I'm just looking to see if there is a less annoying alternative out there than what I have been using. Many years ago, I used Norton and Macafee products and I paid for Norton for some years. They got so bloated and gluttonous about using up the meager system resources of the typical late 90's that I bailed and tried Macafee. They were just the same so I bailed on both, never to return.

I have been using Avast for many years and I'll go back if I have to. Since it was bought out by somebody some years ago, it got to be annoying. You silence it, they update the engine and default reverse your settings. It's free so there's that.

Any new contenders out there?

On Windows, I just stick with Windows Defender.

for Mac I don't have a suggestion.

I run a SuperAntiSpyware scan every once in a while on my Windows machines.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
You silence it, they update the engine and default reverse your settings. It's free so there's that.

I still use Avast. Having to spend a few seconds to go in and redo your notification settings after updates a couple times per year isn't that much of a hassle.

I also run Malwarebytes Premium. I paid around $20 for Malwarebytes back in like 2006, and they turned it into a lifetime Premium subscription sometime during the 2010s. So that was pretty cool of them. Premium subs are now $45/year, so they basically saved their early adopters like me thousands of dollars in membership fees over the years.

If you are going to buy one - Malwarebytes.
You can use it for free but you must manually update and it does not do any real-time scans.
I cannot tell you how many client machines I fixed with MWBytes that were virus infected.
That was when virus's were simpler and more of an annoyance.
Today with Ransomware it is quite serious.
It does a ransomware component but you cannot simply rely on just that - you need regular OS updates, regular backups and solid security practices online with passwords along with being aware of sketchy emails or sites.
Be careful of what you click on.
Today with W10/W11 the built-in AV is quite good too.

PC Matic maybe. I would look into it at least.

I bought a 10 machine BitDefender license on Black Friday for about $20 or something. No complaints so far.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
PC Matic maybe. I would look into it at least.

Yeah, I wouldn't do that.
PC-Matic was a scam company that advertised so much they went legit.
I don't trust them along with the bloatware.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
PC Matic maybe. I would look into it at least.

Yeah, I wouldn't do that.
PC-Matic was a scam company that advertised so much they went legit.
I don't trust them along with the bloatware.

See now this is the kinda stuff I didn't know about.

I use Bitdefender and have for years. Works well and unobtrusive.

Deeply invested in the open source community, I have little use for A/V software, bu where's the love for ClamAV? They made their reputation on e-mail scanning (on mail servers), but they have a stand-alone component too. Seems to be consistently highly-rated on review sites, and free to download. I'd be interested in why those Windows-oriented folks on SF haven't yet included it in the discussion.

i use both free versions of avg + malwarebytes.

Just use what comes with Windows, you don’t need to go crazy. It used to be that A/V on a Mac wasn’t even really needed, that may have changed.

I agree, Windows 10 or newer just use the one it comes with.
Any of the extra ones I've tried did nothing good and often some bad things.
At the very least they slowed things down frequently and spammed the crap out of me ever since with scare tactics.

Anti virus is like wearing a condom. Just find one that is unobtrusive, because ultimately, even the best protects only against the most basic of transmittable diseases.

Security, like safe sex, must take a multi-layered approach. *START* with a good backup strategy, removing admin access from your day-to-day account, and good link-clicking hygiene. Similarly, when practicing safe sex, you *start* with not putting you dick in crazy.

Every professional I have talked to says to use Windows Defender. I have defender backed up by a paid version of Malware Bytes. MB is like $25 a year, and a subscription covers three devices, including phones and tablets.

So, Windows Defender on the computer along with MB, and MB on the Android phone.