New Laptop (finally) Win 8 Antivirus thoughts?

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pen

pen

There are some who call me...mod.
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Aug 2, 2007
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N.E. Penna
After nursing along an 8 year old desktop and 6.5 year old laptop we finally decided to get a new computer after the laptop up and died about a week ago.

After going through a bunch of reviews and getting a feel for the new models, we settled on a Toshiba with Win8.

I see it came installed with Norton and the Win8 defender disabled. Just wondering what you guys thoughts are on virus protection and such. Would it be simplest and most effective to just cough up the 90 for 2 years of the Norton? Worth trying to completely delete Norton and trust the Win8 Defender? Or is it better to be shopping for another product?

It came with 30 days of Norton to think about it.

Thanks guys,

Once I get this laptop settled in it'll be time to format and reinstall XP on the old desktop and keep things as simple as possible on there to see if I can keep it for a while just for internet browsing.

pen
 
pen said:
After nursing along an 8 year old desktop and 6.5 year old laptop we finally decided to get a new computer after the laptop up and died about a week ago.

After going through a bunch of reviews and getting a feel for the new models, we settled on a Toshiba with Win8.

I see it came installed with Norton and the Win8 defender disabled. Just wondering what you guys thoughts are on virus protection and such. Would it be simplest and most effective to just cough up the 90 for 2 years of the Norton? Worth trying to completely delete Norton and trust the Win8 Defender? Or is it better to be shopping for another product?

It came with 30 days of Norton to think about it.

Thanks guys,

Once I get this laptop settled in it'll be time to format and reinstall XP on the old desktop and keep things as simple as possible on there to see if I can keep it for a while just for internet browsing.

pen
Click to expand...
Avast! works well and it is FREE for home use.. All our computers use it here and it also integrates into email, chat etc..

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Ray
 
Thanks guys. I'd been running Microsoft Security Essentials for several years now trouble free on these older machines. Since MSE is integrated into Win8, I considered going that route. However, I've read a bunch of problems online where people had issues completely removing Norton so that the Win8 defender (what was called MSE for Win7 and older) will work. If any remnants of Norton's is left, I guess other antivirus programs have issues.

I'd like to run Win8 Defender if that's a good choice, and would rather not pay for the resource hog Norton, so if Defender isn't a good option, sounds like Avast might be a good solution.

Just hate friggin around with a brand new machine and would hate to start out of the gate with a conflict somewhere
 
pen said:
Thanks guys. I'd been running Microsoft Security Essentials for several years now trouble free on these older machines. Since MSE is integrated into Win8, I considered going that route. However, I've read a bunch of problems online where people had issues completely removing Norton so that the Win8 defender (what was called MSE for Win7 and older) will work. If any remnants of Norton's is left, I guess other antivirus programs have issues.

I'd like to run Win8 Defender if that's a good choice, and would rather not pay for the resource hog Norton, so if Defender isn't a good option, sounds like Avast might be a good solution.

Just hate friggin around with a brand new machine and would hate to start out of the gate with a conflict somewhere
Click to expand...
I have heard that the free Microsoft AV works well too.. I am not crazy about Norton plus you have to pay for it..I have zero experience with Win8 ..

Ray
 
pen said:
Thanks guys. I'd been running Microsoft Security Essentials for several years now trouble free on these older machines. Since MSE is integrated into Win8, I considered going that route. However, I've read a bunch of problems online where people had issues completely removing Norton so that the Win8 defender (what was called MSE for Win7 and older) will work. If any remnants of Norton's is left, I guess other antivirus programs have issues.

I'd like to run Win8 Defender if that's a good choice, and would rather not pay for the resource hog Norton, so if Defender isn't a good option, sounds like Avast might be a good solution.

Just hate friggin around with a brand new machine and would hate to start out of the gate with a conflict somewhere
Click to expand...
I previously ran Norton but now run MSE without apparent problems.
If you do have conflicts with the existing Norton install you may be able to edit your registry manually to remove any Norton elements.
 
Get the Norton uninstaller from Symantec to make sure everything is removed.

These days, I prefer MSE too. No renewals to worry about and it updates via windows update so it is dead simple. It doesn't seem to slow down systems like some AV products I've seen.

-SF
 
You should be fine with MSE and good practices. Just be vigilant. Don't open any unknown emails, don't click on sidebar ads, and stay off warez, porn and torrent sites.
 
