anti virus for an old XP system

what is the best free anti virus system to download on my old XP system... ?

not sure if I will go off line or not so not re subscribing to my norton as we might go off line and just get a new computer...

I've heard about avast...what do you think about that?
thanks

 

my top 2 free anti virus software is Avast and Avira.

 

I agree with sexyand81, I personally use Avast Free. I've also heard very good things about 360 Total Security, and Panda.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/avast_free_edition.html

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/360_total_security.html

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/panda_cloud_antivirus.html

 

360 Total Security uses 4 sets of definitions. Two of them are Bitdefender and Avira, which are supposedly very good engines.

Been using the program for a few months, and like the online shopping mode which activates automatically. I also like the anti-keylogging and anti-webcam capture protections in 360 TS. I even noticed tonight that it has a gaming mode that activates automatically for anyone interested in knowing such. Scanning is suspended when a game is opened. There is more, too, like a configurable cleaning feature, startup management, and 360 monitors and notifies of boot times and posts a small pop up with the time during each boot :cool.

Not bad for a free a-v. I was going with avast for a long time, but I am not regretting the switch...

 

thank you for your responses and so quickly too I might add....

now what to do? avast or that 360 ?? don't know which to do... I have an old old system and wondering if the 360 might be too much for it? just wondering...

 

squeek...

I am running 360 on my main PC, and it seems much lighter to me than avast. I think there is a good bit more thought that has put into the timing of scans by the Qihoo developers. It feels well written to me.

When I was using avast, I think I developed a third eye watching the avast scanner bubble. It seemed like it ran so much and that it weighed things down so much while it was running. The GUI of avast was fine...it was just the scanner that bothered me. 360 doesn't say when it's scanning (that I have noticed), but I use the PC alot, and I can tell that the scans are better timed with 360. Also, the GUI of 360 is almost identical to avast when it comes to the weight. It may actually be less of a burden on a PC, too.

Haven't had a chance to update all 4 PCs I have here, but I plan to get started soon. I wanted to give 360 a really solid look before committing. With the advanced definitions and all the features and then with it running lighter, I am probably going to begin moving over all the PCs here soon.

BTW, I think the only drawback or issue I have had with 360 TS is with the definitions updates. The program is checking for updates, but there haven't been very many so far. I can see in the log that they are happening...just only every 3 or 4 days (sometimes every day or 2). I am going to see if I can get a response from the developer about this issue. It's not a deal breaker for me as I could see how an a-v company might concentrate their updates around pressing security issues around the net or pressing threats, especially if they're working with a good definitions engine as they are in this case.

For me, the main thing is the definitions, anti-keylogging, anti-webcam capture, and the shopping mode. Also, I should add that the program runs lighter. These are the issues that really won me over.

 

I recommend not running XP. At all.

How old is this machine?

 

I concur with the vote for Avast. I've been using it for many, many years now. Very effective anti-virus.

I've been testing Panda that Nick T mentioned for about a year now. If a system has limited resources this is a viable option . . . as it has a very small impact on a computer as a lot of it's activity is cloud-based. I've not vetted it completely, but I have used it enough to be able to suggest it as an option. It will offer to install third party programs though. Just watch the installation carefully and opt out of these.

I also suggest using a program called Spyware Blaster: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/spywareblaster.html

It hardens browsers against certain net nasties. It has to be updated manually, which is fast. I do it about once a week.


I also suggest using MalwareBytes:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/malwarebytes_anti_malware.html

I update it an run it on a regular basis. On an XP machine I suggest running it whenever the computer has been online. When first starting the program, make sure to opt out of the trial of the pay version (unless you want it, that is).

Yes, be advised that XP will become more and more vunerable as time goes by. I suggest running a seperate software firewall on any computer that is part of a LAN, but expecially for those running XP. The firewall that is part of XP is pretty much a one-way affair, protecting incoming data but doing nothing about outgoing stuff.

There was mention in this thread:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=288415&highlight=XP+hack&page=2

of a registry tweak you could make that would allow XP SP3 users to download security patches meant for Windows Embedded systems (which is said to be based on XP SP3), but I don't know how this is done, the legal aspect of doing so, or how secure this would actually make XP.

 

it depends on how old is your machine....
If very old avast could be a pain for RAM as already the browser may take 300 MB of RAM if launching several tabs...WinXP doesn't handle very well the available RAM.
I have a T21 IBM laptop, specs PIII 800Mhz + 2*256MB running WinXP SP3 and as I access only very known sites and only documents I don't use any antivirus at all. From time to time I scan the HDD but I don't have real time protection.
I'd rather install a very small RamDisk for cache/temp folders than an antivirus. I always have about 80-90% of RAM used.

and very important, don't use WinXP for online banking or any other financial transactions!
cheers!
intze

 

my xp is quite old... 11 years old I think...been running norton on it all the time for its life and it's getting pretty slow when norton runs it's background stuff...

just don't know what to do... some seem pretty strong saying I should not run it anymore and just buy a new pc but I've heard win 8 is really bad... what to do.. i'm not too cyber smart

 

squeek...

