Recently I have noticed my crunching rigs running out of space and giving me the 'not enough memory' messages. Upon inspection, I found that AVG antivirus has been filling up my hard drives. The empty space that I gained by deleting temp files would again be filled up by AVG. In the end I decided to uninstall it on one rig, which unfortunately, caused the entire WU cache to error out and the project had to be reinitialized.

Now it is back to crunching again, however, 503 WUs were trashed. This rig doesn't have any antivirus on it now, and I am not very keen to use AVG again, even though my AVG license is still valid for another year.. My question is, should I really install another antivirus or just let it be? If yes, are they any good business edition ones? Free ones would be better as I would like to try them out first. Is Avast recommended?

I`m using Comodo internet security without any issues.
Just make sure you exclude all boinc folders from scanning.
I used avast before and had no problems with it but i was not happy with the virus (trojan) detection.

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

I`m using Comodo internet security without any issues.
Just make sure you exclude all boinc folders from scanning.
I used avast before and had no problems with it but i was not happy with the virus (trojan) detection.

Sorry, Mike, I tried Comodo Internet Security. I DID exclude ALL BOINC Folders, and Lunatics files, too; AND STILL that damned program tried flagging BOINC, SETI, and Lunatics files!!! To me, that program is TRASH!!!

NOW, I'm using PCMatic; and at least with that, I can set it to Prompt for Override, and NOW have ALL BOINC, SETI, and Lunatics files Excluded...

I don't know if PCMatic can be tried, first, for a period of time; or, if it has to be paid for, outright... However; for $150, you get a 5 PC License for LIFETIME!!!!


TL

PS: The computer I tried Comodo on was Exeter, my AMD A6-6400K system with the GTX-760 GPU. OS is Win XP Pro x64.

Comodo INSISTED on flagging EVERY BOINC file EVERY time; AND ESPECIALLY when NEW Units ran!!! EVEN after Excluding EVERY BOINC Folder and Sub-Folder, and .exe!!! It was USELESS to me!!!

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TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

From both your replies, I will now have to exclude Avast and Comodo. I have looked up PCMatic and the lifetime license for $150 looks tempting, but they do have a free version which I will test on one of my rigs. I have also checked ClamAV, but since it doesnt have a real time scanner, I will exclude it as well. I also came across NanoPro, might give it a try in a spare PC.

Edit: I did a quick search about PCMatic and came up with loads of negative reviews about it. This Amazon review page has given a pretty clear picture of what this software is. So this too is off my list.

I'm going to get myself a 3 PC package for 2 years from G Data, the creators of the first AV software in the world.

I'll be test running it on 2 PCs first. Just to be sure.

Edit: of course, according to http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ we should go for Bitdefender. ;-)

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My main PC runs Bitdefender Internet Security, which I have been using since 2009 without any issues. However, since my seti rigs are 24/7 crunchers and not used for anything else, I didn't see the need for such a high end (?) antivirus for it.

I am yet to test Nanopro. In the meanwhile, I have been checking the rig with the issue and have come to the conclusion that AVG web tuneup is the culprit behind all my troubles. It creates a shadow copy of all the other files on the PC thereby sucking up the available disk space. Quick google search has corroborated this. I remember not selecting this feature of AVG during install, but I guess a latest update might have installed it. The solution is to uninstall the AVG web tuneup. Then manually delete everything under AppData\Local\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001.

I gained 33GB on my second rig by doing this and things are now back to normal. AVG seems to be running ok too. I wonder why AVG isn't doing anything about this, given the number of complaints about it on their forum.

I'm going to get myself a 3 PC package for 2 years from G Data, the creators of the first AV software in the world.

I'll be test running it on 2 PCs first. Just to be sure.

