Big improvment so far to my PC.

[K191145]

A 5+ year old HP Pavilion with Windows Vista and Comcast internet service. It's been slower than I think it should have been both online and programs not online. I have used Kaspersky anti-virus for the last 2 years and it was due to expire today and I am overly paranoid about ever putting any credit or debit card number for anything over the internet so I researched some free anti-virus programs, PC magizine rated Ad-Aware the highest in free software so I unistalled Kaspersky and installed Ad-Aware. Before that I installed cnet Malwarebytes, the free version and ran a scan. It found several pages of malware and adware that Kaspersky let through. I deleted all the files Malwarebytes found. After installing Ad-Aware I had to uninstall the Malwarebytes program and Kaspersky for it to become active.

After doing all that last night and doing the routine cleanup of temporary internet files my PC runs and downloads alot faster, even unistalling Kaspersky sped it up quite a bit. I just hope Ad-Aware stops all viruses trying to infect my PC in the future, there's a version of Ad-Aware that you pay for that protects alot more, I think it's still alot cheaper than Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky etc. I thought about trying to buy a Visa gift card and using that number to purchase it later on, that would keep me from putting my credit or debit card number on the internet.

 

Malwarebytes

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html

Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 10.5

http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Free-Antivirus/3000-8022_4-10045910.html

[DaveTN]

You do know as a Comcast user you get Norton for free don’t you?

[tnguy]

Call me when they start paying you for using it.

 

Ad-aware isn't really an antivirus FWIW (or didn't used to be). I use AVG currently but it's starting to succumb to the usual commercial monetizing bloat.

Edited November 26, 2013 by tnguy

[Jonnin]

malwarebytes is great but it gives false alarms, be careful what you delete. 

[luvmyberetta]

We have a HP Pavillion around the same age that came with Vista Home Premium installed. We've been using Micosoft Security Essentials for a couple years & haven't run into any problems. It's free & seems to work well. I'm not 100% computer literate so here may be others that are better though.

Edited November 26, 2013 by luvmyberetta

[bersaguy]

I have a Dell computer and windows XP and use a Broad band connection through my cell phone provider and I original used the McAfee but they let a few viruses in my computer and when I took it to my buddy that works on computers he fixed the problems and downloaded a free AVG program which is what he uses at his computer center repair shop. I wanted a better program so purchased the full monty of AVG about 3 years ago and it automatically send me a notice when the renewal comes up and unless I notify them not to renew they do it automatically and bill my card on file. I have a small bank account that I keep about $150.00 in just for that card number and the few services  use it for I allow them to keep on file and it is a debit card. As money is used out of the account I add that amount back in. That way if anyone hacks the account they will only get $150.00 but it is a lot more convenient than going through the hassle every year. I have been getting a notice recently from AVG that keeps telling me that Monzilla firefox is taking up a lot more space than normal and needs to be shut down. That is why i asked folks here awhile back what they all used here. I am still using Firefox but also shopping for another browser to switch to. As far as AVG goes it has done a great job of protecting my computer and I am very satisfied with it...................jmho

[Guest Riciticky]

We have a HP Pavillion around the same age that came with Vista Home Premium installed. We've been using Micosoft Security Essentials for a couple years & haven't run into any problems. It's free & seems to work well. I'm not 100% computer literate so here may be others that are better though.

Same here.

[peejman]

Call me when they start paying you for using it.

 

Ad-aware isn't really an antivirus FWIW (or didn't used to be). I use AVG currently but it's starting to succumb to the usual commercial monetizing bloat.

 

This.  Norton is never free.  They'd have to pay me quite a bit to go back to that garbage. 

 

I used Adaware, malwarebytes, and AVG free (combined) before I upgraded to Win 7 and started using MS Security Essentials.  It's very good.

Edited November 26, 2013 by peejman

[jgradyc]

I have Linux Mint 14 on a seven year old desktop and four laptops. It's faster to load than Vista or Windows 7. I have no slow down over time. No problems with malware like my neighbor with Windows 8. I don't have to use an anti-virus program because there are virtually no viruses written for Linux.  Oh, and Linux Mint is free and comes with a MS office clone (LibreOffice) and a Photoshop clone (GIMP). 

 

Linux Mint 16 Release Candidate is out now and the stable version will be out within a month. 

 

I used to use Firefox browser, but I recently switched to Chrome. There are lots of add ons for Firefox and extensions for Chrome that allow you to do a lot more things with the browser. 

 

I'm typing this on a Lenovo E430 laptop that came with Windows 8, but I hated Windows 8 so much I loaded Linux Mint instead.

Edited November 26, 2013 by jgradyc

[luvmyberetta]

The only thing about Microsoft Security Essentials that bothers me is how long it takes to do full system scans. I can do a quick scan & it only takes 5-10 minutes. A full system scan can run for hours & still not show as finished. I can stop it during a full scan & it will turn green & say "protected", but to this day I have yet to complete a full scan. Is this normal for MSSE? If not how I can fix it or adjust the settings?

[Tuffus]

I have a Dell with XP and Comcast so I tried to download the free Norton software but it just will not install. I even had a hard drive crash and started out from day one and it still wont install the Norton. I downloaded free AVG and have been happy with it ever since. My computer did work well with Mcafee when it was the free virus software from Comcast but when the updates stopped because Comcast switched to Norton I had to go to AVG.

[DaveTN]

Performance is the issue. No software or virus program will fix that. A 5 year old bloated windows registry, programs installed and uninstalled, outdated drivers and years of surfing the net is the cause. Only one fix for that if you want to keep the computer you have. Format and a clean install of the OS and the programs you use.

