Good News for Malewarebytes

Phone Man

Retired Bell Head
VIP Member
Pro User
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Location
Covington, La
AV-Test just released a test of AV programs on cleaning infected systems. Malewarebytes Free scored 100%

AV-TEST | 17 software packages in a repair performance test after malware attacks | Comparative tests of antivirus software for Windows and reviews of anti-malware Apps for Android


Can antivirus software packages or recovery/clean-up tools completely clean and repair a Windows system after a virus infection? Lab experts at AV-TEST resolved this question in an extremely comprehensive ten-month endurance test. The result: Yes, they can!

Jim
cool.gif
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
They're going to need all the good news they can get after V2014.07.26.09 :D


Nommy
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-bit Professional
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 5547
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 08KNCD
    Memory
    8.00 GB (2 x 4.00 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7 M265
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768 x 4294967296 colors
    Hard Drives
    (1) 1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB (2) 2TB Western Digital external hard drive (3) 500GB Packard Bell external hard drive
    Mouse
    Corsair Vengeance M60
    Browser
    Firefox, Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes
I use MalwareBytes a lot and it ALWAYS finds the malware and removes it...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
    Cooling
    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
    Keyboard
    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
    85MBps DSL
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
They're going to need all the good news they can get after V2014.07.26.09 :D


Nommy

According to MB there were only a hand full of affected system so the vast majority of users probably don't know anything about it and just keep on using it as it does a good job.

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
We just had a false positive with Symantec Endpoint Protection and several years ago we had 2000 BSOD's from a bad McAfee update, so it happens...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
    Cooling
    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
    Keyboard
    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
    85MBps DSL
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
AV-TEST | AV-TEST AWARD 2014 | Comparative tests of antivirus software for Windows and reviews of anti-malware Apps for Android

The best antivirus software in terms of repair: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

In the test group of 10 antivirus software packages, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free achieved an absolutely flawless performance. The software detected all the test samples, neutralized all active components, deleted superfluous data and thus repaired all the damage. After all 60 test scenarios, the antivirus application consistently rendered the Windows system absolutely clean. AV-TEST honored this performance with the BEST REPAIR 2014 AWARD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
It's good to see that the two suggested programs I give to clients were mentioned as suggestions.

1) Malwarebytes FREE ( if not pay the extra for PRO as it's worth it )
2) Kaspersky (not a fan of it myself but still highly reliable )
3) You hear good stuff about Essentials still, while you are always finding bad reports about it as well but I still suggest it if they want a free one besides Malwarebytes.

I think the article was fairly accurate. I have used bitdefender in the past but I wasn't overly impressed about it but maybe it has improved since then.

Edit:

I don't know this 100% but I thought I had heard somebody say once viruses were always evolving so how can they really test to see if all components have been removed?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    iBUYPOWER
    CPU
    AMD 8320
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon 7850
    Screen Resolution
    1024x768
    Case
    Azza Solaris
    Internet Speed
    50MBps download/10MBps upload
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Internet Explorer
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes PRO
Good advice here!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
    Cooling
    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
    Keyboard
    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
    85MBps DSL
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
The trouble with Malwarebytes Free is that after the trial period, the interface itself is threatening:

mwbthreat.png

This seems to threaten in a bold red block that the (only) course of action open to the user is to buy the premium version, and worse, that the license is no longer valid - an implied unlawful use. Also that the user is no longer protected in real time.

None of which is true.

Of course users can carry on using the free version but not without the nag screen.

Either their Free version is "Free" or a timed out trial, not a threat to make the user pay up. Yet the first sight that greets the potential user is the face presented to the search engines, e.g. from Google:

[h=3]Malwarebytes | Free Anti-Malware & Internet Security Software[/h]https://www.malwarebytes.org/




Malwarebytes builds industry-leading anti-malware and internet security software to keep you safe from today's online threats.


[h=3]Download[/h]Your download should begin shortly. If it does not, please ...



[h=3]Update[/h]Update to Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0. Stronger, smarter ...



[h=3]Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free[/h]Malwarebytes free anti-malware software uses industry-leading ...



[h=3]Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware[/h]Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium crushes these threats ...



