mostly worthless. Even with updates, it was still out of date where it mattered, and is such a resource hog as to make using windows unpleasant. Maybe things have changed somewhat, but I doubt it.
If you are a windows user, just browse smart, don't open up any unneeded services and get your ass behind a firewall. Oh, and backup your stuff periodically.
ClamAV, as it stands, does not do on-access scanning. I quite dislike the way the Win32 version (ClamWin) installs a little Clam icon into the system tray, as a false sense of security is worse than no security at all.
MoonSecure is a scanner/heuristics engine that uses Clam's signatures and does perform on-access scanning but, when I last tried it, it had "issues".
Avast is my current recommendation of the freebies for personal use, followed by Avira, if you can stand the constant nagging about upgrading to paid versions. Avira's detection rate, last I looked, was slightly better than Avast's but the nag screens are a bone of contention. Also have a look at Comodo's offerings. Note that none of these are free software, just free to use. MoonSecure is GPL'd and may have become a little better since I tried it, so it may be worth a shot if freedom matters to you.
Resistance is futile. Reactance buggers it up.
Firefox has never had a security hole discovered? Are you new to Slashdot? Just google Firefox Security holes... Not even 5 hours after Firefox 3 was released they announced a critical security hole was discovered...
I agree. I switched to avast from AVG, and it's so much better.
Wow, I just tried it and not only did it get rid of my virus problem, but it made my computer run faster and more reliably.
Thanks again, anonymous coward!
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
I will also throw in a nod for Avast. I've used just about every free virus scanner out there and Avast seems to work about the best. I used to love AVG, but it has become the epitome of bloatware as of late. Avira is a close second, but the daily nag screen got to be a bit annoying. Avast found viruses that no other scanner had found on files that were years old. It did seem to have some false positives, but to be honest, I've always erred on the side of caution.
zosxavius photography
I think you need to tweak your sarcasm detectors.
Note - Liberal use of <sarcasm> tags may or may not need to be applied.
Why is this modded down? Okay, so this doesn't answer the question directly but it definitely is a solution to running an anti-virus program. Personally I think Microsoft should be the ones securing their own operating system instead of some third party developer. But anyway, trying out a different operating system and (only when extremely necessary) run a Windows app through VMware Fusion. I've shown alot of computer-illiterate Windows users Mac OS X, and once they got the hang of it and its simplicity - they preferred that over the slow unstable Windows OS any day. So mods please mod the parent up - it's a legit solution to the issue.
Just sits there doing it's job, warning me when there's a virus. Never upsets other software, never prompts me to tell me that I don't have some other product of theirs like a firewall.
I'm serious. Stop doing the things that put you at risk for viruses and you won't have to run anti-virus. I don't run anti-virus or anti-spyware software on my computer and I've never had a problem. Occasionally, just to verify that I'm doing the right thing, I boot from a BartPE Windows CD and run anti-virus and anti-spyware tools against my hard drive. They never find anything bad. The last time I had a virus was in 1989 on my Amiga 500.
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trust ? trust nothing and nobody !, and encase your head in lead to prevent Van Eck Phreaking
When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea
Although I do applaud people moving to, say, Ubuntu (I'm playing with the Live CD and loving it), I don't think this is a Funny -or- Insightful reply any time the topic of viruses/trojans/etc. comes up (and this being Slashdot, it does seem to come up quite often).
Ignoring for a moment that Linux -has- its share of malware ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_computer_viruses , cue "wikipedia is unreliable" and "all of those holes are already patched" and "but it's still much less than on M$ Winblows"), and ignoring for a moment that a lot of replies will be that Linux is more secure by design, that a virus can't get root, etc. (and automatically ignoring for a moment the replies -that- will generate on how that's little comfort when your files are gone, or your machine is a spambot all the same (the user does have rights to send e-mail, right?)...
Ignoring all those.. how *easy* is it, exactly, when there are still problems with Linux distributions on some notebooks (hers may very well be one), -and- you have to consider that she'll likely have to switch different bits of software she uses as well (or somebody would have to be willing to put in time to get her stuff working under a Windows emulator).
Getting that Ubuntu Live CD working wasn't *easy*... it took some poking about, and that's for something that should have been "pop into drive, reboot, and enjoy Ubuntu", I'd dread having to get all of my existing software running / switching.. eventually I will, but if anybody suggests that it will be *easy*, they're more than welcome to come figure that all (hardware drivers, software alternatives, methods in those alternatives to achieve the same (or better) as what I'm used to, etc.) out for me.
Don't get me wrong, "Switch to Ubuntu" (or some other linux distribution) may be the perfect answers for this woman, and that would be great - but let's be realistic here and not label that as an easy solution.
Just my 2cts.
anyway, I second the GP's advice
!sig
But they get patched alot faster then internet explorer, which makes it at least a little bit more secure
Indeed. When I run MS Windows (not very often if I can help it), I never use anti-virus. Indeed, I consider it a waste of time and money (not to mention system resources).
Of course, you should always make sure you have a working firewall before connecting to the Internet. I find that the built in MS Windows firewall works well enough, so long as it is enabled.
Then, make sure not to run MSIE (at all except on sites you control, and even then...), instead run an alternative (Firefox is popular for some reason, Opera I've heard is good, not that I use it). Another email client (instead of MS Outlook Express or MS Outlook) is also a must if you are using POP or IMAP.
As also mentioned, don't download and run random programs from the web. You have to know how to evaluate the trustworthiness or otherwise of the website. (One thing I love about Ubuntu is that there are so many programs in the repositories, I haven't downloaded a program from a website in over a year. Want a game, fire up Synaptic and browse the hundreds of free games available. Want a MUD client, there are at least five available. Etc.) Knowing how to evaluate the trustworthiness or otherwise of a website is a mix of common sense and understanding of security. It maybe better to ask your local computer geek before downloading random programs.
So, to sum up:
Considering that most people I know don't do much more with their computers then surf the Web, check their email and use some office software, you don't need much more than what I outlined above.
I wank in the shower.
I would recommend Avira AntiVir [1]. It is free for personal use too. The was most impressed of the speed. I used Avira AntiVir all the time before I moved to Linux.
[1] http://www.free-av.de/en/index.html
Another option could be "Comodo Firewall" http://www.comodo.com/ It's free unless you pay for their tech support, some nifty extra features, and remote troubleshooting.. It is mainly a firewall.. and an extremely intelligent and well-written one at that (IMO). It's default settings are decent, and you can fine-tune the engine for more/less security. It also comes with a "defense+" module.. basically it's a firewall but for your local computer. It mainly monitors for changes and such to prevent the installation of rootkits, trojans.. etc.. and you can scan your computer for malware + remove it as well. I find that Comodo has a relatively small memory footprint.. on default settings (vista 32bit).. seems like both the kernel-mode drivers and and Ui top out at about 60mb combined max (with defense+ enabled) and 30mb max (with defense+ disabled and only the firewall running). I've also found that Avast and Comodo work perfectly together.. so if you do not like Comodo's built in Defense+ mode you can disable it and just use Comodo's firewall + Avast's system protection. ClamAV may be your best bet however if you don't want an active scanner.
Avast is good, though I found the GUI to be very unintuitive. If you think it won't be a problem, then yes, I'd also recommend Avast. I also used Ewido Anti-Malware in the past with good results, though I believe they've been acquired by AVG.
You can check some of the ones listed at http://www.virusbtn.com/news/2008/09_02, which also qualifies them a bit!
I personally use Avira AntiVir and like it! I started with the free edition but quickly upgraded, it's pretty cheap and might as well support them...
I also must agree with Avast. It's lightweight and unobtrusive, and does a great job at catching the little stuff. However, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. If you're user isn't knowledgeable enough to detect potential malware before installing most of the time, the antivirus software installed wont make much of a difference.
While not OSS, Threatfire and FireWall Plus from PCTools are both free for personal use.
AVG generates too many false positives, and has a really lame (sorry but it is) alert graphic and noise.
ClamAV works well provided you don't want the real-time monitoring, which is why I only use it as a portable app for disinfecting.
Avast is also a good choice if not anything special.
Thanks, I'll look into avast; I wanted a free AV for virtual machines.
Personally, I would recommand f-prot. Small footprint and it saved me and friends many times.
I tried AVG, but that thing is big, complex and annoying.
I use Avira AV on the WinDOZE systems at my house.
It's free for personal use, and companies have to get a site license...
When politicians are involved, everyone loses.
Most likely the console (the server that monitors and manages the clients) is scheduled to order a scan every once in a while. You should ask your admin to knock it off or reschedule it for a better time.
I personally run Windows XP sp2 and I don't run any anti virus software.
I use Firefox and a firewall and I'm never worried about getting into any problems. I don't install random EXEs from untrusted locations. The firewall tells me everything that is going in and out and how much. Adblock also does wonders for protecting oneself.
It takes a special person to surf the internet without protection, but then again after working in IT I realize I am smarter then most of the people I deal with on a regular basis!
In case you wanted an ACTUAL answer,and not just a bunch of geeks shouting Linux I would suggest either Comodo if you would like one with a built in firewall,or AntiVir if you just need AV. As a Windows repairman I have used both on many customers machines and they work quite well.
I know that shouting "Linux" is a great way to Karma whore here,but the simple fact is I'm sure he asked about Windows Av for a reason. Sometimes Linux simply isn't the right tool for the job,as anyone who has tried to get those damned Lexmark all in ones to work or run into one of the bazillion SMBs that have custom VB apps that are mission critical can tell you.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
Clam is great. I've been using it for a year or so now and it's caused the least issues of anything.
I also run A Squared as a trojan scanner, but it proudly proclaimed a file to be trojan free recently, and when I ran it proceeded to wreck my computer leading to having to use bloody system restore.
I use Avira + ThreatFire + Malewarebytes + Comodo Firewall
for antivirus/spyware/maleware/firewall and these combined do an outstanding job of protecting my system without slowing it down one bit. All are light programs, Avira is updated constantly, and comodo firewall is thought of as one of the best. Threatfire is great for making sure no program infects another, and Malewarebytes is doing good in checking for spyware.
Not counting, of course, the abundance of total system freezes which require a hard reset -- something WinXP never has. Every version since Dapper Drake has this problem.
The Heron install CD is hopelessly broken and won't dynamically resize the NTFS partition to make room its install because it requires the NTFS partition to be mounted. and it also fucks up your boot sectors and leaves odd garbage on your hard drive.
So go ahead, use Linux. It's stable and reliable as long as you have a Beowulf cluster and don't use a GUI.
When I bought a friend her first-ever computer, I deliberately chose Linux (Xandros on eee PC) for exactly this reason. Rather bizarrely, Xandros comes with clamav installed, which seems rather pointless. At some point I will clean it off, mainly to free up disk space and cpu cycles. Oh, yes, she really likes the machine.
Avira Antivir.
http://www.avira.com/en/pages/index.php
I NEVER run background scanning on a virus program. It's a needless system overhead. When I get something new that might be suspicious, I simply run it on that specific program.
Only time I ever got a virus on the PC was about nine years ago when the virus program I used was running in the background, and let the CIH virus through.
Not to mention the many MANY issues virus programs cause with games. First thing any support message will tell you is make sure your anti-virus is disabled.
"I installed AVG on her system to replace McAfee, but we have since found that AVG is causing problems with her laptop's connection to our wireless network"
Just wondering if you contacted the AVG people. I know that, as a free (as in beer.. sort of) software user you're not likely to get priority support, but I'm sure they would like to know -why- their product appears to be messing with her wireless internet connection. I understand that you feel like it might not be worth messing with, but on the other hand it might be some stupid setting that's enabled by default, or some known issue that they have a workaround / fix for, etc.
For example.. if you have AVG's update configured to use a dial-up connection (for whatever reason), and for whatever reason it -does- actually go and use it (for example, if you have a VPN installed - which acts as a 'dial-up connection' in Windows), that might disconnect you from the internet connection you'd normally have.
Not dismissing the alternatives mentioned in the comments here (other than the "Switch to a Linux distribution".. see another reply of mine in there somewhere, but if nothing else it'd be nice if you could let them know.. can't hurt, can it?
What are these virus things that everyone is talking about?
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Why are so many people tightwads about anti-virus? Computer related infections could be very expensive, so I wouldn't go with anything but the very best money can buy and that is Kaspersky.
Also, I wouldn't advocate home dentistry, either. Although I'm sure many are trying to figure out how to do just that, these days.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
Definately Avast is the best choice AVG just didn't agree with me.
I like Avira. Turning off their nag is as simple as putting a security policy to deny the .exe that runs that ads.