I worked for FedEx Kinko's for a long time and they used AVG, which they paid subscriptions for but they also have a freeware program for private use. i've used it for years and will never go back to any of the other mainstream software programs :) Good Luck with the new laptop!
 
Hearth Mistress said:
I worked for FedEx Kinko's for a long time and they used AVG, which they paid subscriptions for but they also have a freeware program for private use. i've used it for years and will never go back to any of the other mainstream software programs :) Good Luck with the new laptop!
Click to expand...
I used Free AVG (the paid version is probably better) for years but found that Avast was rated higher as well as MSE so I decided to change to Avast.. I deal with cyber security at work on the machine PC's and we are forced to use Symantec Endpoint a real resource hog..We used to use Eset and that worked fine and was light on resources but corporate policy dictates in the end..
 
I am running linux (ubuntu). It is totally awesome.

No virus, no anti-virus, no BS.

I don't know why everyone doesn't use it, but then, I don't know much about computers, just enough to wreck them routinely.
 
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Dune said:
I am running linux (ubuntu). It is totally awesome.

No virus, no anti-virus, no BS.

I don't know why everyone doesn't use it, but then, I don't know much about computers, just enough to wreck them routinely.
Click to expand...
I dual boot this laptop with win7/ubuntu but rarely play with ubuntu because I have full blown MS office which I also use at work and it's hard to beat MS Outlook. Not sure if WINE can run MS office 2010 and it's just easier to run Win7 as-is. My company has the MS HUP program so office cost me around $20.00 which included the DVD of the program. Win7 is a good OS in my opinion and the reason MS is targeted by viruses is because so many people use windows. Linux is pretty darn cool and I have messed with it off and on for 20 years and it is much easier to use now for sure..

Ray
 
raybonz said:
Avast! works well and it is FREE for home use..
Click to expand...

IME: Avast slows down older computers to a CRAWL while it downloads it's daily virus definitions update. Once the little bubble pops up and says all is clear, then the comp is running at normal speed again.

pen said:
and would rather not pay for the resource hog Norton
Click to expand...

Symantec heard us all screaming about previous versions of Norton AV's horrendous resource hogging. I've been using it since 2010 and I'm very happy with the current versions. Paying for it is your choice but the performance concerns are a thing of the past.

begreen said:
Don't open any unknown emails, don't click on sidebar ads, and stay off warez, porn and torrent sites.
Click to expand...

You just took all the fun outta the internet BG!
 
FWIW my computer guy said to avoid Win8. Don't know if it true or not, but he claimed the program is a problem in itself.
Tom
 
MasterMech said:
IME: Avast slows down older computers to a CRAWL while it downloads it's daily virus definitions update. Once the little bubble pops up and says all is clear, then the comp is running at normal speed again.



Symantec heard us all screaming about previous versions of Norton AV's horrendous resource hogging. I've been using it since 2010 and I'm very happy with the current versions. Paying for it is your choice but the performance concerns are a thing of the past.



You just took all the fun outta the internet BG!
Click to expand...
I have never experienced this slowdown. Avast does incremental virus sig updates which aren't too large and this isn't a top end laptop.. Wonder if you have a setting in Avast turned on to create the issue?

Ray
 
raybonz said:
I have never experienced this slowdown. Avast does incremental virus sig updates which aren't too large and this isn't a top end laptop.. Wonder if you have a setting in Avast turned on to create the issue?

Ray
Click to expand...
Have had this problem across multiple OS/Computer setups. If it's a setting and somebody knows what it is, then please, by all means, enlighten me. :)
 
MasterMech said:
Have had this problem across multiple OS/Computer setups. If it's a setting and somebody knows what it is, then please, by all means, enlighten me. :)
Click to expand...
I never allow Avast to auto scan my system. Really no need if it runs all the time..
 
MasterMech said:
IME: Avast slows down older computers to a CRAWL while it downloads it's daily virus definitions update. Once the little bubble pops up and says all is clear, then the comp is running at normal speed again.



Symantec heard us all screaming about previous versions of Norton AV's horrendous resource hogging. I've been using it since 2010 and I'm very happy with the current versions. Paying for it is your choice but the performance concerns are a thing of the past.



You just took all the fun outta the internet BG!
Click to expand...
Check your settings MM turn on silent mode and turn off boot time scan too.. Lots of settings in Avast..
 
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