[h=3]Downloads[/h]Free Trial - Malwarebytes | Chameleon - StartUpLITE - ...



[h=3]About[/h]Support - Malwarebytes PUP Criteria - Careers - ...




This is a "dark pattern" - a deliberate misdirection on behalf of Malwarebytes to change the original advertised perception of a "Free" product to that of an unlicensed, out-of-date, non-functional trial. Software Updates | Dark Patterns - User Interfaces Designed to Trick People

In many ways, exactly the same tactics that many Malwares use.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP COMPAQ Presario CQ57
    CPU
    AMD E- 300 APU with Radion HD Graphics 1.30GHz
    Motherboard
    inbuilt
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI
    Sound Card
    High Definition Audio on-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    notebook
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate ST9500325AS
    Google drive 15GB
    Skydrive 25GB
    BT Cloud
    PSU
    external 20v
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    pretty good
    Keyboard
    inbuilt
    Mouse
    touchpad
    Internet Speed
    BT Infinity Unlimited - 80 up 20 down =70/16 really
    Browser
    Chrome Canary usually
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    no Start menu modifications
    Upgraded with no issues to 8.0 and to 8.1
Indeed man, it is the style of lying, that Iobit and Comodo does. For the record, almost all of tested cleaned the system, some just left a few harmless files left, because of that, they did not get 100%. It is also worth mentioning, that they tested only 60 samples out of millions, so lets not get too excited about it. I myself do not like MBAM (something shady there), I usually recommend Kaspersky or Emsisoft, both free and portable, since malware tends to prevent installation of removal tools, though sometimes even portable execution.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo E525
    CPU
    AMD A4-3300M @ 2,0GHz
    Memory
    6GB DDR3 1333MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6480G 512MB shared
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    WD 465GB
    Cooling
    Fusion Tweaker
    Keyboard
    Logitech K360
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50/50 MBps
    Browser
    Yandex
    Antivirus
    No AV & No Firewall
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170
There is NO trial in Malwarebytes Free. To keep it free do NOT accept the free trial. You accepted it and now have a trial of the Pro version, hence the look.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
Could you walk me through it please , Peter, how to download and install the wholly free version, avoiding the premium trial, because, somewhere in the install process I feel I have been misguided into accepting this trial, instead of the free version I was expecting to download and install.

It would help others who feel the same way too if you share your experience, thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP COMPAQ Presario CQ57
    CPU
    AMD E- 300 APU with Radion HD Graphics 1.30GHz
    Motherboard
    inbuilt
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI
    Sound Card
    High Definition Audio on-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    notebook
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate ST9500325AS
    Google drive 15GB
    Skydrive 25GB
    BT Cloud
    PSU
    external 20v
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    pretty good
    Keyboard
    inbuilt
    Mouse
    touchpad
    Internet Speed
    BT Infinity Unlimited - 80 up 20 down =70/16 really
    Browser
    Chrome Canary usually
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    no Start menu modifications
    Upgraded with no issues to 8.0 and to 8.1
You can use an expired trial version as a free version for scanning without problem, it will just nag about it.
The trial notification can be disabled by clicking on the: End free trial, it is on your screenshot as well.

How do I revert to the free version?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo E525
    CPU
    AMD A4-3300M @ 2,0GHz
    Memory
    6GB DDR3 1333MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6480G 512MB shared
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    WD 465GB
    Cooling
    Fusion Tweaker
    Keyboard
    Logitech K360
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50/50 MBps
    Browser
    Yandex
    Antivirus
    No AV & No Firewall
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170
Could you walk me through it please , Peter, how to download and install the wholly free version, avoiding the premium trial, because, somewhere in the install process I feel I have been misguided into accepting this trial, instead of the free version I was expecting to download and install.

It would help others who feel the same way too if you share your experience, thanks.

