OT: What is the best anti virus

By best, I mean most efficient. The one that I am using is a resource hog, especially processor resources.

I disable the network when I am in Sonar. But other times, I use the computer for general stuff, including web.

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

Tom

AVG Antivirus hands-down. It finds viruses that Norton can't find. And it's so light, you can run it all the time!

Find it at free.grisoft.com

Edit: Good one, Larry! Great minds think alike? Maybe you had more coffee than me this morning?

This should be q question for Pcmag.com forums ~~~> http://www.pcmag.com/

Peace

I agree, AVG. I uninstalled Norton's on my second computer, a Windows 98 SE that I use primarily for email and web, installed AVG and it shuts down in a fraction of the time that it used to. When I had my DAW repaired last December (bad hard drive and phone modem), the computer guys recommended it, and it works great on that machine as well.

I use AVG also. Norton is a huge, intrusive pig that I wouldn't impose on my enemies, much less on my friends or my DAW.

Another vote for AVG - even runs while multiple audio tracks are playing back, no drop-outs!

ORIGINAL: jamesg1213
Another vote for AVG - even runs while multiple audio tracks are playing back, no drop-outs!

I wonder if AVG even appreciates this aspect of their software. I know we sure do!

One more vote for AVG.

Nod 32

Any info would be helpful.

Use something to partition out your drive, and run Sonar on it's own partition, with no other software than audio, and put the network on permanent disable.

Or, if you can afford Sonar, you should be able to afford another hard drive, since they are a fourth the price of Sonar... And install XP there, and do what I said above.. Except this way you can use that partition on the other drive for audio files.

That's my info...

Thank you all, this is fabulous information

Tom

Is there a way to easily disable AVG fully?
Thanks

ORIGINAL: Fearful Symmetry

Is there a way to easily disable AVG fully?
Thanks

I think that's not exactly what you want to do (uninstall is easier) - but turning off the daily scan at startup can be disabled via the scheduler - doubleclick the entry, and it lets you turn it off.

If you can possibly swing it, regardless of antivirus being used, I would strongly suggest a SMALL second boot... another Windows copy, or even better... something like UBUNTU linux.

Take the first if you want to use Windows apps when you're online... Outlook, IE, etc, and I personally would suggest Vista for it... IMO, it's better for the web than XP, though XP with an antivirus, spam filter, spyware detector, and some common sense is considerably more secure than it used to be.

Take the second if you don't need Windows apps when you're online, like if you use Firefox for surfing, and Thunderbird for email. It's a simple install, with the side-benefit of not costing anything.

ORIGINAL: Roflcopter
[Axe mode on]
BUY A MACINTOSH!!!
[runs away]

Here's what I do:
I have an iMac that is my primary web machine... firewall on, and network only enabled when I'm actually doing something that needs it. As much as people like to jab Axe (and I have as well), there is some validity to Macs having a smaller virus vector than PCs of the past (Vista might prove to be an exception to this historical rule, and Macs being Intel/Unix has definitely eroded a bit of their assumed security), but out of habit I do most of my web stuff on it.

I also have a Vista install on my laptop that I've been using online without any issue... a dual-boot system with XP Home being my mobile DAW. Now that Windows (with Vista) has made all users... well, users... rather than administrators, Vista has in common with Unix one of the things that helped Unix/Linux/Mac get tighter security out of the box. Definitely a good move, and way overdue.

The real truth of the matter is that the web has many more "threats" than just virus and spyware, and the FW reports we're seeing here at work say that for those, operating system doesn't matter so much, and antivirus won't catch them.
We've even seen at least one multiple-binary attack, Unix/Linux and exe... so the bad guys are figuring out the implications of Mac going Intel/Unix, and more people using Linux because of assumed security.

If it's virus protection you're looking for, a dual boot system with vista or linux definitely helps you at the moment.
If it's everything else... ONLY go online when you need to and turn it immediately off, and get an EXTERNAL firewall (and read the reports it generates).

Don't think about one (virus/spyware) and ignore the other (everything else... root kits, true hacks, etc.)...

Take care,
- zevo

there is some validity to Macs having a smaller virus vector than PCs of the past (Vista might prove to be an exception to this historical rule)

Truth be told, that's mainly because of its lower market-share than it being inherently safer by design. You saying Vista won't even get that marketshare?

Seriously, I agree with most of your points - but not all of us are so easily attunable to different platforms, and as you already point out, just using Linux out-of-the-box these days isn't really much of an improvement.

Hardware/external firewall with good IDS with logs that get read every once in a while is the best, and your advice to look at more than just one type of threat a very wise one.