Free avg vs Norton 360

[gww3ga]

Hello,
Which is better for windows 7? free AVG or Norton Security Suite?
Thank you

 

[stevenpchurch]

I've been using AVG and it can find some strange false positives. A couple of months ago it flagged an old Quick Basic clone called Rapid Q and last week it quarantined MASM. How do other free AVs compare for (in)accurate results?

 

[Brett928S2]

I've been using AVG and it can find some strange false positives. A couple of months ago it flagged an old Quick Basic clone called Rapid Q and last week it quarantined MASM. How do other free AVs compare for (in)accurate results?

Hi

Not something we see generally, we see machines badly infected, so they usually didn't even see the virus coming...

Having said that, in a general sense I would rather an AV program had too many false positives than got infected...

All the best Brett

 

[Z1NONLY]

The only problem I see with Brett's sample is that we don't have any way of knowing how many (or few) people in his area have Norton on their computers.

I know you run Norton, Brett. But your success could be more due to your internet IQ than your AV.

And if less than 10% of your area uses Norton, you would necessarily get lower numbers of infected PC's in your shop.

It's like a mechanic saying "Buy a Maserati because I never see broken one's in my shop and I drive a Maserati."

It could be because Maserati's are dependable, and it could also be because few people own them.

I use an AV that's provided by my ISP, as well as MWB.

 

[mactronix]

Norton has a low market share anyway which would go some way to explaining the lack of Norton PC's with a virus.

Also the demographic of people who take a PC into a shop would be those who as has been touched on would have just goggled Free AV and ended up with AVG.

At the end of the day people will have had differing experiences with AV products depending on their usage type.
Brett works in a PC shop so probably see's more than some others on these forums. However as has already been said its just a flash poll of who takes PC's into where Brett works. All he can do is base his opinion on personal experience the same as the rest of us.

There is no right and wrong just people wanting to be sure the OP gets a full picture of the true state of affairs and a decent spread of opinions so that they themselves can make a balanced and informed decision.
At least that's why I'm here typing.

Mactronix

 

[unoriginal1]

Also the demographic of people who take a PC into a shop would be those who as has been touched on would have just goggled Free AV and ended up with AVG.
Mactronix

This^

I agree with all above. I think it's just the people that tend to go into a pc shop are the same that google a free AV and the 3 A's as they have been dubbed are basically hit 1 2 and 3.

Any antivirus can get a virus in my opinion. Just have to find the nasty ones .

But Ive had great luck with avg, mse, but as others have mentioned. It's most likely due to knowing how to avoid them in the first place.

 

[niceget]

Yep. Microsoft security essentials and Malwarebytes.

It's close to a year since you posted this combination of AV and Malware Detector.

I thought I would boost confidence with the readers by letting them know I completely agree with you and that I have used MSE and MB in tandem since 2009. A great one-two-punch for protection.