Edit: of course, according to http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ we should go for Bitdefender. ;-)

You put ;-) but just to be clear for others - this site have Bad Reputation:
https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com

And G Data uses the BitDefender engine (I know this from the same False-Positives on VirusTotal - when BitDefender "throws" all 6-7 of the dependent on it Antiviruses also "throw")

The fact they ("toptenreviews") put ESET NOD32 Antivirus as last (??) is outright wrong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESET
"ESET set a world-record when it received 80 consecutive VB100 awards from Virus Bulletin"

https://www.eset.com/int/download/home/
https://www.eset.com/int/download/home/detail/family/2/

I still use ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 on Windows XP (I just like the GUI)
The current version is 9.0.349.0 but they still support (update signatures) all versions from 3 to 9 as you can see by clicking "Other versions" on the last link.
The same license (Username + Password) can be used for all versions.


Some charts comparing ~20 Antiviruses:

Real-World Protection Test
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php?chart=chart2&year=2015&month=10&sort=0&zoom=0

False Alarm Test
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php?chart=chart6&year=2015&month=9&sort=0
 

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

You put ;-) but just to be clear for others - this site have Bad Reputation

Tell that to Google, it was the first link it offered me after the commercial links. I didn't look any further than that.

And G Data uses the BitDefender engine

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_Data: G Data is able to achieve higher detection rates than other products through the use of multiple scanning engines, one developed in-house and the other is the BitDefender engine. The in-house developed engine is called CloseGap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESET
"ESET set a world-record when it received 80 consecutive VB100 awards from Virus Bulletin"

Which means what exactly? That it's always good, or only at the time the test was done? That everyone in the world should use only ESET in your opinion?

There are probably people out there who say they use nothing but Avast. In that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avast_%28software_company%29 claims Avast Free Antivirus received the VB100 certification in the December, 2014 comparative anti-virus test. yet its free 2015 edition managed to corrupt parts of my C: partition when I tested it earlier this year. Amongst others, it ate my Seti statistics file with all entries of the past year in it.

As always YMMV, and just because one site says it's best doesn't mean it's best on your system. Also it doesn't always mean that because an AV package gets high marks one year, that they're automatically among the best the next year.

According to https://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/latest_comparative/index, G Data was the best during the October 2014 - April 2015 period. On Windows 8.1, which I don't have.

I won't decide yet. Depends I think on which of the products can give me the largest discount this Xmas. :)

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESET
"ESET set a world-record when it received 80 consecutive VB100 awards from Virus Bulletin"

Which means what exactly? That it's always good, or only at the time the test was done? That everyone in the world should use only ESET in your opinion?

This was only argument against toptenreviews' "best order":
"The fact they ("toptenreviews") put ESET NOD32 Antivirus as last (??) is outright wrong"

ESET is free to try for 30 days (I think)
It will continue to work after that, only will not fetch new signatures until new Username/Password is given.
I like it is light (low RAM and CPU), do not schedule "Full disk scan", is not flagging cracks unless they are really bad, I never needed to exclude BOINC Data directory

Example how keys look like (OLD Not-working key found somewhere on Internet)
Username: EAV-0110386405
Password: 4hvk8exe9f
Expiry Date: 19.07.2014

(My ISP gives free Username/Password for ESET with some of its contracts)

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

I use ESET, and have installed it on hundreds of computer repairs. It usually bounces around the top 5 antivirus programs, but things can change from day to day. What I do like is two fold. First, it uses very few resources, and scans every file coming into or leaving your computer. Second I have never had a compatibility issue with either software of hardware. It is a perfect solution for me, and many of my previous customers. The last infection I got myself was close to 20 years ago.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Remember people Win 7 and above has MSE and it can and will cause problems for 3rd party Antivirus software .

If your going to use other programs then you will have to uninstall MSE .

Microsoft are at it again trying to kill any other Antivirus software like the Browser wars back in 1998

Best thing is just to run MSE for Antivirus and Malware bytes for spyware and malware and keep your system up to date .

3rd party software usually is only free for 30 days unless you subscribe for definition updates witch is a rip off . Malware bytes is free for 14 days but then it just disables some of the features but you should still be able to get definition updates and still use it to detect malware and spyware

Latest MSE does have spyware but not malware and it's all i run these days and once a month i might run if i think there is a problem Malware bytes but i don't run any others .

Also be careful where you go on the net and i would not use CHROME that much it's the easy way to be infected because GOOGLE in there wisdom have embraced Advertising and there browser is crap and the only time in resent years i have been infected is because of CHROME . Google are becoming a real problems and there search engine is also not as good theses days wonder why "N.S.A" @#$ @#$%^

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... snip ...
Also be careful where you go on the net and i would not use CHROME that much it's the easy way to be infected because GOOGLE in there wisdom have embraced Advertising and there browser is crap and the only time in resent years i have been infected is because of CHROME . Google are becoming a real problems and there search engine is also not as good theses days wonder why "N.S.A" @#$ @#$%^

"Darth Raccoon"...
CUT THE B___ S____ AND GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU GO POSTING FALSE INFORMATION.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH GOOGLE CHROME!

In fact, CHROME is FAR SAFER than M$'s default web browser Internet Explorer.

If you do not like advertising shown in ANY of your web browser(s), it is very simple to add one or more extension(s) such as Adblock Plus, Ghostery or Blur to ELIMINATE/BLOCK all advertising and some can even prevent malvertizing from being loaded.

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Doctor who fan I am not the only one that has had trouble with Chrome it's crap and as I said the only time I have had trouble is when I have used chrome.

So I am not telling lie's .

If you wish to use it go for it I don't like it and only use it on very safe sites and for you information just before I posted that post I was using chrome and what happened the page was diverted and I got some Skype message and considering I only used chrome to go to a web site that does not have any advertising why did the chrome browser divert the page to Skype ???

Oh before you say anything about the site I went to it was a bitcoin mining site that you have to sign into and has a lot of security to stop attacks on the mining site THERE IS NO ADVERTSING or any thing else

http://www.f2pool.com also the link I use logs me straight into this site .

I don't like Junk mail in my mailbox or email box and I don't like my browser being diverted to crap site trying to flog there crap .

I.E is safer and I don't have to run crappy adons or go through complicated setting to stop it . So ^& ^&*%$#

Guess you work for Google otherwise you wouldn't be so peed off now now go take a chill pill

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Remember people Win 7 and above has MSE and it can and will cause problems for 3rd party Antivirus software .

If your going to use other programs then you will have to uninstall MSE .

Pooh! If you're going to install any anti virus you have to uninstall other party's AV packages because none work together well on one system. So that's not just something that MSE/Defender will do.

AV test labs test all versions in independent computers/Virtual Machines.

Best thing is just to run MSE for Antivirus and Malware bytes for spyware and malware and keep your system up to date.

And then one day wake up to find your system's been taken hostage and you have to pay 2 or 5 bitcoins before the ransomware may stop holding your system hostage.

Latest MSE does have spyware but not malware

Actually, MSE only does virii, if you want it to do malware protection as well (which spyware falls under), you need its Windows 8/8.1 cousin Windows Defender (not to be confused with Windows 7 Defender, which is a totally different beast) in combination with the registry hack that enables malware detection.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine] "MpEnablePus"=dword:00000001

Windows Defender doesn't do malware protection out of the box. You also need to update its definitions daily through Windows Update (with the chance of receiving Windows 10 then).

As for free anti virus scanners versus paid scanners, the Austrian testlab AV-Comparatives tested 21 security suits over August, September, October and November on 1606 known contaminated links which would point to malware or try to quietly download malware onto your system.

Bitdefender, Kaspersky Lab and the free Panda Security came out on top, with all allowing one malware link through. MSE did better than McAfee with stopping 1517 threats versus McAfee 1502. Lavasoft is the 'worst' with 1452 threat stops.

On the false positives front, AVG and Kapersky Labs were best with no false alarms. Panda warned 17 times on clean links and programs, MSE 29 times, Trend Micro 49 times.

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Actually, MSE only does virii,

Is that right !!.. mmm somebody better tell Microsoft then as there MSE web site says different here's the link and scroll to the bottom where it says features , also notice it says Win 7 & Vista , ops....Also I said MSE not Defender witch it's no longer called that anymore , but is now called Microsoft's Security Essentials

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download

As for AVG a program I have used for 10 years and I have now stopped using it . It has caused many problems over the years in fact I had to phone there head Quarters up in NEW ZEALAND to get help after a so called update that wasn't a update but a new version with a different look and a few more bells and whistles in fact I had the same problem twice in the 10 years I used it .And I will no longer recommend it . It's just not needed

Nice try about the ransom ware but nada I don't use my computer to mine Bitcoin as I have a Antiminer witch has it's own software and does not need my computer .

