It is the recommendation of many MS MVP's and other experts that deal with
in Internet and e-mails connections and programs all the time, that AV
program e-mail scanning features be disabled, as it can cause problems with
e-mail programs, and do not provide any additional protection.
As 'Billy' posted the link for already:
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
Here is a site provided by experts that explains how to protect your PC from
Parasites, Viruses and other security issues, along with recommended
programs for each. It is like a One-Stop shopping mall for most things that
you need to know about keeping your PC safe and clean. Also check the
Security Links on the left column. It is a very good source of information.
This should provide you with sufficient information for you to determine
your needs or desires in regards to seruity.
http://aumha.org/secure.htm
If you are not sure which program you prefer, then try AVG6 Free and then
Avast, or vise versa. They are both good, and both light on resources, and
both very user friendly, and both free. Adaware sometimes updates 3-4 times
a day, whereas SpyBot does only once a month, but, SpyBot is still no less
effective.
Once you have the information necessary, make up your own mind as to which
one you feel most comfortable with. You are the one who has to deal with it
on a daily basis, and depend on it to afford you as much protection as
possible. Your OS and system conditions may differ considerably from mine
or others here, and some AV's don't always work well with all OS's.
HTH
Jan
.