Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 review
“I have the latest antivirus and anti spyware updates done, but my PC still runs slow. There must be something else wrong with my computer”; you might have heard this too many times to count, and might have said it yourselves. Yes, there is a chance that the security software must have missed something, but there is also a chance that there might have been some defragmenting and of course, that is always a very good chance that the culprit might be the security software itself. Finally, we have an antispyware + antivirus suite that is high in performance and doesn’t really decelerate your system, as surveys indicate high frustration levels with the existing antivirus suites as they tend to overuse resource usage and bloat.
SunBelt’s latest VIPRE Antispyware + Antivirus security suite runs impeccably without any significant impairment to your PC performance, and is designed to enhance user experience, while restricting the notification pop ups and warnings to a very minimum. The Home site licence will cover every computer in your home. This particular Antivirus + Antispyware suite designed to perform with great finesse and ease without compromising the detection and cleansing of Trojans, viruses, spyware and worms. Despite being relatively new in the competitive field of antivirus software, this new security software comes out swing this year as one of the best and lightest running antivirus software for the year 2010. And, it is not a typo, VIPRE stands for Virus Intrusion Prevention Remediation Engine.
Secret of success:
The best way to get success with the security software is to just balance the act with antivirus and anti spyware is by managing to be light running while still offering with the PC protection. And, this is exactly the area in which the Vipre delivers the promise than any of its competitors. Vipre is one of the best performing software in most tests. In fact, we are so confident enough to vouch that few of the existing and well-known antivirus suites like Norton and McAfee lag behind in performance in comparison to VIPRE’s software. When compared to these renowned rivals, Vipre’s strong antispyware and antivirus protection together with its minimal resource usage, and excellent and consistent customer service makes them stand apart from the rest. From head to toe, the performance is very impressive. Installation is nothing more than just a snap and the user interface is clean and easy to use. The Vipre 2010 has Email protection is reliable and solid. Overall, the virus, spyware, and malware protection is equal to or better than we have seen in most any antivirus software; especially from software that is a relative newcomer compared to the household names like McAfee, Norton, and Kaspersky. We are to see such a strong competitor like VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware enter the field with such solid antivirus software.
Antivirus Installation:
The installation of Vipre Antivirus is very simple and straight forward. It is a fairly in-depth installation process, but is not overwhelming. Just download and run the initial installer that sets up the files that you need for installation. Just reboot your PC at this point. Once the installation is done, a wizard will run to configure the initial options like definition update frequency, internet access settings and registration options. Once the wizard ends, you will find a link that will launch a video that describes the entire software and even some basics of usage. This is a very nice touch, and yes, we really loved it. Even if you are one of those seasoned computer professional, you will be well served watching this video. It is done excellently and it might as well introduce you to some features on the VIPRE that you might be not aware of. A full install took us about 16 minutes and 1 restart. The installation and setup from VIPRE took longer than any of the competitors, but is not hard by any means.
There is also single user and three user license available for a much lower cost. Again, it is up to you to choose if you want be a part of VIPRE’s ThreatNet Community; it is voluntary and doesn’t really affect the way Vipre runs, well the choice is yours!
Vipre displays integration with the existing security of Window’s during installation, it would be advisable to select the default settings to avoid later conflicts.
Finish up, by keying in your activation code if you are given one failing which opt for the 15-day trial that is free and register yourself.
Un-installation:
For some reason, if you will have to uninstall the VIPRE, you will be able to take it much easily. And the software has also made it easy to reinstall in future in case you just change your mind. They have managed to do this by offering you with the option to leave behind some data files that would make things much easier, which is yet another great touch. Do the un-installation as usual from the control panel and just select if you want to keep or remove the reinstalled data files and then, reboot.
After the reboot is done, there are no registry traces with no left over files that will be able to interfere with the other programs or system performance. The easy un-installation with no traces left behind, and this is exactly what everybody looks for in un-installation. In short, it simply delivers on the promise we as consumers expect manufacturers to make to us when we remove a program from our PC. Then it just goes a step further by offering to leave the data files behind if you wish to.
User Interface:
The user interface of the Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 security software is quite good looking with some easy to use navigation. The alerts are given in the usual red and green when they require attention, just making it easy to see what is important and the background colour is just muted. It is good news that Vipre has got it right with a very simple and single page management screen that gives you quick access to all the other categories. This makes the entire process of finding what you need very quick without the hassle of open, close, search, and dig through multiple windows and pop-ups as some competitors do. Each category has clearly labelled tab from which you will be able to access each of the features or settings you would like to.
