Windows Vista Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

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husky86

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I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus programs
are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
experience much more of a headache.

I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like the
sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
functions beautifully.

I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but do
I really need an antivirus program running on my system?

Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
background? Is it really essential?

Many thanks for any and all comments!

(I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way, with Microsoft Office 2007,
and Firefox 3 as my web browser.)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

you can get a virus by opening a compromised webpage so no you
don't need virus protection as long as you stay off the internet.
"husky86" <husky86@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:458663B0-E968-4B54-815E-AB59458292C8@microsoft.com...
>I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus
> programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.
>
> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like
> the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.
>
> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but
> do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
>
> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?
>
> Many thanks for any and all comments!
>
> (I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way, with Microsoft Office
> 2007,
> and Firefox 3 as my web browser.)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?


well, you'll regret not having an antivirus when you start having
problems like songs getting deleted, not being able to open task
manager, etc.
virus can slow down you computer as well.

I would say an antivirus is a must. now, paid antiviruses are expensive
and too heavy.
free antiviruses are better, you dont pay, they do their job pretty
well, and they are not as heavy.
for example: 2 antiviruses that i've tried that are not heavy or slow
down my compuer are: avast, and avira. both free.


--
motarola2
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?


Yes, you must have an antivirus running on your computer. I am using
NOD32 antivirus with no problems and I was used panda antivirus with no
problems also.
Make sure that you have enough memory installed on your system ( at
least 512MB RAM ) and you don't have a hardware failure with your
installed memory.


--
ahmad12
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

And you never attache devices to your computer
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/15/insignia-photo-frame-virus-much-nastier-than-originally-thought/


"BigJim" <bigjim@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1eydnZ2fO6_C5T_VnZ2dnUVZ_vGdnZ2d@comcast.com...
you can get a virus by opening a compromised webpage so no you
don't need virus protection as long as you stay off the internet.
"husky86" <husky86@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:458663B0-E968-4B54-815E-AB59458292C8@microsoft.com...
>I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus
> programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.
>
> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like
> the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.
>
> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but
> do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
>
> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?
>
> Many thanks for any and all comments!
>
> (I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way, with Microsoft Office
> 2007,
> and Firefox 3 as my web browser.)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?


I have Avast on the majority of my machines, and I have yet to see a
single machine seriously affected in terms of speed by the program -
this includes an old Celeron laptop that was given to me because the
battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore.

I can't remember who did this test, but it was determined that an
unpatched, unprotected PC (i.e., no AV, antispyware, etc.) wouldn't last
more than 4 minutes before being compromised if left open on the
internet. And considering some of the news out of the Black Hat
conference in Las Vegas over the weekend (the hackers got hacked without
knowing it), that 4 minute window may be more like 2.


--
tntoak
------------------------------------------------------------------------
tntoak's Profile: http://winvistaclub.com/forum/member.php?userid=96
View this thread: http://winvistaclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18945
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:40:21 -0700, husky86 wrote:

> I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.

A 'slow' system may not necessarily indicative of a particular software
program.
Monitor programs like Process Explorer, System Explorer or What's Running
can give you an indication what's running in the back ground of your
computer.
You could perform a scan with:
Kaspersky's AVPTool
http://downloads5.kaspersky-labs.com/devbuilds/AVPTool/
There's no updating involved since the scanning engine is updated
several times a day and you simply download the updated scanner whenever
you want to do a scan.

> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.

A number of experts agree that the *retail* AV version of McAfee, Norton
and Trend Micro has become cumbersome and bloated for the average user.
The major criticisms are related to stability and footprint, the most
common problem being slow-downs because of the massive system resources
these applications hog. Sadly, the new version AVG has lost is lustre and
has turned in to a resource hog as well.

> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?

No, you don't; But this is a very controversial issue! The average user
who never heard of operating system hardening etc. should use a good
quality AV application :-)

To keep it simple:

Why don't you try:
Avira AntiVir® Personal - FREE Antivirus
http://www.free-av.com/
--or--
ESET NOD32 3.0 Antivirus for Win XP/2000/Vista 3.0 (30 Day Trial)
http://www.eset.com/download/free_trial_download_int.php

PS: prior downloading/installing the AV apps. ensure that AVG is removed
from your system *completely*.
How to remove AVG Free Antivirus
http://askabouttech.com/how-to-remove-avg-free-antivirus/
--or--
Revo Uninstaller
http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Good luck :-)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm going to reinstall Avast. Out of all the ones I've tried, it was the
least problematic.
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

Many thanks for this very helpful info!


