AVG, Avast, or Avira

Personal preference, I think, is the real determining factor. I always used paid-for AV programs, but I was convinced to try Avast about 2 years ago - and I have been a lot more impressed by it than with rest I have tried before. That said, I know that they are all pretty much relatively the same. One thing to keep in mind that is that the best way to avoid infections of any kind is to be a smart user. Keep in mind that no AV and security programs are 100% effective! Sorry, I'm not really giving you a straight answer, but that's because there isn't one to this topic. Stick with what you like, what you feel comfortable with. If one day it fails you, move on and try something else. Good luck!!! Ciao!

I used to recommend AVG but switched to Avast because it cleaned out an infected AVG system. Then I switched to Kaspersky because it cleaned out an infected Avast system. Now a Kaspersky system in the office got beat up by a nasty rootkit so now I'm recommending Avira because it was rated high at this site:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/sei [...] 008_08.php

I must say one thing about ijack's comment about Norton - I really did give norton a fair chance a few years back, but when I removed it and installed Avast in its place, a whole bunch of stuff were detected by Avast's boot-up scan, so I decided never to trust Norton or invest into any of their products - but given my work, I got a few free cd keys for Norton Internet Security 2009, but before I activated any, I installed the trial version. I was shocked by just how many of the typical Norton issues have actually been fixed by Symantec. Honestly, the thing installed in under a minute, without the need for a restart! The computer did not slow down whatsoever, and it just looked slick! That said, I did go back to Avast only because there was not enough feedback on its engine, and mere speed/aesthetic improvements will not suck me back into the Norton universe... Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is to anyone who has long ago written off Norton, at least give it a try because my impression was that the 2009 edition is unlike anything they produced before (in a good way) and that's worth mentioning.

A couple of good links:

1. http://av-test.org/

2. http://www.virusbtn.com/news/2008/09_02

Keep in mind that these rankings change constantly, but AntiVir and Avast are both excellent. AVG has become second-tier, at best. One note, Avast Free Home and the paid Pro versions both use the same virus (Vps) data base.

Some excellent and free on-line scanners: (Note: Most are active X based, thus requiring IE to run - but worth it!)

1. http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

2. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

3. http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

4. http://www.ca.com/us/securityadvis [...] /scan.aspx

5. http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeu [...] tivescan/? (Haven't used Panda in a few years - but it used to be good)

6. http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm (Haven't used the MS onecare scanner - just know about it)

7. http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

I, personally use the Avast Free (Home) - but most are decent, some just slightly better than others (depending on the date of the testing) - http://www.avast.com/

This is a highly rated AV solution, and is FREE for personal use: http://www.free-av.com/

iam planning to buy a new antivirus , at the moment am using kaspersky IS 2009 , but i noticed that the computer is freezing more while playing games , i want a software with good antivirus and firewall !! i was told that Avira and Avast are good ? i want something also that wont slow my pc down

There are a lot of good AV/anti-malware solutions out there, but check carefully - many don't include firewalls. I use Avast (Free) on one machine and ESET Nod32 on another. Nod32 is not free, but I like it's small footprint. I still use the free version of Zone Alarm as a firewall on both. I just don't think too much about firewalls - I'm a creature of habit, I suppose. Oh, I do have both machines connected through a D-Link router with a good hardware firewall. Both are wired (Cat 5e), so I don't really use the wireless feature, but could if I elect to get a laptop.

Two reasons:

1. Link

2. ZA gives me desktop "alerts" - and I like to see who's "calling home". The router may have log files, but I'm too lazy to run those down. And, I'm not that confident in things I don't see working (router). I don't seem to be slowed by having both, so what the hell.