What anti-virus and security program do you use?

[Clipper]

For the past several years I have subscribed to Norton's premium package that covers my laptop, Ipad, cell phone as well as my desktop PC. It comes up for renewal next month so I thought I would seek some input on other programs, there pluses and minuses, and see who uses what to protect all their devices with a single security package.

I have been satisfied with the anti-virus portion of the program, but I have noticed that I still get malware every now and then. I have since began to use Malware Bytes to remove the malware, but does anyone use a program that is a "do all/fix all?"

Norton is running a holiday special with the cheapest program selling for $19.99, the standard program selling for $29.99, and the premium program that I use at the present time for $49.99 ( a $30 savings over what I paid last year)

What do you use and what are the features and capabilities that you like about it?

[Deleted]

Avast, free version. Does the job and I never have had a problem. I never get malware either. I do have Malwarebytes, free version. Run it once a month or every other month and never had a report that malware was discovered.

[Clipper]

Thanks Will. I used to use Avast also but one time I had something get through and had to take the computer into the shop to get rid of it. Avast was always pretty good until that time. I also was running it on my laptop up until I bought the premium Norton and then I thought since I am paying for software that covers mulitiple devices, I might as well USE it on mulitiple devices.

I was just talking to my sister and she said that they use Kaperski. I had never heard of it, and she doesn't know anything about it other than the fact that it is the program they use as anti-virus. Ralph just advised me a short time ago to sign up again for the "free trial" of Malware Bytes. I had used it before but the trial had run out. Before I changed browsers, I was getting all sorts of malware and garbage with firefox.

I am just about totally at a loss when it comes to possessing any significant amount of knowledge when it comes to things computer related. I just thought I would throw it out there and see what anyone else is using and how they like it. Thanks for the reply Will. Have a good day. Stay warm and be safe.

[clarencebunsen]

I liked Norton when Peter Norton ran the company. After he sold it, it seemed to me like they lost focus. No real problems that I know of though.

Dave always like Kapersky but after their links to the Russian government came out I'm not sure about them.

This computer cam with Macafee pre-installed. After the trial period expired, I moved on but it keeps hanging around. After I re-boot I often get a notice that my firewall is turned off. When I go to turn it back on I get an offer to buy Macafee. Anoying enough that I'm sure I won't buy from them.

[Clipper]

I get that notice from MacAfee also CB. I haven't noticed it since switching to Edge. I wonder if it was left behind when I switched browsers or if it just simply hasn't popped up YET on this browser.

The one major thing that may prompt me to stay with Norton is the multiple devices thing at no extra charge for all of my devices.

I saw my brother in-law and he said that they haven't had any issues with Kaperski, but like you, I shy away from the Russian connection.

[Dave S]

McAfee products are notoriously had to uninstall. If this link doesn't work, search for MCPR.

service.mcafee.com/webcenter/portal/cp/home/articleview;jsessionid=EeR-Zb8pHuZz2XtlX99nAPIyUBCB4Pi0PDO5OwshkTQzEWcHHqfb!555299754!-59364372?articleId=TS101331&_afrLoop=1863006060481378#!%40%40%3F_afrLoop%3D1863006060481378%26articleId%3DTS101331%26centerWidth%3D100%2525%26leftWidth%3D0%2525%26rightWidth%3D0%2525%26showFooter%3Dfalse%26showHeader%3Dfalse%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D16xf4g91hj_4

[clarencebunsen]

Thanks, Dave.

[Clipper]

I wonder if McAfee is using up any significant amount of hard drive space by running in the background. It never has been a real problem other than being a bit of a pain having to check my firewall status when it pops up.

[Dave S]

Hard drive space it kind of irrelevant, assuming you have modern PC.
It may take up some memory.
Having a half uninstalled security program that thinks it is still in charge is the problem.
McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool (MCPR) is the full name of the removal tool.
If you are interested in the uninstall program this will get you there, and show you a preview of the real URL.
goo.gl/fSkWAW+
I hate link shorteners, but I should have never posted that idiotic URL.

[Clipper]

Dave said "
Quote
Edit


Dave said "Hard drive space it kind of irrelevant, assuming you have modern PC. "

Hmmm. I don't know a hard drive from a floppy disc Dave, other than my more recent computers don't have a place to stuff a floppy disc, haha.