Opps again gues I'm really dumb daaaaaaah !!

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Also I said MSE not Defender witch it's no longer called that anymore , but is now called Microsoft's Security Essentials

In Windows 7 it's called Microsoft Security Essentials. In Windows 8/8.1 it's called Windows Defender. Windows 7 has a Windows Defender as well, but it's a different one than the one in Windows 8/8.1

Windows Defender is the default real-time (always on) protection program in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Unlike the one in Windows XP, Vista and 7, the Windows 8/8.1/10 version does protect from viruses and other types of malware, not only spyware. It is similar to the free Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows Vista and 7, but it lacks a few features, such as the ability to select a time or limit CPU resources used for scheduled scanning in GUI (Graphical User Interface) and right-click menus in Windows (File) Explorer.

Image of Windows Defender on Windows 7.
Image of Windows Defender on Windows 8.
Image of MSE on Windows 7.

As for MSE protecting against spyware, it's never found any that Malwarebytes and Superantispyware did manage to find on my system. Also, considering that the Windows Defender on Windows 8 needs a special registry hack (the one I gave earlier) to enable its spyware checking...

Nice try about the ransom ware but nada I don't use my computer to mine Bitcoin as I have a Antiminer witch has it's own software and does not need my computer.

Ransomware has nothing to do with mining bitcoins, but all to do with criminals putting a Trojan on your computer which encrypts all your files, which you can get decrypted when you pay the ransom of one or more bitcoins, or several hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Now, as for calling you dumb, I didn't do so. You yourself did, so good luck with that.

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Have you ever tried to de-install Symantec/Norton stuff? Good luck with that one!

ESET have a list/links of "Uninstallers (removal tools) for common Windows antivirus software"
http://support.eset.com/kb146/

I never used "ESET AV Remover tool" (it is something new to me, was not available 1-2 years ago)
but they claim: "The ESET AV Remover tool will remove almost any antivirus software previously installed on your system"

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Isn't that just another antivirus software vendor making sure that any competitors product gets kicked out before their own gets installed?

- In many cases this ("competitors product gets kicked out") is needed (i.e. "Real-Time protection" is probably not compatible between vendors)
- This was more info on your: "Have you ever tried to de-install Symantec/Norton stuff?" (if user already decided to de-install you can't blame another companies for providing info how to do that)

- All the links are to tools/info from the corresponding vendors, e.g.:
Norton (Symantec) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

- The "ESET AV Remover tool" removes also ESET products
- Did you see the screenshots?
You are presented a list of found antivirus software and you decide what to remove and what to keep (e.g. keep OnDemand scanners)
http://support.eset.com/kb3527/

(and again - I never used/tested this tool, I can't vote how correctly it works)

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Glenn you really need to do extensive homework on what you're talking about buddy. ;-)

No Win7 version that I've ever come across has ever needed Defender uninstalled as that is automatically disabled during installation of MSE (but that does get me thinking about a Vista PC I had here recently, they're a very rare breed out here in these parts).

I dropped using AVG Free a few years back on any one's PC due to their bundled crapware (and that's not including CNet's added extras).

I have been using MSE on them though and my call outs due infections have been extremely low ever since (AVG Free still had much lower infection rate than big $'s jobs, their crapware pushing brought them undone).

Cheers.

So it was a while since I had to install MSE but your right I'm wrong as I found out the other day on my Quadd the day I was sent a Trojen horse that had done something to MSE on that machine as I had not had the virus def up to date however the other machine on my network did have a up to date virus def and picked it up and stopped it.

However you should Disable it manually before installing MSE and I know it was a deliberate Amuture attempt at hacking me . And before a certain &^%$ says anything .

These forums are open to the public anybody can read the posts . So unless I actually name someone I am not accusing anybody part of the project.

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