Use AVG Free in combination with Free Zone Alarm and you PC is covered as much as it can be!
Scan your PC occasionally with Adware and you are set.

The AVG free edition automatically checks the internet for updates and Zone Alarm is a good firewall.

Both Mcafee and Norton slow down your PC and are not worth the money (unless you are naughty and have have downloaded the torrent from the net)

I used to use ZA before, but it takes damn too long to start up! Plus the later versions don't work so well with peer-to-peer software - they end up consuming all your computer's memory.

These days, I use Kerio Personal Firewall - also free.

Thanks for your ideas.

i have used norton, mcafee, avast, avg etc and will still recommend norton over the rest anyday despite its heavyness. last week my free and updated AVG got itself corrupted forcing me to reformat my windows partition. A simple insertion of a floppy disk can disable both AVG and Mcafee but Norton is always live and on although again there are some viruses that it may not readily detect.

@Bibi

Thanx 4 ur contributions. But why did u advice against using XP native firewall?

@Olat: My advice against Windows firewall is basically because its part of the OS and that always makes it easier to attack. I noticed the more integrated or common your solution, the more prone you are to attack, Note - more recent viruses and spayware have been able to disable Symantec Antivirus, same will surely apply for Windows OS integrated utilities.

what role does a firewall actually play in xp o/s?does it prevent virus attack or unauthourize intrusion from the net?

for my opinion,

sincere appologies to norton, but it is whack, my reasons, It eats up ur processor memory like a virus.

just yesterday, i nstalled "NOD-32" antivirus on my friends sytem who was using Norton but was having serious virus issues,, we detected and cleaned out 508 viruses. can u believe that

Now NOD-32 is buff,

another recommendation is "avast".

I still use McAfee 7 cos the interface is not so cpu intensive but the antivirus definitions are always current and it's also important to:

1. run windows updates via the browser regulary (or turn on automatic updates on win xp to handle it 4 u). Without patching holes/exploits in ur OS viruses and worms may still find a way in no matter how good the antivirus is (this is partly why antivirus sw are not neccessary in linux).

2. if u can, use a hardware gateway/router/firewall cos they're not affected by viruses (since they don't run windows) and so that ur system is not directly exposed to the internet.

3. If u can avoid internet explorer (IE) or download the newest beta version. OR better still switch to firefox (which I use) or opera etc. They're immune to many harmful websites that target IE. since 99% of all spyware comes in through IE, I rarely use antispyware cos of this.

4. It's also good to use more than one antispyware sw if u happen to have an infection. I can't remember the review I read on Cnet but one antispyware sw can't catch them all. Windows Defender and Spybot SD should do and they're both free.

I seem to be in the minority here but I have always used Nortons Antivirus and I'm very happy with it. I have also tried several others (McAfee, AVG etc.) but I always end up coming back to Nortons. Why do i like it? Well, in my view it does a great job of detecting and neutralising viruses, I like the interface and online updates are always smooth.

What I have often found is that a lot of people don't read the documentation carefully enough and as a result tend not to follow and/or implement the recommended guidelines in respect to configuration settings etc. so the software is not optimised and they then complain about the performance.

McAfee's pretty good

i use Mcafee SMB edition 8.0i at work. its great, has protection pilot and some great mechanisms for SMB antivirus solution

Guess wot i run a cybercafe and i don't use any antivirus. All i did was to install a deepfreez. Deep freez will lock your computer i.e any changes made or any software dat is install or document files safed will be deleted on reboot of the system

avast antivirus is the best 4 now

OMG!

I just uninstalled my Avast this morning thinking its not that good and trying to get AVG

My system at home is not connected to the Internet so updating has been a source of concern.

Now with all I have read, I have to redownload it

Thanks Guys for all the info

This is my mobile number 08033454237 0r 08055788482, If anybody need an asistant on anything at all, just give me a call and if possible we can chatt online my MSN Messenger is babskenny@hotmail.com Yahoo chatt ID is denis_joe@ yahoo.com. I am an Engineer

Wow, he looks like a virus!

Chxta, that's wicked. I'm not laughing!

Chxta

lol

After reading the offer of Kenny More I have decided to also offer help!

My name is Kenny Less and I am also an Engineer and I will fix all girlies computers for free

Interesting Rev

Try bitdefender

@ Reverend

Na wah o!

Which of you come be virus now?

Jokes apart McAfee is the name in antivirus.

What McAfee could not do, Kaspersky did!

I had 11 viruses on this pc. McAfee only kept detecting, without cleaning. Then I decided to download and install kaspersky (I have the latest edition; full version ), and it cleaned every damn virus on it!

Up Kaspersky!

Try uninstalling Kaspersky later in life when you find that it can't clean sasser effectively and you'll hate yourself. When that day comes fire me an email so I'd instruct you on how to remove it from your system. . .

I used Norton on my first PC b4 VIRUSES shut it down
This second PC came with norton, but it's expired, and it needs some form of payment to update it.
But Yahoo uses Norton, and for Yahoo to use Norton, it must be really good

Tayo

i think you should try antivir, it kinda deals well with this new virus called brontok,
check www.avira.com

Zone Alarm is fantastic, its the absolute "bestest" antivirus you can hope to get

AntiVir is the Best!

Well, to be sincere with you guys,

Every Anti-virus has its strength and weakness. There are virus that will be seen by McAffe and AVG wouldn't be able to detect or cure. It's so for all. Avast is a very good antivirus, I guess cois its new- No challenges yet.

But for me i use Norton, and so far, It has been so good for me. I love it.