What Antivirus Security is Lightweight, but GOOD?

[Daubie]

I just purchased an Alienware package, via Dell, not so much for Aces High but for another very high end flight combat sim.  Yeah I know about Dell.  I built a PC 18 months ago, I know how, but I cannot beat Dell's sale price by going to NewEgg.

This PC will be for gaming only, GTS 545 in a dual SLI setup at stock speed, second generation Intel i7 family at 3.9 GHz.  I would rather get the GTX 580 but I will wait for the price to come down, same price for a whole year, so far!  Then rebuild the machine myself.

I run Norton 360 Premium on this Windows 7 Ultimate machine---yeah, I know about Norton, but I NEVER have any issues with any of the negative crap.

I lost a hard drive each to McAfee and CA (whatever the initials are mean) and another hard drive to a Windows Automatic Update.  I turned Windows Update off and use AskWoody.com as to his suggestions and wait a month before updating.  Each time I (me alone) started over to repair damage done.  All repairs have always been done by me in 7 years of doing PCs.

I bought another hard drive specifically for Aces High and dual booted it, Windows 7 Home Premium, 32-bit and Microsoft Security Essentials and picked up something on a YouTube video that messed up my machine.  I fixed it.  I am OK now, but how good is Microsoft's product?  My DSL router is set to highest security level according to my ISP's tech guys.


My question concerning this post/thread and the new Alienware Aurora purchase:
=============================================================
What antivirus/malware/firewall is good for gaming and not too overwhelming?

Thanks for any help.

[jigsaw]

I've been using a combination of System Suite (avanquest.com) and Sandboxie (sandboxie.com) for quite a while. Between the two I've not had any security issues and SS doesn't give me a noticeable performance hit when gaming.

[TwinBoom]

avira free

[guncrasher]

ms essentials it's free with windows and also run sandboxie.  have firefox installed with these addons: wot, ghostery, noscrip, adblock and better privacy.

basically it's not really the anti-virus that get's you in trouble, it's our browsing habits.


semp

[Daubie]

ms essentials it's free with windows and also run sandboxie.  have firefox installed with these addons: wot, ghostery, noscrip, adblock and better privacy.

basically it's not really the anti-virus that get's you in trouble, it's our browsing habits.


semp

Thanks to all who replied.

Specific to Firefox, I too run WOT and Better Privacy and thanks for the tips on the others.

My C: drive is Norton 360 premium for Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit

My F: drive is  Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 Home Premium, strictly setup for 32 bit gaming only.

My new Alienware Aurora will be strictly a gaming rig with Windows 7 Pro.  But that will be a few weeks coming and getting setup for it.  And a 3D setup.

I picked up, I think it was malware, on YouTube surfing for the songs in the movie, "Polar Express" on my F: drive.  I flat just cold shutdown, pushed the start button and held it in until it turned itself off.  Upon on restart I did my C: scan 1st, then separately my F: drive scan and was OK.  No harm done.  Then did deep scans using a Norton utility.

Just surfing non-adult sites to Google, just searching, I sometimes pick up crap.

[ebfd11]

I use Eset Nod version 5 and it has a gaming mode which I use and it runs light in your computer.

http://go.eset.com/us/search-brand?CMP=KNC-g-ag&gclid=CJjx47PamK0CFcNo4AoddQEDmA

You might want to check them out.

LawnDart

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Just surfing non-adult sites to Google, just searching, I sometimes pick up crap.

I surf adult sites and whatever, never pick up crap. FF+noscript, no antivirus. But I don't use windows for surfing. OSX or linux only.

I use windows only for playing games - I don't trust it for anything else.

[TequilaChaser]

I use Eset Nod version 5 and it has a gaming mode which I use and it runs light in your computer.

http://go.eset.com/us/search-brand?CMP=KNC-g-ag&gclid=CJjx47PamK0CFcNo4AoddQEDmA

You might want to check them out.

