Computers: Interesting Alternative Anitvirus

[walpurgis]

Hello all, this may be very boring, but are you paying for your computer's antivirus protection and is it a definitions based application that constantly needs to update?
I use no software (apart from the O/S obviously) that has cost me any money. I hunt about to find out what is available free. Your common choices are AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials, etc.
I had used both of these, but a year or so back I found Xyvos 0.5 on Cnet's 'Download.com' site. This is an unusual antivirus application as it is not definitions based, it is behaviour based. Meaning that it watches what your computer is doing, blocks any suspicious activity and alerts you and allows you to decide whether to allow something to run or not on a temporary or permanent basis. As no definitions are used it never needs updates and once installed you cannot get a virus etc. unless of course you are silly enough to allow something iffy to run. There is no scan facility so you'd need to do that with your existing A/V prior to installing and while offline, but you'd never need to do it again. The package can be downloaded and kept on your desktop ready to use once your existing A/V is de-activated or uninstalled. There are other advantages, it is a tiny package and does not occupy mountains of space on your computer, consequently your computer will start-up and run noticeably faster, mine does. You'd need to run an anti-spyware application alongside it as it does not cover this. Spyware Expert is also free from 'Download.com' and is very effective, more so than Spybot or Adaware etc. I have found. Once you are set up you will have no bother keeping your computer free of bugs. Although it stays quiet most of the time, Xyvos will alert you very occasionally to something and and if you recognise the process that is being blocked you can decide what to do with it. If you don't recognise it, block it temporarily and write it down, then do a Google search, that will tell you whether its a goody or baddy. Foolproof basically, There is a review by me saying much the same on 'Download.com'. I've been using it for quite a while and its been faultess and hassle free. Geoff.

[Tim]

MSE here and NOD32 at work. I always paid for A/V until MSE came along, which I am happy with and very little of the software I use these days is free.

[walpurgis]

If you need software Cnet Download.com is a great and safe source for just about any type you can think of, much of it free. Geoff.

[synsei]

MSE user here too. I like the fact that it is reasonably unobtrusive, a doddle to operate and uses resources sparingly. It is also bloody good at its job. I was an AVG user before MSE and I found it to be too resource hungry. An AV prog that asked me what to do all the time would drive me absolutely bonkers.

Incidentally, I also use Spybot S&D to remove stubborn nasties ( very rare these days) and a couple of free utilities from IOBit: Advanced System Care and Smart Defrag 2. This little lot keeps my computers free from shiite and running with shiny efficiency and what's more, it's all free... :champagne:

[Covenant]

I pay for AVG and think it's very good. There was a Groupon offer for AVG this year so I got it for £8. Norton is the pits.

[walpurgis]

Why pay for any software applications at all, when there are good, reliable, free ones for just about everything you'd need.

By the way, MSE is hundreds of times more resource hungry than Xyvos and does impact on computer start-up time and overall speed.

Xyvos generally requires no attention or input, only once in a blue moon does it produce an alert.

[Mr Nad]

I use Comodo Internet Security. Free, not resource hungry, and pretty darn good at protecting me from malware.

My internet traffic is routed through their servers, and it refuses to let me visit dodgy sites.

I also have used Avast which was very good, but has not, like AVG, become bloated and slow.

[walpurgis]

In case anybody wondered, The Xyvos 0.5 program file is tiny, less than 1mb, as compared to over half a Gig for some definitions based A/Vs, their size and sprawling pervasiveness is why they slow things down so much. Try de-activating your A/V (not whilst online) and see how much faster everything happens. Geoff.

[webby]

I've been told that when it comes to software, nothing is ever free. There's always a price to pay.

[synsei]

I've been told that when it comes to software, nothing is ever free. There's always a price to pay.

Hmmm, not in my case and I've been using freebie software like forever. This latest suite does such a fine job I doubt I will ever consider paid software. I can particularly recommend the IOBit stuff... ;)

[Techno Commander]

I have been using Avast for a couple of years now and am very impressed with it.

[walpurgis]

To reiterate (or revisit the thread if you like).

I had tried many of the regular Anti-Virus applications, AVG, McAfee and so on. I had problems with the very invasive Bullguard and Norton, you have to go to their sites to obtain various uninstallers for all the bits left behind when you try to do a basic uninstall. But they all generally seemed to be compromising the response of the computer, so I had a look for something different.

I've now been using this unusual Anti-Virus application (Xyvos) for around three years and it has been absolutely foolproof. It has bumped up the speed at which my computer operates, as it uses hardly any resources and never needs to update, as it is not definitions based. Have you noticed how slow your computer becomes when receiving those large and regular update files.

Basically, Xyvos stands guard over the computer and stops any suspicious activity.

Its the best AV I've used and I've tried many.

[Wakefield Turntables]

ccleaner (or crap cleaner) to give its proper name is also very good at removing stuff of your your drive. Its free and updated on a regular basis, I get mine from filehippo.