I recommend Avira Antivir Personal. Very Lean, fast, customizable and through.
Only problems is it pops up an Ad to upgrade to the pay version every time you download an update and it can be false positive happy when turned up to it's fullest settings and definitions, but otherwise it's one of the best scanners I've seen.
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!
The most effective methods I've seen is the behavioral and heuristic based systems in Kaspersky and Norton AV 2009's SONAR. SONAR may not catch it on execution but it catches registry entries and it's caught 99% of the bot samples I have when they try to call home. The new versions are also fairly light on system resources.
It may not be the popular opinion but if you really don't want to worry about malware then look at OS X or Linux. Yes there is some malware out there but in comparison it's a minute fraction of a percent of the number for Windows based systems.
The only problem with blocking ALL incoming connections is doing that WILL screw over some programs. I know in the past it's caused issues with Bit Torrent. And while I doubt the people you're talking about would be 1337 w4r3z downloaders, they may be World of Warcraft players at some point, and Blizzard use BT by default to distribute patches.
I'm a geezer who started writing programs on a keypunch machine in the early 1970s. I've been online as long as there has been a line to be on.
I've never had a virus or used anti-virus software. Disable ActiveX in IE (or only use it for updates) and scripting, and don't open attachments. It really is that simple.
Good, but you sound like a knowledgeable user who would know what to scan, and would actually remember to scan. Now, what's the least obtrusive app for the average idiot that will do things automatically?
Don't get me wrong, "Switch to Ubuntu" (or some other linux distribution) may be the perfect answers for this woman, and that would be great - but let's be realistic here and not label that as an easy solution.
Obviously if MS were "easy", this guy would not be posting a question to the this web site. Apparently neither he nor this woman know what to do about MS's glaring security holes.
I do not think that the parent post is saying Ubuntu will be easy. It was just easy for him to think of a solution.
Too bad he obviously never tried Ubuntu.
I recommend AntiVir for Windows boxes... in a lot of tests (virus.gr, av-comparatives.org) it has the best detection rate, either for free AV's, or all AV's tested.
In fact, the other night AntiVir detected a trojan. It was named svchost.exe and by Googling the name I couldn't find anything. So before deleting it I uploaded the trojan (with the filename svchost.exe) to one of those websites that tests a file against a bunch of different AV's, and AntiVir, along with only one other AV (not a well-known one) was the only one that detected it as malicious.
Honestly, no AV is perfect, but I find AntiVir to be pretty darn good. Of course, moving to *nix is an even better choice but you can't always get rid of a Windows box.
Need an automatic screenshot taker? Try here.
Parent post is funny, insightful, interesting, informative and underrated
Well, it looks like you should almost certainly marry it. Congrats.
however, make a backup before installing it. It may be different now, but it was a bitch to remove from my old box.
Posts like this lead to another, very important point. The reason we don't have a (good) free software antivirus program* is because that's a hard problem that the free software community does not have a large need to solve. The reason why there is no large need to solve the virus problem is, you guessed it, Linux. Every free software developer, given the choice of dedicating their free time on on antivirus or [insert cool project here], will certainly choose [insert cool project here].
> I have used both on many customers machines and they work quite well.
Isn't that bad for business though?
Many ISPs offer a free "security suite" to their customers, downloadable from their website. They are usually just a rebranded version of an existing antivirus program. I've been using that on my sole Windows machine and it works just fine. It's F-Secure, so your mileage will obviously vary depending on what AV software powers it.
I'm trying to move from 32-bit XP to 64-bit vista, and one of the things keeping me from making the switch is trying to find a good 64-bit virus program.
I'm using ZoneAlarm on XP and one of the things I like most about it is the applications watching and firewall.
Having it authorize net access and system access is a feature I find very nice to have.
Unfortunately, it looks like ZoneAlarm is not in the 64-bit game.
Correction: They were beta testing a 64-bit windows version sometime ago but have dropped it completely with no apparent mention of trying again.
Currently for firewall on Vista, I use the built-in firewall with full deny by default and then configure applications to go through on a one-by-one basis.
But I really liked being notified when apps tried to do any potentially dangerous activities like run each time the system is loaded or modify the hosts file, etc.
So anybody got a good replacement on 64-bit Vista for paranoid users like myself?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Cube On! (http://stores.ebay.com/PuzzleProz)
I have never ever ever had antivirus interfere with running a game. IMO its a scapegoat they try to throw at you and reduce their own responsibility.
I also never disable antivirus while installing software and in 7 years with 4 computers in the house have never had that be an issue.
f-prot is still in business and seems to do fairly well. I think they do still have a free version, but their core home version is something like $19.95 for a two year subscription covering install on up to 5 family PCs. It always does reasonably well on the comparison tests (given that no AV will catch every piece of malware out there) and doesn't slow the system down much if at all.
sPh
"Posts like this lead to another, very important point. "
Fixing the problems of an operating system sold by a bitter opponent of Open and Free software is not a wise choice for a proponent of Open or Free software.
Capturing market share for applications like Firefox helps grab mindshare, and developing alternate operating systems gives that mindshare somewhere to go post-Windows.
Doing for Redmond what Redmond does not do for itself while not getting paid is arguably stupid.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Cause it's not a virus, it's one of the other forms of malware that an antiVIRUS program doesn't detect.
PC Tools has a free Antivirus at the bottom of that page.
Google Pack has a free Norton Security Scan which is Norton Antivirus Lite with no autoprotect but it does scheduled scans and allows an upgrade to the full version. Also Spyware Doctor which scans for spyware, adware, and rootkits, and allows an upgrade to the full version.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
I never did when I ran it either. I just tired of the system overhead. Plus I recently got infected by something which got past both A-Squared and Clamwin when I scanned it, so even running those in the background would have been pointless.
And while you may not have had antivirus interfere with a game, there are cases where it does. For the LIFE of me I can't remember what the game was (it was earlier this year), but having antivirus running was the explicit cause of the problem and turning if off was the solution. (I want to say Out of the Park Baseball, but I'm not 100% sure that was the one.)
I'm sure you're right in many cases that it's a scapegoat, since all support is there for really is to pass the buck as much as possible, but there are legitimate cases where antivirus software running in the background interferes with games. Either the patching mechanisms, or the actual execution of the game.
Not necessarily - There are a number of Dell laptops whose wireless hw does not have drivers available for Ubuntu. Broadcomm BC43xx? Ugh! Been there. There are fixes documented out there, but it requires some effort at the console (pkg installs + some config changes) to pull it off. Not guru-level effort, but certainly enough to scare off or irritate most newbs. Consider also that this person may already have a significant collection of Windows SW that they wish to continue using.
AVG good stuff:
AVG bad stuff
---
Avast good stuff:
Avast bad stuff:
---
At the end of the day, I went with Avast. Stability and low performance impact is more important to me than a fancy GUI. Clueless end-users disagree though, and actually want AVG back inspite of the stability issues. So the GUI really made a difference for them. They simply felt more "at home" with AVG.
Direct links for both products:
AVG Antivirus Free Version Download and Wikipedia Description.
Avast Antivirus Free version download and Wikipedia description.
brgds
- Jesper
(Experience is from: 3x Vista computers with reasonable hardware specs, and 2 older Windows XP computers)
My security clearance is so high I have to kill myself if I remember I have it...
My mother only needs the browser for web and e-mail + she needs some place to store some photos. So since I see her only once every few months (this is how often I come out of the basement ;) ) and since she started having some problems with viruses and spyware I replaced the old sour windows xp with ubuntu on her machine and she's been surfing away happily ever since. I personally detest any localization when it comes to software but she likes it.
I'm however running vista ... because I need to :/
Sure, if you want to use Bit Torrent you have to set an exception in your firewall. Except that, I'm guessing that if you're a geek you know how to do that, and most geeks aren't going to be using Bit Torrent. (And even though I'm a geek, I've only ever downloaded one thing using it.)
And using Wireless, the router should have that firewall enabled too. Yup, you have to also forward all requests for the Bit Torrent port to your computer. It isn't that hard for someone who isn't closed minded. (Funny thing, most intelligent people are open minded enough to learn (even for only the few hours required) how to manipulate things like firewalls. You could use the analogy of an apartment building, where you need a key to get past the mail boxes.)
I wank in the shower.
Of course no discussion about Windows security issues is complete without a fanboy shouting "Install Linux". Who the fuck scored this as insightful? Come on, you can do better.
One point - a 'firewall' is a hardware device that stands between insecure systems (such as those running MS platforms) and an untrusted network (such as the Internet). Running some special software *on* a system running an insecure platform doesnt make up for its lack of security.
The various people I've managed to switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox generally haven't experienced a virus since, despite not running anti-virus software. In particular if they also stop using Outlook Express.
In contrast, I know several instances of people getting viruses even though they _are_ running Norton or McAfee.
So yes, I recommend not using anti-virus software at all. Just use safer software when you access the internet.
I have very, very little problems with spyware or malware in general. I use only FOSS software, and still on Win2k.
Firewall: Zonealarm
AV: Avast AV, using only standard Shield, and Internet mail
Malware: Commodo BO clean
For Firefox (and the ONLY browser I use) using the Mr. Tech toolkit add-on
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* CookieSafe 3.0.3 - {9D23D0AA-D8F5-11DA-B3FC-0928ABF316DD} - Control cookie permissions.
* Copy Plain Text 0.3.4 - {723AAF16-AF1F-4404-A5D7-0BFE39766605} - Copies text without formatting
* Fasterfox Lite 3.0.11 - FasterFox_Lite@BigRedBrent - Performance and network tweaks for Firefox but without the Prefetching.
* IE Tab 1.5.20080823 - {77b819fa-95ad-4f2c-ac7c-486b356188a9} - Enables you to use the embedded IE engine within Mozilla/Firefox.
* Locationbar 1.0.3 - locationbar2@design-noir.de - Formats and linkifies addresses in your Location bar.
* Menu Editor 1.2.6 - {EDA7B1D7-F793-4e03-B074-E6F303317FB0} - Customize application menus
* MR Tech Toolkit (formerly Local Install) 6.0.1 - {9669CC8F-B388-42FE-86F4-CB5E7F5A8BDC} - MR Tech Toolkit power tools for all users. (en-US)
* NoScript 1.8.3.3 - {73a6fe31-595d-460b-a920-fcc0f8843232} - Extra protection for your Firefox: NoScript allows JavaScript, Java (and other plugins) only for trusted domains of your choice (e.g. your home-banking web site). This whitelist based pre-emptive blocking approach prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even unknown!) with no loss of functionality... Experts will agree: Firefox is really safer with NoScript
* Orbit Downloader Firefox Integration 2.02 - orbit_ffext@orbitdownloader - Download files,social music,video and streaming media easy and fast.
* Perspectives 2.1.4 - perspectives@cmu.edu - A secure way to verify encrypted websites and bypass security warnings
* Sage 1.4.2 - {a6ca9b3b-5e52-4f47-85d8-cca35bb57596} - A lightweight RSS and Atom feed reader.
* ScrapBook 1.3.3.7 - {53A03D43-5363-4669-8190-99061B2DEBA5} - Helps you to save Web pages and organize the collection.
* SpellBound 3.0.1 - spellbound@sourceforge.net - Adds additional spell-checking functionality to Firefox.
* User Agent Switcher 0.6.11 - {e968fc70-8f95-4ab9-9e79-304de2a71ee1} - Adds a menu and a toolbar button to switch the user agent of the browser.
* WOT 20081020 - {a0d7ccb3-214d-498b-b4aa-0e8fda9a7bf7} - Web of trust.
* Xinha Here! 0.13 - {5B280457-4290-40c2-9441-EA647775F824} - Opens Xinha HTML editor. Xinha 0.95: Trunk (4 Apr 2008)
Installed Themes: [2]
* Default - {972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd}
* Nautipolis for Firefox 1.8.42 - {6C4BAFB6-2AC2-4405-A98D-546B55B3AE92} - Nautipolis for Firefox, based on icons from art.gnome.o
-- Kevin C. Redden kcredden@ gmail 392992
Whilst it's useful that customers have enough problems to keep you in work, if they have too many they'll likely conclude you're not doing a very good job.
This comment is for entertainment purposes only. Any similarity to real insight or information is purely coincidental.
Not counting, of course, that you are blaming Linux as a whole for Ubuntu-specific bugs.
A lot of people have already suggested linux and though it may not be the right answer in this case I completely second using linux. I switched to kubuntu after I "tried" it for a while. I never had to worry about accursed anti-virus software. With xbindkeys command line is the frontline.
