Is MS Security Essentials enough?

[Daehawk]

As antivirus go is it all I need? I was running Avast with it but it tried to update and my system would never restart..after 4 tries. So I deleted it and it's fine now. All I have in is the MS one now. I used to run AVG but it let something nasty in a while back and I quit it. Avast even caught something the other day. So Im worried MSSE is not enough.

I really can't find any good free ones. I would LOVE NOD32 because all I ever heard about it was good. But it just offers a 30 day free trial..then pay. No idea what to use. I had this same problem months back and here I am again. You'd think someone out there would have a good free one.

[Daehawk]

Maybe I should try Avira?

[wonderpug]

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to run numerous antivirus programs simultaneously, lest they squabble.

[Daehawk]

I've never seen MSSE catch anything unless I scan for stuff I know is on there. It has never popped up saying it caught something when other's have if they are on together.

I think Ill try the 30 day of NOD32. I feel naked with just MSSE...but no idea what is really worth using these days.

[Kraken]

I've been using MSSE exclusively on my gaming machine for 1.5 years now without any infections, but that could just be luck. I don't hang out much on the seedy side of the internet. Except maybe for some very tasteful high-class porn sites.

Just scrapped Avast on my work machine because I got sick of its nagging and bloat. Now I"m relying on MSSE on both machines.

I do still run AdAware, Spybot, and Malwarebytes periodically just for peace of mind. The worst they ever find is a tracking cookie now and then.

[Blackhawk]

Just scrapped Avast on my work machine because I got sick of its nagging and bloat. Now I"m relying on MSSE on both machines.

I'm actually interested in this topic for exactly the same reason. I've sworn by Avast for years, but lately it has become more and more obnoxious. Trying to open every game in a sandbox was a pain. Having it tell me when updates are available so I can download them myself instead of when my system is in use gives me a constant 'not protected' warning, preventing me from knowing when a real warning is being sent. Now it wants to fix my URLs as I type them into my browser.

If I can make it go away, I'll be happy.

[Exodor]

I've never seen MSSE catch anything unless I scan for stuff I know is on there. It has never popped up saying it caught something when other's have if they are on together.

We had a Conficker outbreak at work and every machine with Forefront (the enterprise version of MSSE) stopped it and notified the user it was doing so.

Which kind of sucked because I got a million calls from concerned users.

[Carpet_pissr]

I have had Malware Bytes catch and kill stuff that MSSE did not, so I run both (at work, where I often need to go to a lot of unknown pages). I did extensive research on whether or not it was advisable to run both at same time. I guess the answer was yes.

At home I just run MSSE, but I do feel that Malware Bytes is the better program just based on my experience.

[Blackhawk]

Personally, I run Malware Bytes and Spybot scans on a weekly basis, but don't keep them resident.

I run a relatively safe browser (Chrome) with flash blockers and ad blocker, don't download executables from random websites and don't click ads. Between MB, Spybot and Avast, I haven't seen a serious alert in years. I think I'll drop Avast and give MSSE a run.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Considering you can buy ESET NOD32 Antivirus V5 for less than $30 through Amazon, it's well worth biting the bullet and simply paying for it IMO.

Rock-solid AV/malware protection
+
Tiny footprint
+
Minimal resource usage
(and even a handy Gamer Mode, which suspends pop-up notifications, scanning, and scheduled tasks while playing)
=
Vastly preferable to any of the freeware alternatives.

[The Meal]

If you tend to surf to seedier web sites, I think you may want a for-pay virus package. Nod32 has been my choice for about five years now.

[hentzau]

I've been pretty happy with MSSE, but I do know it has allowed some really nasty malware to slip by on a friend's computer a couple of times now. But I'm going to put the blame for that one squarely on my friend...she has a tendency to click on any damn fool thing that pops up. (I just revoked her privileges back down to a normal user, and that's been working well for a while now. If she needs to install something, she needs to have her husband log onto her system and do it. )

[wonderpug]

Do you get to keep using Nod32 after you buy it, or is it like Norton where they'll tell you in a year it's time to pony up more money if you want to continue use?

[Anonymous Bosch]

Do you get to keep using Nod32 after you buy it, or is it like Norton where they'll tell you in a year it's time to pony up more money if you want to continue use?

You can certainly keep using it, though you will no longer receive the latest updates after your license has expired. But considering the quality of the product/service they offer is contingent upon receiving the latest detection signatures and engine updates from ESET, their pricing has always seemed quite reasonable to me. You can also reduce the cost by purchasing a 2-year-license vs. the standard 1-year.

[TheMix]

I have had Malware Bytes catch and kill stuff that MSSE did not, so I run both (at work, where I often need to go to a lot of unknown pages). I did extensive research on whether or not it was advisable to run both at same time. I guess the answer was yes.

At home I just run MSSE, but I do feel that Malware Bytes is the better program just based on my experience.

Don't forget, Malware Bytes is anti-malware, not anti-virus. Running both an anti-virus and an anti-malware is definitely recommended. I actually sprang for a Malware Bytes license.

[LordMortis]

I've never seen MSSE catch anything unless I scan for stuff I know is on there. It has never popped up saying it caught something when other's have if they are on together.

I think Ill try the 30 day of NOD32. I feel naked with just MSSE...but no idea what is really worth using these days.

Most Antivirus packages recommend that you don't run multiple AV software packs at the same time, they fight each other, use more resources, and become less reliable.

I find that none of the packages are perfect, even with long standing viruses and malware risks and research I've done suggests that I am right. I use MSSE because it's the best free version. When MSSE fails, a manual running of MS Maliscious Software Removal Tool does the trick just about 100% of the time. At work, I use NOD32 because it's (been) my favorite not free version. Before that we paid for Malware Bytes and before that we paid for AVAST. We switched because AVAST and then later Malware Bytes became less and less reliable at removing viruses and protecting against malware for our needs. We've been using NOD32 for about four, maybe five years, and as far as I can tell, it's been working very well. A few DNS redirectors get through on some of my most users but for the most part it's been alright.

[Carpet_pissr]

Personally, I run Malware Bytes and Spybot scans on a weekly basis, but don't keep them resident.

Spybot is just an awesome app, and has caught many things over the years for me that even paid applications did not.

And it looks the same (fugly) as it did 10 years ago! Who cares though, right? Works great.

[The Meal]

Also note, you pay by the machine for the ESET products. And yet I still (happily) send them my money every other year. (This from someone who won't MMO because he hates the thought of subscription service payments.) Terrific product.