LawnDart

Although it is "overkill" on my part,  I use ESET's Smart Security Suite 5.0  which also includes Esets NOD 32 5.0

( btw, you can purchase a 3 users ESET SSS 4.0 software from newegg for around  $59.00 currently  and receive automatic free upgrade to 5.0 version )

it has a very small footprint and has not gave me any issues since I started using ESET many years ago ( I originally used ESET Nod32 antivirus along with zonealarm pro , then switched to ESET Smart secuirty  and dumped zonealarm )

but regardless of what a person uses for malware, anti-virus, etc....... it most times is the end user who makes the mistake by clicking on a website or using java/javascript web programs or flash, etc... and actually gives permission and lets the troublemaker in, voluntarily...... letting it bypass your anti-virus or whatever..... then their are those "drive by" websites like facebook, or the like to where you think you are being a cautious websurfer but are not fully versed on how one can become infected......  YMMV

keeping up to date on how to keep from becoming infected by PC virus, malware, spam, rootkits, torjans, etc.... is really more important than just thinking hey, what is the best "anit-virus/ firewall program to use"......

if one was to study the subject and stay on top of it, one can seriously get by not using any type of software firewall or anti-virus software and still be able to surf the web without becoming infected.  it just takes good internet using practices and some knowledge of how they are transfered across the net  / through email, etc.....

for those that rather rely on software for protection, I would recommend ESET's products..... but regardless of what one uses, none of it is 100% fullproof of protecting you


TC

[ozrocker]

Avast    Free, been using it for over 5 years


                                                                               
                                                                                                                            Oz

[Bizman]

Avast and MSE are both light and have a good reputation among the free ones in finding known viruses. Plus Windows' firewall, of course. I've seen most brand antivirus programs fail, when the user has not known what he was doing clicking those Internet popups saying his computer is at risk. Can't remember the name of the last summer's epidemy which shut down almost any antivirus, but it had to be accepted four times by clicking the popup before it was able to do harm...

So the lightest antivirus sits between the keyboard and the back rest, assisted by any known good one you can understand.

[oboe]

I run MSE and have not had a problem until this week.  It occurred right after click 'Finish' to an Adobe Reader auto update, and suddenly I had the "Win 7 Internet Security" trojan virus.

I restore Windows from my most recent Restore Point, and ran a full scan with MSE - didn't find anything.   Then I DL'd and installed the latest Malwarebytes AntiMalware, and ran a quick scan with that.  Found it and killed it.

So I'm still running MSE but no longer impressed and looking for something else that is free.

[Daubie]

I run MSE and have not had a problem until this week.  It occurred right after click 'Finish' to an Adobe Reader auto update, and suddenly I had the "Win 7 Internet Security" trojan virus.

I restore Windows from my most recent Restore Point, and ran a full scan with MSE - didn't find anything.   Then I DL'd and installed the latest Malwarebytes AntiMalware, and ran a quick scan with that.  Found it and killed it.

So I'm still running MSE but no longer impressed and looking for something else that is free.

Get Secunia PSI, and run it monthly, will find updates for you.  It is free.  Also, read, http://www.AskWoody.com/

[Daubie]

I surf adult sites and whatever, never pick up crap. FF+noscript, no antivirus. But I don't use windows for surfing. OSX or linux only.

I use windows only for playing games - I don't trust it for anything else.

I started playing with Linux Ubuntu on my old Dell on a new hard drive a few months ago.  I could not find drivers for my old HP printer: HP Photosmart 7450 . This printer runs fine on my 18 month old custom built machine in Windows 7.

Linux is outrageously difficult for a Windows only guy.  I admire those guys that did Linux before the new distro's, like Red Hat, etc.  Ubuntu is a bit easier.  The IT guy that oversees my local public library's PCs, his 4 home machines are all Linux and the guru I run to for help.

Like a Mac or Linux---most all games are Windows based.  

My 90's games were/are DOS, but still Windows.

[Bizman]

I run MSE and have not had a problem until this week.  It occurred right after click 'Finish' to an Adobe Reader auto update, and suddenly I had the "Win 7 Internet Security" trojan virus.

I restore Windows from my most recent Restore Point, and ran a full scan with MSE - didn't find anything.   Then I DL'd and installed the latest Malwarebytes AntiMalware, and ran a quick scan with that.  Found it and killed it.

So I'm still running MSE but no longer impressed and looking for something else that is free.

This is one of the most difficult thing for people to understand: Those "Win 7 Internet Security" things are actually not viruses! That's why antivirus programs don't necessarily find them.

I remember an antivirus review a few years ago, where Norton was surprisingly lightweight. The reason was, that they had stripped a bunch of malware detection. Why? Because the malware makers said Symantec was hindering their business which, according to them, was to enhance people's computer using experience. Viewing your experience this way, you were offered a chance to evaluate a security program.

The main symptom of a computer virus is, that it spreads itself all over both in your computer and outside to all connections you have. A rogue security program doesn't do that, it only installs itself and may leave ports open for other nasties.

[oboe]

You know I looked this one up and I do believe it was termed a rogue security program, and I did misuse the term virus.  Malware would probably be a better broad classification than virus.  Regardless what it's termed, it is something I expect a good security program to preempt and protect me from. 

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