Is paying for antivirus a waste of money?

Night Hawk said:

I would highly doubt you would ever find any use for it unless setting up a data center to start with! Some of these programs are corporate geared not intended for home use to begin with. On the day I mentioned before where I didn't have the av running when getting hit with the ad generator app that went on smooth as silk not being detected simply having the Windows firewall running may have seen a prompt come up about it?! Will never know on that however.

For most of us who are constanly in and out we have already picked up on the "INs" and "OUTs" of the DOs and Do Nots as a rule and can actually run most of the time without anything even WD! That is because we make frequent backups as well as won't waste any time wiping a drive or two clean if necessary if we get hit. Generally a system image covers any losses from an infection.

For "Mr." or "Ms." uninformed user if we can generalize they don't how to even know when a bug is on or not unless some type of scam ware is displaying itself when things are not working right. "Oh that dang _ _ _ brand pc is acting up again! need a new pc!" of he drive is no good?! The facts are the lack of general upkeeping like the occasion defrag or clearing out browser histories, randomly selecting passwords, etc. is generally what leaves typical user at the highest risk! And measuring the risk factors for each user's habits is where the stakes can be high!

As I thought to myself years ago when deciding a free av wasn't going to be enough when looking at overall web security I knew then that any pair for software would need to have something to offer over simply tossing two or three freebie extras on along with a free av program. When this type of discussion came up over the weekend with a friend I had pointed to VIPRE as a better replacement to the then retail AVG which we had all been favoring his comment just heard was: "Me and my wife couldn't even get by without.. " said program at this time since he went to mention how it catches everything.

Now these are people who generally need someone else to clean bugs up and even get the OS working or see a clean install as they don't invest any time in learning things for themselves as a rule. And this is where the best available options become the almost mandate type of item put on the list of To Dos! Generally the paid for that sees good support as another item of interest over those programs who simply take money and run are the type you would likely recommend. We can run around in shorts gawking like chickens and still know how to recover while the typical user would be dumbfounded by the little things.

yea a lot of average users wouldn't know a PC housekeeping /maintenance issue or malware infection or slowing nearly dead hdd spilling out bad sectors like a geyser into windows from one or the other .

I cleaned up a lot that (they don't know what they doing messes ) or re- configured,upgraded or fixed some PC's over the years or told them to junk them for something newer but not even close to the scale you work with .

Maybe a premium AV suite and web scanner on autopilot is a reasonable option for them and at certain service levels the most of the bigger ISPs here in the states will give you MaCaFail with all the bells and whistles and bloatware anyway


I can see your point with those Mr." or "Ms." uninformed users using the full boat premium AV program /web scanners outside of some of the expert level users we have here that might get by with less and not want all that


Aside From my 'AV lite ' configurations
On the passwords I use text and symbols and never the same one twice and random incorrectly spelled nonsense words and or absurdly mis mis matched phrases or totally unrelated or maybe made up objects and words with random symbols .

My passwords are usually at least 10 characters & symbols combined or random thought nonsense words combined with symbols and more often more than that getting out to 14-16 characters combined with symbols .ofc I have updated in name order PWL lists in encrypted files and handy in notepad to paste in at the sites that allow that and separate utility /recurring bills etc. PWL lists lockdown and harder to get at.... but I have most of those those frequent flyers memorized anyway .


My password strength checker says some of them would take a million or two years to crack with a PC

I don't really believe in an Anti-Virus solution if you have a solid restore solution.

I used Deep Freeze Standard for a few years, and found it to be quite good. My employer cut our budget, and we couldn't afford Deep Freeze, so we started to look elsewhere. In my research I found Reboot Restore Rx. It's pretty much 1-to-1 with Deep Freeze in terms of functionality and it's free.

I've since transitioned to Drive Vaccine, which is the 'pay for better features' version of RRRX. In my experiences I use these programs and it maintains a clean system a lot better than an AV solution ever would.

If you can set it up in a VM, even better!

If you absolutely need an AV solution, I'd recommend AVG Free. Great free tool. I never rely on it. It's more there out of nostalgia haha

HanginJang said:

I don't really believe in an Anti-Virus solution if you have a solid restore solution.

