Does anyone NOT use an anti-virus program?

not using an anti virus how would you actually know you haven't had one for x amount of years?

Not every virus renders your pc uselss. My XP HDD has viruses on it that mcafee can't remove so I just left them there as it don't stop me using the pc for what I need it for which is hardly anything.
 
I'm interested to know how all the people that say they don't use AV know how they have never been infected? :confused: :rolleyes:
 
Nope, not anti-virus or protection, I don't even have SP2. Just make sure I'm careful on the nets
 
I didn't bother until I found free AVG, can't fault it.

btw Tom84 your sig is too big, maximum filesize of 20KB.
 
Bash said:
I'm interested to know how all the people that say they don't use AV know how they have never been infected?

Smart computer users perhaps? :)

I don't have av on any of my machines, not even my download server, i have NAT on my m0n0wall and that's it (windows one disabled) and i have been fine for as long as i can remember.
However when i go to install/fix other peoples machines i always put av/as software on their systems. :)

*edited as you fixed it :)*
 
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lay-z-boy said:
Smart computer users perhaps? :)

No such thing in this thread.

Smart users don't run a PC for email, downloading and surfing without the basics such as AV, firewall or updating patches as quoted by manoz by not even using sp2.

I don't call these users smart. I call them the members of a botnet where they are all pwned. :cool:
 
Just cos I don't have an AV installed doesn't mean I don't run online virus scanners like trend micro and panda scan every so often. ;)
 
manoz said:
Just cos I don't have an AV installed doesn't mean I don't run online virus scanners like trend micro and panda scan every so often. ;)

Which will in no way, shape or form protect you half as well as a resident scanner. If you get a major infection you could be screwed.
 
Bailey_sufc said:
StuntMonkeh said:
Running NOD32..... I was led to believe it was one of the better ones...
it is probebly the best one
ive been running it the past few days and i havent had any problems,not that i had with norton for a year before that but i read that norton slows down your pc a lot and i have noticed an increase,thing is though i havent had any alerts/scans show up and im worried if it is doing its job ot not
 
No anti-virus installed in my system for a year now I think. I have windows and router firewalls on.

However, if you have e-mail client like outlook express, you will need one. I use google and yahoo mail, both have online scanner and I don't download any music etc.
 
Richdog said:
Which will in no way, shape or form protect you half as well as a resident scanner. If you get a major infection you could be screwed.

IF, never had one or any problems. I'm pretty sure my uni connection is hardware firewalled so that could be why I haven't had a problem?
 
manoz said:
IF, never had one or any problems. I'm pretty sure my uni connection is hardware firewalled so that could be why I haven't had a problem?

There's never an IF, only a WHEN. One day you'll get burnt, and then you'll be complaining loudly. :)
 
I don't run an anti virus. I haven't had any virus problems, to be honest virus's are more of a problem for average users.

However I have a backup that runs when I shut down the machine (mostly to protect against hdd failures), and starting a reinstall to a fully operational system takes 1-2 hours, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if my computer did get totally screwed :)
 
If you never go online and are careful what you install then you could probably get away with no AV software.

AV programs like AVG though are not very resource hungry and it gives you peace of mind. AVG takes up less than 3MB on my system. :)
 
Running 64bit vista and support is lacking! So no, not atm. Although in the past I used AVG, which I always thought was a great piece of software.
 
I think in the past few weeks I've removed shedloads of viruses from ppl's machines. Its all well and good browsing the net knowing what sites are safe, which ones are not, running scanners and adawerese, etc, BUT theres a lot have children and do they listen to anything you tell them? NO. They have no comprehension of internet safety, viruses, trojans, etc. You can explain it till you're blue in the face, they'll still go onto dodgy sites and get their parents pc infected. Trouble is also the parents haven't been properly told about the dangers and having protection, so even the sites they go on can deliver these nasty little packages that can really screw pc to a point of reformat. heck, most of them don't even backup their data (until they lose the lot that is, then they're wiser, but in a lot of cases the damage has been done and school/uni coursework , holiday snaps, music, etc, has all been lost 'cos you can't access the drive.
Going on the internet without at least some form of protection nowadays is madness (unless you really know what you're doing and sre prepared to take the risk)
Sorry about the rant here guys, but I've come across this time and time again and its ppl like me and a few others that these victims turn to for help. I don't anyway near the amount ppl here know, but I suppose I'm better than nowt :p
 
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I tend to have one installed but not active, I disable it until I feel a file might warrant caution. Then I just right click and enable, go about what I was going to do and then disable it again.

The performance increase from disabling is pretty noticable and I like to be able to quickly browse the net, use my PC without the virus scanner checking every last action and file, bogging it down.
 
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