Now even starting a movie goes like this
ctrl-alt-t gets me cmd window then i navigate to folder and type in xine movie-name
The vista bloat is still there in my laptop as I need to use photoshop once in a while...... someday I will try gimp.
I just decompile every application and examine the assembler code line by line. Only problem is that I still haven't finished looking over Windows ME before I dare install it.
Here's the problem: Without real time scanning, using an anti virus is rather pointless. I've been using my DSL modem with build in NAT, Windows XP Firewall, and a basic Malware scanner. That works exceptionally well, especially seeing how most Anti-virus programs don't detect spyware/malware better than the specialized tools for it.
I AM the admin. It's a managed setup and it's set to scan daily at 1 AM and not reattempt a failed scan, yet I still run into this probably a few times a month where someone says "My computer is really slow" (Okay that happens daily) and I go and check, and there's good ol' Rtvscan.exe sucking up 50% CPU for no apparent reason. I *think* it's the e-mail scanning that is causing it, but it doesn't happen frequently enough for me to bother troubleshooting it. Just enough to be annoying.
Not to mention, even when it's behaving, it's still sucking 50-75MB of RAM, which can noticably affect performance on our older machines in the production areas.
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Do 99% of PC games use DX10? NVidia and ATI have drivers for Linux. DVD seems to work for me. I agree on the crap support for wireless though - that really is a ludicrous situation.
Interestingly enough, it's related a problem we're going to have to start dealing with. Let me explain. I tend to promote OSS to students, largely because they are too poor to afford anything better. Many have MSWorks and NOT MSOffice on their computers or other limitations. So I recommend products like OpenOffice.org or VLC player (among others dependent on the need). Some of these folks, instead of following my links to the real websites, Google OpenOffice and are finding third party knock-offs, that they claim are installing viruses/spyware on their machines.
So the free-software community's problem is that while we generally tell people to take our source code and do *whatever* with it, some malware writers (on Windows, at least), have noted that this provides an opportunity to them. Is a good anti-virus a fix? Probably not. Rather, there needs to be a way for non-discriminating users to tell that they don't have the original distribution. I can't think of how to do this off the top of my head, but suspect it may mean that code is cryptographically certified before it can be considered to be secure. And of course, this opens up a huge can of worms.
I've run the free personal edition of Avast on 3 XP boxes in my house for years. I've never had a problem with it.
That worked well, but now I can't find any of my games, audio recording apps or video editing apps. Open office still works though.. whew.
I use my personal subscription just fine with Gmail (although it's been ~18 months since I renewed with it).
I'll give Avira a trial run on one of my systems. As good as NOD32 is, nothing is perfect and it's always good to see if somehting new is better than what you have.
As our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot, you are eligible to disable Slashdot 2.0.
However lately it has been giving me problems.
First, it slows down the system noticeably. To a gamer like me where the CPU is currently my performance bottleneck, I am constantly looking for ways to maximize performance. Considering that the entire time I've been using AVG I've never found a virus or trojan or worm on my system, I think my current system of "common sense" when using a web browser (or picking one to use, even) or other internet-capable apps is working fine enough that I can stick to regular scans by something not so invasive, like ClamWin.
Secondly, even though I chose not to install the networking bits of AVG, it STILL installs a network filter driver which is always running. This driver causes problems with Source engine games causing random disconnects with a non-sensical "Client timed out" error. It's veyr annoying since there's no guarantee I can reconnect to the server again, and if I can I'm back to square one (If I was playing as Engineer class all my carefully placed defenses are now gone, not to mention my score is reset). Disabling all the AVG components (services, drivers, shell extensions... in effect I turned it off completely) was the only way I could fix this.
A final straw that broke the camel's back and prompted a complete uninstall... even with everything I could see disabled (I must've missed something) Word 2007 is unable to load .docx documents while AVG is installed, until I uninstalled it. Not good. Either this is a recent bug in AVG, or it has to do with the order you install the apps (when I installed Office 2007 second I had no problems with it while AVG ran... not sure which order I installed them in in THIS Windows install).
My idea real-time AV app needs to be as simple as possible so as to minimize the chance of it screwing something up (like a random game, or Office). Any hooks it makes to facilitate real-time scanning need to be as simple as possible to minimize the chance of failure, and error checking to ensure that failure happens without disrupting the underlying operation the user is trying to do that is being scanned.
Actually, if you're going to use Windows then Avira's AntiVir is pretty good for a freebie. You don't need email scanning as anything going to be opened is already scanned and the same applies to their web scanning engine which is just as silly as files are already scanned when opened. Avira does make a free Linux version as well.
The only drawback is on Windows systems it tends to flash an ad up once a day or less to try to get people to buy the product. At the price, effectiveness, and seemingly good responses from AV-COMPARATIVES makes it worth looking into even to buy in my opinion.
Anyhow, the answer to this question isn't switch OSes IMHO. Let 'em use what they want and give them actual answers to the question.
It is sort of like... Well...
"I have a flat tire and need help fixing it, could you?" Asks the article.
"Get a Honda." Replies the FP.
Though, well, 'twas funny.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
...I've never missed Windows.
or else!
Only time I ever got a virus on the PC was about nine years ago when the virus program I used was running in the background, and let the CIH virus through.
I'm almost positive I hinted up there in my original post that AV suites are fallible, unless "Avira's detection rate, last I looked, was slightly better than Avast's" means Avast couldn't find my keys one morning and made me late for work. As I clearly stated, a false sense of security is worse than no security at all. One's users still need liberal application of cluebat once in a while or all the AV scanners in the world aren't going to make a difference.
Of course, whether to use an AV suite was not the question posed, so this discussion is moot. I'm assuming oahazmatt has looked at this question himself and decided that his wife does need AV software. FWIW, I don't use an AV suite either, but that is a combination of having a sandboxed network environment for Windows machines (routable IP, power, Windows, pick any two), AV scanning on the mailserver and proxy for those that do prefer using Redmondware, MS-RPC, CIFS, the messenger service et al blocked, locked and jailed to the local net and a real, bi-directional firewall with a proper ruleset to enforce all this. For everything else, waste of resources or not, there's an AV suite as users will not stop being users simply because some of us don't need to run a virus scanner. Those I mentioned are the ones I consider safest to let your average user loose with and not spend money. The one above all I would recommend on performance and detection is NOD32 from Eset, but that is pay-for and oahazmatt specified open source or free to use.
Resistance is futile. Reactance buggers it up.
I hate the idea of a proliferation of AV software for Linux... people proposes that, because they assume that is a normal thing to live with a platform too vulnerable like MS... From install XP and Vista do "alert" that there is a "security problem" when there is no AV, so they assume from start that the OS or the apps are not (and can not be) correctly written at all.
So bad that people assumes that living with parasitic AV is normal/healthy; is like assuming that all people must carry guns every time.
Not really. Ubuntu's restricted drivers section has a B43 module that works with most Broadcom configs I tested with. Granted, it's not open-source kosher, but most people aren't bothered by that if it makes the difference between wireless working or not working.
"It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
get comodo firewall pro. its free. install with the defense+ option. it asks permission for almost anything that will run suspiciously on your computer. ive never had any problems with viruses since i installed that. the only downside to it is you have to click and click for giving permission/denial to your system.
3 shorter and clearer ways to say exacly what I tried to express.
i tried that yesterday on my subnotebook. now ubuntu starts when the notebook sits in the docking station (with the dvd drive in it) but when out of docking station ubuntu won't boot because it cannot find the root fs (no dvd drive so the first ide disk is now /dev/hda and not /dev/hdb i suppose).
never had problems like it with windows.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
Your studens' problem is that they are not careful at all. That's a problem that no amount of software will solve.
If I were looking for OpenOffice, I'd try www.openoffice.org. Failing that, I'd google for "OpenOffice". Then, I'd click on the first link, which is bound to be the correct one for every non-trivial software project.
Seriously, how can one get that wrong?
As a matter of technical humor, you do realize that one of the first things a trojan tends to infect is your system restore, right?
Does the trick for me and actually removed more viruses that McAfee Missed.
*Headline News* censorship shuts down the Internet! More at 6PM!
That's why people should be using Linux distributions and packing systems which download and check md5's and sha's, etc. Then people would not have that problem.
New things are always on the horizon
Microsoft OneCare is about 60$/y and includes licenses for 3 PC. It is a pretty good antivirus, but also includes improved anti-spyware, firewall, disk defrag, Windows patches management and backup.
I used to buy Kaspersky, but OneCare has more feature and a smaller footprint. Good value.
lucm, indeed.
... downloading w4r3z (infringing copies of proprietary commercial software), or doing something comparably dangerous?
You just described 90% of what I use computers for!
:wq
I use Clam Av on all my Windows and linux computers. So far, all have been virus free.
I like ESET NOD32.
I use it on my Inspiron 9200, with no problems.
Also on my HP Turion X2 based x64 system. No problems.
Then again, I had no problems with McAfee, either. The default install from Dell. Only problem was when it expired, I wanted to use ESET, since that's what I had installed on my other laptop. Easier when the caching server already downloads 1 copy of the updates for the next laptop to grab them. (same def updates on x64 and x86).
It's not free, it's not open source, but it's fast as hell.... And catches pretty much everything out there.
BUT, I'd have to say, if your wifes machine has faltered with TWO different products, It's time to format and start anew, cuz dat juss aint rite, rite?
--Toll_Free
Reliable, Free, Anti-Virus software -- pick any two.
Personally I think the modest cost is worth purchasing ESET NOD32... great heuristics/on-access scanning, small CPU footprint.
For free, AVG is fine as long as you keep it up to date, allow it to run full scans, and take care in what you are downloading. :P
The machine unmakes the man. Now that the machine is so perfect, the engineer is nobody. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
hmmm, I don't know about you but I would most certainly go to www.openoffice.com while I have no idea what I'm looking for and considering how every 2 out of 3 people at my work click on a yellow link on top in google, chances are they will not get a clean version of openoffice.
Bullshit. If you installed Ubuntu the correct way, using the install wizard, then it will use an UUID to define the root filesystem. That means that no matter how much you change and remove drives, it will try to boot from the partition that the same UUID.
As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.
This might be coming from left field, but your question struck me because I was having exactly the same issue (with exactly the same person, my wife).
Turns out the problem was our HP wireless printer. The drivers were causing network traffic that was causing my wifes computer to slow down. she also has a dell inspiron, but hers is a little old (1gb memory and 1.2ghz cpu).
The hp drivers were causing network traffic over her linksys wireless card, which in turn was using cpu cycles to support the wireless network traffic.
The problem was corrected by turning off the HP printer.
So, if you have a wireless printer, try turning it off.
Your rose colored glasses have blinded you to the blood stained corpse that is window's security. Never trust anyone using windows without anti-virus real time scanning turned on. Especially not yourself. It's like representing yourself in a murder trial, unless you are incredibly innocent, you're going to get screwed repeatedly.
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
More Avira posts need modding up, and replies...
Seriously. AVG blows, period, Avast is ridiculously slow and no more accurate than Avira, and you can actually disable Avira's nag.
I am a science fantasy fan
the right tool for the right job.. a printer for printing, a scanner for scanning, linux for the pc, and the lexmark for a doorstop.
-Troll, Flamebait, and Offtopic are NOT equivalent to disagreement.
Maybe the guy who posted the original question about anitivirus should have restated the question a bit, as in:
"I am a music producer who uses Sonar/Ableton Live/Cubase/ProTools/Gigasampler/take your pick of pro audio software. There is absolutely no pro audio software available for Linux that is anywhere near ready for professional work, nor are there stable drivers for professional audio hardware that are ready for prime time (without workarounds like Jack). Since I've used Gigasampler for a decade, a Mac is not an option for me.
NOW does anyone know of a free antivirus software that is dependable and relatively trouble-free? etc etc."
Now I like Linux quite a bit and I use it extensively in my work for off-loading effects and rendering cycles (Reaper does this very nicely) and for storage and many other important duties. But sometimes, there simply isn't a viable option to non-Linux operating system. Maybe it won't always be so. I try every new version of Ubuntu Studio and brave the frustration of using Jack.
The guy made a simple and sincere request, and the constant refrains of "you'd be better off if you used Linux" are not only unhelpful, but rude and wrong.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Yep, I agree. I got sick and tired of McAfee and Norton slowing down my computer, as well as taking hours of work to uninstall when something went wrong. So I tried out Avira and I've never looked back. I've installed it on something like 20 PC's since then, mostly for people who were complaining that their computer runs too slow, or relatives who didn't even know they needed to buy a new license every year (one of them had virus definitions that were 2 years out of date).
