Recommend an alternative to McAfee Total Protection

[paladin]

Any recommendations for a good (better) alternative McAfee Total Protection? It could be freeware, shareware, or payware. I also have Spybot - Search & Destroy and Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware in addition to McAfee.

My computer is running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Edition, AMD Phenom II quad-core 955 processor at 3.2 GHz, and 8 GB of ram.

[Xon]

Microsoft security essentials, don't bother with anythign else unless you have a really good reason.

[wautd]

I don't know about the above, but I'm very happy with Eset Smart Security myself.

[Zaune]

The free editions of Avast! or AVG antivirus software and a ZoneAlarm firewall worked pretty well when I was still a Windows user.

[Xon]

Fuck no, suggesting ZoneAlarm firewall should be grounds for being banned from every offering technical support advice on a Windows machine.

ZoneAlarm is actively malicious, and has a well documented history of trashing a computer's network connectivity and even causing data loss.

[Zaune]

Fuck no, suggesting ZoneAlarm firewall should be grounds for being banned from every offering technical support advice on a Windows machine.

ZoneAlarm is actively malicious, and has a well documented history of trashing a computer's network connectivity and even causing data loss.

I personally never had a problem with it when I was still using Windows, so I guess I got lucky. But in that case, Comodo is also pretty solid.

[Xon]

Historically, ZoneAlarm is very good are completely screwing up the TCP/IP stack and not uninstalling itself correctly. Sometimes at the same time.

In addition it used to (but this may have been stopped) prompt to block loopback connections where a programm uses a local TCP connection to itself on an interface which can never be publically accessed which utterly breaks large classes of applications. This is dishonestlying to show the firewall is 'blocking' stuff. Furthur, it would spam warnings out outbound connections which with modern programs is almost everything which causes the user to be desensitised to dealling with the constant pop-ups which is bad.

Never mind, Zonealarm has historically been capable of just silently forgetting settings and start firewalling outbound applications without permission linky (also had it happen at a lan party I attented less than a year ago!)

Then you get shit like ZoneAlarm caught using fake antivirus scare tactics, fun stuff like deliberately delaying updating thier free version to be compatible to Windows 7 (pay for worked!)

And since Windows XP sp2 the built in firewall is perfectly acceptable. Since Windows Vista it has been capable of doing outbound firewalling if you wanted it.

Oh, and the free version only does everything the built-in firewall does except Zonealarm is more buggy. And if you want AV or antimalware you need to fork over actual money for a buggy POS product compared to just Microsoft security essentials which doesn't nag you about updates doesn't nag you about random shit you don't need to know or care about. It's free and just works.

[Guardsman Bass]

If you're running Windows 7, the Windows Firewall plus the free AVG Anti-Virus Scanner is a pretty good combination that won't slow your computer down. I've been using it for about four months.

[noncredible]

I would suggest Linux

But as an actual answer, I suggest AVG or Norton. Apparently, Avast! is also fairly good.

[Dave]

I suggest Norton.

Dear <diety>, NO! Do not use the bloated piece of crap that is Norton. It'd be better not to have anti-virus than it would be to have Norton.

[noncredible]

Meh. I only used Norton for a while, and only a few times used it to scan and such. Mostly, that suggestion was because people on other sites suggest it.

AVG and Linux still hold though
AVG protects fairly well, although some say it isn't the best.

[HeadCreeps]

Meh. I only used Norton for a while, and only a few times used it to scan and such. Mostly, that suggestion was because people on other sites suggest it.

Norton is commonly suggested because it's a brand name that is well-known. I swear that as someone who has had to fix other peoples' fucked up computers in the past, it's like every time I'll find out that my 50+ yr old dad or other people insisted on throwing goddamn fucking Norton on his kids' piece of shit slow computers to slow them down even more.

My suggestion is only for the OCD'd and anal, because you pretty much just custom mandate what is allowed and what is not. My philosophy is if you let the unintelligent programs handle everything automatically, you're going to automatically see your computer fall apart. It's inevitable.

