How often do you run a virus scan on your computer?

@bayernfan (1430)
Canada
March 31, 2009 7:14pm CST
How frequently do you scan your system for viruses? Do you do scans online or offline? What program do you use? How well is it working for you? Is your computer infected with viruses often? I scan my computer at least once a month. I use Avira AntiVir. It is excellent at identifying any potential difficulties. I haven't had to contend with virus removal on one of my systems in years (*knocks on wood*).
4 people like this
8 responses
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
2 Apr 09
Kaspersky is quite nice for it is easy and doesn't consume too much space when you install it but, I wasn't able to keep up the lisense keys to continue using it. Compared to Norton, Norton kind'a makes my computer slower so, its either security or performance. Then, I was also able to try AVG but, that didn't seem to fully protect my computer. The last one which I am using now is is ESET NOD 32 AntiVirus. Its easy and also doesn't take too much space, doesn't affect the performance of my computer. Okay, for the main question, I often scan my computer, say.. once a month too.. or maybe every end of the month. Though I mostly scan specific folders every now and then, a flash drive to see if its safe. I would have to scan the entire computer every end of the month I guess..
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
3 Apr 09
Yeah, updates are indeed good but, would it also be possible that those who develop anti-virus programs also responsible for making those viruses in the first place? Get's me thinking... (-_- )
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
3 Apr 09
There is no doubt that some companies that produce anti-virus and other personal computer security software benefit from viruses, trojans and other problems. I am less worried by those that offer software for free and whose software does an excellent job of protecting PCs. While it would be difficult to prove that some companies are directly responsible for the creation of viruses, some would have a monetary interest in their software not being totally effective or only effective for a limited time.
1 person likes this
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
2 Apr 09
Symantec's Norton anti-virus is expensive and ineffective bloatware. Norton hogs system resources and is only good as proof of wonderful marketing tactics. I, like you, have tried many different anti-virus solutions. Sometimes only so that I may be informed or so that I can provided the most comprehensive advice to others. I can't say enough good things about AntiVir from Avira. It has never let me down. We share the same approach to anti-virus deployment. I update my anti-virus daily. AntiVir has an active guard that remains on all the time, so I never worry. Cheers.
1 person likes this
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
5 Apr 09
Erm, I only do them when I'm really free & remember?Haha!~I always have a habit of scanning a file after download though? So I guess that's one of the safeguards? I use Avast & I think it's quite OK although sometimes it could be super sensitive? But better safe than sorry though, haha!~ Thank God I haven't had virus issues for quite sometime now & hopefully it stays that way!~ I think if we don't simply download stuff then the risk is not that high? I just got a new laptop for my wife. The old laptop which served us for more than 3 years never had any virus issues as we had important things stored on it & we were extra careful?
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
5 Apr 09
Yes. It is important to remain cautious and to not let your guard down. Remaining vigilant is a good habit to find yourself in. One must never become too comfortable. Especially when it comes to computers and viruses.
1 person likes this
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
7 Apr 09
Honestly, I'd rather be more careful & put in the extra effort than have to go through the hassle of formatting & recovery & all the bla bla blaYou should know what I mean, haha!~
• Philippines
2 Apr 09
I do full scan once a week with my AVG free edition, works pretty good so far. I usually do this along with a scan too on my Spybot Search & Destroy, do some disk and registry cleanup and defragment, do another scan with Windows Defender. That's some of the maintenance thing I do with my laptop. I really wanna take good care of my system 'cause my laptop is so important to me, I use this everyday for work stuff and besides, this is a gift from my aunt and uncle.
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
2 Apr 09
I used AVG free edition before I moved on to Avira AntiVir several years ago. I also have Spybot S&D loaded on my PC for deployment when needed. There are many handy system tools within Windows that are worthwhile familiarizing yourself with. I view scanning one's system as a part of required regular maintenance.
• United States
5 Apr 09
I tried to at least scan my computer everyday. It doesn't take that much long but it's all worth it to protect my computer.
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
6 Apr 09
It certainly can't hurt. If you have the time and are inclined to do so, why not?
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
6 Apr 09
Same as you, I do it once a month. When I insert flash disk on my computer or other external devices which contains files, I also scan them. I am also using AVIRA anti virus. I personally would prefer AVIRA over other anti viruses based on experience. I have tried many other anti virus but I find avira better and also lighter. Upon discovering AVIRA, I never look back to other anti virus software.
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
6 Apr 09
Well, another proponent of Avira AntiVir. It is a solid product. It is important to be cautious when it comes to connecting foreign devices to your system. When files can easily be passed from computer to computer with flash drives, etc., then it is important to do the prudent thing and scan before activating or using any of the files transferred. Cheers.
@emojboy (632)
• Philippines
1 Apr 09
I am using mcafee enterprise, avira and comodo internet security at the same time. I love these match up and resulted excellent performance against virus. I usually scan my computer time to time and ended up deleting all my keygen.
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
1 Apr 09
Comodo produces excellent firewall software. I highly recommend Comodo. Most anti-virus programs flag keygen as virus/malicious code. It's best to store keygens on a disk or usb drive to avoid repeated signals from your anti-virus. Cheers.
• Italy
1 Apr 09
when use windows i scan my PC every month...
@mrdos910 (455)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I have 2 desktops and I do a full scan once monthly on both systems, sometimes more frequently if I get a popup message from AntiVir stating it found a virus while browsing, etc. I too use AntiVir and I think it is great, it has even caught bugs other scanners missed, yikes!
@bayernfan (1430)
• Canada
1 Apr 09
AntiVir catches everything for me, whether it be online or offline. I always do a file scan on anything I download and AntiVir has been completely rock solid. AntiVir beats the competition hands down, and it's free to boot! What's more, is that AntiVir is very easy on the system resources. Avira has updates available daily and sometimes twice daily. I swear by this program. Thanks for sharing mrdos910. Judging by your username, you've been around computers for quite some time.