Advice PLEASE re anti virus protection.

Just an update that may (or may not) be of interest to those that helped or anyone else considering similar actions.

Have had MSE now for 3 days, NO problems (so far), it runs out of the way but I have been keeping a close watch on it, checking for updates often, it has only ''activated'' or whatever you want to call it twice, both times when a site was trying to instal something about adaware which MSE considered unsafe.

Thank you all once again for your help and advice.

Okay, as everyone said, just had to bite the bullet and go with one of them.

I appreciate ALL your help and advice, but had to choose, so I went with MSE.

Have now downloaded it, removed McAfee (which did NOT want to go), then installed MSE.

After updating it I did a full scan, taking some 2-3 hours and it picked up what it called 9 severe threats, which McAfee never did, don't know what they were, something about exploit.java.

Now updated and run Malwarebytes and it was happy, see how we go.

Thank you all again............

PS. Also ran that ''list of antivirus uninstallers and removal tools'' which removed a lot more of McAfee.

Thanks, have now done that too.

Basically it seems to be, as others here have said, it comes down to personal choice, not much difference in quality between the free Avast and MSE, both it would appear do a reasonable job.

[Elrod]

Some reading that may help answer some of your question/concerns.
Google search > microsoft security essentials avast comparison

Again thank you.

I am still tossing up between MSE and Avast, probably MSE.

[lzk87]

Microsoft Security Essentials ftw

[Elrod]

You're quite welcome.

Wow, that is a bit more than 2c worth, THANK YOU......

[Elrod]

...., however it does seem many of the free ones are as good.

Just which one?

.... I really think it comes down to personal preference.
Try 'em, kick the tires and take 'em for a spin.
They're free!

As maineman said, selecting an AV is more of a personal decision, than a "which is better" decision, since the one's mentioned are all reputable products.
The reason I say it's more of a personal decision, is because no AV program will catch every problem, so it boils down to which user interface you're more comfortable with using.
None of them are 100% effective, so for that reason, it's a good idea to occasionally run a couple of the free online scans, as an extra layer of protection.

At the Security/Tech forum (heavy on the security) that I'm a member of, the 2 most recommended free AVs are Avast, and Avira Antivir, in that order, with Microsoft Security Essentials coming in third.
Avast has a more user friendly interface, is light on resources, and does an excellent job.
Avira is also fairly light on resources, does a good job, but in my opinion, the user interface is a bit more complicated.

I can't comment on Microsoft Security Essentials, as I've never used the program.
It does have a good reputation.
Some of the members like it, and some don't, but as with any software, it boils down to personal preferences.
What you feel comfortable with using.

I recommend you try all 3, and decide for yourself which you are more comfortable with using.
They're all free, so you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Best practice for installing a new AV:
1. Download the AV you want to try.
2. Scan the executable with your present AV. (Always scan anything you download from the internet)
3. Download, and scan, the removal tool for your current AV. (A list of the current tools, and download links, can be found here: List of Antivirus Uninstallers and Removal Tools)
4. Disconnect from the internet.
5. Go to your AVs Control Panel, and disable all protection.
6. Go to Add/Remove programs, and remove all components of your AV.
7. Run the removal tool.
8. Install your new AV.
9. Reconnect to the internet, and immediately update your new AV.

When AVG first came out, it was probably the best free AV on the market.
I used it back then (after having dumped Norton), and liked it.
Now, since version 8.0, every year it seems to be getting more, and more bloated.
I don't think it will be long before AVG goes the way of McAfee, Norton, and Kaspersky; a deeply imbedded resource hog
I've lost all faith in AVG, especially due to the numerous problems AVG 2011 has had with false positives, causing browser problems, and crashing some Windows Operating Systems.

Currently I use ESET Smart Security 4, and love it.
Light, fast, and easy to use.
It has built in AV protection, Spyware/Malware protection, and Firewall.
It's not free, but ESET graciously provided each Staff Member, of the forum I mentioned above, with 5 free licenses for as long as we remain Staff Members, so I decided to give it a try.

...., on the website for Microsoft Security Essentials it says you should NEVER instal a new antivirus programme unless you first uninstal your current one.

Is this true?

True.
The danger, is that one antivirus program may (read this as eventually will) see the others definition files as viruses, and will remove them. This is not so much a problem with manual scans, where you only run one Antivirus program at a time, if you pay close attention to what it detects, and where. If you manually configure it to ignore the other program, and its files, then you minimize the risk from this problem.

The big problem, is the silent threat. Most antivirus programs will scan web based (not necessarily all, like P2P, and IM) file transfers. It is quite common, for one antivirus program, to detect the incoming virus updates for the other. Thinking parts of the definition files are viruses in their own right, the AV will strip these out of the update.
The end result? Instead of having two, or even one, up to date fully functional antivirus programs, you have two severely crippled programs, which are each missing critical definition, and detection files .

So, it is best to have one antivirus program, and keep it up to date and use it properly.
Then, if you experience a problem, or question its efficiency, you run any of the many free online scans.
A few of them are:
BitDefender
ESET
F-Secure
HouseCall
(scans with 20 AV/Malware programs), or Virustotal (scans with 40 AV/Malware programs)

My recommendations for an AV:
Free - Avast
Pay for - ESET

My current security setup:
AV - ESET Smart Security 4
On-demand Malware scanner - mbam (Malwarebytes)
System Monitor - WinPatrol
Browser protection - SpywareBlaster


Just my 2ΒΆ worth.

[craigb]

I did forget to mention that you would need to be on xp SP3 at minimum for avast to run correctly, actually it will run on SP2 but is highly advised to upgrade to SP3 for system security and compatability, and there are no problems with avast running on vista / win 7 32 and 64 bit.

Okay, thank you.

Now I am back to having to decide between Avast and MSE.

Thank you also for all that extra information I will try that.

Just checked my Malwarebytes after 90312 mentioned it and it was some 9 months overdue for updates.

[craigb]

My choice would have been avast, even the free version rates up there with the best paid suite's and avast consumes far less memory than MSE and also cover a far wider area of protection with the multiple shields that are available.
Another thing is if you choose to one day upgrade your MBAM to the pro version there are also no exclusions necessary.
I recommend that you go to this link http://thewebatom.net/uninstallers/security-software/ number 21a in the list to clear out all the leftover componants of McAfee, there is also tools there to delet most other av's you may have used in the past as they can cause conflicts with other security software and they are the legitimate removal tools and not third party either.
If you do happen to still find any leftover files after running a search that wont delet you may have to remove them in safe mode or even by signing in with an admin account, as 90312 stated MBAM also has file assassin which is very handy.

Again, thank you very much.

I will go with MSE then.

I do have the free version of Malwarebytes already and will use that after I delete the McAfee.

Thanks.

[90312]

I hardly ever think of MSE, it sits quiet on the task bar a does it's thing. It updates definitions every day and I never know when. The free version of Malwarebytes is a little more hands on, you'll have to manually update it and scan when you want. It does have file assassin that will get rid of those locked files you can't delete.

Thank you.

That is the way I will probably go.

If you could just allow me a little more info, is MSE easy to use and does it just do what it does without too much fuss?

Thanks again.