Anti-spam:
1. Firefox browser. Don't allow it to remember your passwords and tell it to clear your cookies when you close your browser. You may as well disable remembering browsing history, too.
2. Noscript <-kind of anal, I don't blame people for not wanting to use it, but damn if it isn't effective.
3. AdBlockPlus. Make absolutely sure you set a site for automatic updates or it will fail within a week.
4. Don't just click through your program installations. Seriously, you don't need over 9000 toolbars for your web browser. You don't need any. Program installations are practically the absolute easiest way for the internet to put garbage on your PC because they know your average idiot is going to skip right through the installation.
With that, you don't need anti-spyware. I hear Malware Bytes is supposed to be good, but every time I use it I don't find any spyware. Same w/other antispam programs.

#4 is one of the most common "you dumb shit" moments when I have to fix someone else's computer.

Anti-virus:
AVG - disable link scanner because the above anti-spam takes care of it. Finds lots of false-positives, but it's good in case you do something stupid when you download. But don't think you're protected just because AVG is installed. Hell, no. Before you open up something you downloaded, right click it and scan with AVG. It should almost never find anything, but there will be That One Time.

Firewall
Windows firewall does the job.
But, if you've experience with other firewalls, you know it's missing the petulance-inducing, annoying spam of derp herp do u want to allow this program to access the interwebs? We can't have that - it's a good way to allow just anything to access the internet for updates. If you do manage to get a trojan, you're losing out on a great way to stop the infection before it can germinate. An option to have this control restored is with Spinx Software's "Windows 7 Firewall Control". This is not a standalone firewall; you use it alongside Windows Firewall.

[Edi]

If you decide to go with anything other than Microsoft Security Essentials on the free front, then either Avira Antivr or Avast would be your best choices for good programs that have a small footprint. The Windows Firewall is quite adequate.

AVG is another piece of shit program that for some reason seems to be very popular. It's all fun and fucking games with it until something goes wrong and you have to uninstall it, at which point it's even steven on whether it comes out nice and easy or goes kablooey wih effects ranging from preventing other AV from installing to completely wrecking your computer to the point where you may need to reinstall the entire fucking OS from scratch to get things really working properly again.

Anyone who recommends AVG over Avira or Avast doesn't know what the fuck they are talking about.

I will echo everything Xon already said about Zone Alarm.

If you also wish to use some antimalware in addition to whatever else it is you installed, Spywareblaster and Spybot Search & Destroy (Without the Tea Timer component enabled!!!!) are good, because the protection they provide is passive and thus does not fuck up your antivirus software or cause other problems.

[Xon]

AVG Free also plays find the download link way to often, and they deliberately keep it a few versions behind thier payed for version. Those two reasons are enough to avoid it.

Norton has historially provided a seperate real uninstaller because the provided one with the installer often doesn't work.

I will echo everything Xon already said about Zone Alarm.

That is actually reasuring

I was very suprised how much this topic was being ignored by those members I knew who fixed computers for a living and would have an automatic 'oh god no' momement over some of the suggestions in the thread.

[Dominus Atheos]

Edi and Xon forgot to mention the twice (TWICE!) that an AVG update has bricked Windows, once in 2008 and once in 2010.

AVG update cripples Windows XP
Better safe than sorry
Thu Nov 13 2008, 07:39

ANTI-VIRUS software AVG8 has got it into its head that an important Windows XP system file is a Trojan.

The software deletes the file leaving punters with a Windows XP that endlessly reboots or is unable to reboot at all. Still it is highly effective as an anti-virus technique. Try getting a Trojan to do its nefarious work under those circumstances.

Read more: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/new ... z1IDrdFbXz
The Inquirer - Computer hardware news and downloads. Visit the download store today.