[walpurgis]

ccleaner (or crap cleaner) to give its proper name is also very good at removing stuff of your your drive. Its free and updated on a regular basis, I get mine from filehippo.

Yes I use CCleaner, but I use Disc Cleanup first as they seem to catch different stuff.

I also use Free Window Registry Repair and Spyware Expert regularly and find them very effective.

[Rare Bird]

I have 'Xyvos 1.5'

[walpurgis]

I have 'Xyvos 1.5'

How are you finding it Andre?

Personally I'm very pleased with what it does, I can't see me using a definitions based AV again.

Geoff.

[seoirse2002]

I have 'Xyvos 1.5'

Im sick of avg slowing me down...think Ill give this one a try

[walpurgis]

Im sick of avg slowing me down...think Ill give this one a try

If you want to give Xyvos a whirl, download it first but don't open the file. Then disconnect from the internet and use AVG to give your computer a complete scan. Once your computer is clean, turn off AVG and open and activate the Xyvos package. Once that is functioning uninstall AVG, using the AVG uninstaller that you should find in 'all programs'.

[Techno Commander]

Been using Avast for a couple of years now.

[Rare Bird]

How are you finding it Andre?

Personally I'm very pleased with what it does, I can't see me using a definitions based AV again.

Geoff.

Great can't fault it

[spendorman]

I have been using Avast for a couple of years now and am very impressed with it.

Yes, me too, and on many machines. Gave up AVG as it slowed machine a bit.

[Sonority]

AVG does seem to be going the way that Norton did some time ago - and they keep trying to foist yet more software onto us as well.
I also use CC - Spybot & MalwareBytes.

Work is real simple = iMac.

[walpurgis]

I found AVG invasive and resource hogging, Avast is not much better and loaded other apps that I didn't want at the time of installation. I could probably have done a custom install with the Avast and avoided the extra clutter, but now I have something that avoids all that, Xyvos!

As for anti-spyware applications, I tried Spyware Doctor, Spybot, Adaware and a couple of others and then I found Spyware Expert, which definitely digs a bit deeper and found malicious bits and pieces the others had missed. Recommended!

[Ashmore]

This thread's come along at just the right time. My netbook has been crushingly slow for a while - twelve minute start up.... Just got rid of avast and hey presto. I've got xyvos whitelist on there now and it's back up to 'blistering' atom speeds. Cheers

[walpurgis]

Good, at least somebody's got something out of the thread. Maybe more will follow!

[stupinder]

Good, at least somebody's got something out of the thread. Maybe more will follow!
Just having a look at XYvos now. White list or the other one?

[walpurgis]

Just having a look at XYvos now. White list or the other one?

Whatever meets the needs I suppose, Its available on 'download.com' which is a safe site and its free. I'm still using the 0.5 version on XP and have not felt the need to change.

It occurs to me that for anybody who still likes using XP, using Xyvos would possibly extend the usable life of the OS, as Xyvos never needs updating and therefore future AV support becomes irrelevant. Obviously using XP will ultimately become impractical. but for the forseeable future at least there's no problem. Support from Microsoft ends April 2014 I believe, but its possible OS software patches etc., may become available elsewhere.

I wonder how many people are still using Windows 2000? Quite a few, I bet.

[Rare Bird]

I'll use 'XP' till the death, i even bought a couple of laptops with 'XP' as spares :D

[stupinder]

Downloaded the White List onto this and the netbook in the music room.
It's simplicity doesn't inspire confidence if i'm honest :-) but at least i've got shut of the clunky stuff i was using before...

[stupinder]

Added this XYVOS thing (White list) to both netbook and laptop and it slowed both down to completely intolerable levels!! Word to the wise - don't add this. Both computers would do barely nothing without lots of delays...i'm talking glacial speeds here!! nOW REMOVED FROM BOTH COMPUTERS AND aVAST Installed...back to normal speeds.
I'm running Windows 7 - don't know if that has anything to do with it!!

[Ashmore]

Odd, my experience is exactly the opposite. I'm using xp on the netbook. Xyvos seems not to hinder my system at all (I hope it's actually doing something useful!)

[walpurgis]

Added this XYVOS thing (White list) to both netbook and laptop and it slowed both down to completely intolerable levels!! Word to the wise - don't add this. Both computers would do barely nothing without lots of delays...i'm talking glacial speeds here!! nOW REMOVED FROM BOTH COMPUTERS AND aVAST Installed...back to normal speeds.
I'm running Windows 7 - don't know if that has anything to do with it!!

Something may have gone astray during the installation, did you download a suitable version? Xyvos is a tiny package, about a tenth the size of most AVs and its unintrusive, so computers using it speed up!

[MartinT]

Freebie software is fine for home use, but certainly not for work. You do, ultimately, get what you pay for. There is support to consider, too.

