I need advice on anti-virus for my old PCs

[valdore]

Question I've got regarding maintaining my old Dell desktop PC from 2004.

It's just a spare computer I keep around, nothing serious ever done on it except web browsing when someone comes over and I'm using my Mac.

The OS (Windows XP) seems buggered up and rather sluggish. And I've never really had this problem with this computer in all the years I've owned it. What it boils down to is, I uninstalled the Norton package that came with it and had renewed previously over the time it was my primary computer. Since then I've just had AVG Free running on it to help keep way undesirables. But I'm wondering if that's backfired, since now the system doesn't seem to run very well (Firefox very slow to start, slow booting, occasional pop-ups).

I don't want to throw the old Dell to the scrap heap just yet, so in light of this do you guys think maybe I should spring for some kind of subscription service for it again in the anti-virus/anti-malware department?


I had heard so often how much Norton and McAfee supposedly suck, and I had also heard AVG Free extolled several times.

*Didn't know where else on the Macrumors forums this topic might fit, so I put it here in Community Disc.*

 

[Schtumple]

Get some kind of spyware checker too, that might flush out some undesirables also.

 

[Steve1496]

On my Windows PCs, I use avast anti-virus because of its small memory footprint and the fact that it is free. I also use Ad-Aware and Spybot Search&Destroy--both free. Those programs should cover your anti-virus and spyware needs.


Steve

 

[ravenvii]

Avast! is nice, but I personally like AVG Free. The interface is VASTLY improved over the previous 7.0 version, and it's very easy to use. I was impressed, and thus remained a user despite having access to a free license of Symantec Antivirus with the university (yuck!).

It doesn't bug you, and stays in the system tray like a good boy. It does install a Internet Explorer plugin, but you can opt out during the installation process.

All in all, AVG is great.

 

[toolbox]

I use nod32 on my windows rigs at home and work. Norton well that puts so my load on the system they run terrible, mcafee and trend micro kinda do the same