Best 32bit AntiVirus program?

[gifpaste]

I had been using AVG Free for a few years due to their coverage and low resources/bloat on the system.

However recently it's prompted me to install 8.0 and with it came a bunch of bloat. Part of this is a LinkScanner than installs itself into FireFox and IE and will scan every link on a page and give a little checkmark if it comes clean next to it... And if you turn off the bloat your systray gives a warning icon


Any suggestions for a small foot print AV?

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: gifpaste
However recently it's prompted me to install 8.0 and with it came a bunch of bloat. Part of this is a LinkScanner than installs itself into FireFox and IE and will scan every link on a page and give a little checkmark if it comes clean next to it... And if you turn off the bloat your systray gives a warning icon

That firefox plugin is not compatible with the 3.0 beta, so I removed it, and I did not get any tray warnings. Total memory use for all 'avg' tasks is 40mb, but I'm not sure if that's high or low.

Try Avira maybe?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Take a look at the AntiVirus Detection Rate Thread

AntiVir Free Edition, when I last used it in Windows (just using the command line version in Linux now) used < 15mb of ram and has one of the highest detection rates in the industry.

 

[Chadder007]

Try Avast

 

[nordloewelabs]

during the installation of AVG 8.0, the user is given the option to not install the LinkScanner or the AVGToolBar. it's just a matter of unchecking a box. and if you have already installed them by mistake, you can disable them both from inside Firefox via TOOLS > ADD-ONS. i've disabled them on my PC.

regarding the bloat, here is some info about the processes and amount of memory that each product uses. i got the figures from my 2 computers after updating their virus definitions and rebooting.

Edit: fresh after the boot, AntiVir's memory consumption is comparable to that of AVG 8. however, after a short while, AntiVir's figures change dramatically!

AVG 7.5 used to be lighter. can anyone who is still using AVG 7.5 post its memory footprint?

Free AVG 8.0
avgrsx.exe | 40,024 K
avgtray.exe | 3,720 K
avgwdsvc.exe | 9,304 K
TOTAL | 53,048

Free AntiVir 8.1
avgnt.exe | 1,024 K
avguard.exe | 48,156 K (shrinks to ±6,000 K after minutes)
sched.exe | 540 K
TOTAL | 49,720 (shrinks to ±7,564 after minutes)

 

[Red Squirrel]

I recently switched to avira myself since AVG was driving me nuts with all their program updates requiring to reboot/manually download/install.

Though one thing I do find anoying with avira is that full screen nag that comes up every time it updates. Anyone know know how to stop that?

 

[LuDaCriS66]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I recently switched to avira myself since AVG was driving me nuts with all their program updates requiring to reboot/manually download/install.

Though one thing I do find anoying with avira is that full screen nag that comes up every time it updates. Anyone know know how to stop that?

Google it. There are a few ways.

As for memory usage, this is what I get with Avira

avgnt.exe - 3,316 K
avguard.exe - 7,876 K
sched.exe - 540 K

 

[Rottie]

I think it is illegal to disable or alter nagging popup ad from AntiVir. I have it installed it doesnt bother me at all it just let me know it is updating new virus definitons than not know if it has been updated or not.
It is nice to look at nagging popup if Avira is trying to notify/alert of any serious virus attacks.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: LuDaCriS66
As for memory usage, this is what I get with Avira

avgnt.exe - 3,316 K
avguard.exe - 7,876 K
sched.exe - 540 K

i just re-checked my AntiVir and noticed that "avguard.exe" is 5Mb now....( ! ) it seems that that process shrinks substantially after a while. i guess i'll have to re-check AVG to make things fair. i'll update the figures again later.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Try Avast

 

[alkemyst]

i agree, AVG has swelled up. I am using Eset's NOD32/Smart Security on a 12 station workgroup with dinky computers and other than the advanced Heuristics bogging down the 1.5GHz P4 machines (I turned it off) it's a lot more responsive than the Norton Premier and NIS they had ran.

 

[nordloewelabs]

i've just updated my figures (a few posts above) to reflect the shrinking of AntiVir. here is the final tally:

AVG 8.0: 53Mb.
AntiVir 8.1: 8Mb (after a few minutes).

AVG 8 has really inflated a lot! this is another example of a good prog that went down the hill... btw, i came across a site yesterday with some info on how to tame AVG 8. however, i believe everyone would be better off replacing it. there's no sense in keeping AVG when:

a) it's larger than AntiVir.
b) it has has a lower detection rate than AntiVir.

i never checked the memory footprint of AVG 7.5 and i'm curious to know how big it used to be. if any of you guys still have it, could you please post the figures?

 

[xgsound]

AVG 7.5 3,060 KB for me in 4 services.


Jim

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Though one thing I do find anoying with avira is that full screen nag that comes up every time it updates. Anyone know know how to stop that?

http://suprbay.org/showthread.php?p=77652

 

[law9933]

I am looking into Avast (has e-mail scanner). How does auto updates work, where & what to click to make it manual or auto?

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: xgsound
AVG 7.5 3,060 KB for me in 4 services.


Jim

just out of curiosity, i restored my system from an image created 1 week ago. in it i still had AVG 7.5. some curiousities about it.

1) i checked its processes and amazingly enough, it's got 3 (i probably did a custom installation and unchecked something). those processes total about 1.5Mb here! geez! what a huge difference from the 50Mb of version 8! :Q

2) i was able to update the virus definitions of AVG 7.5, even though its expiration day was May 31. i wonder how longer it can be used....

3) before restoring the old hard drive image that had AVG 7.5, i checked Control Panel's "Add/Remove Programs" and i noticed something odd there: "Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable". what is that? a .NET runtime? i think AVG 8 installed it, coz i didnt have that component before. perhaps that's what added bloat to the AVG...?

 

[Oil]

AVG 7.5 is great for me and the update nag screen only pops up once in a while. How much longer will AVG release new updates for 7.5?

 

[xgsound]

AFAIK there will be virus definition updates until Dec 31, 2008. I got updates today. Evidently (?) there will be no updates to the body of the program after May 2008. I think I got that info from Castlecops or Bleepingcomputer.


Jim

 

[tlhudson692]

Try Avast. I used to use it. I tried AVG, but now 8.0 has made me go back to Avast. NO POPUPS (just small one to tell me i am updated/or not or big one to tell me i have a virus) NO RESTARTS!!!!! It updates by itself and unless you download a new version you never have to RESTART NOW. I am downloading Avast as i type this. Back to what works.
BY the way it is skinable if that takes your fancy.

 

[videogames101]

If your willing to pay, NOD32 is the best AV money can buy, and is highly small and optimized because it's mostly coded in assembly.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Try Avast

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: videogames101
If your willing to pay, NOD32 is the best AV money can buy, and is highly small and optimized because it's mostly coded in assembly.

QFT. NOD32 is best of class.

 

[htne]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: videogames101
If your willing to pay, NOD32 is the best AV money can buy, and is highly small and optimized because it's mostly coded in assembly.

QFT. NOD32 is best of class.

+1

 

[BW86]

AntiVir for a free AV
NOD32 if you wanna pay

 

[alkemyst]

Just wanted to update...I have since moved from AVG 7.5 to 8.0 for my personal (free) use. Scans take longer, system bogs during scans now...pop3 errors about once per hour or more saying my credentials are wrong (same on other computers I installed this on...been getting phone calls from friends with this problem).

I am going to try antivir tonight.