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ih8bills · 01:33 AM

I have noticed that many people today think that

"more is always better"

When it comes to PC Security Programs--

Exactly the opposite is true

Firewalls/Antivirus/ and Spyware scanners-- often have active components that run unseen in the background on your PC.

This causes problems if you have more than one of each type installed on your computer.
These programs depend on being "in charge" when it comes to protecting you-- the methods vary slighly from Program to Program.

If two antivrus apps are running at the same time (for example) and you get a virus in an email... and you try to open it-- both apps will react at the same microseceond-- quite probably interfering with each other-- and perhaps allowing the virus to get through.

The same is true for Firewalls

You should have ONE and ONLY ONE
of each on your machine.

Anti-Spyware apps may have some overlap coverage with your AV... this is alllowable-- I've never had a problem because of it.

If you want to do extra Anti-virus scans "to be absolutely sure" you can still do so-- go online and use one of the free antivirus scanners that work in your Browser. If you do an online scan-- be sure to use a different site than your installed AV version-- this is to cross-check with a different database.

Trend Micro HouseCall - Free Online Virus and Spyware Scan - Trend Micro USA

BitDefender Online Scanner - Free Online Virus Scan

Free Virus Scan - Kaspersky Lab

Free online antivirus. Download ActiveScan and clean your PC. Panda Security

F-Secure Support pages: Home users#

Eset - ESET Online Scanner

chiaz

Great short tutorial....

You may like to add that you can as a matter of fact run multiple anti-virus programs...just have only one real-time protection monitor on at a single time. There's nothing at all wrong periodically running an anti-virus scan with more than one anti-virus program. The key here is that it's just a scan - it starts, it scans, and then it's done. There's no opportunity to come in to conflict with another anti-virus program.

If two antivrus apps are running at the same time (for example) and you get a virus in an email... and you try to open it-- both apps will react at the same microseceond-- quite probably interfering with each other-- and perhaps allowing the virus to get through.

Actually the possibility of letting the virus getting through is very minimal for such a situation...you'll probably get error messages, crashes or other failures for the conflicting anti-virus programs. Just thought I would like to clear this up...for technical sake.

jakedude182

Hi, I use AVG Antivirus and spysweeper with antivirus. I have to turn off the real time protection for one of these, which would you say is a better protector to use?

thanks, jake

ih8bills · 03:35 PM

You may like to add that you can as a matter of fact run multiple anti-virus programs...just have only one real-time protection monitor on at a single time. There's nothing at all wrong periodically running an anti-virus scan with more than one anti-virus program. The key here is that it's just a scan - it starts, it scans, and then it's done. There's no opportunity to come in to conflict with another anti-virus program.

I know it's possible-- but for the less computer-initiated-- AV's tend to reenable themselves-- or they have deep-level protection that would go undetected-- I've had times when fragnments of uninstalled AV (norton) products will interfere with a newly installed "other AV" program.
I believe it is best to "err on the side of caution" in some things

Actually the possibility of letting the virus getting through is very minimal for such a situation...you'll probably get error messages, crashes or other failures for the conflicting anti-virus programs. Just thought I would like to clear this up...for technical sake.

Thanks-- I realize it's remote

ih8bills

Originally Posted by jakedude182

Hi, I use AVG Antivirus and spysweeper with antivirus. I have to turn off the real time protection for one of these, which would you say is a better protector to use?

thanks, jake

Best is a matter of personal preference-- you could go either way.

Since SpySweeper is double-coverage-- you could argue that you should leave it enabled-- and use AVG as a backup scan-only .

That said -- I know that SpySweeper is good spyware protection--
I have no experience with their AV prowess.

chiaz

If I'm not wrong, SpySweeper's AV engine is from Sophos.

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