I switched from AVG to Avast! recently after reading this thread on AskMe. It's ok. I didn't have much problems with AVG Free either, but just thought it'd be nice to try something new.

I also tried Avira AntiVir, but I found it confusing. It's German, I think, and there must have been some translation issues in the documentation. It seemed to install just fine, but I didn't understand some of the features so I tossed it.

I use ESET, which I really like.

I'm still using good ol' AVG.

I use a fierce shih-tzu/bichon frise mix to protect my PC.

I haven't had a virus since I adopted this admittedly uncommon strategy.

I use AVG but it does some annoying things like adding an extension to Firefox that checks every single link to see if it doesn't like it. Slows FF down a lot. And then once I figured that out and removed it from Firefox, the AVG icon in the tray constantly has a "!" because I'm not fully protected. Other than that kind of stuff, it seems to work OK.

I use nothing. I don't particularly recommend it. But I've never had a virus issue, and you can't argue with success, right?

Oh, man, I bet a shit-tzu/bichon is super cute.

AVIRA has worked beautifully for me for many years. There is an English version and it updates everyday automatically. The free version pops up once in a while to say "Hey look, I am all updated" but they is an easy way to suppress that.

My parents have a poodle/bichon mix and their PC is riddled with malware.

My folks also have a bichon, but I got 'em on Ubuntu a few years ago.

Also, that was supposed to be an 'h' in 'shih-tzu.'

I didn't even notice your consonant swap.

I have nothing to add to this conversation except for this adorable picture of a shih-tzu/bichon frise mix:

≡ Click to see image ≡

Here's a pic of my anti-virus at work:

≡ Click to see image ≡

I suppose soon I will be able to say I use Snow Leopard with Snow Dog.
≡ Click to see image ≡
(I trust this meets the minimum level of helpfulness to participate in the thread.)

Maybe a few viruses could get past but by that point they would be too heavily gnawed and spit-covered to operate effectively.

You people are not helping.

Someone's got an Alpo mustache. I'm not saying who.

AVG Free on the desktop at home. Nothing on the MacBook at home.

The use McAfee here at work.

Wolfdog, that looks *very* effective.

TPS: Given that it's a church computer, I'd go for broad functionality and ease of use over performance, especially since all solutions are pretty moderately priced.

If I was a member of your church I'd buy something like http://www.pandasecurity.com/usa/homeusers/solutions/antivirus/

It's got anti-virus/spyware/etc and a firewall, it's easy to keep up to date, and it shouldn't have too many popups that might cause confusion.

Symantec and others have similar programs, and if you want you can buy more all-encompassing suites, but really... it's a church computer. As long as whatever you pick is reasonably functional and easy to use, it'll be fine.

p.s. I don't actually use any AV. I entrust that to puppy.

I used to use AVG, but the updating thing didn't work so well. I now use AVAST! and it works plenty well, and free to boot.

Also, I have an Australian Shepherd and a Husky/Border Collie to take on everything the antivirus doesn't catch.

I use AVG but it does some annoying things like adding an extension to Firefox that checks every single link to see if it doesn't like it. Slows FF down a lot. And then once I figured that out and removed it from Firefox, the AVG icon in the tray constantly has a "!" because I'm not fully protected. Other than that kind of stuff, it seems to work OK.

You can turn that ! off if you open AVG, go to Tools, Advanced Options, select "Ignore faulty conditions" from the list on the left and put check mark in Link Scanner.

(Link Scanner could be a cop on a TV show - Link Scanner, detective!)

Oh, I use AVG for antivirus and run an occasional scan with antimalwarebytes. But most of my browsing is on a Mac.

I would like to use a puppy, but I'm stuck with AVG Free. But thanks for the useful "get rid of this awful add-on" instructions!

Panda Cloud is lightweight and free. IMO, it works quite well too.

Avast! was great for the week or two I had Windows before I switched to Ubuntu.

But turn off the sounds.

TPS, Lifehacker had a Hive Five on malware removal tools in April. There is a slight difference between removal and antivirus -- note that most "free" AV software providers make you buy the advanced version if you want to actually remove the virus that it found ... :-)

I personally use a whole set of AV software, because no one manufacturer ever covers all the bases equally and each has their individual strength:
* Norton AV (because my employer provides it free and because it has real-time file scanning, so it detects infected files as they are copied to the HD and before they can run)
* Spybot S&D - Good for installed executable malware and has an intercept component that prevents malware being installed at the time (rather than telling you about it later!)
* Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - good for some forms of rootkit and other insidious "difficult to detect" malware
* Javacool S/W SpywareBlaster - stops your browser installing malware and warns you of sites that have been breached.
All of these (apart from Norton) are free. It is probably overkill to have all of these, but I have not had a virus or any other problem in the last 4 years. The important thing is to keep your AV/malware software current by downloading updates once a week. If whatever you choose to use is out of date, it is useless.

As a coda, the most important thing is to develop good security habits:
1. Don't open email attachments from anyone that you don't know.
2. If an email attachment is unexpected or unlabelled, don't open it without asking the sender what it is first. Virus programs harvest email addresses and "spoof" people that you may know. You'd be amazed how many virus/spam messages I get that appear to have used my email address as a cover, because my employer lists our email addresses online. (I even get the occasional nasty email from someone who thinks that I originated these ... ).
3. If you get a disk, flash drive, or CD from anyone else, virus scan it before you use it (enable real-time file scanning in your AV software).
4. Don't allow anyone who uses a shared computer to download online games, MP3s, or any other sort of "innocuous" file. These are the most popular vehicles for spreading malware.

PPS - Gotta go now. My Border Collie is trying to reconfigure my PC. I have to stop her visiting Dogster as she keeps downloading the Bulldog virus ...

I've had avast for a few years, it's never done me wrong.

Avoid anything Symantec. Symantec is where software goes to die. Their business model has nothing to do with good software and everything to do with ongoing support contracts (which you'll need, since the software is so awful.)

In my work life, I've been a big fan of Sophos. They focus on the corporate sector, so most civilians haven't heard of them. Nevertheless, they're good, unobtrusive, and lightweight.

Sophos is commercial software, but in exchange for having paid for it, it simply works quietly in the background, and doesn't cause a fuss.