Another great thing about Avira is that you can customize it to a much greater extent than MC or Norton. I've set mine to only scan files when reading (instead of reading and writing) and I've removed some of the default file extensions from it's list of files to scan. With that setup my system runs almost as fast as without any AV at all. And in the 2 years I've been using it, I've never once had a problem with viruses.
Why does a retarded answer like this get moderated 4, insightful rather than -1, off-topic?
I doubt she gives a shit about Ubuntu or wants to use it.
ScrewMaster was correct, a fast lame first post which don't offer any insight or a solution.
What's the purpose of having useless posts like this in the thread? It won't help her.
My suggestion is avira. It's good at its purpose and uses few resources.
I like comodo firewall to and they have an anti-virus called "anti-virus 2" I believe but it's beta and I don't know how good it actually is.
Comodo got plenty of free totally usable products.
Hondas still use wheels which can puncture so I don't see how that bad car analogy would work.
Rather make it "Get a tank" or "Use steel wheels" or something like that. Which would indeed be about as helpful as suggesting that she install a Linux distribution.
Err, no. MD5/SHA checks provide no security. They only let you verify that a file wasn't corrupted in transit. Such things are generally freak accidents and very uncommon, and are mainly useful for checking things like that yep, that CD image was indeed 300MB in size and nothing got cut off anywhere.
If you find a shady site, and download a .rpm or .deb from there, nothing stops them from providing the matching checksum.
Proper security is attained by GPG signatures.
Not being able to run the apps you want to use tend to have that effect.
Just compare the load with and without running supreme commander.
Have you actually tried googling for "Open Office"? The first sponsored link points to exactly what he was talking about - a third-party knock-off which requests personal info in order to let you download. I haven't tried signing up, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they had all sorts of crapware bundled with it.
The problem isn't that his students are not careful, the problem is that:
1. Most people will click the first link on the page
and
2. Many people assume that sponsored links are guaranteed to be legitimate ("if its not legit, why would google let them advertise?").
Now, you could argue that such assumptions are dumb or ignorant - and I'd even agree with you - but blaming students from low-income families for not knowing the fine-points of internet use doesn't really solve the problem.
He is kind of correct though, on my Athlon64/Via K8T800/NV GF6800le whatever version which used the text based installer worked. But once they switched to the live-CD with installer approach the machine couldn't boot into the GUI so no live-anything and no installation.
I have no idea if it is like that for plenty of people and true for all versions since then but it was for sure for that one.
At that time I only needed a dist with a kernel new enough* to mount Solaris UFS and OS X HFSX+ though so I just installed plain debian with it's no live-cd, no bullshit approach, which obviously worked.
* And yes, I know how to download and compile a kernel but since I'd rather been running FreeBSD or Solaris instead of Linux for the last couple of years and how most distributions seems to tweak the kernel configuration to their likening I didn't wanted to compile a vanilla one just to end up with a system which refused to boot it because it relied on some extra things which I would had to figure out and work around. Less mess and more things done thank you.
You tried AVG free 8.0 right? Not once should it be messing with your network. There's no firewall, but what might have happened when you uninstalled McAfee is that the windows firewall turned on? I don't know but I can't imagine that AVG free 8.0 would stop you from getting onto your wireless network.
""I am a music producer who uses Sonar/Ableton Live/Cubase/ProTools/Gigasampler/take your pick of pro audio software."
For which he surely paid well, which begs the question of why he is asking for a FREE recommendation instead of one for professional AV software. After all, he has his livelihood riding on the performance of his systems.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
I really do wonder why people are so down on ClamAV. What it really seems to lack is a realtime scanning/firewall component, but I've found those tend to be the main reason a lot of other A/V's screw up or slow down systems/internet-connections.
In terms of catching virii, I've actually had really good success with ClamAV, and managed to nuke a bunch that others (including Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, and AVG) didn't. Half the time the big guys seem to be the first thing that gets killed by a virus anyhow, whereas ClamAV can happily run as an app, to identify and often clean the infected files.
Through harsh experience I've found that NO antivirus software is completely securing your computer.
Long story, short: I've lately traveled to Benin, Western Africa, where I've never seen computers so infected in my entire life.
My solution: Faronics Deep Freeze. It will insure your OS integrity by creating an image of it and reapplying this image over and over after every reboot.
I'm a happy user.
... I'm currently using AVG under Win 2000. I recognize it may be a little slow for some people, but when I installed it, I used custom install so it didn't install: email checker (I only use web based email), link checker (that was a real dog, a noticeable pause with the Google searches.) I'd tried Avast!, but that was annoying me, a daily large pop-up, advertising the full package, often not in English. But hay, that's just me.
And likely, the original poster as well. We all have ideas about what we want: robust safety, snappy response, unobtrusive computer usage. On same level, everything, from McAfee's bloatware, Norton's resource hogging, and the various free options end up with a mix of all three.
AVG is good, but make sure you choose Custom install and remove all the extras.
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
Antivirus software has got to be the biggest gimmick of all time and it is sad that people are at the mercy of some of these larger companies such as Norton, Mcafee and Trend Micro. Working for a MS Gold certified company who specializes in small business deployments and in-shop repair, I must say that I personally remove about 20+ viruses a week the old fashioned way. I've seen some pretty ruthless shit out there, but never something so harsh it required a format. that seems to be a lot of people's solutions, and it is the wrong one. regardless of how long it takes to remove a virus or rootkit, it is always worth it to the customer to keep all their applications and data in tact. In my whole experience with repair, everyone of my virus cleanups isn't because their computer wasn't protected, it was because the user was simply so retarded that they installed something horrible on their machine because they thought they were in danger. you can buy the biggest and bestest AV software, but it still won't protect from even some of the simplest rogue Antivirus products such as XP Antivirus 2009. it is just sad that people subscribe to these products because they aren't doing jack shit. you won't *accidentally* get a virus. you, the user makes it happen. we all know that everything is crackable or can be bypassed eventually, so why are we wasting our time with Antivirus software when we should be properly educating users and their browser habits? As a repairman, it also makes me money when people make mistakes like click on that goat pr0n link, and it is a lesson learned worth paying for a professional to teach.
*plays the Apogee theme song music*
Although I don't know about the "infected within 10 minutes" if the system is behind a firewall, I definitely agree about the "not just weird sites".
I had done a re-install on an XP machine that had a TV tuner card and went to TitanTV to check if a show was a new episode that night, and ended up getting a drive-by download of a bunch of malware that was definitely trying to do virus-like things (connecting to other machines on my network, etc.).
I couldn't even clean it by pulling the hard drive and installing it as a second drive. I ended up re-imaging the disk with my base install.
The real problem was that my base install was a bit old and the anti-virus and Spybot didn't have the right signatures. The latest is now in my base install, and I keep it more up-to-date.
Comodo has got to be a contender. Their new Internet Security package looks very good: http://www.comodo.com/
Perhaps he just has issues with the subscription method many (most? all?) pay-for AV apps seem to be stuck with?
If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
At one time free avg, avr, and avast worked well against anything, but in the last couple of months its seems like, "the scourge is getting deeper..." And by the way you don't need to use internet explorer to get infected. It's well known if you install windows fresh with nothing else and plug it in the internet it would be infected without intervention of anybody within 15 minutes. I personally done this and its true (I was curious, note: firewall was off). So far the only thing that works well to me, even on most infected computers is Nod32 from www.eset.com. At the moment I'm trying out PcTools Threatfire to see how good it works and so far it works well but not like Nod32 yet. Most computers I disinfect have Norton or MacAfee, but I have to be honest most times it's because it has expired (for years!!!). There has been times I have fixed a computer with brand new Norton or MacAfee installed and will be infected (its not that unusual). So far none of the Nod32 computers has been fully compromised like norton. I think only once it had trouble taking out one virus file but Nod32 did a good job of protecting the computer and itself. The file was locked; I deleted it after taking ownership of it and was deleted. This includes scanning from different scanners afterwards. The system turned normal after that. Sad enough, free antivirus are not holding up like they used to
If are less used ,then are far less attacked. With this in mind, i suggest Windows95 *ducks*
As it is now...it doesn't seem reasonable to expect a top-notch antivirus product, simply because the work of programmers continually responding to emerging threats is more realistically sustained by a commercial rather than FOSS model.
I'd love to see dissenting opinions here, especially from coders with FOSS antivirus projects.
Install a really aggressive bot. It will keep other bots/viruses off your PC.
> McAfee, which took about an hour to remove fully
Really?
I don't believe it. I've never seen an anti-virus product that could be removed fully. They all seem to leave their tendrils somewhere in your system. I always reformat in this situation.
I NEVER run background scanning on a virus program. It's a needless system overhead. When I get something new that might be suspicious, I simply run it on that specific program.
If that's why you install anti-virus, why bother installing anything at all? Try Online Malware Scan instead. That runs the submitted file through:
A-Squared, AntiVir, ArcaVir, Avast, AVG Antivirus, BitDefender, ClamAV, CPsecure, Dr. Web, F-Prot Antivirus, F-Secure Anti-Virus, G Data, Ikarus, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, NOD32, Norman Virus Control, Panda Antivirus, Sophos Antivirus, VirusBuster, and VBA32.
Also, Dr Web CureIt! is a good thing to run occasionally.
"The Federal Reserve is a fraudulent system."--Lew Rockwell
End The FED. -
Trend Micro Housecall. Scan for and remove viruses via a web-interface when you think you may be infected. There's no annoying software to download/install (other than either an ActiveX control or a Java applet, depending on preference/browser/OS) that pointlessly eats up memory and interferes with your applications.
I'm the same. At home, behind a simple router/firewall, I never use AV on any of my windows boxes. I run an online scan every 6 months to a year, and I haven't had any issues so far. If you're not randomly installing crap and opening spam links you should be fine. Firefox is a given, but even with IE I wouldn't sweat it.
Not to mention the fact that Symantec likes to do in-depth scanning every once in a while in the middle of the day for no apparent reason and starts consuming 100MB+ of RAM and hits 50% CPU utilization.
That's not Symantec's fault, somebody at your organization told it to do that before it was deployed. I'm not the hugest fan of Symantec in the world, but you can't really blame it for:
1) Having a feature where an admin can schedule full scans
2) Your organization having crappy admins
Comment of the year
Best Practices. M$ and tons of 3rd party software makers, don't make it easy to adhere to Best Practices, I'm sure if they did they'd be called Easy Practices. http://richrumble.blogspot.com/2006/08/anti-admin-vs-anti-virus.html When was the last time you had to run a video game as root? Never. On M$, games and lot's of other things do need admin to run about 70% of the time probably more, however you don't have to be logged in as a member of the admin or power users group to run them. You can use runas (similar to su) with a simple right-click. Why don't virus "shoot-outs" and other types of comparisons ever put all those Anti-/spyware/virus software up against a non-admin user... You may actually find the non-admin wins. My wife/kids and myself don't run as admins on my M$ machines, and for good measure we do scan nightly (TY ClamWin) for good measure, nothing for over 3 years. The only spy-ware we've gotten are some "browser helper objects" but since I hid the IE icon under the FF icon, it's never happened again. Remember, *nix started out as a multi-user system, and windows did not, they kludged a mult-user system (version after version) on top of a single user system, and security is/was an after thought, clearly. -rich
About on access scanning: this study indicates that the average time it takes to write, open, and close a file with AV software active is 180ms or so. With some software it can be far worse, up to 900ms. So yeah if you enjoy turning your 1TB hard disk into a giant 3.5" floppy bring on the AV.
Yes, and since everybody in the universe is EXACTLY LIKE YOU, the opinion you posted is the only one that matters! Thanks for the useful, informative post.
Comment of the year
There are more ways for a virus to get into a system than just a download, though.
Which ways are you talking about, so that I can set up triggers? Hooking open() just seems like overkill to me.
I second that. Avira worked very well for me while I still had Windows (switched to Ubuntu last year about this time) -- and I've installed it on my parents' computers as well and they've not had a problem with it.
They also seemed to update their signatures quite often, sometimes once or twice a day even (as far as I had seen at least). The downloads were small enough that they were not bothersome, and it does it in the background as well generally.
There's an easy fix for the Avira nag screens if you're running XP Pro.
Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Local Security Policy.
Select "Software Restriction Policies" then right click "Additional Rules" and select "New Path Rule".
Create a new rule for the file C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avnotify.exe and set security level to "Disallowed". Voila, the update nag screen is history.
Agreed. Avast is my current favorite, and i tried all that i could find before settling. AVG 7 was my favorite, but once it went to 8 it slowed my computer startup time down considerably. I like clam AV (it's open source!) but i don't like the fact that it has no active scanner.
