What to use as a backup AV tool?

[Paradutch]

Since most of you guys advised me to use Avast 4.6 over AVG....(which i did and i am happy about that) i have another question:

What do the experts here use as second AV tool?? I mean lets be honest...NO AV tool has a 100% coverage. right?
Another (free) installed AV software....or at certain times just an AV check up with a website (trend Micro,panda...etc..etc..)Right now i am impressed with Antivir (free version)...it's fast....and doesn't use too much memory. An disadvantage however is the fact that sometimes i have troubles updating Antivir....:-(

Untill recently I used F-prot for windows as a backup AV...but I must say i am kindda turned down by the interface and the fact that in some magazines F-prot didn't got away very well in an comparison AV test.
The update size of Antivir however seems pretty large:-( So is Bitdefender 8.0 free...

Any feedback from you experts here?? What kind of AV tool do YOU use as a backup?

TIA.

Paradutch.

[hollywoodpc]

There are so many you can choose . Seems money is an issue so , I would use BitDefender free . Does a good job . Good back up . Might be better than Avast . lol . Not sure though . AntiVir is an excellent choice , in my opinion .

[WSFuser]

i actually use ewido as backup for its strong trojan detection. ill keep an open mind to other's preferences tho.

[starfish_001]

I would use BitDefender free and good


or you could use one of the webbased scans F-secure, KAV.


oe may be Doctor Web CureIT is quite handy too

[metallicakid15]

etrust or bitdefender

[Alphalutra1]

I would recommend either antivir or bitdefender. Antivir has the best detection, heuristically and definition based, of all the free full fledged av's (that is, avs with an on-access scanner). However, Bitdefender free (only an on-demand scanner), is very good at detection and is a worthy backup. Just disable its running processes from the startup because they take up around 20MB of RAM, which is unessesary because it is not being used in real-time.

Alphalutra1

[The Hammer]

{QUOTE-> Since most of you guys advised me to use Avast 4.6 over AVG....(which i did and i am happy about that) i have another question:

What do the experts here use as second AV tool?? I mean lets be honest...NO AV tool has a 100% coverage. right?
Another (free) installed AV software....or at certain times just an AV check up with a website (trend Micro,panda...etc..etc..)Right now i am impressed with Antivir (free version)...it's fast....and doesn't use too much memory. An disadvantage however is the fact that sometimes i have troubles updating Antivir....:-(

Untill recently I used F-prot for windows as a backup AV...but I must say i am kindda turned down by the interface and the fact that in some magazines F-prot didn't got away very well in an comparison AV test.
The update size of Antivir however seems pretty large:-( So is Bitdefender 8.0 free...

Any feedback from you experts here?? What kind of AV tool do YOU use as a backup?

TIA.

Paradutch. <-QUOTE}No expert but I periodically choose at random one of eight online scanners.

[solarpowered candle]

{QUOTE-> No expert but I periodically choose at random one of eight online scanners. <-QUOTE}

same. I use kaspersky and bitdefender online

[Kerodo]

Do you guys worry about any privacy issues with the online scans? I have never used one, but I wonder if its possible for them to see all your files, good or bad, since they are scanning your HD. Or does it not work like that? I am not sure I would want someone having a list of all my files, and I'm not even trying to hide anything either. Any thoughts on this? Or am I out in left field somewhere getting it all wrong? :)

[zapjb]

I concur BD free.

[The Hammer]

{QUOTE-> Do you guys worry about any privacy issues with the online scans? I have never used one, but I wonder if its possible for them to see all your files, good or bad, since they are scanning your HD. Or does it not work like that? I am not sure I would want someone having a list of all my files, and I'm not even trying to hide anything either. Any thoughts on this? Or am I out in left field somewhere getting it all wrong? :) <-QUOTE}I don't believe it works like that. Bitdefender for example asks you if you would like to submit a report to them of the findings at the end of the scan and I believe you can find out what kind of info is in it. I guess it comes down to trust really and some have EULA's you can read.

[Kerodo]

Ok, that sounds good enough. I guess if it were an issue we'd all have heard about it like crazy by now anyway. Thanks Hammer...

[Paradutch]

Thanks guys...

I guess I will leave my Antivir and BD on my HD...they are not configured for on-access...so it can't harm with my Avast which is fully loaded when XP starts up.
I also will try out several online sites..but I know some sites don't delete the nasties they find?!

