New Anti Virus thats good

[broooooooce]

NONE.

 

All AV Software hogs resources and causes conflicts and are just pains in the butt in general. I get angry everytime I use someones box and there is some god damned shield or something in the systray. Just having good instincts about how to browse the web and being able to know when you've likely been infected will get you further than any anti-virus software ever will.

 

I occassionally run Malwarebytes, which I wholeheartedly recommend. I used to be big on SpyBot, but it just got so damned slow.

 

Also, I'm hesitant to share this because it's my very favorite way to dad-proof, kid-proof, whatever-proof other people's PCs and I like that no one else knows about it . . . This Awesome Guy has a hosts file replacement that he's been keeping up to date for like... eight or nine years now. It redirects known bad sites to 127.0.0.1 so they never ever load on your computer. As an added benefit, many advertisements on some sites simply disappear all together and all without breaking the webpages themselves.

 

If you've been around the Internet for a while, and most of you guys have, you know when you've messed up and gone somewhere you shouldn't have and contracted something malicious. It's just as easy to handle these (hopefully) rare events on a case by case basis than to sacrifice system resources and compatibility 24/7/365 (and often pay for the privledge).

 

The best anti-virus software is NONE AT ALL. (I am usually hesitant to give this advice, but it's not like we are members of the general public here--hopefully your instincts are developed enough that this advice might actually be useful).

 

Bruce

PS: And before you ask, no, I have not once had to format prematurely in the last decade and I've never suffered any data loss catastrophies--In fact, I still have files and pictures floating around this box from 1992.

 

EDIT: Additionally, if you use the hosts file replacement linked above and you also immunize using SpyBot, don't just replace the hosts file because SpyBot actually uses a similar yet less thorough approach and makes its own entries to the hosts file. Instead, just copy the hosts file from the website and then add it to the end of your existing hosts file so you benefit from both.

[SpeedCrazy]

Sorry but i strongly disagree. Even trusted sites can download viruses to your computer.

And you say:

Just having good instincts about how to browse the web and being able to know when you've likely been infected will get you further than any anti-virus software ever will.

So what do you do when your infected? And have you ever heard of instantaneous effect viruses.

 

Anyway, we are talking about a kid here, he probably wont notice or even think about where he is visiting at times. That may be your personal decision but dont tell others to do it. If they decide to take the risk fine but dont recommend it.

EDIT:

:angry: :angry: I cant even come up with an adequate response to that load of....

Dan, ignore that ridiculous post.

Edited June 12, 2011 by SpeedCrazy

[broooooooce]

Heh, I guess I was right to suspect this particular opinion of mine wouldn't be very popular . . .

[SpeedCrazy]

Heh, I guess I was right to suspect this particular opinion of mine wouldn't be very popular . . .

If you dont my saying, most people are not vigilant or knowledgeable enough to use that method.

Btw, i still would like an answer to my question.

What do you do when you are infected?

 

Oh and for the record, that statement about having pics from 92 is useless. We all know you haven't had the same box for 19 years, anyone could have pics on their box from 92.

[broooooooce]

If you dont my saying, most people are not vigilant or knowledgeable enough to use that method.

Btw, i still would like an answer to my question.

What do you do when you are infected?

 

Oh and for the record, that statement about having pics from 92 is useless. We all know you haven't had the same box for 19 years, anyone could have pics on their box from 92.

Fair enough, but through different boxes, my files have survived in tact.

 

It's rare that I get infected, quite rare now-a-days compared to the dark times of XP SP1. Usually, if I do get infected, it's just malware or something easily removed and detected by simple malware scanners like Malwarebytes or SpyBot. Hmm. Trying to recall last time I had an actual virus . . . I don't even recall, however, I have in the past used Trendmicro's online virus scan to identify the name of the virus and once I have that, I google around a bit and research how to rid myself of it. I've always been able to find a solution and/or utility posted somewhere that provides a means of removal.

