New antivirus FSX.

Have MSE virus scanner but in January Microsoft is stopping support for Windows 7 .

Thinking of getting the paid Norton 360 or McAfee virus scanner.

Or is there a better paid/free antivirus for the flightsimulations.

One which does not see files as a bug threat.

It will be for my FSX ( as at the moment I do not have P3D or Windows 10 )

I want to keep my complete computer safe and of course the Flight Simulations.

Any tips are most welcome.

I have the paid AVG, and am very happy with it, under Windows 10, and with both FSX and P3D.

Jorgen

Hi,

I use paid for Avast Internet Security, very low footprint and I am

very happy with it on Windows 10,

cheers

Thanks for your reply.

I want this antivirus for Windows 7 to bridge the long gap until I eventually make the step to buy a new

PC with Windows 10 installed.

I used the free version of Avast for a few years, worked well and I finally bought it and have renewed it for 2 years now. It doesn't eat the processor up and light when running. I have not had any issues with FSX dlx (boxed) tho I do need to shut it down when installing a program or app. after that it works very well.

AD

I don't run any anti-virus. For one, they can and will muck up things on a gaming PC. 2, they won't catch polymorphic malware, and 3, I just use the now free Sandboxie for my browser and scan ALL downloads at Virus Total.

If you feel like you visit very unsafe Internet terrain, then try the free Immunet. https://www.immunet.com/index

 

I want this antivirus for Windows 7 to bridge the long gap...

It's a fallacy to think that just because your OS doesn't get "updates" you're going to get loads of malware.

I run a netbook connected to a small wireless keyboard/mouse and monitor in the kitchen that is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year that serves as a local FTP and runs Phone Tray connected to a USB caller-ID capable dial-up modem to block phone calls, record phone calls announce the phone call and give me different ring tones depending on who's calling. It also serves as a way to do a quick Internet search. I call it the kitchen kiosk. And guess what? It's been running for about five years using XP SP3 without a single virus.

I have three other computers that run Windows 7 and I don't use updates at all. No viruses. And I scanner the living crap out of my computers with scanners that most people never even heard of let alone use.

All in all it's how you use the Internet and what files you download, etc.

Again. Check out the now really great freeware Sandboxie for your browser. Configure it so that your profile files stick on browser exit and scan all downloads at Virus Total. Virus Total is great because they have malware samples given to them all over including by the U.S. Cyber Command. Plus, they use a whole pile of anti-virus engines which of course can lead to false positives so read the comments at Virus Total if present.

Another thing I do is clone my computers to external USB drives. Should the proverbial crap hit the fan I just clone back like nothing ever happened. By in large your best defense is a backup clone of your hard drive.

On the subject of "updates." I've seen my fair share of help threads at all kinds of tech forums I'm a member of about how an "update" hosed their computer. Then sometimes you need an update for an update. And you can update an OS till the cows come home and it will still get a virus. There is code out there like JSf*ck, etc that can obfuscate its self so well that nothing is gonna stop it. i.e, polymorphic malware like ransomware. If you clone then it's a zero issue.

On this subject have you ever used an anti-virus and it has run out so you look for another, you get a trial version and it scans then finds a Trojan.

Then you think, 'This one must be good my old AV never found that.' So you upgrade to get the full version thinking this is the one.

I've done that in the past then I got to thinking that Trojan it found was a scam to get you to buy the full version lol.

Col.

I also use Malwarebytes and have no issues with it...

It should be remembered that Malwarebytes is not an AV product but a Malware detection product so it flags such things as Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) and Potentially Unwanted Program (PUPs) - such programs are also often called Adware, Nagware and Crapware - and the suspicious actions that such programs do.

Such programs varies from being a simple piece of code implanted as a cookie into your browser history that calls 'home' on a regular basis with bits of info and which may also prompt the home server to respond back, to a fully blown product nagging tool designed to entice you to buy a paid version.

Such activities can cause Malwarebytes to flag reports as experienced by Charlie. Using the options, these can be turned off if one wishes and they can then be later reviewed via the activity log tool provided on the user interface GUI

Going back years I fell for one. I got a popup saying I had a very bad virus and this program could delete it, so course I clicked to install the AV, then came another popup asking for money for the full version as that was the only program that could delete this new virus that is sweeping thousands of PC rendering them useless.

I was panicking thinking at any minute my PC would no longer work, luckily I told a friend at work and he Googled it for me, then he phoned back to say the AV that was asking for money was a scam.

I remember having a job getting rid of it from my PC, I was fairly new to PC's then and not really knowing what to do, I manged it in the end.

On this subject I not too long ago got a phone call supposedly from MS, it was an Indian woman saying they had detected a virus on my PC, course I had heard of this and I thought quick.

I pretended to be really dumb and said, "Ah thank you, I know where it came from, it was my grandson. He was on the PC yesterday and he has very bad cold, I bet that is where the PC got the virus."

She was saying things like, "Oh no, this is another kind of virus."

I kept up the act twisting everything she said, in the end she gave up, I asked her if there was some kind of spray I could buy to spray the PC to get rid of the germs."

On this subject I not too long ago got a phone call supposedly from MS, it was an Indian woman saying they had detected a virus on my PC, course I had heard of this and I thought quick.

I pretended to be really dumb and said, "Ah thank you, I know where it came from, it was my grandson. He was on the PC yesterday and he has very bad cold, I bet that is where the PC got the virus."

She was saying things like, "Oh no, this is another kind of virus."

I kept up the act twisting everything she said, in the end she gave up, I asked her if there was some kind of spray I could buy to spray the PC to get rid of the germs."

I had a woman ring me one time trying to tell me my PC wasn't functioning at it's best. I had some fun with her for a while. She ended up telling me to f off and hung up! lol

On this subject have you ever used an anti-virus and it has run out so you look for another, you get a trial version and it scans then finds a Trojan.

Then you think, 'This one must be good my old AV never found that.' So you upgrade to get the full version thinking this is the one.

I've done that in the past then I got to thinking that Trojan it found was a scam to get you to buy the full version lol.

 

Col.

Most of these programs are a scam but you can't convince people of it. When the program tells them this or that, they will believe it. I did some testing on a few well regarded programs years ago and they were clearly scamming people. Blows my mind that it has gone on for so many years and it still keeps going on today.

For Win 10, the built in virus and firewall protection should be enough for most users.

If people want an enhanced protection software, I recommend Norton despite what some say about Norton.

It depends on the antivirus. Many, like mine, Bitdefender, do much more: antivirus, ransomeware protection, anti-tracking, anti-phishing & anti-fraud and network threat protection, to name just what the antivirus module does. Bitdefender also has no noticeable affect on game performance on my mid-range system.

 

For a good comparison of the various antivirus options, take a look here: https://www.av-comparatives.org/testmethod/real-world-protection-tests/

That's what I did mean, viruses plus whatever additional protection the virus software may offer.

I have used Comodo Ice Dragon browser and AVAST free anti virus version for years and go anywhere, and everywhere, on the internet and have never caught a virus. They work together well. AVAST will update itself automatically in the background. I get 30 fps in FSX so AVAST stays quiet (it will not do any work when I am running a/any program in full screen). Don't have to worry when I am in FSX. I scan with malwarebites, etc , about every 4 months just to be sure. I love this combo.

Chuck B

Napamule