I'd also like to mention http://www.av-comparatives.org/ which seems to be very thorough in their tests, and gives good explanations of their graphs. Their research includes thousands of viruses, worms, malware, and legitimate software to calculate virus detection rate vs false positive rate. They also do some speed calculations, for those interested.
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I'm a network engineer by trade with responsibility for my company's firewalls, IPS sensors, Network Behavior Detection / Netflow tools, etc. Your post piqued my interest for one of my backburner science projects: a malware research "lab". My company has multiple licenses for VMWare ESX server, VMWare Lab Manager, and the like, and I'd really like to create an environment where I can let specific malware run "freely" and see how well (or more likely, how poorly) my aforementioned firewalls and IPS sensors do at detection / mitigation. Sort of like the xkcd "malware aquarium" comic http://xkcd.com/350/
I know this is an extremely open-ended question, but could please comment on my idea and give any general suggestions on how to get started? Note: I am not a newbie, have been doing some form of computers, networking, and hacking/network security for a long time. I'm just looking for some good Best Practices (or links to them) from someone like yourself who does this for a living.
My idea is to have a few XP virtual machines running through a virtual switch, that connects through a real (and dedicated) interface on the VM server, out to the firewalls, and IPS's, and then back through another dedicated interface into the VM server. I suppose I could also 802.1Q trunk in/out of the VM server and save myself a NIC. I thought I could also create a virtual honeynet with honeyd for simulating destination hosts for the infected hosts.
I'm not quite as interested in getting into the guts of the malware with reverse-engineering, disassembly, and whatnot. I just want to learn a few things, tune my devices, and ultimately better protect my company's network.
Thanks a million in advance (and a huge THANKS for your work as a malware researcher. You are an unsung hero in my books.)
He's a starving artist, and if he's signed to a major label... he's a starving artist with a 800 lb gorilla on his back.
Deltron 3030 - Virus (music video)
Avira's detection rate, last I looked, was slightly better than Avast's but the nag screens are a bone of contention.
You can always do something to avoid those screens... I choose a better detection rate over a nagging screen :P
hmm, sounds like a possible human error in removing the crapware form Mcafee, and then after not fully uninstalling that piece of bloatware, you installed AVG and it tried to work with the leftovers from Mcafee still interfering. I have AVG and the router is a good 100 feet away, maybe more and I have no troubles with my wifi connection.
Avast is a) not open source b) not reliable -- it crashed my machine, and no, I wasn't infected. It used a heavy process and resource load.
antivir+spyware terminator+comodo firewall all free, all best there is for free and even better than much of $$$ software
He'd probably have to suck it up and pay for it, as most of the "free" solutions are only for "home use" and you'd be violating the EULA to use it on a PC you use for your audio editting job. Or stick to ClamAV I suppose.
AntiMalware Malwarebytes has Rogue Remover which I highly recommend. Save hrs of work.
Some rogues need to be removed manually though. Just keep it updated and it will be fine.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/rogueremover.php
Don't be apathetic. Procrastinate!
I found that even though it's more bloated than before, AVG8 is still more lightweight than Avast. I tried switching my 1Ghz P3 from AVG7.5 to Avast when AVG discontinued version 7.5, and it pretty much crippled the computer. Taking Avast off and putting AVG8 in its place allowed the computer to be usable again. I use Avast on my faster computer though.
That works with most Broadcom configs I tested with.
But thats sort of the problem with most of the flavors of *nix I've attempted to take a shot at over the years, you can never be *entirely* sure that its going to support whatever hardware you have. The answer is always 'it should' or 'it usually does' or 'it only takes a little tweaking'. No offense but fuck that.....
Personally I think Avast is annoying as hell, I don't remember what it did but it was annoying. Also at least earlier it wasn't to good at find viruses either, I think that had improved now though.
That'll only work so long as no one bothers to develop malware for the Mac. Best to learn good security practices first, then chose whatever platform you want to use.
AV software takes a lot cash. You have to pay major cash to get FIPS, Common Criteria, ICSA, and other certifications. These take cash for independent validation.
AV software also takes a lot of research, from honeypots to catch stuff that is happening, to getting people to submit possible zero day variants.
AV software takes a lot of bandwidth. Virus definitions are updated daily (if not more often) by the larger AV vendors, so one needs to have the not just the bandwidth for thousands of definition requests at a time, but a high bandwidth cap because the requests will be hitting 24/7. Not many F/OSS projects have this bandwidth.
Finally, AV software needs to be secured. You have to get a code signing certificate, then make sure your signing key is in a secure hardware container so it can't be hacked. You not just have to sign your code signing certificates with a HSM, but you have to sign your virus definitions so if your virus definition download site gets compromised, the definitions can't be tampered with.
All the above makes AV by noncommercial entity a highly daunting task, especially the bandwidth and the independent vendor certifications.
the user is the best and worst anti-virus
That's not easy, that's an unhelpful suggestion entirely ignoring the problem at hand, which happens to be which free Windows antivirus is recommended by people. Throwing out names of Linux distros is not helpful, not easy (migrating to a new platform never is) and is certainly not clever, having been done thousands of times in any post that asks something like "What X should I use for my Windows machine?"
The answer is: use Linux such as Ubuntu and the package management system that ships with the OS, and installs the right package from the trusted repository, when the user asks their system to install OpenOffice, et al.
Due to package management... the task of "virus scanning" is not really needed.
Any executable that is installed that isn't part of a package may be presumed to be malicious.
Any package installed that isn't signed and verifiable with the vendor's distribution signature is presumed malicious.
Any executable that is modified may be presumed to have been compromised.
These things are easily detected with host-based intrusion detection software.
Moswen Linux systems don't have "virus infiltrations", they have "intrusions"
This is actually a Google problem. They aren't printing the right search results.
Or rather they are, but the bad guys are able to pay and have their result featured more prominently as a Google search sponsor.
It's kind of bothersome, you know: Google claims their motto is to "not be evil"
And yet they are profiting from advertisers who are attempting to trick users of open source software to download malware-infested executables.
With no expeditious method provided (at least on the search results page)) to even so much as report such abuse.
This is my personal opinion, but the computer that runs the pro audio software should not be used for general computing use, and should never be connected directly to the Internet. If you can, have two OS partitions, one for normal computing use, and one dedicated to the music applications.
There are several reasons for this:
First, latency. AV software sucks CPU cycles, which adds latency. This is one of the musician's worst enemies. You want just the OS and the music software if possible. One single swap to disk may screw up a long mix you are working on. This is also why you want to load a music workstation with as much RAM as you possibly can.
Second, music programs are prone to crashing, especially with use of a lot of plugins. You want as few things that can go wrong as possible. Some programs not just work with tons of plugins, but bring with it a metric ton of DRM code, from CD-ROM copy protection, to USB dongles and the drivers those require. All this can conflict with A/V software.
Last, music programs do a lot of I/O. An AV program that hooks onto the system and scans every bit flying by a pipe in real time is going to put a crimp on matters.
For the music partition, if possible it should never touch the Internet directly... connect through another machine with internet file sharing, or best of all, a hardware firewall.
Another reason to have two partitions. You can boot the normal computing one, and A/V scan the one dedicated to the music apps which has a higher chance of detecting rootkits if any are installed.
I personally even recommend using a different operating system than normal for the OS partition with the music apps. If you have the volume license, WinFLP is recommended, as well as XP 64. If you need Vista compatibility, consider Windows Server 2008 which installs almost nothing by default.
This is why I wish more music companies would write commercial stuff for Linux. Linux is extremely low latency. Plus, its not like it doesn't exist. The Korg Oasys, their flagship $8500 keyboard uses Linux as its base OS.
That'll only work so long as no one bothers to develop malware for the Mac. Best to learn good security practices first, then chose whatever platform you want to use.
If it were just a matter of "bothering to develop" it, it would have been done long ago. OS X and other Unix-based OS implementations are inherently more secure than Windows. At this time, installing commercial antivirus stuff on a Mac is just a waste of money. If you're paranoid, the Mac version of ClamAV is available for free, but not many people I know bother with it.
I've recently done research on the same question and came up with an extremely successful working combination of Avast! (for anti-virus) and ZoneAlarm (for a firewall). Both are free and quite user-friendly.
Well on the two desktops and one laptop on my little network, I used to use AVG but somehow it slowed things down. I switched to Avast which works great particularly on my wife's laptop. on my two Linux boxes, (Ubuntu 8.04 and Opensuse 10.3) I use ClanAV
Clive DaSilva Email: clive.dasilva@gmail.com Ubuntu 18.10 Kernel 4.18
AVIRA has the advantage of NEVER needing a free license key renewed but they make you pay for it with an intrusive popup add for AVIRA Pro.
Bit Defender has the smallest RAM footprint of the three but updates are EXCRUCIATING and bog down your machine.
AVAST is the most complete of all of them, has the largest footprint, requires a 14 month free license key and some peculiar incompatibilities with one machine I tried it on, but it's the best of the three in terms of the actual work it does.
AVG is pure bloat at this point, and none of the other "FREE" applications are free - they're DEMOWARE.
If you're relying on anti-virus then you're doing it wrong. That is what I tell people - as politely as possible.
Anti-virus is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. No-script and good e-mail habits are the fence at the top of that same cliff. Everything else is a ledge on the way the bottom.
The advice I give to my friends is as follows:
Use Gmail. Good spam filtering and good virus checking. Plus, using the web interface you're reducing the risk of your email client as a target. Using pop etc, the payload is on your computer. Using gmail via web interface you're leaving any payload on their server. Dont open attachments that you dont know who its from. If you know the sender, e-mail them and ask. If not, then mark it as spam.
Firefox with noscript (and ad-block plus). The key is to show them how to use noscript effectively - it takes 2 minutes. When you're visiting sites you trust (such as your bank, e-mail provider and utilities) you whitelist them using the icon in the bottom right of your browser. You only ever have to do this once. - chose the bold selection (for the domain you're on) and allow that.
Never never never allow scripting on a site that you casually browse that you dont trust. If the site doesn't work without scripting then it's not worth it. These rules apply double when you're visiting porn sites etc. Never allow scripting. never. never. never. (if you want to look at the pics in a slideshow then use autoslideshow).
Then use any of the free AV's oulined above. - as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. If you get a positive, then you need to take a good look at what you're doing - because you're doing it wrong.
I had this with fucking Norton. My old laptop came with it installed, and I ran the uninstall, but it's like cancer. Once it gets on there it's hard to remove. For about six months, I couldn't use Windows Update until I figured out how to disable that shit for good, as SOMETHING Norton left behind locked an important file and it took many many hours of hunting the internet for info to sort the issue out in the end.
Norton should be flagged as Malware IMO.
Because I don't always have internet for starters. Plus the online scanners tend to have a file upload limit and that aside, in the case of large installers I don't particularly want to have to UPLOAD the file I just downloaded and wait half an hour for it to do so before I can use it.
Amber: Hello?
Mechanic: Hi.
Amber: The 'check engine' light came on in my Honda. It stays on the whole time until I turn the car off. What should I do?
Mechanic: Buy a Toyota!
(Score:5, Insightful)
Seconded, though I prefer defence in depth. My suggestion:
Avast (Home Edition) + Spyware Doctor (Google Pack) + Threatfire.
Free for personal home use (read the fine print for anything else), they complement each other, have automatic updates, and play nice on XP and Vista. Tweak the settings to your (and user's) preference, remember to register Avast, and then you can pretty much forget about them.
Note: Threatfire 4 has only just been released; if you have problems I suggest trying 3.5.
Use the Windows default firewall if you're behind a router - I've yet to find a decent thirdparty firewall that doesn't bug users with annoying questions - but ditch Internet Explorer and instead use Firefox with Adblock Plus and the WOT or SiteAdvisor extensions (turn on search result highlighting). Likewise, ditch Outlook Express for Thunderbird; note that Adblock Plus works with it too!
Overkill? No. Defence in depth. Remember, your objective is to secure a computer for its non-technical user and then stay out of their way.
Just my opinion, salt to taste, mileage may vary, void where prohibited by physics.
It was probably the voice telling you when it updated. I turned that off and use it exclusively.
Not to be an asshole, but if you tell the kids to download OpenOffice.org and somehow they don't succeed in that mission, they should be kept away from computers specifically and electrical devices in general. It's the digital equivalent of asking what's 911's phone number.
A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/
The setup I use involves VMware Workstation and the virtual teams. I have a collection of VMs to run samples in and those it in a virtual network. I have the gateway setup using FakeDNS to resolve everything to that one IP address no matter what it is. On that I run a webserver, snort, and Wireshark to grab the network traffic. On the network side you can develop a signature to catch it coming across the network both bots calling back and the actual executable itself. I would suggest studying network protocols and the PE format that windows uses in executables.
