Not been hugely impressed with Norton in the past myself, but I've not used it for years, so I wouldn't know which opinion is correct on it these days. It did have the reputation of being crap when I was (forced to) use it years ago, while working at a newspaper, but I'm talking ten years ago.

:D Chock

Early Nortons were total crap i admit but this nortons 360 is good, best way to test your antivirus/spyware is download some key logger trogans, which are harmless just make sure the keylogger isn't for a game you have install on your pc otherwise some chinaman will be logging into your game online :lol:. Place the keyloggers in a folder and run your anti virus a good one will find it straight away.

Nortons 360 found the keyloggers in seconds and offered to delete them same with Nod 32. AVG never found them, Antiviril told me my system was clean lol, Avasti said the same thing, McAfee came up with an error when it found the logger and didn't know what to do with it and Kaspersky was onto it and deleted keyloggers.

Best results were N360, NOD32 & Kaspersky. The rest are rubbish:yep:

That should get the water boiling!!:lol:
OK sounds like good advise Kiwi, any idea on cost? and do you have to keep upgrading the application (fawking out money), every year? and can you scan just a single folder with any of these?:-? Thanks.

Chock, you didn't respond to post 14!:roll:

I use F-Prot DOS version for just that task. link

signature files:
http://www.f-prot.com/download/signaturefiles.html

I don't use DOS anymore, I did check the link & although there is a windows version it's not free, I think if I had to pay I would go for the other recommended apps.:yep:
Thanks though for the advise.

That DOS application works just fine under XP and looks like this:

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6044/fprotdp9.png

I've been using the Norton Protection center for about 2 years now
and my PC runs fine, and I've been deleting and installing a lotta stuff while it is installed.

and guess what, I dont have any performance issues so far.
and I dont have a state of the art computer (2004) 2.8ghz, 512 ram , Geforce FX5700LE 256 mb
and I run IL2 1946 without problems, and can play SH3+GWX with a average FPS of 35 with just one thing switched of in the graphic settings.

what people say about Norton I could say the same thing about freeware AV scanners, I've had bad issues with them in the past so I dont go near them anymore.

I use the payware Zone Alarm and Spyware Doctor. Also Ad-Aware. I find SwD is effective at catching trojans.

Reminds me of the old dos days Spoon, I see that you can scan a folder only, I'll give it a go, that makes number 5!!:yep:

Edit: Forget it, it's about to be discontinued!

It is prolongued automatically. I use it since years. It beats hands down Norton and Kapesrky that I have used years before. Especially Norton gave me noithing but troubles. Luke Filewalker, at maximum settings, may take his time. But he wins the yearly tests in our print magazines since many years in a row. No other has had a better detection rate than this one. They are also very fast with updates. Once a day, sometimes twice.

since you asked for other applications:
AntiVir (you have it)
Zonealarm
Spybot S&D
Ad Aware
A-square (A2)

I use them at least once per week for active scanning.

And since Chock mentioned freeware scanners not using the same databases like the selling stuff: not true in case of AntiVir. The downgrading is with regard to additonal options, but it uses the same daily and most actual database for updates like the commercial software.

Two minutes? You either have not much stuff on your PC, or your scanner is ot at maximum settings!?
AntiVir at maximum takes around one hour to scan my PC en detail, with plenty of libraries (Flight simulator) present. All in all it is around 100-120 GB. Quick scans last a minute, but only skim over the most important things.

Good freeware alternatives exist :

Avira Antivir for the antivirus (and its not a resource hog as Norton :rotfl: )
Comodo for the firewall.

Trying to get any info out of Symantec is useless!! could someone tell me what 6 months Subscription means, does this mean I pay say $50 for NAV and 6 months later I throw it in the bin!:x It's rather confusing! All the payware applications mention subscription costs, if anyone can shed some light here I would appreciate it!:yep:

Edit: I just had another go at trying to email Symantec for some info but there is no way to email them, you just get sent on a wild goose chase that ends back at the start, so I have given up on them!:down:

All commercial antivirus solutions are based on a subscription model, that is you pay an annual fee and recieve free upgrades during that time.
As you end the subscription period you have two choices : renew and pay again or choose to not pay and in this case your software won't update anymore.
So it will be useless as an antivirus needs to be updated daily for it to be effective.

Freeware solutions are free of course but you still have to subscribe.
For instance Avast gives you a new key free key every year but you must subscribe, Antivir updates automatically your free subscription evey year etc...
Subscription in this case is free you don't pay anything.

Thanks goldorak, that makes it clear cut!:yep: Wonder if Avira (not classic) works this way.:huh: Will have to do some research .... again!:doh: