Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cangel]

Can anyone recommend a good anti-virus and spyware program(s)? I did some internet research and Kasperky came up as one of the best. I downloaded their 30-day free trial and it completely screwed up my system. It took me 3 hours to remove it. In that time it scanned only 1% of my computer and stated it had 10 days more (estimated) to comlpete. Anyway, recommendations would be helpful. Thanks

[idonojacs]

Yes, I can recommend two programs based on first-hand experience.

For antivirus, AVG. I have used it with Vista. It loads easily, operates automatically, updates in the background when you start up. No infections. And it's free. Go figure.

http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10746390.html?tag=lst-0-3

For spyware, I have been using Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE personal. It has been updated, but I am still using the old version. It works. My computer works. It's free. I think the new version operates full-time. Still free. I loaded it onto a teacher's computer, but haven't used it.

Any questions?

[spliff]

Spyware doctor...it gets a lot that adaware and spybot misses and you can set it to run constantly in the background. Download it from a torrent site w/ crack or I can email it to you. Prevx1 is great also but after the 30 day trial you have to buy it.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Prevx1&spell=1

I use AVG for virus protection and it's the best around for free. Also, I recommend you look for cracked versions (or free trials) of CCleaner and WinASO registry optimizer and Executive Software Diskeeper you can set this to defragment at night daily...

And, download Comodo Firewall Pro...runs in the background and fairly easy to use just set it to "learning"

[bassexpander]

I recommend the free program: http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

I used AVG for six months, and dropped it because when you do get a virus, you have to download tools from the AVG website to remove it.

Avast also has a pretty good firewall in it, too. You can switch back and forth between Korean and English once you download the additional language fonts. Useful if you share your computer with a Korean.

I also use the Free Ad-aware SE every several weeks or so to check for any spyware issues, as well as defragment my hard disk every month or two. Zonealarm is another useful tool to use as a firewall, if you want. I like how Zonealarm tells you what stuff is trying to get out of your computer, as well as in. It's free as well.

[idonojacs]

Now that you mention it, bassexpander, it may have been Avast that I used.

My antivirus subscription ran out on my new Vista machine and my new, unused antivirus programs wouldn't load on Vista, leaving me shorthanded here in Korea. I think I tried both AVG and Avast. It may have been Avast that I stuck with.

But since I reinstalled Vista, I don't have either on my machine now.

You can do a search on Download.com, advanced search, specify your OS and free. There are several options. It's pretty easy to try them out.

I found some other good freeware, including Burn4Free and AlZip. I was also impressed by Auslogics Disk Defrag. The defrag function in Vista is a step down from XP. Auslogics is more informative and faster.

There are probably other posters who will respond that they found something better. But here's the bottom line: If you can figure out how to use it, it is easy to use, and it does what you need to do, then it's a good program for you. There have been some compression programs that had cryptic interfaces, and there are burning software that have so many unnecessary bells and whistles that you start to pull your hair out.

Another thing to look for, especially when running full-time programs such as antivirus, and some anti spyware programs, is the CPU usage. When there are no other programs in use, the CPU usage should be real low. Go ctrl alt del, task manager, performance. My CPU is running between 1 and 4 percent now. In other words, some such programs that operate full time in the background I have heard can use a noticeable amount of CPU power. So it should not be too much, or try another program.

Also, I look for unaccounted for CPU usage when other programs are not open. Get to know your normal CPU usage stats. If it is running high, say 80 percent of more, and you aren't doing anything, that could be a sign of spyware or a virus. (Or it could be some automatic scheduled operation.) This is a good time to run your spyware program.

When my current antivirus subscription runs out, again, I won't hesitate to go with the freeware again. I think it was Avast.

One other note: Running multiple antivirus programs at the same time is not a good idea.

[cangel]

Thanks for the information. Seems like there are plenty of options. I tried a few free trials and they all seem to slow down my startup and cause my system to slow. That type of stuff just bothers me. Have any of you had any problems with your computer slowing after AV installation? I really don't mind paying for software so, what's the best with the least amount of lag on my computer?

[bassexpander]

That's just the result of having an AV that is memory-resident and running all of the time (necessary these days).

You want to see a real slow-down? Try Norton. I hate that program... and you have to pay for it.

[spliff]

I have AVG, SpywareDoctor and Comodo all running in the background and at idle my CPU usage is under 1%.

[eamo]