Take a look here. This seems like a great deal to me:

http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/us/en/pdp/desktops/500-310t-desktop-pc-j3x47av-aba-1

Processor benchmarks at 2500, right around the same as a first generation i3. That's actually quite good. Even ships with 64 bit Windows 7, so you can upgrade the RAM to 8 GB.

Free ship! :-D

 

Staples just put up a demo video on their computer monitor displays proclaiming:

"We Have Windows 7!"


Yep...

 

I will chime in with moving to Win 7. Since you know XP there will be less learning curve.
Your best anti virus may well be an OS change.

 

Another vote for pulling XP off the internet. You can still use it; it just won't be on the web.
Grab a Win 7 computer which will get security fixes until 2020.

 

If you must use XP, I also really liked Avast Free version and used the free version of Privatefirewall which were a good combination. Malwarebytes pro version would be another plus if you must use XP.

I would also concur in upgrading to Windows 7 for internet browsing.

 

wow
thanks so much for all the great advice... many options...
thinking of getting the win 7 on my computer and more ram and a clean up of sorts...

 

squeek...

Just took a look in the thread. Did you mention what kind of PC you have (make and model)? Maybe it would help to get a look at what you are working with. P4 PCs of the era of 11 years ago will many times have slots for 4 GB of RAM on the motherboard, but not oftenly more.

In that light, Windows 7 wouldn't be really anywhere nearly as much of an improvement as it might seem.

I have found some great deals on more modern 2009-2011 PCs on ebay for $100 or less. The ones I am mentioning usually have a working key for Windows 7 on the side of the PC and will accommodate 8 GB of RAM. You WILL require Windows 7 64 bit to use 8 GB or more. You won't, however, need an installation disk as an .iso of any of the Windows 7 versions can be downloaded from MS at the Digital River site. This you can burn the correct version for the key on the machine to a DVD to use as an installation disk...

This PC I am using is a first gen i3 that I paid $70 delievered for. It has 8 GB, an HD 4350 graphics card, a Seasonic power supply, an Asus motherboard, AND a Windows 7 Pro 64 bit key on the side of the box! Just had to buy a couple of hard drives to add. After that, I used the key on the PC box to install Windows 7 64 bit. This was a lucky deal, but there are a gajillion of them in the $100 range (even with HDs) that would compete pretty well with the specs of this one...

A copy of Windows 7 with a working key is going to run I would guess $70-100 by itself. To be able to use over 4 GB, you will require 64 bit which might be a little tougher to find a deal on. Chances are your PC can use 4 GB or less max, anyway. Well, you could potentially get a practically unused off lease PC that is much better for the same money and add the OS for FREE! It's completely legit 100% in compliance with MS rules on key usage.

 

Yep.

Still using XP is like saddling up a dead pony.

 

A cousin called tonight. She is buying a Win 7 refurbed desktop at Staples. You'd do better going that route instead of trying to update 10 year old hardware.
New hardware, a Win 7 license and enough RAM to run it already installed on a lot faster processor.

 

I duno about a dead pony, but possibly one that could buck you off at any given moment.

It's hard to throw in the towel on something your so familiar with. Been in service longer than anything else before or after, well past it's normal service life. Easily Microsofts best and most trusted operating system of all time.

 

Double post.

 

Win 7 can be VERY close to XP interface. As I have said so often; learning a new interface that ultimately has no speed advantage is just a time loss.

 

Not really. The reason it stuck around for so long was because of how embedded it had become. POS systems and other internal systems in almost every retail firm in the nation ran XP and refused to invest in developing new software. Vista is a good OS, but it got a black eye because a host of companies fired their software development teams. That means no drivers, and a lot of legacy equipment did not work with Vista. The downsizing of dev teams had more to do with it than anything. Also, netbooks which did not get Win7 starter got XP. It honestly outlived it's usefulness, especially when it comes to malware. Hackers have had it's number for years.

 

hey everyone.... I took the old xp off line and got a new computer...so i'm in the cloud now... and now having to learn a new 8.1 and it seems like I skipped 3 generations of technolgy

 

A new speedy PC->the same old problems, only they happen faster...->:-o:-D

 

this is true.... problems are happening faster...:-D

 

Yes, but soon you'll get used to it and never look back and you can always boot into desktop mode which is more like what your used to.

Plus you have the option to update for FREE to windows 10 for 1 year after it launches.