Brand new laptop for ds (8). Which anti virus software is best?

[justpoppy]

My parents have very generously bought ds a laptop as a surprise christmas present. I don't have a pc at home and have in the past only ever used the AVG free anti virus software that you download. Will this be sufficient or should I invest in Norton or something else? I'm clueless as to firewalls too so will obviously need to set up something to stop him inadvertantly clicking on anything unsavoury. Does the Norton filter this out too?

I'm planning on spending a bit of time before xmas day setting it all up as I doubt I'll get a look in once he's got his little mits on it so any tips gratefully received.

K9 is very good for filtering unsuitable sites.

I use Norton but no idea whether or not it's any good TBH. I've heard the free AVG is great.

I'll have a look at those thanks tweety. Do you have the parental controls Norton one or are the Windows parental controls sufficient?

its Norton 360
its does have an optional safe search setting but very easy to switch off.
k9 much better. It's free.

heard of it from here. You can adjust the settings, but as default it blocks YouTube and image searches and gambling and tobacco and rude stuff and others.

I like free!

AVG free for antivirus and K9 for blocking stuff. DO have this and DO set the filters high- you can amend them as needed

Also if you can put parental controls on your router do so.

He wont always be an innocent 9yr old and he will probably be better at controlling his laptop ( or later, ipod/phone) security than you.

I'd not even thought of that Theas18. How do I set that up on the router? Do I need to get in touch with Sky?

Sorry don't know re sky router. Might be on the website?

I'll have a look. Thanks for the heads up tho.

I use the free ones.
Have had Norton on my lapop before - was a nightmare as it clashed with lots of software I was using and woudn't let them get by the firewalls.

That's useful to know Hulababy. I doubt it will get used for much more than a bit of homework and a lot of minecraft so maybe the free software will suffice.

I used to have AVG and found it resource heavy, and it allowed malware through. I now have Avast free and, according to the shop that just fixed a poorly pc, a clean computer.

K9 is web filtering only. I have just got Macafee total protection which is all singing dancing covering 5 devices in the house for a discounted price. Out home PC is currently covered with this but the company sub runs out on NYE and won't get renewed since DH no longer works there.

K9 works with the major anti virus software so both are going on the new laptops just bought.

If it has windows 8 on it you dont need a seperate anti virus,Windows Defender is built in.
AVG is resource heavy,as somebody else said and can cause a lower spec pc to slow right down.
Mcaffee is not rated by the geeks due to its poor detection rate
Norton is also said to slow things right down.
Avast and Avira are the two free ones that are highly rated at the moment ,with Malwarebytes used on demand to find malware.

Never had a problem with McAfee in the 15 years we've had it. Norton does get its hooks into everything and brings things to a halt. I have lost count of the number of times we have been used as an IT Helpsesk for Norton problems (which we can't help with!)

McAfee and Norton are awful, they slow the computer right down and they are really hard to remove.

For our windows devices we use trend micro, one subscription does 2 laptops and a desk top. We've never had a virus or malware in 20 odd years of owning computers and OH is a developer.

Microsoft do a free one which I found fine.

My local computer man put an Eset one on for us - about £30 and has been great for at least a couple of years.