Maximum PC

As refer to the recent article by Max.PC, should an Avira (Free) user install AVG Free or just stick to the Avira?

If you are a savvy computer user and know a fake AV program attack when you see it, I would recommend keeping Avira. AVG is not a bad program, however, and I have had personal experience with it recently as my uncle has it on one of his computers. Had to do a little digging in its (AVG's) advanced settings to find how to temporarily disable it (for installling a wanted program so the antivirus doesn't interfere with the programs ability to write to the registry properly during the installation), but it does the job and does it well.

I am using Microsoft Security Essentials for the past 6 months and like it so far. I am using it in Win 7 and Win 8 at the moment and have installed it on five of my friends computers, two at home and three at his business. There is a pronounced difference in how fast his work and home computers run now. He had McAfee on all of them... expired of course....what a pain getting rid of that crap.

Nasty

Nasty, I have never cared for McAfee products, either. They have always been (at least as far as I have evver known) a collection of products thrown together haphazardly that seem to have issues either working in concert or have a problem with their core "engine". I do agree that MSE is a very streamlined and free antivirus/antispyware program (it should be since it is meant for Microsoft XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 products anyway) and works well to protect those OSes. I installed it on my Windows 7 desktop computer earlier this year when I installed a new SSD drive and have yet to be infected. I like it so much that I installed it on a relative's Windows XP Home Edtion system (which he inherited from a local family business) and it work well there, too. I still tell him to keep updating and running weekly scans with other antispyware applications just for good measure, though.

I've used MSE since it came out years ago and haven't switched to anything else for home use. Its funny cause most of the people who use Avast or AVG free all seem to think that MSE is crap. I had to yell at my dad last summer cause he disabled the MSE I had installed on his computer and he ends ups up putting AVG on and still got a virus!

It's really boils down to the internet/file habit of the user and if they really do click every button, open every email and run every .exe file on the net... I swear, I just wonder how people get crap when I have to clean their systems. I haven't had a virus since like 99.

You are right, JBaz. It really does come down to the user's actual computer habits while surfing the 'Net. I have repaired many systems for people who really believe their computer is "infected" when they are told this by some rogue malware program that actually infects their system and holds it hostage by asking the person to pay for the program to clean up the mess that it caused (with the permission of the unwitting user, of course). Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to using a computer and being aware of the threats that lurk on the Internet.

Its not even knowledge, its simple common sense. I just don't understand people who lack it and completely disregard warnings, even when the anti-virus program pops up saying its a threat, then just go on and disables the warning, turn off the AV program and run the damn thing anyways!

I mean MSE, Avast and AVG are all great programs and honestly really simple to install, use and understand. They "dumbed" it down, but how much dummer are they really? I mean really?

One other app I put on every machine I work on is W.O.T. World of Trust. I puts a small circle at the end of every search item after you type in a search and hit enter. If the circle is green, go ahead and click on it, if it is yellow be careful what you click on in the site you opened, if the circle is red and you click on it you will get a warning that that site is malicious.

http://www.mywot.com/

Guys, use this as it will save you hours of fixing friends, families and business computers with various viruses on it/them. It has saved me countless hours of chasing virus infections.

Nasty