Appropriate settings are marked on default by Vipre to aid the novice users, but for the geeks, there is the ‘Advanced’ link that allows you to adjust some of the much detailed settings. However, the default settings should be adequate for most users. Each of the tabs in the main page has a help icon that opens to the appropriate page in the help file where you will find a complete, indexed help section. Yet another nice touch is the links the VIPRE has added within each of the help section that allow you to further explore any topic. And, of course you will also find a link to VIPRE antivirus support at the bottom of every page in the help section. The easily accessible support link just shows Sunbelt Software’s seriousness about standing behind their software and helping users of Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010.
Configuring automatic updates is straight forward. Check the box to allow Vipre access to the Internet and choose how often it checks for updates. You can also check for updates manually.
One feature that we found real cool in the overview screen is the ability to instantly view risk threats that has been blocked or cleaned or Vipre. Again, you will be able to view live info being displayed in the Vipre Active Space about current levels of threat on the net.
You might add a handful of programs in the “Always Allowed list” that you want to be ignored by VIPRE on being run if you are looking at adding a program, just click Add and utilize the Browse selection to look for a file and finally add to the list. There is this option to either add a single file or a whole folder as such, which proves pretty handy particularly in a program that has various executable files that might or might not prompt the defences of VIPRE when they are run. Adding the whole folder covers all the files within it.
Again, Quarantine segment retains items that are placed in Quarantine which is a result of the custom, deep or quick. Here you get to view the list of files and programs that gets trapped in its net. You can view a more through description of any of the threats here by selecting one then clicking on Risk Details. You may also release these items using the Restore from Quarantine button, if you think one was mislabelled.
Protection:
Majority of Vipre’s goodness lies beneath its hood. The scanning engines are fast and accurate. That apart what impressed us most is that is loaded with tons of extras that is actually expected by default in other suites too, but practically don’t!
Real Time Protection:
Coming to the part of real time protection, Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 security software was able to detect ninety percent of the viruses and other malware. This is a pretty good score, taking into consideration the fact that no software can ever be cent percent perfect. The only set of files that VIPRE did not manage to identify initially were eventually detained and removed when attempts were made by the viruses to actually run, effectively making both the malware and virus useless and once the virus tries to do anything nasty, even though VIPRE is not able to detect it initially, its real time engine kicks in and stops the intruding virus.
As we mentioned in the introduction, VIPRE is known for its fast scanning and response time, all while keeping a low resource footprint. So, when the real-time protection is enabled, only about approx 65MB of memory is consumed by the security software. The overall real time protection offered by Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 security software is very pleasing. While majority of the antivirus suites find it hard blending power with efficiency, VIPRE handles both seamlessly with its robust and unswerving real-time protection.
Manual Scan:
The full system manual scan is one thing that proves to be the most effective in most of the security software we tested. The Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 was able to detect, delete or quarantine more than 85% of viruses, spyware and other malware. This security software relies heavily on real-time protection which has a far better capture rate than a one-time manual scan. While this may seem counter-intuitive at first glance, it actually makes sense. The reason is that, many of the viruses, especially new ones that have not been identified yet, do everything they can to hide themselves and avoid detection. Hence, an occasional manual scan might not always capture dormant viruses and spyware; and this is exactly why having robust real-time antivirus protection is critical.
The Real-time protection seeks for bad behaviour from processes running on your computer, and as such, VIPRE is able to catch many of these types of viruses, worms, trojans, and other malware as soon as they try doing something to your computer. Hence, it is best to keep Vipre running. Fortunately, since VIPRE antivirus is so light-running and non-intrusive, having it running all the time will not drag your computer down. The manual antivirus scan only took about 15 minutes.
Resource Usage:
Now, let us move on to the highlight selling point of the Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 security software, the resource usage. The real time resource usage of the Vipre antivirus seems to be the lowest, using just 0.5% of memory. A full system manual scan, occasionally peaks to 50% or 60% CPU usage, and then it dips back down as it moves to different parts of the antivirus scan. Only 60MB of memory is used during the manual scan. This figure is excellent, especially when compared to some of the fierce rivals of VIPRE. No other security software even comes close to this figure of Vipre. McAfee Antivirus 2010 is the next best one you can find in the market which uses only 3% followed by BitDefender and Panda. In CPU usage of the manual scan, Trend Micro stands head on with VIPRE, followed by Panda.
AntiSpyware:
VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 was able to capture 70% of spyware. This is not as good as we would like to have, but it is not bad too. The 70% too is still comprises of the majority of the known spyware. We recommend you to run a full manual scan every week, so VIPRE will be able to catch any of the deeply hidden spyware that might be lurking on your PC. The software came up with an 80% success rate for spyware removal after a manual scan.
Vipre on a pre-infected PC:
Consider the case that your PC is already infected and then installed the VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware 2010, let us see how it responds now. As VIPRE does not initiate a pre-scan during installation, you will have to run a full system scan if you suspect that your system has been infected. VIPRE was able to remove up to 90% of the infected files after running a full system manual scan on the pre infected PC. Some of the sneakier torjans that were not detected initially are picked up by the real time engine when they attempt to go active. Hence, the overall protection is quite good.
