If windows is 64 bit, does antivirus software have to be 64 bit also?
December 30th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question.
Q: If windows is 64 bit, does antivirus software have to be 64 bit also?
A: That is a very good question. According to Microsoft, the answer is: yes. Anti-virus software in particular requires specific compatibility. The good news is that most Internet security software we've reviewed are compatible with 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Webroot has yet to make its software Windows 7 compatible). Things get more complicated if you have an older system like XP. Many products are not compatible with the 64-bit versions.
Windows has so many variations in versions and service packs that we recommend that you check the vendor's website to make sure that your system is compatible with the Internet security service you plan on purchasing.
How can you tell if it is safe to download antivirus software?
December 15th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question.
Q: How can you tell if it is safe to download antivirus software?
A: Funny you should mention this. I was just reading an article on PC World about a new piece of scareware that uses a fake endorsement on a real Microsoft site to entice users into installing fake antivirus software. The faux endorsement is part of the scareware's nasty bag of tricks. Installing the software just invites more problems.
With news like that, it's hard not to be skeptical about antivirus software. Scareware is everywhere, and it's doing an increasingly good job of looking like the real deal. The best way to protect yourself from bogus antivirus products is to do your homework, and always download from a reliable source. Make sure that the product comes from a well-known, respectable company. Check out our Internet security software reviews and comparison chart; the links go to the sites of vendors we recommend.
Do you know anything about an online product called Registery Booster by Microsoft?
December 10th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: Do you know anything about an online product called Registery Booster by Microsoft? You can download it for 30 dollars to help clean up your computer. Is it also a security software? Thanks for you help.
A: RegistryBooster is a program by UniBlue and it is designed to clean up and repair your Windows registry. We don't have any experience with that software, but it claims to speed up your computer by getting rid of data fragments that can bog down your computer. It's more like spring cleaning for your computer, but it It will not protect it from malware, spyware, viruses, or other attacks. For that you will need dedicated Internet security software.
What happens if my files are corrupted on my home computer and then they are backed up? Will the backup also be corrupted?
November 24th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
What happens if my files are corrupted on my home computer and then they are backed up? Will the backup also be corrupted?
A: It depends on when your files became corrupted, when they were last backed up, and what kind of backup history your online backup provider maintains. Your online backup software will back up your data as-is, preserving any file corruption (just as it would preserve a deleted sentence in a Word document). Now, if you backed up on Saturday, and the files were corrupted on Sunday, you could simply restore the files from Saturday's backup. But what if your backup ran after the files became corrupted? What if your service backs up a file any time it's changed?
There's hope. Most online backup services such as Carbonite, SugarSync, Mozy, and IDrive offer "versioning" (sometimes called "history" or "time-line restore") meaning they save copies of different versions that you've backed up, essentially allowing you to go back in time. Here's how Carbonite works:
Carbonite will save one version for each of the previous seven days, one version for each of the prior three weeks, and one version for each of the prior two months.
So, it's possible you may be able to access older, uncorrupted versions of your files. The amount of time older files are kept depends on your service (Mozy, for instance, keeps 30-days worth, while Carbonite keeps three-months worth, and IDrive keeps the last 30 versions). You should check the individual help section of your service provider for details.
Also note that if the corruption occurred because of a virus, you should make sure you're running Internet security software and that your virus definitions are up to date. Do this before you restore your files, so you don't risk re-corrupting your backups.
Why you do not include VIPRE in your reviews?
November 17th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
I need to download new antivirus protection and I am wondering why you do not include VIPRE in your reviews. Is it because it doesn't work as advertised? Just trying to choose the best.
A: We haven't gotten around to reviewing VIPRE yet. While we can't comment on its effectiveness as anti-virus software, it does not seem to have a built-in firewall. While VIPRE has a separate firewall module available for purchase, we tend to prefer products that offer the firewall as part of the full suite. The combined price of the VIPRE anti-virus and the firewall would push the price into the $50.00 range (or more, if you're looking for multiple licenses), putting it in the same price category as many of the suites we reviewed, such as McAfee. Some, such as BitDefender and ZoneAlarm are even cheaper.