"Kayman" wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:40:21 -0700, husky86 wrote:
>
> > I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> > system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> > Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus programs
> > are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> > experience much more of a headache.
>
> A 'slow' system may not necessarily indicative of a particular software
> program.
> Monitor programs like Process Explorer, System Explorer or What's Running
> can give you an indication what's running in the back ground of your
> computer.
> You could perform a scan with:
> Kaspersky's AVPTool
> http://downloads5.kaspersky-labs.com/devbuilds/AVPTool/
> There's no updating involved since the scanning engine is updated
> several times a day and you simply download the updated scanner whenever
> you want to do a scan.
>
> > I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> > editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like the
> > sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> > functions beautifully.
>
> A number of experts agree that the *retail* AV version of McAfee, Norton
> and Trend Micro has become cumbersome and bloated for the average user.
> The major criticisms are related to stability and footprint, the most
> common problem being slow-downs because of the massive system resources
> these applications hog. Sadly, the new version AVG has lost is lustre and
> has turned in to a resource hog as well.
>
> > I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but do
> > I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
> > Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> > senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> > background? Is it really essential?
>
> No, you don't; But this is a very controversial issue! The average user
> who never heard of operating system hardening etc. should use a good
> quality AV application :-)
>
> To keep it simple:
>
> Why don't you try:
> Avira AntiVir® Personal - FREE Antivirus
> http://www.free-av.com/
> --or--
> ESET NOD32 3.0 Antivirus for Win XP/2000/Vista 3.0 (30 Day Trial)
> http://www.eset.com/download/free_trial_download_int.php
>
> PS: prior downloading/installing the AV apps. ensure that AVG is removed
> from your system *completely*.
> How to remove AVG Free Antivirus
> http://askabouttech.com/how-to-remove-avg-free-antivirus/
> --or--
> Revo Uninstaller
> http://www.revouninstaller.com/
>
> Good luck :-)
>
>
>
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

Not having an antivirus is like walking cross-country barefoot in snake &
scorpion country.
You might get lucky a few times, but eventually you'll get bit.
If you're going to use the net, you need to accept the fact there are a LOT
of people out there that want to either infect your machine (just to show
they can) or steal your data (to get your money).

There are as many opinions of what the best AV is as there are AV programs,
but use SOMETHING!!
I use Avast, AVG8, Clamwin (all free) and NOD32 (paid) on various machines.
Of the Paid AVs, NOD32 is probably among the best.
I avoid Norton/Symantec and McAfee like the plague. I think Panda is
mediocre.

"husky86" <husky86@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:458663B0-E968-4B54-815E-AB59458292C8@microsoft.com...
>I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus
> programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.
>
> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like
> the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.
>
> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but
> do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
>
> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?
>
> Many thanks for any and all comments!
>
> (I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way, with Microsoft Office
> 2007,
> and Firefox 3 as my web browser.)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

Everybody apart from me says "yes, you must have an antivirus program".

I say "no".

My machine has been permanently connected to the Internet, 27/7/365 for four
years without antivirus software of any kind. The most recent 18 months
have been running Vista, prior to that XP SP2.

I've left the Vista security features in their default modes, as installed.

I'm connected via a standard off-the-shelf ADSL router with NAS and the
usual firewall features.

Just to be sure, I run Kaspersky's on-line scanner twice a year (it has the
same detection capabilities as their full-blown product) and my machine
comes up clean every single time.

To be fair, I don't download files from dodgy sites, and I observe the usual
sensible precautions when online. Other than that, I use my machine just
like anyone else would.

I think the threat from viruses and malware is massively overstated. I've
got a good backup regime, so even if my machine does get infected one day,
I'll simply vapourise the disk and reinstall from scratch.

Personally I don't think that will ever happen, and it's wonderful using a
PC with no security software at all (apart from the built-in Vista stuff).

