Virus program?

What virus program do you all use? I've just formatted my computer due to virus problems and I don't want to do it again.

Thought I ask here because I don't know where else to ask and this is the greatest forum I know! :)

Personally, I'm on a Mac, but on Windows computers I use Avast!

I also use Avast, It works really well and is free! :)

Thanks for the suggestions! :)

I use Norton, but its crap. It finds the viruses, but wont remove them. We had to pay some guy to remove a virus for us, cause my dad insisted on getting Norton. But AVG is meant to be really good, there's a free version and a paid for version, the guy who removed the virus recommended we used it.

Free:

* Avira AntiVir (good, just some annoying ads when you update the database)
* Comodo Internet Security (paranoid suite, but lightweight and functional, I'm using it now)
* Inteligence TM: To Not Click These Weird Spams (open-source, flexible, everyone has, but for some reason most people don't use it)
* Linux =P

Paid:
*Kaspersky (say goodbye to your viruses... And also most of your games =P)

Also, for ad-hoc scans and virus removal I recommend Malwarebytes anti-malware program (mbam). This is extremely effective, but it's used to remove things rather than prevent them.

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DanielHueho
Free:
* Comodo Internet Security (paranoid suite, but lightweight and functional, I'm using it now)

I agree, somehow my Comodo detects a buffer overflow vulnerability in office excel 2007, i replace avast with comodo as i find it even less resource hungry even with on access protection enabled.

Also, although there are less viruses for mac the newer are worse than many of the ones on pc, also no one cares about macs

LOL

1) the main reason Macs don't have viruses is due to aa working security system. Not saying that the popularity doesn't have anything to do with it, it most certainly does, but people tend to overestimate that effect.

2) I don't know what you mean by "Also, although there are less viruses for mac the newer are worse than many of the ones on pc" I have never seen a malicious mac virus in the wild for more than a few days before there's a patch. the BEST I can come up with isn't even really a virus [troika.uk.com]

Thats more of a prank really. And tbh, I'd say the reason Mac's dont get viruses as much is because there arent as many. People just dont bother writing them. Its not (that much) to do with the anti-virus software on Macs.

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cactusjack901
1) the main reason Macs don't have viruses is due to aa working security system. Not saying that the popularity doesn't have anything to do with it, it most certainly does, but people tend to overestimate that effect.

2) I don't know what you mean by "Also, although there are less viruses for mac the newer are worse than many of the ones on pc" I have never seen a malicious mac virus in the wild for more than a few days before there's a patch. the BEST I can come up with isn't even really a virus [troika.uk.com]

There was a list on zdnet of viruses which if used could be pretty harsh on the already suffering mac users, and whats the point in a security system if people just cant be assed to program for mac (virus and programs) its more of con for macs than a pro.

And dont make the excuse that virtualising is better on macs as that just proves that macs must be rubbish if you have to virtualise another system to enjoy life

Now lets end this discussion/argument before it gets out of hand



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2009 12:10PM by SteelSLasher.

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SteelSLasher

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cactusjack901
1) the main reason Macs don't have viruses is due to aa working security system. Not saying that the popularity doesn't have anything to do with it, it most certainly does, but people tend to overestimate that effect.

2) I don't know what you mean by "Also, although there are less viruses for mac the newer are worse than many of the ones on pc" I have never seen a malicious mac virus in the wild for more than a few days before there's a patch. the BEST I can come up with isn't even really a virus [troika.uk.com]

There was a list on zdnet of viruses which if used could be pretty harsh on the already suffering mac users, and whats the point in a security system if people just cant be assed to program for mac (virus and programs) its more of con for macs than a pro.

And dont make the excuse that virtualising is better on macs as that just proves that macs must be rubbish if you have to virtualise another system to enjoy life

Now lets end this discussion/argument before it gets out of hand

I agree with ending the argument, I just want to make one point about your virtualization comment... I don't virtualize anything...ever, I have no need to, I have a cheap IBM Thinkpad T21 that is barely held together for the off chance that I need a Windows only app... I can count the number of the apps I need on one hand. And I've never, EVER, come across a Mac Virus,it just hasn't happened to me, maybe they are out there, but I haven't seen one

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cactusjack901
I agree with ending the argument, I just want to make one point about your virtualization comment... I don't virtualize anything...ever, I have no need to, I have a cheap IBM Thinkpad T21 that is barely held together for the off chance that I need a Windows only app... I can count the number of the apps I need on one hand. And I've never, EVER, come across a Mac Virus,it just hasn't happened to me, maybe they are out there, but I haven't seen one