I used Deep Freeze Standard for a few years, and found it to be quite good. My employer cut our budget, and we couldn't afford Deep Freeze, so we started to look elsewhere. In my research I found Reboot Restore Rx. It's pretty much 1-to-1 with Deep Freeze in terms of functionality and it's free.

I've since transitioned to Drive Vaccine, which is the 'pay for better features' version of RRRX. In my experiences I use these programs and it maintains a clean system a lot better than an AV solution ever would.

If you can set it up in a VM, even better!

If you absolutely need an AV solution, I'd recommend AVG Free. Great free tool. I never rely on it. It's more there out of nostalgia haha

Thumbs Up! @HanginJang....

Very good write Up regarding Deep Freeze the only folks who will mock and bitch about any type of Sandboxing is the folks who have no idea or have any education of such valuable tools that have been around for many years in the likes, of Sandboxie, and Deep Freeze.

There is no need and its over kill and lots of work to be running VM for a stand alone unit/ single device " not something I would do in my wildest dreams " if others enjoy running a VM that's their own choice

Like is said, I have pushed both of these apps to the limit and loaded everything possible in the day, and even got to the point of the blue screen bsod on one test and guess what? " after a forced power restart " everything came up like a champ after the forced power re-start...


Millions or users and also Enterprise mainstream operations have been using one form of Sandboxie, or Deep Freeze on their investments within a company or for personal use.

PS: I always get asked, when I get around of doing vast upgrades more often since Windows 8 dropped into the picture and even more with Windows 10 and Apple Macs, plus if I am not asked I suggest these two tools and the majority want it all installed.

Nostalgia for sure in the most part, but you never want to risk it if you have important files or pictures or data that has not backed up...

I STRONGLY AGREE AND ADVICE USE: Sandboxie or Deep Freeze and get educated on how to operate one or the other of these very fine tools


Regards,

AcuraTML said:

Thumbs Up! @HanginJang....

Very good write Up regarding Deep Freeze the only folks who will mock and bitch about any type of Sandboxing is the folks who have no idea or have any education of such valuable tools that have been around for many years in the likes, of Sandboxie, and Deep Freeze.

There is no need and its over kill and lots of work to be running VM for a stand alone unit/ single device " not something I would do in my wildest dreams " if others enjoy running a VM that's their own choice

Like is said, I have pushed both of these apps to the limit and loaded everything possible in the day, and even got to the point of the blue screen bsod on one test and guess what? " after a forced power restart " everything came up like a champ after the forced power re-start...


Millions or users and also Enterprise mainstream operations have been using one form of Sandboxie, or Deep Freeze on their investments within a company or for personal use.

PS: I always get asked, when I get around of doing vast upgrades more often since Windows 8 dropped into the picture and even more with Windows 10 and Apple Macs, plus if I am not asked I suggest these two tools and the majority want it all installed.

Nostalgia for sure in the most part, but you never want to risk it if you have important files or pictures or data that has not backed up...

I STRONGLY AGREE AND ADVICE USE: Sandboxie or Deep Freeze and get educated on how to operate one or the other of these very fine tools


Regards,

Outside of their intended uses (outside of average PC users ) at least for Deep Freeze maybe all that is kind of like using a Peterbilt 18 wheeler tractor trailer to fetch a bag groceries in but whatever makes you feel good

blutos cousin said:

Outside of their intended uses (outside of average PC users ) at least for Deep Freeze maybe all that is kind of like using a Peterbilt 18 wheeler tractor trailer to fetch a bag groceries in but whatever makes you feel good

@blutos cousin.

All depends on what you have a device/PC for in your life/world

example if you just run a OS in the likes of Windows or Mac, bare bone just for surfing and downloading there isn't too much of principle, and hands down I agree...


The rule of thumb I use as a threshold or balance is:


(01) If Office is installed
(02) If Any second party high end apps like .net or orical and so on
(03) If anyone does any online e-commerce money transactions

Example not for your just average boot up and shut down type of user

Forget the AV Road and path, get yourself a copy of Sandboxie and Deep Freeze and have your piece of mind, " that's the best suggestion at this time on the current market " regarding virus and high jack attacks on your device or devices

By pass the AV purchase and out those funds put those funds on a genuine copy of Sandboxie and Deep Freeze if you still have concerns of getting your device trashed by a singe bad link or click these days...


