Avira AntiVir Personal

The Avira AntiVir Personal offers the effective protection against computer viruses for the individual and private use on a single PC-workstation.

In order to make possible an easy operation, the Avira AntiVir Personal is developed to the essential points.

Info: www.free-av.com

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For years, Spyware Doctor has been an industry-leading solution for removing spyware. Now, PC Tools has added antivirus protection plus an add-on module, Browser Defender for Internet Explorer and Firefox, that helps protect you from malicious Web sites. A second add-on for badly infected systems is Behavior Guard, a real-time malicious activity monitor that identifies and stops never-before-seen threats.

Spyware Doctor installs quickly, giving you the option to enable IntelliGuard, the real-time threat-detection tool and run a system scan. Scans are fast, and results are detailed. Spyware Doctor has also enhanced its ability to scan and remove threats in Safe Mode.

The add-on module approach can control of intrusion management level and consequent resource impact. Without the add-ons, resource
impact was minor but noticeable. This varies with system and Internet speed.

Click for more: PC Tools Spyware Doctor + Antivirus 2009

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In a world filled with malicious programs, emails, and Web sites, protecting your system is important. Consequently, many of us yearn for a security suite that provides full protection with little or no input. AVG Internet Security 8.0 comes close, providing a robust, multi-layered defense against virtually all of the digital goons lurking in the shadows.

For a price slightly higher than many competitors, you enjoy protection against incoming and resident viruses, malware, spam, phishing sites, and drive-by downloads, plus a firewall and deep-level system protection against such threats as rootkits.

Installation of AVG 8.0 is easy, with the setup utility explaining its behavior as it goes. It gives you input on important decisions, such as selecting the working environment where you use the PC for example, standalone, network, or mobile. It thoughtfully allows you to select more than one, too; good of you have a notebook you use on the road and at home.

AVG 8.0 also lets you choose a scan schedule, whether or not to report questionable Web pages, and whether or not to install the AVG Security Toolbar. This toolbar, which includes a Yahoo! search interface, installs in your browser. It lets you turn the Active Surf-Shield and Search-Shield on or off: two utilities that examine and rate Web sites and search results for potential threats.

Whether or not you install the AVG Security Toolbar, AVG and the underlying LinkScanner technology will work in the background, examining links online, in emails, bookmarks, documents, and other sources
to see if they are safe.

The AVG interface is comprehensive but filled with large icons that don’t do much except indicate status. It would be nice if users could right-click the icons to enable and disable protection, configure the suite, and perform other tasks. Instead, you’ll find configuration options buried in various menus.

Minor annoyances aside, AVG 8.0 did a good job of getting us up and running quickly, and intrusions are minimal and well-managed. AVG 8.0 alerts you when potentially risky programs access the Internet, you choose between unrestricted or safe site and one-time or permanent access. The antispam filter comes with several configuration features yet did a decent job without any changes.

System requirements (1.2GHz processor, 256MB memory) are reasonable. Tested AVG on several systems, including one that didn’t quite meet system requirements, and it ran on them all. However, the resource drain during some operations is noticeable unless you more than meet requirements. One other minor quibble is that there is no easy way to temporarily disable protection. You must go in and disable components individually.

Several virus labs give AVG 8.0 high marks, and we found its online protection generally to be on target. Overall, this program is a well-rounded, hassle-free choice for novice or busy users with reasonably fast computers. Intermediate users who occasionally want to fly without a net will likely be frustrated. Tech support is minimal with online FAQ and email only.

Click more for details:AVG Internet Security 8.0