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Ask Slashdot: Light-Footprint Antivirus For Windows XP?

Posted by timothy on from the tread-lightly-stomp-hard dept.

New submitter Bauermlb writes "I service computers for retired folks in my community, often older machines with modest speed (2 GHz Centron) and modest memory (512 MB). Adding AVAST to one of these machines slows it to a crawl. Any recommendations for a light-duty antivirus program with a low overhead? (These people do not tend to surf 'dirty' sites.)"

4 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft Security Essentials by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've seen way better performance with it than with McAfee, Avast, etc.

    Detection benchmarks typically put it on par with the other free solutions, though it changes from month to month.

  2. Microsoft Security Essentials by Toshito · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've been using it for the last 3 years on XP and now 7, very lightweight. No virus or adware problem (for now). From time to time I also scan my computer with adaware and spybot.

    --
    Try it! Library of Babel
  3. End Of Life by kelarius · · Score: 5, Informative

    Microsoft is killing updates for XP in a little under 9 months. Get them onto linux or a new PC or it may not matter how good of an antivirus you put on there after that.

    --
    Personally I'd rather have my idiots at home glued to the TV than out doing idiotic things
  4. Re:Obligatory Linux evangelism by SirTicksAlot · · Score: 5, Funny

    When you say the word "Linux", many assume it's hard, weird or too different.

    It's a retirement community; when you say the word "Computer", many assume it's hard, weird or too different.