# Anti Virus background operations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921 "2012-10-16T19:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/1 "2012-10-16T19:40:36Z")
My wifes computer has 3 antivirus programs running in the background. 1. Avira 2.MS Security Essentials 3. Advanced System Care Her computer is very slow and I just reconfigured it with original installation disk. She is using Windows Vista SP3. Is the slow running caused by too many antivirus programs running in the background? How many of these should she be running. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/2 "2012-10-16T19:49:45Z")
I’m sure it’s a lot more than just the antivirus programs slowing down her computer, but it’s not helping. Uninstall two of them, you never need more than one. I say to stick with Microsoft Security Essentials. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/3 "2012-10-16T20:29:03Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > I’m sure it’s a lot more than just the antivirus programs slowing down her computer, but it’s not helping. Uninstall two of them, you never need more than one. I say to stick with Microsoft Security Essentials. Is MS Security Essentials really better than Avira and/or Advanced System Care? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/4 "2012-10-16T20:40:42Z")
> [@robcaro](#): > > Is MS Security Essentials really better than Avira and/or Advanced System Care? ASC is not much to brag about, Avira is solid, but I would prefer MSE myself. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/5 "2012-10-20T12:17:49Z")
OK, I got rid of every antivirus program except MS Security Essentials. So far all is well. However, a full scan takes forever to finish. That has always been a problem with MS… Everything they have seems to be very slow. But, I will still use it for the Quick scan. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/6 "2012-10-20T17:33:29Z")
Try Avast! I use the free version and haven’t had any problems. It updates daily also. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/7 "2012-10-20T17:35:40Z")
As much fun as it may be to rag on Microsoft, the speed of an antivirus run is more based on a combination of your computer’s processing power and how much shit the program has to scan. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/8 "2012-10-20T20:09:56Z")
You should have just one anti-virus. I use MSE because it’s free and had good recommendations. However, I also use Super Antispyware, which, apparently, also checks for viruses, without any problem. If you have more than one, they can interfere with each other. Advanced System Care is not an antivirus, unless it has McAfee incorporated into it. It gives you the option to run it in compatibility mode. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/9 "2012-10-20T20:51:13Z")
> [@robcaro](#): > > My wifes computer has 3 antivirus programs running in the background. 1. Avira 2.MS Security Essentials 3. Advanced System Care > > Her computer is very slow and I just reconfigured it with original installation disk. She is using Windows Vista SP3. > > Is the slow running caused by too many antivirus programs running in the background? How many of these should she be running. Having multiple AV at once probably isn’t helping, especially since such programs have a tendency to not play very nicely with each other if multiple are memory-resident. I’d pick one (I’m not familiar enough with any of the three to have an opinion on which one). ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/10 "2012-10-20T20:57:38Z")
YMMV but I used McAfee way back when (till I discovered it was slowing my computer to a crawl) then I used Norton for several years (until they switched from charging $14 for a 2 year virus update to $49 for an unnecessary full program yearly upgrade) and then I finally settled on **AVG Free** and am still using it today. Completely free with very minimal nag screen, free updates (which actually are updated), and not a single problem with it ever. Whichever one you choose it is important to only ever use one antivirus program at a time. More than one will not make you safer from viruses and multiple resident file scanners will definitely conflict with each other. I would also avoid any so-called _‘internet security suites’_ like the plague! To ‘protect’ you they get their fingers into any & everything your PC does, slowing it down and causing constant conflicts. They’re complete overkill. Also make sure to defrag your hard drive at least once every couple of months, this can speed up virus scans considerably. **AVG Free** and **ZoneAlarm Free** are all I’ve used for almost ten years now without any issues… ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-virus-background-operations/637921/11 "2012-10-20T22:19:46Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Having multiple AV at once probably isn’t helping, especially since such programs have a tendency to not play very nicely with each other if multiple are memory-resident. I’d pick one (I’m not familiar enough with any of the three to have an opinion on which one). Well now we know who can’t be bothered to read seven whole responses before posting.