SteveT
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

"Steve Thackery" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:e1wJ7DT$IHA.3392@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Everybody apart from me says "yes, you must have an antivirus program".
>
> I say "no".
>
> My machine has been permanently connected to the Internet, 27/7/365 for
> four years without antivirus software of any kind. The most recent 18
> months have been running Vista, prior to that XP SP2.
>
> I've left the Vista security features in their default modes, as
> installed.
>
> I'm connected via a standard off-the-shelf ADSL router with NAS and the
> usual firewall features.
>
> Just to be sure, I run Kaspersky's on-line scanner twice a year (it has
> the same detection capabilities as their full-blown product) and my
> machine comes up clean every single time.
>
> To be fair, I don't download files from dodgy sites, and I observe the
> usual sensible precautions when online. Other than that, I use my machine
> just like anyone else would.
>
> I think the threat from viruses and malware is massively overstated. I've
> got a good backup regime, so even if my machine does get infected one day,
> I'll simply vapourise the disk and reinstall from scratch.
>
> Personally I don't think that will ever happen, and it's wonderful using a
> PC with no security software at all (apart from the built-in Vista stuff).
>
> SteveT
>


I've run XP for 6 months no AV .. no problems.

Vista I use Kaspersky because I have 16 months left on my subscription.

Not only massively overstated ... intentionally overstated.
You have to convince users of the "disease" they sell the cure for.

--
Hobbes, Tiger Extraordinaire
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?


Well if you know what you are doing on the computer as in no one other
than you uses the comp, then you don't actually need the AV. Be careful
of what websites you visit and also the pen drives you connect to the
PC. Besides that keep UAC enabled and your PC can live w/o an AV.


--
iMav

It's a Microsoft world kid, I am just living in it.
http://beingmanan.com
twitter: manan | Last.FM: manan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
iMav's Profile: http://winvistaclub.com/forum/member.php?userid=35
View this thread: http://winvistaclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18945
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

Simple answer to your question is Yes, you do need an anti virus
application. Don't think you'll ever get a virus? Then think again because,
I can assure you, you will! Play safe and re-install the anti virus
software.

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..


"husky86" <husky86@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:458663B0-E968-4B54-815E-AB59458292C8@microsoft.com...
> I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus
> programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.
>
> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like
> the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.
>
> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but
> do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?
>
> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders, do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?
>
> Many thanks for any and all comments!
>
> (I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way, with Microsoft Office
> 2007,
> and Firefox 3 as my web browser.)
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

On Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:39:12 +0100, Steve Thackery wrote:

> Everybody apart from me says "yes, you must have an antivirus program".

A pompous remark.
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

>> Everybody apart from me says "yes, you must have an antivirus program".
>
> A pompous remark.

You what? When I wrote my reply, every other reply to the OP said "yes", so
I was the only one who said no.

Pillock.

SteveT
 
Re: Do I Really Need an Antivirus Program?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:40:21 -0700, husky86
<husky86@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> I have just about had it with all antivirus programs. They slow down my
> system, they cause problems with individual programs -- for instance Adobe
> Acrobat 8.1 cannot convert webpages to PDF documents when antivirus programs
> are installed -- and in general they just seem to make my computing
> experience much more of a headache.
>
> I have tried Norton, AVG, Avast, McAffee, and others (free and full-paid
> editions). Once I remove any of these programs from my system, it's like the
> sun has come out, the rain and clouds have gone away, and everything
> functions beautifully.


That's not my experience at all. Yes, Norton and McAfee will slow down
your computer, but unless you have a very slow computer to begin with,
I haven't seen any noticeable slowdown from Avast or AVG.



> I know that this is an age-old question (at least in computer terms), but do
> I really need an antivirus program running on my system?


"Need" is a very difficult thing to evaluate. There are some people
who are extremely cautious in everything they do online, run without
an anti-virus program, and have never been infected.

On the other hand, if one day you are especially tired, had a bad day
at work, had a fight with your spouse, etc., and your guard gets let
down, you can very easily do the wrong thing and get infected.

I think of myself as very cautious person. Nevertheless I have always
used an anti-virus program (as well as several anti-spyware programs),
and wouldn't think of running without one.



> Especially if I don't open any attachments from any known or unknown
> senders,


Not opening attachments is good, and helps protect you.

Do you read E-mail in html? You can easily get infected that way.

Same with newsgroup messages; if you read those in E-mail, you can
easily get infected.

What web sites do you go to. Are you *always* sure that every site you
get to is safe?


> do I really need to have an antivirus program running in the
> background? Is it really essential?


It's your choice, of course. Nobody can tell you what to do, but I
think running without one is foolhardy.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 

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