Horror AVG update ballsup bricks Windows 7

Even safe mode cannot end devil-spawned reboot loop

Posted in Security, 2nd December 2010 15:09 GMT

An update from AVG on Wednesday night rendered 64 bit Windows 7 systems unstable after it was applied.

[paladin]

Microsoft security essentials, don't bother with anythign else unless you have a really good reason.

Xon - I took your advice and I am using MS security essentials along with Windows Firewall. Thanks!

[paladin]

If you decide to go with anything other than Microsoft Security Essentials on the free front, then either Avira Antivr or Avast would be your best choices for good programs that have a small footprint. The Windows Firewall is quite adequate.

AVG is another piece of shit program that for some reason seems to be very popular. It's all fun and fucking games with it until something goes wrong and you have to uninstall it, at which point it's even steven on whether it comes out nice and easy or goes kablooey wih effects ranging from preventing other AV from installing to completely wrecking your computer to the point where you may need to reinstall the entire fucking OS from scratch to get things really working properly again.

Anyone who recommends AVG over Avira or Avast doesn't know what the fuck they are talking about.

I will echo everything Xon already said about Zone Alarm.

If you also wish to use some antimalware in addition to whatever else it is you installed, Spywareblaster and Spybot Search & Destroy (Without the Tea Timer component enabled!!!!) are good, because the protection they provide is passive and thus does not fuck up your antivirus software or cause other problems.

Edi - I am using Spybot Search & Destroy on my system. I also have a free version of Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware. Would I need to keep the Malwarebyte software?

[HeadCreeps]

I wasn't aware of that with AVG. Good to know. It certainly hasn't happened here.

I went on a tour of which antivirus to use a few years ago and ended up using AVG because I was basically forced to. My computer choked a bit with the game I was playing at the time because it used Gameguard. While Gameguard caused issues with essentially every single antivirus, AVG caused the least interference with performance. Since then, I've stuck with it. I do recall attempting both Avira and Avast, but switched off of them for reasons I can't recall. Probably had something to do with the UI.

[The Big I]

I'm curious what is wrong with McAffee.

[Xon]

McAffee is a pay for product with a yearly subscription, where as you can get as-good for free. And Microsoft isn't going away and they have a solid multi-decade history of providing updates for free.

[noncredible]

ANTI-VIRUS software AVG8 has got it into its head that an important Windows XP system file is a Trojan.

The software deletes the file leaving punters with a Windows XP that endlessly reboots or is unable to reboot at all. Still it is highly effective as an anti-virus technique. Try getting a Trojan to do its nefarious work under those circumstances.

Well, at least that explains why my Windows XP dual-boot wouldn't work after installing updates...

EDIT: Actually, apparently it doesn't, as the problem wasn't present on the English version.

[Edi]

Edi - I am using Spybot Search & Destroy on my system. I also have a free version of Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware. Would I need to keep the Malwarebyte software?

Malwarebytes is good stuff, so if you have it installed, no reason why you should remove it. IIRC it's also passive protection, but it can actually remove stuff that gets into your computer if anything does.

[Guardsman Bass]

I didn't know about issues with AVG. It's been pretty decent so far - when I scan for viruses/malware, I usually scan with AVG first, then do a Malwarebytes scan afterwards to see if anything was missed.

The later versions of Norton got better on my old computer, but it still slowed things down a great deal (particularly when it was updating/whatever, so you'd get "fast" and "slow" periods on the computer without warning).

[noncredible]

I didn't know about issues with AVG. It's been pretty decent so far - when I scan for viruses/malware, I usually scan with AVG first, then do a Malwarebytes scan afterwards to see if anything was missed.

Does AVG usually miss things?

[Guardsman Bass]

I didn't know about issues with AVG. It's been pretty decent so far - when I scan for viruses/malware, I usually scan with AVG first, then do a Malwarebytes scan afterwards to see if anything was missed.

Does AVG usually miss things?

Usually not. I can only remember one time in the past 4 months where it found something that AVG missed.