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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Girl Guide on Friday 10 February 23 09:14 GMT (UK)

Title: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Friday 10 February 23 09:14 GMT (UK)
My current antivirus software will 'expire' in April.  Before I decide to renew with my current provider, Kaspersky, could other Rootschatters tell me who they use?

It will be for just one computer.  I just use the computer for browsing, bank accounts and playing card games.  I don't download films or anything like that.

There are so many antivirus software programmes it can get a bit overwhelming deciding who to use!

Thank you.
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: candleflame on Friday 10 February 23 09:57 GMT (UK)
I use Norton 360 which I buy from a shop, not from Norton  You can buy it for a single computer or for more ( we have the 5 one but only use 3 of the licences). Only downside is when you put in the product key you have to be part of their auto renewal system . There's no choice. However what I do is I cancel my Norton more than 3 months before each renewal ( you have to do it really early) and then I buy a new product key from whichever retailer has it at the best price. You don't lose any of your sub by cancelling early but it saves you a lot of money doing it this way.

Added I have Windows 10 and a Windows 7.
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: LizzieW on Friday 10 February 23 10:14 GMT (UK)
If you have Windows 10, my computer man (the one who comes to sort out problems) tells me that Windows own antivirus is so good nowadays that you don't need to buy one.  I've had my laptop for over 3 years now and never bought any antivirus software.  Windows does its own virus check, daily, or weekly depending how you've set up the PC and each time tells me it hasn't found any problems, apart from once when it dealt with whatever the problem was.
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Friday 10 February 23 10:29 GMT (UK)
Thanks for your suggestions Candleflame and Lizzie. 

I do have Windows 10 at the moment.  Not in any rush to go to Windows 11 although I will probably be forced to in the end when they stop supporting Windows 10.
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: KGarrad on Friday 10 February 23 10:39 GMT (UK)
I use AVG Free.

Please note that just because Windows 10 (probably) won't be supported in the future, that doesn't mean it won't work!
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: F1fan on Friday 10 February 23 15:16 GMT (UK)
The Windows defender that is built in to Windows 10 does have good ratings and for someone like yourself will do a good job - unless you are going off to the dark areas of the web and downloading and insatlling any number of ' dodgy ' programs  ;D

A well respected free program at the moment is Bit Defender https://www.bitdefender.co.uk/solutions/free.html (https://www.bitdefender.co.uk/solutions/free.html) and just sits in the back ground.

I use COMODO Internet Security https://download.comodo.com/cis/download/installs/8050/standalone/cispremium_installer.exe (https://download.comodo.com/cis/download/installs/8050/standalone/cispremium_installer.exe) but is geared more towards those of us that are really geeky and extra paranoid and can be a bit complicated.

P.S.
If you are changing from Kaspersky, remember to run their removal tool to help make sure all bits have been uninstalled to help prevent problems with bits of the program left on your machine
https://support.kaspersky.com/common/uninstall/1464 (https://support.kaspersky.com/common/uninstall/1464)
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Friday 10 February 23 15:22 GMT (UK)
Thank you for your suggestions F1fan.  All useful information to think about.  :D
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: UK4753 on Saturday 11 February 23 21:04 GMT (UK)
My computer guy says ESET is better than Kaspersky and I have used it for abuit 2 years without any problems.

 :)
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Saturday 11 February 23 21:26 GMT (UK)
Ok, thank you for that UK4753, I'll look them up.
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Saturday 11 February 23 21:31 GMT (UK)
My computer guy says ESET is better than Kaspersky and I have used it for abuit 2 years without any problems.

 :)

I have used them for about four years, no problems at all.  My IT man said it was a good one.

Cheers
KHP
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Saturday 11 February 23 21:45 GMT (UK)
Thank you for that Kiwi, two of you in favour of ESET then. 
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: BillyF on Sunday 12 February 23 18:43 GMT (UK)
I`m in exactly the same position as you GirlGuide! I`ve been using McAfee which expires in April, on the recommendation of my computer expert.

In the past I used AVG free and I`m thinking of going back to it. It gave me no problems and as KGarrad also uses it I`m confident it will be all I need!
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Girl Guide on Sunday 12 February 23 19:03 GMT (UK)
Thank you Billy F.  It seems that everyone has their favoured Antivirus for their computer.  :D

It can make the choice of which one to have difficult.  ::)
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: BillyF on Wednesday 01 March 23 19:03 GMT (UK)
I`ve been getting pop ups from McAfee saying my anti virus expires in 3 days, even though my pc has it as April.

Last night i remembered that my computer expert said that it would still work after the expiry date, but there would be no updates.

Having said that I still haven`t come to a decision!
Title: Re: Antivirus software for Windows
Post by: Treetotal on Wednesday 01 March 23 22:34 GMT (UK)
We have used Norton for 13 years and are satisfied with it. We recently bought a new computer and they gave us 3 cards for Norton for the price of one. We now have Windows 11 and it isn't as difficult to negotiate as I had expected.
Carol