Are you struggling with your old anti virus program? Don't worry, many people are. Anti malware programs have come a long way in the past few years, and have not only become better at removing malware, but have become far less cumbersome and bloated. Gone are the days of sacrificing the speed of your computer to protect it from malicious software. You can have both speed and protection if you follow the tips in this series of reviews.
All of this is based on my personal experience as a computer technician. It is all based on my experience and opinions. Feel free to disagree.
So, let's start with the major players in the antivirus market. These are the older companies who have become household names over the last two decades.
Norton Antivirus 2011
Summary: Norton has improved, but it is still missing some of the primary factors which should be considered when choosing a good antivirus program. There are much better choices on the market.
Pros
Medium to High levels of virus detection and eradication. The software catches most, but not all of the major types of viruses. It is useless against both the google redirect virus and rogue security.
Attractive user interface.
Faster and less memory usage than previous versions.
Cons
Norton pressures the user into purchasing superfluous software from Symantec.
The software is still bloated, even if it has improved.
The software doesn't protect the user from the two most common types of viruses.
The claimed memory footprint is a vast underestimate.
Mcafee
Summary: It amazes me that Mcafee is still on the market. This is truly terrible protection, and Mcafee has really not made any improvements in some time. Avoid it at all costs.
Pros
In my opinion there are no Pros to this software.
Cons
Very low modern virus detection rate.
Even lower deletion rate.
Site advisor is absolutely terrible, misleading software. In fact, I believe it is a scam against webmasters.
The worst bloatware I have seen. This software will completely bog down you machine. In fact, even after its removal it is still in your system. Mcafee's own removal tool, available on their support website, is not even sufficient. Replacing Mcafee often requires deletion of upwards of 100 stray registry keys.
Kaspersky
Summary: Kaspersky is, quite simply, the best protection available. However, you need to supplement it.
Pros
GreatVirus removal rate.
Mixed success with rogue security.
Great success with older malware.
Cons
Slightly bloated, but less so than Norton.
Still nags frequently, requires hitting update button.
Trend Titanium
Summary: One of the best on the market. Check it out. The link will be at the bottom of the article. Combined with Frontline Rogue Remover, you could have the best setup available.
Pros
Great removal rate. Not 100%, but better than most.
This program nags the least out of any software I've used. It sits in the background, and you never have to do a thing. It updates automatically. The slogan "Never Push and Update Button Again" seems to be quite excellent.
Cons
Its still not perfect. It removes the Google redirect virus without issues, but Rogue Security is hit or miss.
Other Software:
Webroot: Webroot is good adware protection, but not very good for viruses. Most modern antiviruses have both features, making webroot irrelevant.
Security Essentials: Microsoft has released a decent free antivirus, but it just doesnt stack up against Trend or Kaspersky.
Other Tools:
Frontline Rogue Remover: This is an excellent tool to protect yourself from getting Rogue Security like Security Tool, Security Shield, and the various other titles. I recommend pairing it with whichever antivirus you choose. The link is at the bottom of the page..
I didn't include several other major players in this game, like AVG and Avast, because they simply aren't very good.
All of this is based on my personal experience as a computer technician. It is all based on my experience and opinions. Feel free to disagree.
So, let's start with the major players in the antivirus market. These are the older companies who have become household names over the last two decades.
Norton Antivirus 2011
Summary: Norton has improved, but it is still missing some of the primary factors which should be considered when choosing a good antivirus program. There are much better choices on the market.
Pros
Medium to High levels of virus detection and eradication. The software catches most, but not all of the major types of viruses. It is useless against both the google redirect virus and rogue security.
Attractive user interface.
Faster and less memory usage than previous versions.
Cons
Norton pressures the user into purchasing superfluous software from Symantec.
The software is still bloated, even if it has improved.
The software doesn't protect the user from the two most common types of viruses.
The claimed memory footprint is a vast underestimate.
Mcafee
Summary: It amazes me that Mcafee is still on the market. This is truly terrible protection, and Mcafee has really not made any improvements in some time. Avoid it at all costs.
Pros
In my opinion there are no Pros to this software.
Cons
Very low modern virus detection rate.
Even lower deletion rate.
Site advisor is absolutely terrible, misleading software. In fact, I believe it is a scam against webmasters.
The worst bloatware I have seen. This software will completely bog down you machine. In fact, even after its removal it is still in your system. Mcafee's own removal tool, available on their support website, is not even sufficient. Replacing Mcafee often requires deletion of upwards of 100 stray registry keys.
Kaspersky
Summary: Kaspersky is, quite simply, the best protection available. However, you need to supplement it.
Pros
GreatVirus removal rate.
Mixed success with rogue security.
Great success with older malware.
Cons
Slightly bloated, but less so than Norton.
Still nags frequently, requires hitting update button.
Trend Titanium
Summary: One of the best on the market. Check it out. The link will be at the bottom of the article. Combined with Frontline Rogue Remover, you could have the best setup available.
Pros
Great removal rate. Not 100%, but better than most.
This program nags the least out of any software I've used. It sits in the background, and you never have to do a thing. It updates automatically. The slogan "Never Push and Update Button Again" seems to be quite excellent.
Cons
Its still not perfect. It removes the Google redirect virus without issues, but Rogue Security is hit or miss.
Other Software:
Webroot: Webroot is good adware protection, but not very good for viruses. Most modern antiviruses have both features, making webroot irrelevant.
Security Essentials: Microsoft has released a decent free antivirus, but it just doesnt stack up against Trend or Kaspersky.
Other Tools:
Frontline Rogue Remover: This is an excellent tool to protect yourself from getting Rogue Security like Security Tool, Security Shield, and the various other titles. I recommend pairing it with whichever antivirus you choose. The link is at the bottom of the page..
I didn't include several other major players in this game, like AVG and Avast, because they simply aren't very good.
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