Best Windows desktop antivirus

[ControlG]

I use NOD32 (www.eset.com) .

It has a tiny footprint but is very effective. I've been using it for 3 years now and have had nothing get past it.

Whenever asked to fix someone's infected PC I always download the trial version, clean it and then recommend they buy it.

Can't speak highly enough of it.

[hyperD]

Glad you mentioned that ^G, I'm looking for a 10 licence copy and was recommended NOD32 by another business. I have Norton AV at the moment and have had a fair amount of problems with it on servers and looking to upgrade. Seems like I will d/l the trial next week and see.

[cook]

I've used AVG Antivirus for years and it does a great job - automatic updates, new versions etc. You sometimes need to search quite hard for that link to the free version though, beneath all the marketing blurb!

You should also have a firewall - I believe Windows firewall only defends against incoming attacks - not ones that originate from on your machine - e.g. in some installed software. ZoneAlarm is a good free firewall that protects both directions. You could also use a hardware firewall (the ideal is hardware + software firewall).

[ratewhore]

ZoneAlarm is a good free firewall that protects both directions.

It's just won an award for it too...

[DimPrawn]

Thanks for all the good advice chaps. Norton sucks donkey dick.

I have a hardware firewall so shouldn't really need a software one, no?

[ratewhore]

Will the hardware firewall stop phishing attacks, or cross site scripting, or embedded malware deep down in a macro in a word doc embedded in another file all zipped up?

Will the hardware firewall stop a virus entering your pc from a USB key?

Need to cover all bases you see...

[vetran]

AVG - paid version is great. Easy to use, cheap, low maintenance & reliable. Not using their firewall yet though.

Worth trying two or three tools on your home PC.

i.e.

AVG

Housecall or something similar - once a month

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
etc

after all its not worth the risk of infecting your clients. Also you can't always be sure.

I have used
Norton (like many other products purchased by Symantec their high points were before they were bought).
McAfee - OK but AVG found a load of virii when I switched, not a great fan.
Trend - seems OK, good reliable corporate distribution, but it doesn't have the highest detection rates in tests.

Spyware
Spybot & ADAware
Hijackthis run once a month.

Hardware firewall, probably backed up by software e.g. zonealarm.