# Multiple antivirus vs single antivirus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110 "2012-06-14T06:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/1 "2012-06-14T06:55:56Z")
I am wondering what the average thinking when it comes to having one antivirus vs. multiple ones. I have some computer savvy friends who differ on this subject. One guy says that you should only have one because multiple ones conflict and fight for resources, but another friend says that no one antivirus can get them all and you should have an anitvirus, a malware and some kind of adware. I was using multiple ones for virus, spyware, malware, trojans, and WOT on Firefox. In spite of that, my computer got fried. Admittedly, I engage in some risky business and tend to be on the edge with P2P and whatnot. What is the group think on this subject? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/2 "2012-06-14T08:46:56Z")
I’ve never heard an industry professional recommend more than one of the same kind of solution (anti-spyware and antivirus not always being the same thing though), and I’ve heard a number of IT professionals strongly disadvise multiple AV installs. If you’re doing risky stuff, you probably should look at other solutions anyway, such as working inside a VM and restoring back to a clean snapshot when done. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/3 "2012-06-14T12:26:15Z")
Aside from a strong possibility of conflicts I would imagine that the performance impact of running multiple AVs would be more annoying than the small possibility of getting the virus. Honestly so long as your careful about what you click on and download you can avoid 90% of the places viruses usually come from with ease. Combine that with WOT and an addblocker to prevent any virus laden pop-ups and so long as you have half a brain there’s very little concern. If your really worried install Maleware Bytes or a similar scanning utility and do an extra scan every week or so, if you pick up something that your Anti-Virus misses it should catch it. In other words stay off the seedy porn sites and only download off sites you know are pretty good about keeping clean downloads and you should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/4 "2012-06-14T12:29:48Z")
Agree that I’ve never heard anyone recommend more than one antivirus (e.g., Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, Microsoft Security Essentials, etc.). You can also have one or more spyware cleaners (e.g., Malwarebytes, Super Antispyware, etc.) in addition to the antivirus, since they run on demand and not in the background. If you need to do risky things, used something like [Sandboxie](http://www.sandboxie.com/), which create an isolated space that doesn’t interact with the rest of your programs. If you download a virus, it will remain in the sandbox and not go anywhere else (though some viruses are aware of sandboxes and will run without problem in them). There is also virtual machine software, but you’ll need a licensed OS disk for them to work. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/5 "2012-06-14T12:48:35Z")
There are two different issues: Having multiple AVs _installed_. Having multiple AVs _running_. (Doing real time scanning.) I have 4-8 different AV programs installed. (Depending on what you count as AV.) I never run more than one at the same time. Unfortunately, all too many vendors think that their software must run 100% of the time. I turn them off. But each update tries to add itself to the start list. Most people aren’t savvy enough to know how to disable programs from auto-starting. (If people were careful about this stuff, there’d be a whole lot less need for AV software in the first place.) So the advice to such folk is to install only one that does real time scanning. But keep others like hijackthis around for extra help. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/6 "2012-06-14T12:57:31Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > There are two different issues: > > Having multiple AVs _installed_. > > Having multiple AVs _running_. (Doing real time scanning.) With some AVs, that isn’t actually different. I’m pretty sure Norton is pretty much impossible to have installed, but not running, as it wants to hook into various things - and if you try to terminate its services, it assumes you’re the bad guy. > [@](#): > > I have 4-8 different AV programs installed. (Depending on what you count as AV.) I never run more than one at the same time. What do you count as AV? > [@](#): > > Unfortunately, all too many vendors think that their software must run 100% of the time. I turn them off. But each update tries to add itself to the start list. Most people aren’t savvy enough to know how to disable programs from auto-starting. Programs, or services? I’d argue that if an AV is running as a program, it’s flawed by design. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/7 "2012-06-14T13:00:59Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > There is also virtual machine software, but you’ll need a licensed OS disk for them to work. That licence needn’t cost anything though - you could run, say, Ubuntu Linux inside VirtualBox, hosted on a Windows machine - as long as you run the browser inside the VM, that would be quite a safe environment. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-antivirus-vs-single-antivirus/625110/8 "2012-06-14T14:29:55Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Agree that I’ve never heard anyone recommend more than one antivirus (e.g., Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, Microsoft Security Essentials, etc.). > > You can also have one or more spyware cleaners (e.g., Malwarebytes, Super Antispyware, etc.) in addition to the antivirus, since they run on demand and not in the background. > > If you need to do risky things, used something like [Sandboxie](http://www.sandboxie.com/), which create an isolated space that doesn’t interact with the rest of your programs. If you download a virus, it will remain in the sandbox and not go anywhere else (though some viruses are aware of sandboxes and will run without problem in them). > > There is also virtual machine software, but you’ll need a licensed OS disk for them to work. I came here to post this. Use a sandbox but multiple AV will likely cause more problems then benefits, especially if you regularly download files and/or install software.