I was just wondering if most viewers run their detection programs as often as they should. I have found the best performance gain by running all of them every 10-15 hours and at the very least, every 20 hours. I would even run them after a few hours if roaming around on the web to unknown sites! I find a lot of computers that I work on are only running scans once a week!! This is not near enough.

This also depends on what kind of active protection you have. If you have none, multiple scans per day is not a bad idea. For people with firewalls, virus protection and spyware protection, weekly scans may be enough. I have a firewall, about 4 spyware protection programs and a virus protection program, and I haven't found anything on my computer for months.

I use AVG and I have it set up to Update daily and Scan daily automatically. I run my spyware programs about every two weeks after updating, or when I suspect a problem.



You gain performance by scanning? Not sure I understand that.

I have panda av,sygate firewall,and run ad-aware,spybot,and ms anti-spyware,every two days do full virus scan once a week not had any problems.......

(touch wood)

I have the following protecting my pc but still scan every other day:

System Software:

Windows XP Home SP2 Ver 5/1/2600 updated w/all patches
Internet Explorer 6.0.2900
Spybot S&D 1.4 (Teatimer Off)
A² 1.6
MSAS 1.0.615
Ewido SecuritySuite 3.5
Ad-Aware SE 1.06r1
SpywareBlaster 3.4
SpywareGuard 2.2.0
IE-Spyad-latest
MVPS +SpybotS&D Hosts File Entries-latest
McAfee Personal Firewall 6.1.6144

I do what Leurgy does. It seems every time I scan I get nothing anyways. I set my AVG or it set itself? to scan daily and update after it scans.

Hi CGM3

Wouldn't it be better to update before it scans rather than after?

If a computer has both layered protection as well as users who keep security applications updated daily, activated upon boot, and who are themselves somewhat careful about their computing activities, then hard drive scans can be scheduled once every two weeks.
The fewer the levels of protection, and the less informed and careful the users, then the more often scans should be made.
Regards,
John

Thanks for all of the great answers. I am glad to get the feedback. The "performance gain" I refer to is from the regular scrubbing of the machines I fix. When users roam the web to unknown sites and then put off the scans, the malware build-up seems to grow much faster. I have found that 1-3 pieces of malware will turn into 15-20 the next time the machine connects to the web. So, that is the performance gain I was talking about. I do agree with everyone on the fact that it depends on the surfing habits. Computers I fix seem to wander the web without care as to where they are visiting!

I install mult-layered protection on all the machines I work on. I also run the disk defragmenter every 5 days, at the very least. Please keep in mind that the computers I clean for infection are used by novice surfers who do not care about security and maintenance. They think of their computers more like a television instead of a powerful machine. They have a "use it when needed, and forget about it until next time" way of thinking. I give them the following routine to follow:

M.I.C.A. MAINTENANCE

1) ‘Scan’ for Adware, Spyware and all Malware DAILY.

2) Clean your ‘Temporary Internet files’ and ‘History list’ every 3 Days.

3) Clear your ‘SSL state’ every 3 Days.

4) Clear your ‘Java files’ in your Java console every 3 Days.

5) Empty the ‘Recycle bin’ every 3 Days.

6) ‘Defrag’ your hard Drive every 5 Days.

7) ‘Scan’ for Viruses and Trojans every 4 Days.

8) ‘Degauss’ your monitor by turning it off completely and back on, every 5 Days.

9) ‘Completely turn off’ your machine every 5 Days. This is different than re-starting. When you re-start, it does not shut down 100%


After I get them to follow this routine, I hardly have to do anything more with their machines. For the ones that refuse to do these scans, I install Webroot's Spy Sweeper, as it will catch most things on the way into the machine. Also, it will auto update and auto scan as well.

Oh, well it does it all itself. Since it scans every day the next scan is up to date. Maybe there is a setting on there to turn it to update first.
I am on dial up so I think its best to let it scan first then update because my internet is not always on but the computer is.

I scan with my AVG every night and run Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware every week. I use SpywareBlaster also. I run CWShredder once a month just in case.

All the machines here have NIS behind a router. I've set all the NAV to scan nightly, and I routinely run spybot and adaware weekly (more often on the kidlet's puter when he's been surfing)

Defrag about once every two months or so on the XP machines, and monthly on the kidlet's ME.

Empty TIF's, Temps and cookies nightly for me, weekly for my other half and kidlet's. Prefetch monthly for the XP's.

About once every month or so, I run my puter thru online scan at TrendMicro.

It's a royal PITA to have to clean up a mess, especially when you've installed the goodies, and taught the client 'how to...'

I'm thinking seriously about starting in-home classes on puter care/maintenance.

Piney

Personally I do the following like every other day.
Run Window Washer, CCleaner, RegSupreme, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware, Microsoft Anti-Spyware, Registry Mechanic.

But I usually run my anti-virus scanner about twice a week (full scan, a full-scan takes about 2 hours, guess thats what I get for having such a large hard drive.)

I get up at 4:30 every morning and run all my scans while sit on my front porch swing I drink my coffee.
Great way to start every morning.
Until it starts getting to cold out.

Hey CRANKY, that's a great way to start the day. Your machine will be scrubbed and you will get the most out of your surfing. Have you tried running some scans in safe mode?




malware

Oh, ok. I didn't realize what you meant cause my scans are always clean. Except when AVG whines about my virus collection.

IMHO, the biggest cause of malware infections these days is "Install on Demand". For some reason Install on demand is enabled by default in Internet Explorer causing problems such as unauthorized downloads that install without your knowledge. To protect yourself against this situation do this:

In Internet Explorer go to Tools>Internet Options>Advanced and take the check mark from Enable Install On Demand (Internet Explorer) and Enable Install On Demand (Other). The consequence of this will be that you will begin to see Security Warnings when something tries to install on your computer. Unless it is something you want to install (which happens rarely) always say no.

Hey Leurgy ~ that's an excellent tip for users to follow. Mine was changed many years ago and I am so thankful for discovering it back then. I still fix several machines that does not have this change made and yes, they are "hopped up" on malware!

Thanks for looking out for me and telling me about this anyway!!

I run malware scans almost every second time I turn on the computer!