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| Antivirus Renewal? | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 21 2013, 12:44 PM (880 Views) | |
| dogleg | Dec 21 2013, 12:44 PM Post #1 |
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Super Poster
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I bought a new desktop several months ago that came with 'free' Norton antivirus software protection which runs out unless renewed. Would I be well advised to renew it (1 yr. $40. I think) or is there something better available for less or no money? Some of the comments I have read say Windows 8 has all the built-in protection you will ever need. In addition some folks say programs like Norton only add 'resource stealing' on your system and don't add any protection?????
Edited by dogleg, Dec 21 2013, 01:03 PM.
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| FuzzyO | Dec 21 2013, 01:08 PM Post #2 |
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Many of us use the Microsoft Security Essentials. Free, and MSE seems to do the job. |
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| Trotsky | Dec 21 2013, 01:40 PM Post #3 |
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Big City Boy
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dogleg, Use MSE. I switched after 10 years with Norton. It's as good, less intrusive, and FREE. |
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| campy | Dec 21 2013, 01:44 PM Post #4 |
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Handyman Extraordinaire
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AVG is OK as well and free. Sometimes getting a download is tough. We had this topic before in a thread called Free virus program. I don't know how to link to the thread. Can anyone help using a tablet. Edited by campy, Dec 21 2013, 01:51 PM.
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| Delphi51 | Dec 21 2013, 02:39 PM Post #5 |
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Did Norton find any viruses in those months? |
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| Dialtone | Dec 21 2013, 02:44 PM Post #6 |
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Gold Star Member
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DL, Win 8 comes fully equipped with Windows Defender. Your "free" Norton is only a teaser meant for you to subscribe for the rest of your life. I would advise uninstalling it (control panel programs and features ), and then just use Windows Defender, it's the exact same definitions as Microsoft Security Essentials. In your control panel, you have a icon for Windows Defender, you can set it up when it scans, and it usually downloads new malware definitions every day. Windows 8 is one of the most secure versions of Windows, has a good firewall, good security, runs light and fast. |
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| reactivate | Dec 21 2013, 03:26 PM Post #7 |
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Gold Star Member
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First, you should realize that Norton AV, just like virtually ALL anti-virus programs is not sufficient protection. To keep your system running smoothly and well protected you need much more than a simple AV program. You need at least a handful of various programs all running with up to date data and all acting in unison. Packages that do this job are usually called something like a "Security Suite" and all contain an anti-virus program as well as much more. Norton is unquestionably the best. It is a leader in this field and has held the number one position for well over a decade. It not only is complete, but runs with little attention from you and does so with less impact on your system performance than any other suite. Like all top drawer programs, it has its detractors but you don't become number one by being an inadequate piece of software to the best system managers in the world. There are other suites out there and Microsoft Defender is one that has been well accepted and it is free. Personally, I use Norton 360 and always buy it around October because it always goes on sale. Typically, it is around $60 for a copy good for three systems. If you don't have three systems to protect, I believe you can get a single system copy. It provides a simple to use suite that provides full system administration. Everything from AV to Firewall to Backup and a great deal more. It will protect your identity, warn of hazardous web sites, clean your temp files, clean your Registry, help cleanup your Startup files and do all this with little attention from you. It has near zero impact on performance since all scans and even backups are done without intervention and while the system is idle. But, there is a cost every year. I just happen to feel it is worth it. |
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| dogleg | Dec 21 2013, 03:29 PM Post #8 |
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Super Poster
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Thanks to all. I found Windows Defender on my Control Panel. It says it is "turned off". How do I activate this software? I did open the app. but am a bit confused by it. Thanks. |
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| campy | Dec 21 2013, 03:31 PM Post #9 |
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Handyman Extraordinaire
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Holy Moly guys. Where oh where do you go on the internet to need all that extra security? I think I have been using computers since Noah was found in the bullrushes. In all that time I have had ONE virus that caused a problem. Edited by campy, Dec 21 2013, 03:47 PM.
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| reactivate | Dec 21 2013, 03:48 PM Post #10 |
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Gold Star Member
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Once you remove the Norton product, Defender will turn on automatically or warn you that it needs to be turned on. Beyond that, there isn't much to do. Updates are automatic through the Windows Update system (I think). I haven't used it for some years. It has an AV component, a Firewall component (inbound at least). When I last used it, it had no outbound component. Other aspects of Windows perform in place of components that you might find in a good Admin suite. User File Backup and System imaging along with Recovery are all included in the basic Windows. There are some tools for administering Startup and Resource and Performance monitoring but most people ignore these utilities. |
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| Delphi51 | Dec 21 2013, 04:19 PM Post #11 |
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Well, I'm younger than that! I did have several viruses in the years before Internet. I brought student floppy disks home to mark things. Maybe one or two after internet until I learned not to ever open an attachment from an unknown source. In the last 10 years of running a virus checker all the time, it never found anything. Since then, I just run Malwarebytes once a month. It never finds anything, either. I do know that some people attract malware and I do advise them to run the Microsoft security programs or Avira. I run a firewall on my desktop and it has never caught an attack, either, but at least it doesn't consume half the processor power of my old computer. |
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| campy | Dec 21 2013, 04:33 PM Post #12 |
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Handyman Extraordinaire
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I'm kind of a suspicious guy. Do you think maybe, just maybe the companies that sell anti virus programs also introduce them? |
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| wildie | Dec 21 2013, 05:35 PM Post #13 |
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Veteran Member
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Why Campy, would you think that! These A/V company's are headed up by the most honest, upstanding people that you would care to meet! Guy's like Conrad Black, for instance! |
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| Delphi51 | Dec 21 2013, 05:51 PM Post #14 |
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A British computer news site is reporting the MS virus checkers aren't very good.
It just occured to me that it might be the computer makers who have the biggest interest interest in viruses. The virus checkers use so much computer power that people are buying new computers with extra processors to run them. |
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| dogleg | Dec 22 2013, 08:40 AM Post #15 |
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Super Poster
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I am having trouble confirming that Windows Defender is active. Can someone help with this please. |
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