I have used several, but found that for my machines http://avast.com/ Avast! works better than most and the price is certainly right - free. I can't count the number of machines "protected" by AVG that I have had to clean - not much better in my book than no protection at all.
I would think that similarly, for hobbiests, given the choice of dedicating their free time on on virus or [insert cool project here], will certainly choose [insert cool project here]. And for those who want to make money by writing virus, they would delicate their time to windows instead of linux. As a result, the number of linux viri is kept slow.
But I still don't think it is a good idea to ignore virus threat on linux, and it is BAD to advertise linux as a solution of viri.
Read my reply to another post...I am the admin, it's not a scheduled scan, I think it has something to do with the e-mail scan hanging, but it doesn't happen frequently enough to bother figuring out exactly what it is.
As our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot, you are eligible to disable Slashdot 2.0.
unless the unpatched pc is behind a good firewall (a linksys router or equivalent will do just fine)
------ no thanks... I've quit
Or a much better idea would be to NOT use an anti-virus software :p
What's the point? Just how often would you got files from an infected machines these days anyway? Who still transfer files physically these days?
Removing Internet Explorer, putting up a firewall to block all outbound packet beside those from a proxy, and installing a proxy server that filter out malice scripts should be enough, and is much more useful than any anti-virus software, which seems to do nothing beside eating up CPU time.
MacOSX have much better (more reliable, compatible, and easier to use) proaudio software.
Kaspersky has had a very shakey reputation in the last couple years due to the data they were stuffing into the NTFS file system to help "speed up" their scanning performance.
I looked it up (horse's mouth, plus random google searches to collaborate). It seems to just be using NTFS streams to put a hash down that gets attached to the file to mark it as having been scanned. That seems totally legit to me (it's a documented NTFS thing, you can create your own via the command prompt). I assume it's only useful for the background scan stuff, since any malware can duplicate their signature...
I'm sure their software has actual bad points (everybody has some), but at least don't use invalid ones?
I use Avast on the machines in my house (9 of them). The only other free option I would consider is Comodo.
-Kinsey
I'd never had any bother until about 6 months ago. After each Windows reinstall I change anti-virus software.
This time I was using Grisoft, I used them a few years ago and thought they were fine.
However, after this reinstall I had trouble playing Team Fortress 2. TF2 kept warning me my pagefile was running low, before crashing a couple of minutes later. I usually have virtual memory disabled, but after each crash I'd increase virtual memory by a couple of gig and retry, it'd still crash.
A bit of Googling told me Grisoft was being naughty, and after unistalling it and installing Avast it has all be smooth.
I agree. I recently switched to Avast from AVG, because AVG kept asking me to restart the computer (which, ideally, I do about once a month). But Avast wants to announce updates with that gay-ass voice, and constantly scan shit on the hard drive, I don't even know what it's scanning but it's doing it all the time and slowing shit down. I've been thinking about switching back to AVG, I'm just not sure which is more annoying. Granted neither one is anywhere near as annoying as Norton/McAffee.
The path to enlightenment is truly through homemade drugs!
I don't see the problem. The main free anti-virus software packages are Avast, Avira, ClamAV, and (like it or not), changing O/S to one that isn't so massively targeted by malware authors.
I haven't seen the Linux recommendations particularly outweighing those for the other possible solutions, and most of the rudeness I've noticed has been from MS fans complaining that anyone dare mention Linux in this context. I appreciate a change of O/S isn't the optimal solution for everybody, but it's certainly an option, and it would be remiss not to mention it.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Yeah, once I figured out the voices were OUTSIDE my head, I turned them off. There's also an option to not bother with popups while running anything DirectX. Avast is not annoying now.
first of all, learn how to use use google. secondly, kaspersky is the best out there, even the trial version is awesome. thirdly, build your own pc next time you get a computer (or get a mac because no one bothers making viruses for macs).
Name one virus that runs on Linux and ever got out in the wold and did any damage.
Yes you are right. What I meant to say was, with a distribution all software you install is downloaded from the same mirrors. For a lot of people that set of software is enough, they don't need anything else (web, mail, office). And there are checks in place to make sure the packages are authentic.
Which is something windows of mac users generally not have in place. Most just download from the first website Google comes up with.
New things are always on the horizon
Yes, ClamXav works fine btw, but I have yet to find a virus or anything else infectious... Haven't caugt a Mac virus since about 1998, and even that one was harmless (a stupid MS Office macro virus for OS 9).
Beauty is in the beholder of the eye.
I had to evaluate a bunch of independent AV studies for our corporate e-mail solution and Avira came out on top. There were a couple with slightly higher ratings in certain components but averaging everything out we went with Avira. Turn the e-mail scan off as that has caused some issues and if the AV is running then scanning the e-mail is just doing the same thing twice. The whole office seems to love it and I have had no complaints however I am the only person in the office who doesn't run Windows and Ubuntu has yet to catch a virus ;)
Oh, and Avast and AVG didn't even come remotely close, they are failboat from the get go.
Avira AntiVir all the way. best freebie i've found in a while. I used AVG for a while as they used that at my school but when it wasn't hitting any viruses i got worried and chaged it seeing as my computer was running very slowly. changed it to Avira and hit 30 trojans in one go. one thing to bear in mind though: go though the advanced instal and put on max protection and remove TeaTimer. runs better than most payed antiviruses. the ad IS annoying but you get used to it. it updates automatically every 24 hours and it tells you when you haven't updated after 3 days not 7 like mcafee..
this is a virtual insanity that always seems to be governed by our love for this useless twisting of our new technology.
The guys I know who are producers do not allow their pro recording systems any access to the Internet. This is even so for Mac users who have less to worry about.
A dedicated recording box will need every CPU cycle it has to spare the way the audio guys use plug ins everywhere these days....
MOst laptops have mini pci wireless, easy enough to change if its a real problem.
"I have used both on many customers machines"
I read as I have used on both customers and machines"
Which lead me to think, wow, Anti-virus for users, now THATS a good idea!
A small brain will suffice, said the mouse....
If you've ever worked with a Korg Oasys, you'd know that it runs Linux the same way an iPhone runs OSX.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Let me explain something about insisting on "taking my pro audio rig out on the internet".
What do you think let's me collaborate with other musicians and producers? The Internet (google "Ninjam"). I am able, using the Internet, to play in real time and record in real time with my partner halfway across the US, or a mastering engineer who works for the label or production house for whom I'm doing work.
So please before you're going to post a "boy am I gonna show this guy" comment, you really should 1)make sure you're right and 2) not being a dick.
Now go fuck yourself, junior.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Nick, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but please, go back and read the first 20 comments that were posted in response to this article and tell me who's being rude.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Zero day exploits for browsers? Sure they exist, but unless you browse the seedy parts of the Internet you aren't going to get hit. Even then, it is still safer to run FireFox then MSIE on XP. (Never used Vista, not terribly interested in it either. However, if MSIE can be run in protected mode, does that mean that other programs can be too? Can you run MSIE not in protected mode? Do non-geeks know the difference?)
Firewalls are to protect you from things coming in. NAT doesn't do that. NAT just hides things, but if you know the port that is associated with the computer behind the NAT, you can still get it. A firewall will stop that attack. Don't relay on NAT to protect you.
Maybe "Lookout!" has improved over the years. But once bitten twice shy as they say. Will it still auto-execute payloads when simply previewing new emails?
When I say ads, I mean an ad for the program. That is, don't click on a shiny add saying "your computer is at risk!". Not, don't download software from websites that have ads.
And finally, that link is good. There is a lot of good advice. Yes users are ignorant and don't want to learn. In that case, you may as well forget about helping them unless they run a live CD and lock down their computer. Yeah right.
I wank in the shower.
The guys you know are behind the times. Google "Ninjam" and get back to me.
Further, I'm not talking about putting every single one of your production machines on the Internet, but there are really good reasons to do so occasionally, and not all producers are equally endowed with funding to allow for a producton setup PLUS an extra machine for general computing.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Do not use Avira on any machine with a "mobile phone" internet connection - Avira does full updates, not incremental and has a minimal 60MB memory footprint...
Perhaps you were using the full AVG. No experience of that, but honestly I'd stick with the free solution and put spybot-sd (but not teatimer) for non tech users. Are you sure you haven't got that bloated lump of ordure known as Norton Internet Security pre infected on that machine? If it is there then grab a copy of SymNRT and remove it. (Ironically, I got burnt at around 1.am this morning with a "Fista" machine with the darned thing installed but not visible trying to connect to the internet. (The norton firewall silently blocks internet access by default)).
Andy
I use avast It's great and it's FREE :D
MD5 sums are obtained from another location, so one would have to compromise both servers to squeeze malware into Linux distribution. And shady packages would not likely match the sum without a great deal of effort.
A caveat with free antivirus software is that some provide scanning only while others have resident protection included.
NOD32 is the best anti-virus I've used but it's not free.
Avast and AVG are the best free substitutes I've encountered, I currently favour Avast but it gets too many false positives for my liking, and by default downloads large updates on a daily basis.
Because they rapidly evolve, there's no substitute for trying out multiple antivirus programs that have a high virus detection rating and picking the least worst one.
As people have mentioned firewall software here as well, I was after one that didn't chew up a lot of CPU time while downloading torrents and Ghostwall fits the bill. However I am assuming that the windows XP firewall does not provide equal protection.
Hmmm... what level are you browsing at? I'm at level 2 and I have to get well past twenty comments before I even see a mention of linux.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Yes to ClamAV (and ClamXav for Mac)
well HP do make some reasonable scanner printers that work without problem in Linux at a reasonable price, although the ink cartridges tend to be pricey.
Personally I prefer to use a cheap Samsung Lazer printer and for photo printing take a card or CD to walmart or similar. Inkjets are relatively expensive to run and if used infrequently tend to get blocked jets. Epsons tend to be cheap for cartridges.
I did get one tip from a Cartridge Refill place try holding the cartridge over a boiling kettle and dab the print head with kitchen roll it can be successful.
If Lexmark provided perfect open source drivers, I still wouldn't consider a Lexmark printer.
Did you know Virtual box can pass USB devices to a guest operating system. So use say Windows 2000 as a guest and print through the VM. For more complicated documents print to Pdf and then print the PDF also works.
Good for a temporary solution till the Lexmarks cartridges are empty and its as cheap to buy a decent printer instead of buying Lexmark printer cartridges.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
Why reinvent GPG? Cryptographic signatures already include a checksum, and once setup, verification is easily automated.
The difference is that with GPG, the signature can't be faked by breaking into the main server, you need the actual private key, which can be safely kept far away from the internet-facing servers.
I pretty much remove virus's for a living. The only antivirus I use right now is avast. It seemes to be the only one working. Here are the steps i take. I first run Alwil softwares antivirus boot cd BART I then run Iobits advanced windows care personel I then run Malwarebytes Malware app free Then i install and run Avast free edition.
What a BS suggestion... That's about the same as suggesting not to use a computer at all... and how naive can you be.. because there aren't really any anti-virusprograms for linux doesn't mean there aren't any virusses for it either.. The only reason why there aren't many virusses/trojans for linux, is the fact that it's not as popular as windows.. Because linux has just as many holes as windows has (even more if I look around the internet), but malicious people aren't really interested yet because it still isn't used as much as windows (by really dumb people).. So the 'reward' isn't that much as with windows.. But if you think you are safe with Ubuntu, then think again... especially when it really gets used by a lot of people..
Well, I've been using it for over 4 years, and I've never seen that, so I'm not making any marks against Symantec on that one.
Comment of the year
It IS possible to be a music producer without being a professional, but that's a side note. Even an amateur who has dumped the money into ProTools capable gear shouldn't blink at the price of an AV subscription (which I don't think the subscription model is as bad as it seems for AV, as by nature it has to be constantly updated and tweaked to account for new and upcoming viruses.)
The big question to me is... why would you hook a production computer to the internet in the first place? The system resource consumption and risk of even an AV protected computer getting infected tells me that having a standalone system dedicated to music production would indicate keeping it standalone. Web browsing etc should be done from a separate computer. If you need to do this from the studio, a quiet cheap laptop would fit the bill. Possibly an Eee PC. Does anybody have any experience with how quiet these things are? Considering that they cost less than some plug in effects for ProTools, it would probably be worth considering the investment to keep your main computer safe.
