Which is the best antivirus?

Still there must be some recommendation! just tell me which one leaves little stress on pc but does its job!
 
The main difference between paid-for and free anti-virus is that paid-for (full) programs are scanning incoming traffic constantly, blocking any problems before they get onto the PC.
The free versions (generally) only scan the PC 'on demand', that is after any malware has got onto the PC.
 
What a lot of people don't realize, is that some Isp's actually bundle an anti-virus within your already standing package. I had centurylink for about 6 years before I realized they had given me a free license key for Nortan. Check with your isp, to see if you have anything available.
 
From personal experience, I have Kaspersky on my work laptop and MSSE on a VM running WinXP. Kaspersky seems ok but it can use a LOT of cpu, especially during a periodic scan or update. Adding 4GB of RAM seemed to help there.

On my private PC (and on any laptop/PC I install for friends) I always install the free version of Avast. It can be a little annoying with ads and you need to renew your free subscription every year. But it seems to be a good anti-virus software.

I'd also recommend installing MalwareBytes AntiMalware. The free version won't scan passively, you have to manually scan with it every now and then. But it is the king of detecting malware.

As noted above, a large part of preventing viruses is to educate yourself on some basic steps. Such as: Never open email attachments from people you don't know or if the email seems strange. Be wary of downloads (always scan them before executing any files). If a link looks suspicious, hover the mouse over it to see what the link actually connects to. Be very careful about downloading codecs to play movies/music. And watch out for downloads/attachments that look like a .jpg but are actually an executable :)
 
I have lost track of how many years I have run Eset NOD32 but I have never had an issue and the footprint is light so no hogging of resources while getting great protection.. On my laptop I run the full version of Avast antivirus minus the firewall since it is a business laptop and I need to to take it out of town periodically; never know about those free wifi connections in hotels and Burger King/Wendy's. ;)

To add to what Capaill wrote, you can have the best of the best security software but if you mess with the wrong websites, et.al. you will have issues.
 
I have not had anything invade the PC (HTPC) that the kids use using Avira....but then I would not know bad code if it bit me in the ***.
 
Cliffordcooley has given a good list.
I have used all of the others, at various times over the last 8-10 years.
I would add just one to it... which is a paid AV solution.
Some do not like it for that reason.
Others do not like it because of
how they handled one of the icons of anti-malware,
but that is a whole other story.

The one I would add is Trend-Micro.
which has been serving me very well for a couple of years now.
I got it on a usb stick, with 5 licenses, for a great price, and upgrade/updates forever.
That, to me, makes it next to free!
Currently they are offering 3 licenses, and up to two years of updates.
And they do offer a free trial.
.
OH... If I were you, I would also supplement your AV with MBAM!
 
:D
My reply was more for the OP. After all...
Who am _I_ to advise the "Omnipotent Ruler of the Universe"?
<lol> OR maybe that is just "omnipotent" - not also "omniscient".
 
Totally agree with Cliffordcooley. The best antivirus defense is the pc operator using ctrl+alt+delete, bringing up Task Mgr to back out of virus engagements, since no antivirus is fool-proof.
 
The default Microsoft antivirus "windows defender" is pretty good. Using it for several years. Never had any virus problems.
 
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