 

You are very correct though, my method is not one that should be employed by everyone (god forbid). Perhaps I shouldn't share my view on this particular issue so carelessly, however, in light of the quality of people that haunt this forum in particular, I figured my perspective might be at least a little beneficial or at least meet with a couple of like minded individuals--I was very surprised to wade through four pages of posts and not see someone say something similar.

 

Oh, and one thing I did forget to mention--the absolute best thing one can do (whether they run AV software or not) is to ensure that their software stays up-to-date. Never put off updates (especially for AV software, actually--out of date AV software is only slightly better than none at all for the average user).

 

Anyway, don't nail me to the cross here--I'm not trying to convert the masses and I agree that perhaps I shouldn't espouse this view so flippantly.

 

Bruce

[SpeedCrazy]

Thanks for expounding, and i apologize for, as you put it "nailing you to the cross".

[DanTheGamer11]

I'm 16 But I do tend to stick to save websites... avast has that safe web thing with its ratings?

Hackers and stuff adapt all the time, with no av and just the firewall you have a bigger chance to get id theft and stuff? plus no way of removing it?

So an AV and something like Spybot(which is real slow anyways and not the best), its sad though avast/mcafee didn't do anything when i went to a site for a pic of a ceph from crysis 2 and there was this virus or something that 'scanned' my pc and they didn't do anything... i turned of the internet but it seemed to still be doing its business so i left the site... any idea what that was

 

Well subscription is out with McAfee so can I uninstall it? I have avast on it now but will likely replace it with MSE!

Edited June 12, 2011 by Dan The Gamer

[gebraset]

Uninstall both, install MSE. Simple as that.

[DanTheGamer11]

Would the minute or two without an AV be dangerous? I installed McAfee but kept its internet review thing... so go offline then uninstall avast then install MSE?

[Phil]

Not a problem.

 

If you want to be extra safe you could temporarily turn on the Windows firewall.

[medbor]

Fair enough, but through different boxes, my files have survived in tact.

 

It's rare that I get infected, quite rare now-a-days compared to the dark times of XP SP1. Usually, if I do get infected, it's just malware or something easily removed and detected by simple malware scanners like Malwarebytes or SpyBot. Hmm. Trying to recall last time I had an actual virus . . . I don't even recall, however, I have in the past used Trendmicro's online virus scan to identify the name of the virus and once I have that, I google around a bit and research how to rid myself of it. I've always been able to find a solution and/or utility posted somewhere that provides a means of removal.

 

You are very correct though, my method is not one that should be employed by everyone (god forbid). Perhaps I shouldn't share my view on this particular issue so carelessly, however, in light of the quality of people that haunt this forum in particular, I figured my perspective might be at least a little beneficial or at least meet with a couple of like minded individuals--I was very surprised to wade through four pages of posts and not see someone say something similar.

 

Oh, and one thing I did forget to mention--the absolute best thing one can do (whether they run AV software or not) is to ensure that their software stays up-to-date. Never put off updates (especially for AV software, actually--out of date AV software is only slightly better than none at all for the average user).

 

Anyway, don't nail me to the cross here--I'm not trying to convert the masses and I agree that perhaps I shouldn't espouse this view so flippantly.

 

Bruce

How would you know if you had a virus? Nowadays viruses are not to obvius and are more there to gather information (like creditcards, keylogging etc..) nothing you probably will notice at all...

[broooooooce]

How would you know if you had a virus? Nowadays viruses are not to obvius and are more there to gather information (like creditcards, keylogging etc..) nothing you probably will notice at all...

I have a gadget that displays the top five CPU processes by usage that I leave displayed on my desktop at all times; I know which processes should be there and how much CPU they should be using. I also monitor my network traffic and work behind a hardware firewall.

 

It's certainly not foolproof, but neither is running AV software. I've tried it both ways and my experience has been more positive doing it the way I've talked about here. Your mileage may vary.

 

Bruce