 |
|
|
|
July 29, 2005
Dear CNET members,
Wow, our members came through in a big way this week, hitting another record number of submissions! Jon, you wanted advice and recommendations about running more than one antivirus utility and suggestions for a good free antivirus app. You got it! Let me just summarize what our members had to say. More than 80 percent recommended AVG Anti-Virus by Grisoft as a free antivirus utility, and 85 percent agreed that running two antivirus apps is not a good idea. Wanna know why? Let's start with this week's winning answer by Gary, who explains in detail why it's not good to run two antivirus apps, and he also gives his favorite picks of free antivirus utilities. But don't stop there; we have some incredible, well-written honorable mentions and other suggestions from our members. Hopefully, with this information, Jon, you and others will be able to choose good antivirus protection. If any of you have more recommendations for free or paid antivirus utilities or have successfully run two antivirus apps at the same time, please join us in this week's discussion. Have a great weekend, and thanks for your participation!
|
|
Member Question of the Week
I am running--and paying for--Norton AntiVirus on my PC at
home; the computer is about a year old. I've heard some good
things about free antivirus software that is equal to if not
better than Norton. I'd like to try some out while I still
have Norton. Is it OK to run more than one antivirus
application at the same time? Which are the best of the free
applications and where can I get them? Thanks in advance.
Submitted by:
Jon C. of Athens, Georgia
You've asked two questions here, Jon. Let's answer them in turn. Is it OK to run more than one antivirus application at the same time? It is generally not recommended to run more than one antivirus software on a PC. To understand why, you must understand how they work. Antivirus software runs in the background from the moment you start your computer or from the moment Windows loads, depending on the software. Every time you run a program or open a file, it is scanned by the antivirus app before it is loaded into the memory. You may have noticed that after you installed Norton on your computer, it started to run slower. This is because the antivirus software uses large amounts of memory and resources...
Submitted by:
Gary P. of Atlanta, Georgia
For
Gary's
efforts, we're sending him his choice of any
Help.com Learning CD.
Community Buzz
 Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.
Best regards and enjoy!
Is it worth the money to pay for a spyware detector instead of using a free app? What benefits are there--more support, better software? Find out in this discussion if there is a difference, and if you're using a spyware program, either paid or free, tell us which ones meet with your approval and which ones should be avoided. We are all ears.
More from PC applications & utilities forum
Overloaded with insane e-mail!
Have you ever wondered how your once immaculate e-mailbox, free of spam and advertisements, suddenly started to receive a bunch of unsolicited e-mail? Well, here is a member who is experiencing that. Take a look at what our members say will help curb spam.
More from the Computer newbies forum
What computer brands are highly rated?
Generally, when people decide to buy a desktop, they have already heard of the big-name companies, such as Dell, Gateway, and so on. But are products with well-known names necessarily better? Perhaps. Each machine may have its own advantages. One thing that most users aren't afraid to do is to voice their feelings about a specific company and its products. So if you're looking for a suggestion on buying a new PC or simply have something to share about your experience with a particular PC brand, throw your two cents in here.
More from Desktops forum
Reliable USB hard drive
With more and more people moving to external hard drives, reliability is of great concern. So what brands are reliable? Are there do's and don'ts when using these devices? Find out more in this discussion.
More from Storage forum
Building a computer: what type of power supply?
Unlike a few years back, computers now require a heftier power supply to run those superfast CPUs and abundance of computer components. But finding how much power is sufficient can be difficult. If you're in the process of building a computer and need to find out what power supply best suits your new system, take a dive into this discussion to see what will work best.
More from Computer newbies forum
Mac nugget: Can I install a PC CD-RW drive in my Mac?
Many PC users who have switched over to Macs wonder if their existing PC hardware, such as CD burners and so forth, can be installed into Macs. Is it possible? Find out more here. If you have any additional advice, chime in.
More from the Mac forum
|
|
Check out next week's question:
Hi, CNETers! I hope you can help me out. I've been saving digital photos on my XP system for about three years. Now they are scattered throughout my hard drive, and I can never find one when I want to (I'll admit, I'm unorganized). I'm open to any solution or tips (with or without the help of a good software utility) that will help me organize my pictures. I need something simple so that my mother can click through them when she visits. Thanks.
--Submitted by:
Dusty K. of Baltimore, MD
If you have the answer,
e-mail us at messageboards@cnet.com.
If we choose your response, you'll get a
free Help.com CD.
Have a question?
• Multimedia
• Internet Security
• Digital Cameras
|
• PC Upgrading
• PC Troubleshooting
• Digital Music
|
Last week's poll results
How much did you pay for your computer?
Have a poll you'd like to ask our members? E-mail me a suggestion.
Simple question, simple answer
Help your fellow members
|
|
Click here to see full answer