MSE at home for me, AVG Business Edition at work. Windows 8 has Defender built-in, you just need to turn it on.

[realysm42]

MSE right here; free, light weight and behaves itself.

[walpurgis]

Freebie software is fine for home use, but certainly not for work. You do, ultimately, get what you pay for. There is support to consider, too.

MSE at home for me, AVG Business Edition at work. Windows 8 has Defender built-in, you just need to turn it on.

Xyvos does not require support. Once installed it monitors your computer for the rest of it's life without need for updates.

I was using MSE prior to Xyvos. The difference in start-up and operating speed with Xyvos is very noticecable.

[stupinder]

Dunno what went wrong with it but exactly the sam eresult on the little netbook and this laptop. Slowed to pretty much unusable levels.
Disappeared when I removed it and reinstalled Avast so clearly the antivirus. Shame as i liked the idea...

[MartinT]

Xyvos does not require support. Once installed it monitors your computer for the rest of it's life without need for updates.

Sorry Geoff, but I'd have to reiterate: for business use, support is essential. There are too many interactions and in the business world you can't just 'get by', you have to keep everything running stable on a variety of different platforms for a lot of people who are trying to do their jobs.

I wouldn't even give Xyvos a look-in in the business environment. For home use, you only have yourself to get annoyed at.

[walpurgis]

Sorry Geoff, but I'd have to reiterate: for business use, support is essential. There are too many interactions and in the business world you can't just 'get by', you have to keep everything running stable on a variety of different platforms for a lot of people who are trying to do their jobs.

I wouldn't even give Xyvos a look-in in the business environment. For home use, you only have yourself to get annoyed at.

Not sure what you're getting at.

Support in what way and for what? Xyvos requires no maintenance, updates or updating, that's the point.

It may be that there is a business/professional iteration of Xyvos.

Why dismiss out of hand something untried that you have no experience of and seemingly know nothing about?

[John]

After trying this on my laptop has slowed a lot and even after going back to AVG it still pretty slow so will have to do a system maintainence on it and if no luck take it for repair must admit wish | never bothered. It might be down to some other reason but happened when I downloaded this and used the spyware to remove some files so could be some kind of virus that I did not know was in my system

[NRG]

I've been using MSE on all our Windows systems for a while now all the Norton, AVG and other anti-virus s/w is too intrusive IME and almost like a virus in themselves!

[MartinT]

Not sure what you're getting at.

Support in what way and for what? Xyvos requires no maintenance, updates or updating, that's the point.

It may be that there is a business/professional iteration of Xyvos.

Why dismiss out of hand something untried that you have no experience of and seemingly know nothing about?

I think we're talking at cross purposes. I'll try and expand on what I said:

With my business hat on, as Director of IT for my organisation, I don't buy any software product that doesn't come with support. The reason being that we have a multitude of different machines in use, any of which can and often does exhibit strange issues on occasion depending on the mix of applications and usage. It's amazing what can catch machines out. We therefore need an escalation route in order to resolve issues quickly, including remote access by the software vendor if necessary. The other issue that's not well understood by end users is that software must have a central update management system, which collects new updates and issues them to all the client machines. This prevents some 300 machines all trying to update their AV and other software directly, clogging up our internet bandwidth.

With my home user hat on, none of these things matter. I can use MSE with confidence and could switch to something else at a moment's notice. If things go wrong, then there's only me to blame and me to resolve it.

I hope that clarifies?

[stupinder]

After trying this on my laptop has slowed a lot and even after going back to AVG it still pretty slow so will have to do a system maintainence on it and if no luck take it for repair must admit wish | never bothered. It might be down to some other reason but happened when I downloaded this and used the spyware to remove some files so could be some kind of virus that I did not know was in my system
Pleased it wasn't just me. It had to be the XYVOS software as removing it on BOTH machines cured the problem.
Did I do anything wrong? Dunno, i downloaded it, removed Avast, ran c cleaner, installed XYVOs according to the instructions, wished i hadn't bothered, removed it, had a computer that worked again.

[Audioman]

Use Avast antivirus and Commodo Firewall. Both are free as stand alone programmes. If you want each companies complete protection software suite you have to pay. All works fine together.

Paul.

[John]

Pleased it wasn't just me. It had to be the XYVOS software as removing it on BOTH machines cured the problem.
Did I do anything wrong? Dunno, i downloaded it, removed Avast, ran c cleaner, installed XYVOs according to the instructions, wished i hadn't bothered, removed it, had a computer that worked again.
Yes took me a good bit of time to sort out the issues wished I did not bother either

[walpurgis]

Strange that a few of you have had seemingly negative experiences with Xyvos. I have it on two computers and it runs faultlessly, A couple of my friends report their satisfaction too. The problem may have been an installation glitch or maybe a clash with remnants of previous AV software.