I never heard of Dr WEB CureIT.....i will google it..and download it. (I assume it is free?)

Some years ago I also used Norton...but that's not an option for me now;-) Too big....slowing down my machine (512 MB Ram-2400 Mhez AMD Sempron) and from what i read on several sites their updates come online much later then most other AV software. Anyway I also lay of Norman Sandbox...it messed up my PC severly some months ago...when i tried it out (the trial):-(

OO you guys...Avast also has skins to download...i just think it's pretty cool.
I also like that letter "A" that's truning arround when it scans something...
Because I surf the net usualy with Firefox i think i am pretty safe now...(also behind a router). For emailing I use Pocomail..which i realy like: it's fast,secure and has many options.

in all respect but I also tried NOD.....but the interface wasn't realy a thing I liked. Could this maybe become more userfriendly in the future?

cheers

paraDutch.

[zapjb]

Yes v3 of NOD32 is supposed to have a much easier GUI.

[starfish_001]

{QUOTE-> Thanks guys...

I never heard of Dr WEB CureIT.....i will google it..and download it. (I assume it is free?)

paraDutch. <-QUOTE}

http://download.drweb.com/drweb+cureit/

Yep - free

From site

What is Dr.Web CureIt!?
This is a FREE anti-virus and anti-spyware scanner based on the Dr.Web engine which will help you quickly scan and cure, if necessary, a computer operated by MS Windows 95OSR2/ 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP without installation of the Dr.Web Anti-virus.
Dr.Web CureIT! automatically detects the language of the OS it is installed to and sets the scanner interface accordingly (if the local language is not supported, English is enabled).

The utility contains the most up-to-date add-ons to the Dr.Web virus bases updated twice an hour.

Dr.Web CureIT! detects and removes
* Mass-mailing worms * E-mail viruses * Peer-to-peer viruses * Internet worms * File viruses * Trojans * Stealth viruses* Polymorphic viruses * Bodiless viruses * Macro viruses * MS Office viruses * Script viruses * Spyware * Spybots * Password stealers * Paid Dialers * Adware * Riskware* Hacktools * Backdoors * Joke programs * Malicious scripts * Other malware*

[metallicakid15]

alotof fps in dr.web cure it

[Slovak]

Bitdefender free would be my choice for a backup.

[Albinoni]

{QUOTE-> I would recommend either antivir or bitdefender. Antivir has the best detection, heuristically and definition based, of all the free full fledged av's (that is, avs with an on-access scanner). However, Bitdefender free (only an on-demand scanner), is very good at detection and is a worthy backup. Just disable its running processes from the startup because they take up around 20MB of RAM, which is unessesary because it is not being used in real-time.

Alphalutra1 <-QUOTE}

Some questions to ask you:

There seems to be a big confusion and debate with AntiVir versus Avast. Alot reckon that Avast has a better detection rate and alot reckon that Anti Vir has a better detection rate, so really which is the better one. I've heard and read that AntiVir does not seem to update as much as Avast and this is one of its let downs.

I would say the free version of BD would be one of the best On Demand scanners free scanners out there, though it does not support RT scanning. How does one disable it running process from the startup. I thought because this not being a RT scanner, it will not have a running process during startup. To disable the running process from BD free is it done in the prog itself.

[rdsu]

Just use avast! Home for your real-time protection, ewido anti-malware and a good Anti-Spyware as a backup on-demand... ;)

[beetlejuice69]

I use nod, OA, and SpySweeper for on demand.

[Technodrome]

{QUOTE-> alotof fps in dr.web cure it <-QUOTE}

What FPs? “A lot” sounds like a big number here. I use DrWeb here on my machine and have a large number of files but no FPs from DrWeb. In any case if you encounter any FPs with DrWeb or DrWeb Cure-it, send it to them and they will fix it asap.


tD

[<DreamCatcher>]

Hi,

You could use ClamAV(new engine) >

http://www.clamwin.com/content/view/93/1/

I personally like using bitdefender (but does have alot of unneeded processes)

http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Main/view/Download-Free-Products.html

[tiagozt]

BitDefender (pay or FREE Edition)

[JimIT]

{QUOTE-> Untill recently I used F-prot for windows as a backup AV...but I must say i am kindda turned down by the interface and the fact that in some magazines F-prot didn't got away very well in an comparison AV test.Paradutch. <-QUOTE}

I use F-PROT as a backup, and have a lot of faith in it. It's an excellent AV.