Thanks. But I read that although Avast is the best of the free AV, it isn't as good as some of the paid-for versions. As I noted in the OP, I'm more interested in effective than free.
Thanks Dan. For some reason I was under the impression that MSE was limited in W7 compared to W8, but I may have got confused with Windows Defender. Or something else.
I use NOD32 Antivirus (not their Smart Security), have done for 6 years (or more). I like it because compared to other paid antivirus it sits there quietly, preferring not to bug you endlessly and doesn't stick it's branding everywhere it can (Looking at you McAfee).
Instead it just gets on with the job it's designed to do without trying to get too clever or overwhelm with extra needless functionality. When it needs to tell you about an infection it does so in an easy to understand way, showing a native-looking Windows dialog with easy to pick choices, not some confangled counter-intuitive brand heavy UI like others do.
It seems lately that Antivirus applications are competing to see who can bolt the most shit on to your OS, including browser toolbars and extras like anti-spyware and anti-spam filters and anti-this-that-and-other. Many of them even alter (and sometimes break) the functionality of other applications without telling you, which is fucking annoying to unpick (still looking at you McAfee). NOD32 does none of this, it runs in the system-tray and mines it's own business.
I agree with HermannD. Microsoft Security Essentials works fine for me. I burrow about in the darker corners of the interweb on a regular basis, and MSE has always picked up on bad shit and rarely identifies a false positive (I intermittently install other ones for their free period to double check)
"We all have flaws, and mine is being wicked." James Thurber, The Thirteen Clocks 1951
Thanks Matt. I seem to have noticed pages opening slower since I've installed some of this stuff. I like the idea of NOD32's unobtrusiveness. One to check methinks.
Used to use AVG but it got over-bloated so switched to MSE. No problems, but then again it isn't until malware is missed and it starts messing up your system that you wish you used a different product. Mind you I suppose no products 100% effective all the time, so MSE might miss something that Avast picks up and vice-versa.
I think having regular back-ups going back a week or so at least is more important should something go wrong.
Last I heard MSE was about the worst of the heap. I used to recommend it all the time, my thinking was who would know how to protect Windows better than MS? Turns out it's some other company!
--------------------------------------------- Give me liberty or, I dunno, something.
I can't say I've had problems with it, but the people who test these types of things say it's pretty shit. I got the attached information from this site. The only thing MSE did well was not wrongly block files. I think that's because it lets pretty much anything execute! :) Anyway, I just wanted everyone to have this info, makes not to me what people use as long as I'm not the poor bastard that has to clean it up!
*Well wtf? I guess Matt's chosen a more stringent AV here at Teh! It won't even let me attach pictures! I shall remedy this shortly!
--------------------------------------------- Give me liberty or, I dunno, something.
bastard by name