[peejman]

Performance is the issue. No software or virus program will fix that. A 5 year old bloated windows registry, programs installed and uninstalled, outdated drivers and years of surfing the net is the cause. Only one fix for that if you want to keep the computer you have. Format and a clean install of the OS and the programs you use.

 

 

True.  Speaking of bloated registries...   download and install ccleaner  https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

 

It'll clean up your registry which will speed things up a bit as well, particularly the slow start-ups.  '

 

As for the MSSE full scan, I just let it run over-night. 

[vontar]

I like Adaware, Spybot- Search and Destroy, and Malwarebytes

[jgradyc]

I have a 7 year old Dell with XP that I replaced with Linux Mint. It works great.

 

But if you want to stay with XP, you can do a clean install of XP to get rid of the junk that has accumulated over time and change a couple of the settings to speed it up a lot. I can't remember the settings, but you could probably find them with a search on the internet. They were pretty well hidden in the control panel settings, but they didn't require accessing the registry.

[K191145]

You do know as a Comcast user you get Norton for free don’t you?

 

I wasn't aware of that, i'll look into it but with this Ad-Aware my PC is running alot faster. I know other anti-virus programs i've had slow my computer down a noticable degree.

[K191145]

True.  Speaking of bloated registries...   download and install ccleaner  https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

 

It'll clean up your registry which will speed things up a bit as well, particularly the slow start-ups.  '

 

As for the MSSE full scan, I just let it run over-night. 

 

I use the ccleaner program, I also click the "start button", click "run", type in "%temp%", click "edit" and "select all", click "file" then "delete". That delets alot of temporary files also.

Edited November 26, 2013 by K191145

[joustin]

Most Malware alerts are false alarms in my experience. I work corporate IT and 99% of the issues I run into are not a real threat. Of the 1% that are most are caught and locked down by the AV we use. I use AVG at home and that is all. Use Google Chrome with AdBlock plus and the other security / privacy addons as needed and you should be ok. The biggest threat is from Flash, Java etc. Most people do not keep them up to date and visit websites of questionable reputation and wind up getting hacked.

I haven't had any issues in several years by using good judgement and decent software, I re-installed Windows 7 last month since I changed out some parts on my PC. It had been running since the day of release without issue and heavy usage. At any rate, keep your software up to date and if you have Windows XP, for the love of GOD, update everything or get a new version of Windows. In April it will no longer be supported and you will be targeted. 

 

Edited to add, Norton is a huge program that uses a lot of system resources. On a new PC it isn't an issue, on a 5 year old HP you will not be able to use the PC while it scans. If your PC is Win 7 compliant it will be must faster than Vista, the system requirements are lower and it works better on some of the old beaters I have worked on than XP or 98 did relative to the hardware.

Edited November 27, 2013 by joustin

[DaveTN]

I wasn't aware of that, i'll look into it but with this Ad-Aware my PC is running alot faster. I know other anti-virus programs i've had slow my computer down a noticable degree.

Do you know if your PC has an image on the drive that will return it to the state it was in when you got it?

[analog_kidd]

I would not install Norton. It is bloatware that will slow your PC down worse than before. MS Security Essentials is the way to go. It's Free and lightweight. It just does Antivirus. No gimicky stuff. You never even know its there.

[Smith55]

i had Micosoft Security Essentials installed on a Win 7 pc. it let a bad virus and malware through. i have stopped using it.

[analog_kidd]

Well, I'm sure there are people using every AntiVirus out there that have said that it let a virus through. For any AntiVirus to be effective, you have to keep it updated every day. Timing is crucial too. You could catch a virus moments after it's been released and hours before a definition is released. Browsing habits are important too. I can't tell you how many times I have reinstalled Windows on friends PC's, time after time, because they can't keep their pointer finger from clicking every link that gets sent to them, even after I tell them to not click anything and stay off questionable sites. Yet, they keep bringing the PC's back to me. A quick glance at their browsers history usually tells quite a story.

 

A good rule of thumb: stick to just browsing TGO and you'll be OK. What other websites do you really need?  :up:

[DaveTN]

Browsing habits are important too. I can't tell you how many times I have reinstalled Windows on friends PC's, time after time, because they can't keep their pointer finger from clicking every link that gets sent to them, even after I tell them to not click anything and stay off questionable sites. Yet, they keep bringing the PC's back to me. A quick glance at their browsers history usually tells quite a story.

My friend called me and wanted to know why he had to pay the FBI $200.

[K191145]

Do you know if your PC has an image on the drive that will return it to the state it was in when you got it?

 

Many moons ago I had a Dell that came with a restoration disc and would wipe out everything you ever installed or downloaded on it. I would be tempted to do a complete restore, if I had a full day to install and download programs I want. I keep a couple of copies of all photo's and word files on CD's so I wouldn't loose anything.

[DaveTN]

Many moons ago I had a Dell that came with a restoration disc and would wipe out everything you ever installed or downloaded on it. I would be tempted to do a complete restore, if I had a full day to install and download programs I want. I keep a couple of copies of all photo's and word files on CD's so I wouldn't loose anything.

What I’m talking about won’t be a CD; it’s a drive image that is created at the factory. You access it by a combination of keystrokes on startup. Dell has been using them for years, I don’t know if your HP has it or not, but it’s worth checking out.

Keep in mind though that it’s not a program that deletes only what you have put on it; it actually formats and reimages the drive. It takes you back to the way the computer shipped.

Anything you don’t have on a backup drive would be gone. The only thing you would have to reload is programs you want installed and all the windows updates.

But it’s a lot easier and faster than formatting the drive and reloading the operating system and all the drivers.