Will Norton Internet Security 2010 software work with both the Windows Vista SP2 32 bit and 64 bit systems?
November 17th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: Will Norton Internet Security 2010 software work with both the Windows Vista SP2 32 bit and 64 bit systems?
A: Yes, Norton Internet Security 2010 works with both 32- and 64-bit versions of Vista. Here's the official line from the Norton site:
Microsoft Windows Vista® (32-bit and 64-bit) Starter/Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate
Norton Internet Security 2010 is our favorite of the current crop of Internet security software. It's been well-received by the press, including an Editor's Choice award from PCMag, and has captured a number of awards, including the AV-Comparatives Advanced+ rating.
You can read our review here, and you can use the coupon code SYM2010NEW to receive a 10% discount if you decide to purchase it.
McAfee protects 3 computers. Do you have any info on the numbers of computers the others protect?
November 5th, 2009 - Posted by Kent
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: You state how many computers McAfee claims to protect. Do you have any info on the numbers of computers the others protect?
A: Thanks for the question. If an Internet security product has licenses for more than one PC, we list that in the chart with the price. We try to be current with all price/license information, but you should always make sure that the product you're purchasing supports the required number of PCs when you're at checkout. Here's a list of Internet security products we've reviewed that support multiple licenses:
Norton (3)
McAfee (3)
Trend Micro (3)
CA (3)
Webroot (3)
ZoneAlarm (3)
Kaspersky (3)
Is SpyZooka spyware?
April 30th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: Last night, I purchased SpyZooka. I have run it five or six times. During this session on the internet, I have 27 oops messages. I've been on for about an hour now. Is SpyZooka spyware?
A: We have not yet reviewed SpyZooka at NextAdvisor.com, so we can't offer specific or detailed advice on this particular software or its features. However, SpyZooka does not appear to be a Trojan horse, delivering spyware to your computer. We were unable to find any reviews for SpyZooka in reputable publications, but it has received high praise from some consumers.
Supposedly, SpyZooka is adept at locating spyware and viruses that other Internet security programs miss, so it is possible that you have either stumbled on to some malware in the past day or so, or that SpyZooka is simply finding malware that has already been infecting your computer for some time.
While we do not have reason to believe that SpyZooka is malware in disguise, we are not particularly familiar with this software and cannot vouch for it emphatically. To learn more about the Internet security software that we have reviewed at NextAdvisor.com, see our reviews and comparison chart.
If I install Identity Guard, will it automatically uninstall Norton?
April 6th, 2009 - Posted by Joe
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: I have Norton security on my computer,if I want to download Identity Guard total ptotection in place of Norton will the Identity Guard program automaticaly remove the Norton program and install it self?
A: Identity Guard's Internet security software, which is powered by ZoneAlarm, will not automatically remove your existing anti-virus protection program. We would recommend installing the Identity Guard provided ZoneAlarm software first and then manually removing your Norton Internet security software once you have confirmed that the ZoneAlarm software was properly installed. This will ensure that your PC is never without Internet security protection.
We would suggest following the removal instructions provided by Norton when removing that software from your PC since the process can vary based off of your operating system and the version of the software you are running. That being said, the standard process to manually uninstall a software program from a Windows PC is as follows:
- Click on the "Start" button in the lower right hand of your screen and select "Control Panel" from the menu.
- Double click on "Add or Remove Programs".
- Find the specific software product you would like to uninstall and click on the "Remove" button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions provided by the software provider.
- After you have completed the uninstall process, you will be prompted to restart your computer.
- After restarting your PC, the uninstalled software should be completely removed from your system.
Is there a promo code needed for the McAfee discount?
March 16th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.
Q: Is there a promotional code needed for 50% discount on McAfee Total Protection?
A: There is no promotional code needed. Just follow the link from NextAdvisor.com's McAfee review for the exclusive discounted price.
To learn more about McAfee and other Internet security software, see our reviews and comparison chart.
Categories
Blog Archives
Popular Services Reviewed:
Credit Monitoring Services |
Find Us On:
Copyright© 2006 - 2012 NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.
Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.