There may be a few times that you would net access with a music production computer, but those should be considered the exception rather than the rule. You can enable antivirus, turn on the network connection, download what you need, disable the network, check what you downloaded then disable the antivirus. Avoiding the latency that an AV solution introduces into a music production environment is generally going to be worth the hassle. More importantly, a professional producer should also be doing regular backups on their system so they can restore to a previous state in case something goes wrong. The data you are creating should be backed up in a separate system... I'd really encourage daily incrementals with weekly redundant backup, one for onsite storage and one for offsite. If you are in indie producer, offsite means take it home, to a trusted friend's place or safe deposit box. If you are working for a record label, I imagine IT staff is available to work out a more robust backup strategy but the producer should still at least talk to the IT guys to know exactly what's going on. A truly amateur producer would of course have to take a slightly different route. I'd at least say disable the AV and internet while recording, and get a couple external hard drives to backup your entire system weekly or each time you finish a major milestone in a project. You can probably risk having to redo a weeks worth of work as you will be much quicker doing it the second time... the first go was a learning process.
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
I just noticed that I have CustomizeGoogle for Firefox and that I don't see sponsored links. However, going to openoffice.com redirects to http://download-new.com/openoffice/ which sports in very light grey, almost unreadable text, the following:
Disclaimer: This website has no affiliation whatsoever with the owner of these software programs, and provides only links to the software programs. This software may be obtained freely. New computer users should find our services valuable, and a time saver. If you are an advanced computer user, you probably don't need our services. Membership is for unlimited access to our site's resources. We provide an organized website with software links, technical support,
tutorials and step by step guides.
Founder & COO, Hayai India (hayai.in) / USA (hayaibroadband.com)
Yep, I installed an anti-virus, and turned it off, too.
My machine runs almost as fast as without any AV at all.
And in the 2 years I haven't been using it, I've never once had a problem with viruses.
*Still* negative function...
AVG instability. I've yet to have any stability problems across 6 PCs in my immediate family, all of which are used daily for gaming, VPN and web surfing.
Fair enough. My own experience is different though, and being an IT professional I am pretty sure the problems are due to AVG. It could be a problem only occurring on non-US English installations though, or some other "local" condition. Or a conflict with some other installed software - though the only applications present on ALL computers where programs like Firefox, Sun Java VM, OpenOffice, etc.
Your rationale seems to be that you want to stop it because you think it kills system performance when gaming and similar activities. The only time AVG sucks up more than 0% CPU is when it is A) checking URLs or B) actually performing a scan on your HDD.
My experience tells me otherwise. Framerates in FPS games drop as much as 20% when the real-time engine is running alongside my games. I assume this is because of anti-malware functionality scanning my network activity, scanning local files which are updated by games (some games have a tendency to make many temporary files), as well as monitoring memory usage for possible signs of "yet unidentified malware" (typically this is called "heuristics scanning" and I have no idea what is actually involved from a technical perspective, but it sure DOES consume a lot of resources when other memory intensive programs are running).
Both of these can be mitigated 100% by A) disabling the URL checker and B) scheduling your scans to happen late at night or disabling the automatic one and scanning yourself every so often.
I don't know how you have configured your own AVG installation, but I want my antivirus software to use the real-time engine to actually catch malware attempting to get a foothold on my computer. A timed scan is, IMHO, a supplement to using a real-time scanning engine. And while it is true that the real-time engine uses virtually no resources when you examine it in Windows Task Manager, it is a very different matter when you are actually USING your computer. AN idle desktop will reveal between 0-1% CPU usage for your real-time scanner, and not a lot of memory. But if you start resource-hungry applications like games or video-editors, the picture is VERY different.
--> Lots of "BUY ME! I'M EVER SO SEXY!" ads for the full version. Agreed if you're rebooting your machines every day. My machines run 24/7, so I rarely see these ads. I might suggest using Suspend or Hibernate instead of powering your machines off; it's easier on the hardware and everything else than full reboots regardless.
I often hibernate, but games generally run a little smoother if the machine is rebooted at least 3 times a week. I can't say why, I can only observe that games such as Crysis and Team Fortress 2 increase slightly in FPS if they are played after a clean boot, compared to their performance after being hibernated turned back on many times.
:-)
The "BUY ME NOW" ads also appear on virtually every information screen, so if you ever open the main AVG console and try to actually use/change anything in there, you will be pestered by them.
- Jesper
My security clearance is so high I have to kill myself if I remember I have it...
Having said all that, the end-users I help are requesting AVG over Avast. I am not trying to bash AVG and promote Avast. I think they both have strengths and weaknesses. :-)
- Jesper
My security clearance is so high I have to kill myself if I remember I have it...
Try it yourself and find out.
"Amber: Hello?
Mechanic: Hi.
Amber: What is the best free/cheap code reader that will work with my custom turbocharged Honda? It needs to be able to scan codes, and and adjust mixture, boost, and timing.
Mechanic: BWAHAHAHA! Um, sorry.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
It only happens a couple time a month or so (~100 client PCs). More of an annoyance than a real problem, as a reboot fixes it. I have looked it up before and found a few people that run into it also...it must be something in our environment messing with it, although there is nothing I would consider unusual about it at all...it has persisted since version 9. We were running unmanaged until about 2 years ago, and it occurred both before and after that, and this has affected 2k, XP and Vista PCs.
The main reasons we are ditching it are because A) It has missed viruses caught by NOD32 and B) It also consumes more resources while missing viruses.
I'll see it using anywhere from 50-75MB of RAM on a typical system, whereas NOD32 uses 10-20 (although on a 64-bt OS it is close to 50). And Symantec will also consume a few extra CPU cycles as it will occasionally zap a couple percentage points of the CPU under normal idle use. On most systems it's not a big deal, but we have some older machines (late P3 era, yes I'd love to replace them but our company is a private LLC owned by some real tightwads) that it can impact noticably.
Also, NOD32 is about 20% cheaper, and I like the management interface better, it offers a lot more customization than Symantec's does.
As our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot, you are eligible to disable Slashdot 2.0.
But I neither do have a Windows machine or an intrest to figure out why it did suck again. Why test software which sucks? So I'd better inform others about it and then they can skip it :D
LOL again: Anything which looks like this must suck, period :D. Custom interfaces ftw! Not.
http://www.snapfiles.com/screenshots/avast.htm
You can hand out copies of the software yourself, or mirror them on your Web or FTP site if that proves too costly.
The OpenDisc is a good example of a free software CD you could hand out.
Avast have a tendency to nag about harmless software... (Like nmap, mdcrack, etc.)
I use Ableton Live and Sony ACID on my home machine with NOD32 as my AV and have had absolutely zero problems. It varies greatly with your setup and what you're doing. That, and NOD32 is made for that sort of thing (gaming, high demand software, etc).
Your ad here.
Here is why Lexmark is so popular here. They print nice docs and photos,they cost around $39 for an all-in-one(try to find a Linux compatible all-in-one for anywhere close to that price) and the local Walgreens refills the cartridges for $10 each. That is why they are popular. And Joe and Jane user don't give a flying crap about "Freedom of source code" they just want the stuff they own to work when they plug it into their PC. Which is why I had to give up selling Linux desktops,because without a way to run the Lexmark all-in-ones it was no sale. Which is a shame because there are many here that could use Linux security,but without drivers I simply can't switch them over. And nobody is going to run a VM everytime they want to print.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
As smart as the 7% of the computer using community believes they are (/wave Linux users), they are far from helpful or skilled as they think. /. ignore all Linux comments) = Very limited amount of REAL answers
A true computer geek will find an elegant solution to the problem at hand.
Problem - AGV affecting laptop's Wireless.
Conditions - Windows solutions ONLY - as per - "from the --> when's-it-positively-gotta-be-windows dept
Solution Possibilities - 1)Don't use any AV program 2)Use different AV program 3)Fix AVG to work
Solution #1 is out - as per - "We're looking for some good, open-source or free personal editions of anti-virus software" = They want a Windows based AV program
Solution #2 is a possibility - Get possible Windows based AV program choices = Ask around, (on
Solution #3 Fix AVG = Interface that is familiar (and liked) = Create an Elegant® solution.
I myself use AVG, modified to do what an AV program should (Update itself, scan files that I download, not interfere with normal computer activity (non-resident-scanning mode)
The Fix®
- Install AVG
- Run AVG
- Turn off all unwanted stuff (link scanner, Email scanner, Resident shield*)
*The problem - AVG8 runs the WatchDog service (avgwdsvc.exe), upon doing so, it launches the Resident scanner (avgrsx.exe) (which is probably screwing up the wireless, and also makes the system take a performance hit.) Without the Watchdog service, scanning/updating will not work.
Elegance® - Go into the AVG8 folder, rename avgrsx.exe to avgrsx.BAK, this prevents the Resident Scanner from being found (or run)
- Restart computer
- Verify that you can scan and update, with no wireless problems
- Enjoy your Windows box with the other 93% of us while the Linux users are trying to convert their OS's to be like Windows.
RWC
The free version is simply adware. You may think it's not too annoying, but getting a pop-up every single day is too much. Maybe if you weren't doing any work you could deal with the surprise interruptions.
If you want to tout their paid version, then go ahead, but their free version is no longer the best. Try AVG.
Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. -Groucho Marx
They also seemed to update their signatures quite often, sometimes once or twice a day even
Too damn often if you get a pop-up ad each time.
Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. -Groucho Marx
ESET's AV is awesome. I am sad to say that I know of no free tool that is even nearly comparable.
Other than perhaps a free trial of ESET's tool (which is not truly free software).
Essentially, the R and D costs to develop such software and to continuously update such software are not small.
While there is a large community of free software developers concerned about security, there are not many who are concerned about Windows security.
Windows is a commercially sold proprietary operating system.
Given the costs of the operating system, the costs to obtain security imposed by MS and open source community's inability to fundamentally modify the OS to be more secure.
And the importance of security (potential cost of not having AV software)
It is justifiable and in general a reasonable suggestion that all MS users should purchase quality AV software.
If they do their research properly, and do not merely go with the most popular "brand" because it is the most popular (logical fallacy that the most well-known brand is a high quality product that exactly meets your needs), ESET should be at or near the top of their list of software to consider.
Another choice I would consider would be eEye blink, for the user-configurable IDS capabilities, and since Viruses aren't the only security threat, it is (in principal) a reasonable suggestion that all Windows systems should have some form of IDS protection against actual intrusion (rather than mere detection of known worms and malware).
Seriously, who these days is NOT using a web based email?
Given the low cost of domain names and DNS hosting usually provided by registrars... who in their right mind doesn't have a domain name?
It's the ultimate in flexibility to be able to move your email address to whatever e-mail provider you move to.
Generally the domain registrar will provide an e-mail forwarding option that allows you to forward mail to your web-based account.
And with say the free Google Apps... you might even be able to have google service your mail, without an extra forwarding hop.
You can block the ads quite easily, just use gpedit.msc to set up Software Restriction Policy to block avnotify.exe. The links to the Avira web site for more info on detected viruses won't work either, but they don't tell you much anyway.
AntiVir is also one of the few remaining AV programs that can run in on-demand only mode, i.e. nothing loaded until you right click and scan something. If you want to use it that way, block avagnt.exe as well and use a shortcut to preupd.exe to run updates whenever you like. You can then disable all start-up items and services related to AntiVir.
The only downside is that scanning network shares is not possible with the free version.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I compiled a list of on-demand only capable scanners on my blog, but to save whoring it the only three anti-virus programs which can do that now are AntiVir, AVG and ClamWin.
I used to use Kaspersky, but since V5 it has not been able to do on-demand only, you are forced to run the background crap.
VirusTotal and similar web site are also very useful for on-demand scanning, except they all tend to have a 10-20mb upload limit. There are commercial products which use multiple AV engines, but all are aimed at servers rather than home users...
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I agree with your first example, but the second one - nobody wants to bother with proprietary data formats when you have free ones.
.eml file, but people would still need data recovery.
In other words, in a perfect world nobody would use Outlook or send around
Point taken. I had forgotten about their popup ads. Never a fan of those, but the AV is good if you can get past that.
Given most (Windows) users' propensity to immediately click "OK" in a window, I don't think that'll be a huge problem in general.
Do you need on-access scanning? How do files get onto your computer anyway, other than emails or browser downloads (which as far as I can tell get covered already)?
AVG is good.... for removing cookies. Avast is pretty good, but Avira Antivir is the best (in the free anti-virus scene that is)
Software is like sex. It's best when it's free.
bad automobile analogies work because of the familiarity of cars and the utter unfamiliarity of computers/software/etc. to the populations addressed in the post. in other words: explaining the unknown using the known, works....well, enough times so that it's used a lot. for example: my daughter explains her reasoning regarding the revision of the invitation list to her birthday party as "i have more friends this week than last week." i don't need to know who said what to whom or all the other girl gossip. it's the same with someone who just wants to know "what services are the best to safeguard my computer from malware?"