Well there's nothing to walk you through really. Just go here: Malwarebytes | Free Anti-Malware Detection & Removal Software you will get a page looking like below (click to enlarge)

Capture.JPG

Don't click the trial link, just the download one. If the installer offer a free trial (it shouldn't) simply refuse it and continue installing the totally free version.
The only thing you have to worry about then is to update it before each use.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
They need to go back to the old UI, the new one is just to clunky for my liking, looks too commercial.
Don't get me wrong .... I use it, just don't like the interface.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64 / Windows 8.1 Pro x64 Dual Boot
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    Memory
    8 gigs
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GE Force 5200
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP 2009M x's 2
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 900 x's 2
    Hard Drives
    One internal Western Digital HD 650 GB
    Three external Western Digital HD's - 1 TB each
Yes, I agree, I liked the old one better.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
I don't know if anyone else had a updating problem while running Windows 8.1? I love malwarebytes but I installed it on my Windows 8.1 computer and it works great for a day but after a reboot I can't update it tells me "Unable to contact update server" and could never get it to update. But other than that it is a awesome program :geek:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion DV6
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz
    Motherboard
    Hewlett-Packard 144C
    Memory
    6 GB soon to be 8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics (Core i5)
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Samsung HDD and Samsung 600 GB SSD
    Case
    HP metal case.
    Cooling
    Standard fan ( Does a good enough job)
    Keyboard
    HP backlit keyboard.
    Mouse
    Standard USB Mouse
    Internet Speed
    60 Mbps Download and 10 Mbps Upload thru Charter High Speed Internet
    Browser
    Firefox and Internet Explorer
    Antivirus
    Norton Internet Security
    Other Info
    Custom Built Windows Server 2008 R2 used for storage server, DHCP server, Primary DNS server. Novell Suse Server running 2 custom built desktop that have Novell Netware installed. Samsung Note 3 (Primary Phone) and Samsung S4 (Back up phone).
Hi there.

99% of 3rd party AV stuff is a WASTE of time on Windows 8.1 -- this is a Dinosaur of an industry trying to squeeze a few miserable bucks from people who don't understand a lot of this stuff or are pressured into using something unnecessary on Windows 8 -- Note I'm dealing with INDIVIDUAL users here not Corporate.

1) Install or activate the default Windows defender -- absolutely NOTHING wrong with it compared with any other FREE product. For individuals (again I stress INDIVIDUALS) nothing really shows that the typical products people pay to install are any better than the free ones anyway and in general they just consume more resources in any case.

2) SURF and use the Internet SENSIBLY - I know with the deliberate confusion sites these days make by hiding the download you really want amongst a whole load of confusing green arrows, special offers and all sorts of misleading links it's easy to install the wrong product but BE EXTRA VIGILANT.

3) Uncheck special offers , toolbars etc on any downloaded product you are installing - if there is a choice use the custom insall rather than the automatic one.

4) If the product can only be installed by a "3rd party installer" then MOVE AWAY -- either download from another site or find another product.

5) Never open emails or attachments unless you know who sent them and they are safe.

6) If you do get a piece of unwanted software -- it's not so likely to be an actual Virus these days -- but probably a piece of software which can be even MORE irritating known as a MALVERTISMENT then don't panic -- simply RESTORE your system to the last clean backup -- job easily done - no registry cleaners, "3rd party" un-installers etc needed.

7) Computer security personnel should IMO be teaching people how to USE their machines safely, how to avoid giving too much info over the internet , THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING BACKUPS (when was the last time a specialist security person gave THAT piece of advice) and how to avoid a lot other scams - most of which can't be fixed by Software. In my experience these sorts of guys concentrate purely on the technical stuff - which might be OK in a business or Enterprise situation but no good for a typical home user downloading GB's daily from every torrent site going.

In any case comparative POST analysis is 100% useless and FUTILE - a bit like "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" as I believe it's called in the USA. A new Virus / problem can appear at ANY moment - rendering past results absolutely meaningless.

The general consensus is that the built in Windows defender is perfectly adequate and if the worst comes to the worst a simple restore should fix the machine again.

Malvertising and confusing download links are probably the biggest problems people are likely to encounter rather than actual Viruses these days.

BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM AT LEAST DAILY and always before downloading / installing any "suspicious" software -- it only takes at the most 30 MINS !!!! and there's enough decent free backup stuff out there -- I still can't believe after all these years people STILL fail to keep adequate backups -- Split the OS + Pgms into it's own partition or HDD - a 50 GB partition will usually be MORE than enough.


Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
Hi there.

99% of 3rd party AV stuff is a WASTE of time on Windows 8.1 -- this is a Dinosaur of an industry trying to squeeze a few miserable bucks from people who don't understand a lot of this stuff or are pressured into using something unnecessary on Windows 8 -- Note I'm dealing with INDIVIDUAL users here not Corporate.

1) Install or activate the default Windows defender -- absolutely NOTHING wrong with it compared with any other FREE product. For individuals (again I stress INDIVIDUALS) nothing really shows that the typical products people pay to install are any better than the free ones anyway and in general they just consume more resources in any case.

2) SURF and use the Internet SENSIBLY - I know with the deliberate confusion sites these days make by hiding the download you really want amongst a whole load of confusing green arrows, special offers and all sorts of misleading links it's easy to install the wrong product but BE EXTRA VIGILANT.

3) Uncheck special offers , toolbars etc on any downloaded product you are installing - if there is a choice use the custom insall rather than the automatic one.

4) If the product can only be installed by a "3rd party installer" then MOVE AWAY -- either download from another site or find another product.

5) Never open emails or attachments unless you know who sent them and they are safe.

6) If you do get a piece of unwanted software -- it's not so likely to be an actual Virus these days -- but probably a piece of software which can be even MORE irritating known as a MALVERTISMENT then don't panic -- simply RESTORE your system to the last clean backup -- job easily done - no registry cleaners, "3rd party" un-installers etc needed.

7) Computer security personnel should IMO be teaching people how to USE their machines safely, how to avoid giving too much info over the internet , THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING BACKUPS (when was the last time a specialist security person gave THAT piece of advice) and how to avoid a lot other scams - most of which can't be fixed by Software. In my experience these sorts of guys concentrate purely on the technical stuff - which might be OK in a business or Enterprise situation but no good for a typical home user downloading GB's daily from every torrent site going.

In any case comparative POST analysis is 100% useless and FUTILE - a bit like "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" as I believe it's called in the USA. A new Virus / problem can appear at ANY moment - rendering past results absolutely meaningless.

The general consensus is that the built in Windows defender is perfectly adequate and if the worst comes to the worst a simple restore should fix the machine again.

Malvertising and confusing download links are probably the biggest problems people are likely to encounter rather than actual Viruses these days.

BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM AT LEAST DAILY and always before downloading / installing any "suspicious" software -- it only takes at the most 30 MINS !!!! and there's enough decent free backup stuff out there -- I still can't believe after all these years people STILL fail to keep adequate backups -- Split the OS + Pgms into it's own partition or HDD - a 50 GB partition will usually be MORE than enough.


Cheers
jimbo

Agreed. I like Windows Defender as well. I personally use F Secure for my AV. I have made several Virus files (as a test) that F Secure has picked up quickly than Windows Defender. Depends on what you do while on the net as well. Windows Defender does a great job protecting the computer from viruses but Windows firewall isn't the greatest. I have found on occasions that I can gain access to a computer with only windows firewall activated compared a aftermarket firewall. So also be sure your secure there as well. Backing up is really important in case you ever need to go back if something were to ever happen. But it all boils down to what you do on the internet and what you download. So just be careful and watch what you download and you should be just fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion DV6
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz
    Motherboard
    Hewlett-Packard 144C
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    1 TB Samsung HDD and Samsung 600 GB SSD
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    HP metal case.
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    HP backlit keyboard.
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    Standard USB Mouse
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    Firefox and Internet Explorer
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    Custom Built Windows Server 2008 R2 used for storage server, DHCP server, Primary DNS server. Novell Suse Server running 2 custom built desktop that have Novell Netware installed. Samsung Note 3 (Primary Phone) and Samsung S4 (Back up phone).
There is supposed to be a way to also un-register the trial part in the registry and it will leave you with a free version without that look. I remember seeing it in a post on their forums a while back but not sure where it is now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    iBUYPOWER
    CPU
    AMD 8320
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon 7850
    Screen Resolution
    1024x768
    Case
    Azza Solaris
    Internet Speed
    50MBps download/10MBps upload
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Internet Explorer
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes PRO
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