Then count yourself lucky, many mac users say that windows is a vulnerable system but I only got infected while i turned off windows firewall, and i have had no viruses since i installed windows 7 or since i left windows firewall on

also, apple seems scared of win 7 as in their new i am a mac ads they refer to pcs globally and make no reference to windows or microsoft, the irony is that apple osx is based of Linux which is primarily used on pcs. They also say that pcs are generally faster and better than macs but you should buy a mac anyway for a higher price because you can remotely install osx onto a macbook air with it. apple seem to be bashing both pcs as an object and mac users by revealing apples own mistakes.

OS X isn't based off Linux, it's based off BSD, which in turn was based off UNIX, similar, but different. Also, my single biggest argument FOR buying a mac, is how long the hardware lasts, my iMac G4 has been through A LOT of crap, including, but not limited to being taken apart by the US Secret Service, and lemme tell you, they do not give a crap if it goes back together correctly. that was about 5 years ago and the computer was already about 2 years old then, and I just had my first hardware failure a week or two ago, the backlight on the monitor burned out, so I have to VNC into it, and it STILL works great. these computers just don't die like I've seen many PCs die

I still have an old G3 Blueberry which was like the first all in one computer. Never EVER had a problem with it. Never once had a hardware or software failure. Finally had to sell it because of the newer macs. (which were even more amazing)

heh, I still have one of those G3 Blueberrys somewhere, only issue is the guitar pick in the cd tray (most amazing thing ever, I was bouncing it on it's side on the desk, and it slipped into the CD slot somehow, I went to grab it, but lost my grip and accidentally pushed it in the rest of the way =p )

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cactusjack901
OS X isn't based off Linux, it's based off BSD, which in turn was based off UNIX, similar, but different. Also, my single biggest argument FOR buying a mac, is how long the hardware lasts, my iMac G4 has been through A LOT of crap, including, but not limited to being taken apart by the US Secret Service, and lemme tell you, they do not give a crap if it goes back together correctly. that was about 5 years ago and the computer was already about 2 years old then, and I just had my first hardware failure a week or two ago, the backlight on the monitor burned out, so I have to VNC into it, and it STILL works great. these computers just don't die like I've seen many PCs die

older machines tend to last longer (my friend has a wooden modem, i mean wtf?), my first pc was already 5 years old when i bought it second hand (i was only 5) and it lasted another 3 years before i shoved a credit card in the floppy disk which meant it couldnt boot. but if i didnt then i am sure it would be here now. My second PC lasted 5 years before the harddrive gave out (it was a cheap harddrive) my laptop has been going for 6 years and although nothing can run smoothly on it its still kicking ass with xubuntu and icewm. My third pc has been going about 4-5 years now and it doesnt seem to have any problems other than a full hard drive

also, the fact the the SS had to investigate your mac says a lot about it, also, you said macs last longer, well if i add how much all my computing equipment (not just my pcs but also accesories and stuff) it totals around $1300 worth of computer (£1000 since i live in the UK but currency exchange would make it different for you, also its cheaper to buy it from america so thats why the figures dont match currency exchange) and with that i could just about afford a 20'' imac (in the uk) which is equally powerful to my current pc

finally, i want to say a few words about my pcs, they died because i lived hardcore, not because someone never took the training wheels off.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2009 12:43PM by SteelSLasher.

Well, the secret service thing just goes to say that had it never been abused by them, it'd still be at the top of it's game, the problem occurred when someone broke into a server that my brother had built for his college years ago, that still had his current password on it, from there, they got into his e-mail server, and from there his home computer, and my home computer, and then into JP Morgan Chase =\

I guess this all really comes down to what you need your computer to do, and how you need it done. I like the UNIX approach to things, and the longevity I've experienced with apple hardware, so a Mac with OS X is perfect for me. Perhaps a homebuilt with Windows is perfect for you (or as it seems for you, Linux). It's all a matter of taste, really

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cactusjack901
Perhaps a homebuilt with Windows is perfect for you (or as it seems for you, Linux). It's all a matter of taste, really

Actually, i only use linux when performance is required over functionality (i reduce the gui to win95 style). Since win95 i have always used windows oses (except for vista, that i hate almost as much as macs).