Best Lightweight Antivirus for Windows XP?

[Coco423]

Hello again.

So, to the point. I don't think this computer has ever had an antivirus ever. In the past i only used like one or two programs on it.

But now its my main computer, as my Windows 7 isn't working, and i just want Ubuntu usb booting for one purpose: Minecraft. Maybe some basic web browsing on top of that, but not much more.

But I just realized about my Xp, as i do active downloads, checking e-mails for 3 different e-mails, which of ive had one been hacked, its on pretty much all the time, either in a VM or browsing the web, sometimes on public Wi-Fi, sometimes on mine.  I use it for web browsing, a lot of downloads, Youtube bingewatches, etc.., pretty much all I do on the internet on it. Sometimes even dealing with payments.

So, i just got to thinking this. Shouldn't i use an antivirus at this point? Im looking for a free one or a free version, but one that is also resource light.

I normally use FireFox, sometimes Chrome

Heres my specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo T2300 1.66 Ghz
1.5 GB RAM
Intel 945GM 224 Mb
Windows XP SP3

And i don't want to install linux on it, as i don't know much about linux, and I need a Windows machine for some programs that only work on Windows.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

[DaveLembke]

https://www.avg.com AVG might still support XP the free version should be good enough if you scan files before opening or running them.

[Coco423]

AVG works, but one problem. Its a memory hog on my computer, using up too much RAM where i cant start up my virtual machines that can only use 300 MB of RAM. 300 MB! And i normally can have 5 firefox tabs open and it starts up fine! Not to mention spiking up my CPU usage randomly.

I have to uninstall AVG for my computer resources sake.

[SuperDave]

I use Avast but they had a lot of false/positives popups which I ignore. That's the only drawback with Avast.

[patio]

Why did you not mention it's a VM ? ?

A/V apps aint gonna run on that much Mem as to what they have to do...just sayin.

[BC_Programmer]

Why did you not mention it's a VM ? ?

I understood that as the system running Virtual Machines. Which is pretty ridiculous with only 1.5GB of RAM to begin with.

[patio]

I didn't read thoroughly the 1st go around...at any rate it's silly to expect anything to run proper...

[Coco423]

It is not a virtual machine. I use virtual machines on it. Normally when that's running its the only thing running at the moment in terms of programs, the VM itself. Good thing i just ordered some RAM.

Guess that RAM I ordered to go to being able to do 1080p in YouTube goes towards an antivirus... ugh.

Just to let you guys know, the laptop came shipped with 512 MB RAM. I bumped it up to 1.5 GB. And the laptop is 10 yrs. old, so that was a long time ago.

My VMs are Puppy Linux, Macpup, Windows 2000, SliTaz, and DSL Linux. Look the requirements up for RAM for them. Its pretty low.

[Anthony998]

Panda Security Cloud Antivirus Free (suggested) Panda Security Cloud Antivirus Free has its price in its name, which turns out to be one of its lesser selling points. ...
Bullguard – 60% discount. Bullguard is a trialware antivirus option that looks clean and has a great protection rating. ...
Kaspersky Lab. ...
McAfee. ...
Bitdefender.

[SuperDave]

This topic is over six months old.

[patio]

We recently have some new necromancers on board...

[Vetal]

Hello again.

So, to the point. I don't think this computer has ever had an antivirus ever. In the past i only used like one or two programs on it.

But now its my main computer, as my Windows 7 isn't working, and i just want Ubuntu usb booting for one purpose: Minecraft. Maybe some basic web browsing on top of that, but not much more.

But I just realized about my Xp, as i do active downloads, checking e-mails for 3 different e-mails, which of ive had one been hacked, its on pretty much all the time, either in a VM or browsing the web, sometimes on public Wi-Fi, sometimes on mine.  I use it for web browsing, a lot of downloads, Youtube bingewatches, etc.., pretty much all I do on the internet on it. Sometimes even dealing with payments.

So, i just got to thinking this. Shouldn't i use an antivirus at this point? Im looking for a free one or a free version, but one that is also resource light.

I normally use FireFox, sometimes Chrome

Heres my specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo T2300 1.66 Ghz
1.5 GB RAM
Intel 945GM 224 Mb
Windows XP SP3

And i don't want to install linux on it, as i don't know much about linux, and I need a Windows machine for some programs that only work on Windows.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Malwarebytes Free, Superantispyware and Agnitum Outpost Firewall 2009 is all the software I use, and you could likely do without the Superantispyware. A MikroTik router with NAT & SPI hardware firewall is what I credit with keeping my XP Pro safe all these years.

[patio]

Speaking of which...

[MichaelNyby]

Well, I went to that wiki thingy to find out what that necro-thingy meant and now I have to go find out what some sort of disambibi-thing means, but here is what some scholar wants to teach me/us:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necromancer_(disambiguation)

A necromancer is a person who practices necromancy, a discipline of black magic used to communicate with the dead to foretell the future.

By the way, I was once able to install Malwarebytes on a unit with less than the required RAM, just in case anyone wondered if it could be done.  I forget why I did it, but was probably testing something.  I have the records on that one on of my units around here.  Maybe just last year.

I make note of that, because I am rather sure it is Malwarebytes that indicates a need for some minimum RAM before you can install it.  I didn't see that made note of in that post up there a bit.

Now I have to go study that necro thingy and that disambibi thing.  Conversations with folks that have moved into another place, eh?  I don't think I'll be bringing this up at a VFW meeting.