No. sometimes, the BIOS makes a mess of the disk order so that GRUB doesn't find the stage_whatever files, and then you just can't boot. Happened to me when I tried installing Ubuntu on a friend's computer, but it was sorted out in the end. The problem comes up when you install from a CD on a different controller than the install disk (IDE then SATA), as the BIOS will redefine disk order when booting from the HDD after install.
"If you like that post so much, why don't you marry it? Well I won't let you! How does that feel?"
--GLaDOS
Most people don't get why the integral of "e to the x" is so funny. Most math majors don't have a sense of humor.
I just wanted to give a follow-up on my search for a 64-Bit Virus solution.
I ended up going with AVAST Free for now.
Installation was pretty smooth with the hardest part being updating my firewall to allow AVAST to grab updates.
In case anyone wonders, the following AVAST proggies need outbound access through the firewall:
* ashServ.exe
* ashWebSv.exe
* aswUPdSrv.exe
* Setup\avast.setup
"avast.setup" was a bit hard to configure because the "choose program" widget in the Vista firewall app only allows you to select ".exe" files - Just choose any nearby .exe file and then modify the input box by hand to point to avast.setup
If I end up having any problems with Avast, then I'll look into NOD32 and then Kaspersky
Thank you to everyone who took time to reply.
Cube On! (http://stores.ebay.com/PuzzleProz)
That's weird.
Still that probably means that Windows also can't boot.
For XP it even mattered whether the disk was a slave or a master. On master, it booted fine, on slave, it only outputted (put out?) : NTLDR?#Ã
As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.
Does Wine handle DirectX 10? No? Well that eliminates about 99% of PC gamers from switching
Does Windows XP handle DirectX 10? No? Well most of the PC gamers that I have met run XP as their primary system and hate Vista. Plus, most PC gamers are going to stick with Windows until all games become cross-platform, much as how an avid Halo player isn't going to sell a 360 to buy a Wii. But guess what? Most computer users aren't PC gamers, yes they may play PC games, but they aren't PC gamers.
Do all GPU vendors have OSS drivers? No? Well that eliminates about 99% of everyone else.
No, but with any remotely user friendly distro (such as Ubuntu) the non free drivers are trivial to install.
DVD playback? HAHAHAHA.
Takes 5 second to install. And comes included with just about any pre-installed distro.
Currently I have Slackware 12/XP Home both installed.
So wait. You have a distro with a reputation for being user unfriendly and trying to say that the average Joe is going to pick up Slackware and install it? Go back and try it with Ubuntu and you will find that all of your problems (minus PC gaming) are resolved. Slackware != the distro most users will use.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
I got away from any AV suite that relied on IE as IE is a known weak link. Thus, many viruses use IE to enter the system so I didn't trust an AV package that used IE also. That may or may not be realistic -- I don't know but, there are non-IE options out there so I took a chance. Since Opera is my default browser (Firefox and IE are also installed) I didn't like having the AV updater always startup IE or, in the case of McAfee, actually require that IE be the default WITH all security options disabled!
Also, many of today's AV tools update multiple times a day. Virus writers don't send them out only once a week or whatever so I liked the frequent update feature.
So, I tried Kaspersky, NOD32, AGV, F-Prot and others. I use a wireless router to broadband and have Linux, Windows 2K and Vista operating on laptops, desktops and servers. They all work just fine. I'm currently running NOD32 and like it however Kaspersky is a good 2nd choice.
I think that if the AV is properly installed and configured that it shouldn't cause any serious impact to performance. Sure, there will be some but my Vista and Win2k boxes don't seem sluggish.
Banjo - The more I know about Windoze, the more I love *nix
Inherently more secure doesn't mean anything when the user hands over their password or clicks through Vista's UAC pop ups. Even in the world of Windows that's the number one way malware is finding its way onto people's machines nowadays. It's best to have good security practices rather than use the false security of "X can't get viruses".
I support a large network of Dell machines (both Enterprise and Home Use) and have never had a problem with AVG in 4 years of use like you're having. I can count the number of Inspirons that I've purchased for users and the only thing thing that comes to mind is that you are using the Dell Wireless radio (Rebadged Broadcom?) rather then one of the Intel wireless units.
If you do have one of the Intel cards inside your Inspiron, download the latest driver from Intel (the one on Dell's website will be way out of date)
I've seen a range and performance boost going from the Dell 11.5 driver to the Intel 12.1x driver for my Lat D830 which has the 3945ABG card.
YMMV
BM
It's still not necessary to run AV software with Mac OS X! Maybe it will be someday, but that day is yet to come. Your point about good security practices is well taken, but the two OS's are very different at a fundamental level. OS X is Unix, and Unix was developed from scratch as a multi-user, networked environment. Windows has so much legacy baggage that its heritage as a non-networked environment still cripples it.
But I neither do have a Windows machine
VMware. XP SP3. No key needed for 30 days.
Why test software which sucks?
Because software tends to change over time? In 2000, Norton A/V was actually pretty good software. Now it's horrible. The other way around happens on a regular basis, too.
So I'd better inform others about it and then they can skip it :D
"Informing" others with badly outdated information and no facts is worse than useless. Maybe what you find annoying might be a good feature for others. Ever think of that? When you can't give even a hint of what the problem was, you can't give a constructive opinion.
LOL again: Anything which looks like this must suck, period :D. Custom interfaces ftw! Not.
http://www.snapfiles.com/screenshots/avast.htm
So you base your opinion of the value of security software solely on the appearance. Welcome to security theater. Do you work for DHS, by any chance?
I actually like the interface. It makes things very simple for non-savvy users, by giving a recognizable physical appearance. IE, a car stereo/CD player type thing. Besides, if you want a more standard interface, the pro version has it.
There you go....what you find annoying is a benefit to others.
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
Yeah, I wish someone could find a way to keep some central collection of safe software on digitally signed servers...
Some kind of... oh I don't know repository. Heck, if they were to do that, they could even have the software download itself automatically and install itself automatically when you request it. But now I'm starting up a huge wish-list. Like that could ever happen.
Mac. No need for XP.
No, not solely on appearance.
i use linux and don't surf porn or download pirate software. it seems to keep my system healthy.
"You are still innocent until proven guilty. What's changed is what they do to innocent people." by notnAP (846325)
Interesting findings
Actually it seems Lexmark printers are better value than they used to be. Printers cost a little more and ink is cheaper.
However we are both guilty of falling into the 'either' trap that is you either run Windows or Linux. I don't know any Linux user who doesn't use windows from time to time. There isn't any reason why you have to be exclusive.
Use whats best for the task in hand, thats what most Linux users do. Most of what I do can be done in Linux some things are easier in Windows. For me a VM is good enough for what I do in Windows, in fact it's better since I can carry my VM on a thumb drive and have exactly what I use in it anywhere.
Conversion is a religious experience, Linux and Windows are not.
There is no physical reason why a Lexmark printer couldn't be used on Linux or OSX, that they choose to limit their printers to windows only is their choice and hence I will not buy from that company I can choose too.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
Anything which looks like this must suck, period :D.
What else could you possibly judge on, if it "must suck, period" because of what it looks like?
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
It IS possible to be a music producer without being a professional
Damn right. Every music producer I've ever met has been a chain smoking drunken oaf. One of them even managed to spill his whisky and coke down the front of an automated mixing desk, resulting in a two week delay in recording while it was fixed ...
Kaspersky gives you three licenses for the price of one. My copy I have on two of the three computers.
The cost of free solutions exceeds the expense of going with the best. Think downtime, loss of data, and overall identity theft. Most AVG users who have fallen victim to identity theft would have been protected by Kaspersky.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
I totally agree with Avast. It seems to use very low system resources, and the majority of the updates it does on its own. As such, you practically will not even notice it is running unless it wants you to do a major update, or unless it actually catches a virus. I discovered Avast as they were the first antivirus company that offered a free Antivirus that worked with 64-bit Windows.
And I have never had Avast mess with a driver or any other operations of the system.
I've had a few things land on my computer and the free online scanner at eset.com seemed to pull off the trojan as well as some spyware. Torontoman.
I'm not sure what point you were trying to make, but I do know that whoever modded you insightful is an idiot.
Well, I suppose several points have been made here:
- my sense of humour is apparently opague to you.
- I have had no viruses, despite not running an AV suite on Windows (I do have an SMC router/firewall, though).
- if you turn a number of features off, is it entirely surprising that the load on your system is reduced?
It was meant to be light-hearted, but you turned it cold-hearted, apparently due to your mastery of cranial-rectal insertion techniques.
*Still* negative function...
You may have noticed that nobody modded you "funny". That would seem to indicate that the problem lies with your sense of humour, rather than my cranial-rectal insertion techniques. Your failure is certainly not my fault.
Some points on the rest:
1. For a long time I also didn't run an AV, and had no viruses. Until one day I did. Then I started running AV. When you finally get one, feel free to picture me standing over you, belting out a Nelson-esque "HA - HA!".
2. If you turn a number of features off, it's not at all surprising that the system load will decrease. The point being made was that:
a. You could remove some functions without compromising effectiveness.
b. Other AV suites would not allow you to remove these functions
ergo
c. This AV suite is better.
I hope that cleared things up for you. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I even give tips on cranial-rectal removal techniques, so I'll be more than happy to help if you're ever "stuck".
Just to stick my boot on here: If your house had a problem with bugs and insects coming in through the cracks and open windows, would you: a) Move to a different country that had fewer bugs and insects, Or b) Patch the holes and cracks as best you could and get something to zap the beasties if they did get in? I think you can see where the analogy is going.
I have installed:
(diskettes)
Windows 3.1
Windows 3.11
Windows 95
(cd)
Windows 95 OSR 2
Windows 98
Windows 98 SE
Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional
(dvd)
Windows XP Pro with SP2 on the disc
Windows Vista Business N
For all of the above, installation has been painless and flawless except for two items...
HP Scanjet 3c - it used a SCSI card and the SCSI card was no longer supported under Windows 98. Note that it was never meant to be supported under 98 - it's a DOS era scanner. I had to poke at drivers a bit as the alternative (which would make it happily work right through to XP - might even work with Vista but can't find the info) was to buy a third party scsi card for some stupid amount that was more than a *new* scanner would be. Suffice to say I do now have a new scanner, but simply because I want to scan at a higher quality than the 3c allowed... so it was on its way out.
Philips webcam driven through parallel port (and a separate microphone plug that went into the MIC IN of the soundblaster - no model number, sorry..) - no XP drivers, SOL on that one. Shame, too, as its visual quality puts most current webcams to shame ( high end CCD, great in low light ).
Both of those products were EOL well before the operating systems under which they broke were made available and I wouldn't really expect such hardware to 'just work' as such.
Now on the plus side for linux - I do believe that both of those products have Linux drivers and I *could* potentially get them up and running under Ubuntu.. with much work; see e.g. the 3c software: http://www.kirchgessner.net/sanehpfaq.html :)
However, the scanner is gone - and so is the card.. even if I still had the card, it went into an ISA slot... I don't even have a motherboard to plug that into
Avira Antivir gets my vote. It works on XP and Vista, very small memory footprint, daily updates, consistent performance (check out http://www.av-comparatives.org/ and it's free. Available at http://www.avira.com/
Uhhhh....yeah,kinda have to be exclusive here. Remember we are talking about Joe and Jane home user,not one of us slashdot guys. Do you honestly think they have the skillz to deal with a VM and are going to be willing to do that EVERYTIME they need to print? Or that they will know they or going to have to--save their work to a common area that Windows can read,followed by shutdown,followed by picking Windows from a bootloader,followed by waiting on Windows to load,followed by finding their doc/pic/fax,followed by actually using their data. Do you HONESTLY think they are going to go through ALL of that just to use an OS that they have never heard of?
Not trying to flame here,just pointing out the failure in your logic. I'm guessing you rarely have to deal with Joe and Jane home user. I,on the other hand,run a little repair shop and deal with them almost every day. If Linux wants to stay a niche product,then sure,go the VM route. But if you ever want to see Linux dip anywhere into the Windows market things are going to have to change. Right now the biggest hurdles are Lexmark and VB support for SMBs,followed by an easy Windows games installer. If Linux coders would just write an Ndiswrapper for Lexmark printers I can think of a couple hundred right off the top of my head I can convert. But no home user is going to toss a working printer for one 3 times the price and with more expensive ink just to run an OS that does less than Windows. Sorry,No Sale.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.