Blutos Cousin, Windows 10 and OSX will be the top Operating Systems in 2016 and onward being hit going forward " both of these OS's have been targeted from the get go and what is suspected lots more on the way by very low and clever and very silent virus criminal engineers...

Network Experts predict by 2020 the Internet will be like walking on broken glass " and that is alarming in what's in store and around the bend "

AcuraTML said:

@blutos cousin.

All depends on what you have a device/PC for in your life/world

example if you just run a OS in the likes of Windows or Mac, bare bone just for surfing and downloading there isn't too much of principle, and hands down I agree...


The rule of thumb I use as a threshold or balance is:


(01) If Office is installed
(02) If Any second party high end apps like .net or orical and so on
(03) If anyone does any online e-commerce money transactions

Example not for your just average boot up and shut down type of user

Forget the AV Road and path, get yourself a copy of Sandboxie and Deep Freeze and have your piece of mind, " that's the best suggestion at this time on the current market " regarding virus and high jack attacks on your device or devices

By pass the AV purchase and out those funds put those funds on a genuine copy of Sandboxie and Deep Freeze if you still have concerns of getting your device trashed by a singe bad link or click these days...


Blutos Cousin, Windows 10 and OSX will be the top Operating Systems in 2016 and onward being hit going forward " both of these OS's have been targeted from the get go and what is suspected lots more on the way by very low and clever and very silent virus criminal engineers...

Network Experts predict by 2020 the Internet will be like walking on broken glass " and that is alarming in what's in store and around the bend "

no e commerce directly out these boxes we have a website ,aggregators and the usual online retailers for all that just some of the average user bill paying and some office & spreadsheets for our stuff and the accounting all locked down on encrypted drives .


If I start having (or anticipating ) major problems I might look at all that.....TBH some of it sounds pretty clever.... how is all that on using resources hdd writes and running processes/ background processes .


OTOH even though we got software & VST libraries that all adds up to maybe more than a nice used car on the workstation it probably won't fly on that here because low ms. I/O latency is everything with what we do here and a lot of all that requires at least a S.B. i7 and 16GB ram to work right

blutos cousin said:

no e commerce directly out these boxes we have a website ,aggregators and the usual online retailers for all that just some of the average user bill paying and some office & spreadsheets for our stuff and the accounting all locked down on encrypted drives .




If I start having major problems I might look at all that.....TBH some of it sounds pretty clever.... how is all that on using resources hdd writes and running processes/ background processes OTOH it wont fly probably wont fly on the production workstation because low ms. I/O latency is everything with what we do here ?

@blutos cousin.

Sandboxie and smooth and very lean and has a micro footprint 2% to 4% max core usage

Deep Freeze has a larger footprint on your memory side of its science and protocol/design but very light when implemented and has taken over your system, measurement within the 4% to 5% max or core usage

Both are very lite on overall core load

AcuraTML said:

@blutos cousin.

Sandboxie and smooth and very lean and has a micro footprint 2% to 4% max core usage

Deep Freeze has a larger footprint on your memory side of the its science and protocol/design but very light when implemented and has taken over your system, measurement within the 4% to 5% max or core usage

Both are very lite on overall core load

\

That's not bad @ 2% for Sandboxie that's way less than Chrome with some tabs open ......like you say there might be good arguments for all that depending on the PC use

blutos cousin said:

\

That's not bad @ 2% for Sandboxie that's way less than Chrome with some tabs open ......like you say there might be good arguments for all that depending on the PC use

You got it, I swear by these two pieces of fine apps, just gets a little awkward to enable and un-enable and getting to know the ins and outs

You can count nothing will knock you down anytime soon or in the long range future

I suggest you spend some time at YouTube and see both in action its very interesting and mind blowing the control and power these two apps have regarding protecting your investment

Both apps are modest on specs don't require anything major or extreme