However, following the directions you provided, I did manage to uninstall MacAfee. Thank you.

[clarencebunsen]

Thanks Dave. That link looks useful. Feel free to introduce yourself or register, or not,
we are pretty easy going about such things. if you register, you get the secret handshake and the keys to the Steam Room.

Clipper, hard drives used to be a stack of metal disks coated with magnetic material. The disks rotated at high speed. The heads which wrote data and read data flew close to but did not touch the disks. They were hard disks because they were metal. Floppy disks were made of mylar coated with magnetic material. They rotated at a much slower speed and the heads were in physical contact with the disk.

Floppy disks were introduced by IBM and spread rapidly. The initial size was 8" diameter and recorded on only one side of the disk. In the late 70s the 5 1/4 inch format was introduced. The smaller size rapidly became popular in the developing PC market. That was about the time I became involved in designing heads for them. There was a lot of innovation at the time: single sided recording to double sided. More tracks per side. More data per track.

About 1980, the company I was working for saw the market beginning to decline and sold it's head tehnology to a Japanese company. I was the guy who trained Japanese engineers how to build floppy disks heads. A year after they completed the training, some of them came back and showed me the first 3 1/2 inch floppy I had ever seen. I was blown away. Smaller format, more data, more robust. I asked them how they had done that. 30 engineers all assigned to fixing the weaknesses and filling needs. After hat ther was one increase in data capacity aand then it became a race to build stuff cheaper and all manufacturing moved to Asia.

The hard drive story lasted a bit longer and a lot of it was driven by Al Shugart who founded Seagate. He couldn't call it Shugart because he lost trademark rights to his name when he sold his first company which made floppy disk drives.

Summary of hard drive history: smaller, faster, more data.

This computer has a SSHD, a Solid State Hard Drive. It really isn't a drive. It's a big memory chip. No moving parts. Not much heat. Probably will last a long time.

Side note: Barb needed to access DVDs for her Stephen Ministry stuff this month. I spent $25 on Amazon to buy an external DVD player for her computer.

[Clipper]

I did not mean I literally didn't know a floppy disc from a hard drive CB. I remember using the first computer that landed on my desk in the early 80's. A Z100 with a double floppy drive. A single desktop unit with the monitor incorporated into the machine. The next upgrade brought a desk top cpu with a separate monitor an a tractor drive dot matrix printer. Over the years any computer issues that occurred with computers I used at work were addressed by the IT people and I simply never took an interest in the inner workings of the machines. My time was occupied with using the computer to track work related data, create and use spreadsheets and to use the word processing programs to create memos, reports, and other printed documents.

I never really had an interest in having a personal computer until the internet became so popular and I was caught up in the amazement of having all that information available at the click of a mouse or touch of a key. Now I wish I had taken an interest while I had the people with the technical knowledge to teach me about the inner workings and components related to the machines and devices.

My son actually was the first one to have a personal computer. I bought him a computer at Radio Shack when he was quite young. I can't remember the name of the machine, but I think I only paid around $300 for it at the time and it was pretty much the latest technology available in home computers at the time.

Thank goodness I am able to network with folks that can give me the guidance and advice when it is needed. You, Dave, and Ralph have helped me immensely over the years.

While I don't know the inner workings of the computer, I use it constantly throughout the day, reading the news, communicating with friends, reading blogs and the forum, sending and reading email etc. I also use it instead of a telephone directory, and to make reservations, find routes and directions to places I need to go, and to google general information and answers to any questions that arise on any given day. I would be lost without my desktop, laptop, smart phone and Ipad now.

I guess I never have taken a big interest in knowing the terminology, megabytes, terabytes, gigs etc.

[Ralph]

    I used to like Norton, then it became quite invasive and bogged down the PC.  It is also extremely hard to get rid of.
We have been using Avast for maybe 10 - 11 years or more now without any problems.  Yes, sometimes there is some Malware that gets in, but if I keep up on the scans with Malwarebytes I can catch them before they do any damage.
    The last time I got an infection that did any damage, or was exceptional hard to get rid of was around 12 years ago.