Email Protection:
The email protection offered by VIPRE is one of the easiest and best that we have tested so far. It is just straightforward and easiest of the lot. It is just straightforward and you will not have to do much for the feature to be fully effective. Hence, that is just one less thing that you have to worry about. For Outlook and Outlook Express, IMAP and SMTP are supported, but with other email clients, you will only be able to use POP3. It is disappointing to see that they are not supporting IMAP in Thunderbird and other popular mail clients, but this is not likely to be a big set-back for most users. To scan all the incoming and outgoing emails, all you have to do is, just box during installation or later in the settings panel telling it which email client you are using.
There is no toolbar or no deciding what to scan or not scan; just set it and forget it. Full email protection is dependent on having real-time protection enabled. All emails and attachments will be scanned just as they would for regular computer usage. There is no noticeable slowdown of the system and overall, it is nice and easy-to-use email protection.
Instant Messaging Protection:
The instant messaging protection is as simple as the email protection that we just saw. Being dependent on the VIPRE real time antivirus engine, it simply works well. Even though there are no settings available to configure the IM protection, it is left on by default and any of the incoming files that try to access your PC through the Instant Messenger will be scanned just like any other file. Just make sure that your real time protection is enabled for IM protection to be completely effective; this has to be kept on, no matter which antivirus you use.
Antivirus Definition:
The antivirus Definition updates are available every two hours by default. You can set it to be as often as every hour or as infrequent as 24 hours if you would like. We recommended every antivirus software should have current definition updates available for download at least every couple of hours. Essentially, VIPRE uses security network that takes care of delivering updates to your system as when the need arises. VIPRE handles the whole thing with ease.
Well, VIPRE looks to have covered all essentials, then again we would have appreciated an incorporated password protected settings, a mode for silent gaming and auto USB detection.
Customer Support:
Sunbelt VIPRE antivirus + antispyware 2010 is very well known for its dedication to customer service and technical support. All the services, Email, live chat, and phone support are all 100% free. Phone and chat support hours are 9am 9pm EST, and email support is available anytime you need it. Users say that any of the technical support issue that they have come across had been handled within just 48 hours and sometimes in just minutes. There are customers saying that even the most complicated issues were solved with ease and satisfaction. The company goes to great lengths to help its consumers. All the help options including phone numbers, email and chat can be easily found on Sunbelt’s site or through the help pages. This is done only to let you know that they want to help and are not trying to hide from you like we have seen in some of the lesser antivirus software.
We really cannot get why some antivirus software makers have trouble in providing easy and free technical support. Time and again we have seen consumers having trouble providing free and easy phone support. Sooner or later most people may need some tech or customer support. Why should you have to pay for it or go through a hassle getting good support? It is good news that Sunbelt’s support is all based in the United States, so the support you get is from someone right in the same offices as the software’s developers.
Verdict:
If you are in search for solid, stand alone security software this year, VIPRE is probably the best choice; especially if you want minimal resource usage. It is really a very powerful antivirus and antispyware combo. The real time antivirus protection is quite good, taking into consideration that VIPRE is a newcomer and its light footprint is simply impressive. White spyware protection could have been better, but the software was still able to capture some of the more dangerous and annoying spyware and adware and this counts a lot. The email antivirus protection is a snap to use, and is just as good and or in some cases, even better than some of its competitors. And, though the Instant Messaging protection is not a documented one, VIPRE has taken it seriously and scans all files that try to come through your IM conversations.
The verdict is that, the VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 is the best choice for the consumers and businesses who wish to have a solid straightforward antivirus and antispyware protection. If you are looking for additional protection, Sunbelt now offers all the power of VIPRE antivirus combined with equally powerful firewall protection in their latest product; the VIPRE Antivirus Premium.
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Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 – Specification Details
| Lab | Sunbelt |
| Software name | Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware 2010 |
| Suite type | Antivirus + Antispyware |
| License type | Complete package |
| License Validation period | One year |
| License quantity | Single user, three user and multi user |
| Package type | Retail |
| Minimal System requirements | Compatible with Windows 7, (and also compatible with XP mode in W7), Windows Vista+ (All flavors) 32 and 64-bit, Windows Server 2003 (32/64-bit), Windows XP SP1, SP2, SP3 (Home, Pro, Media Center, Tablet) 32 and 64-bit and Windows 2000 SP4 RollUp 1 Installation of Vipre is not supported on |
| System Memory RAM | 512 MB |
| Supported browsers | Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Firefox 3 or higher, Chrome, Safari for Windows, Opera and AOL |
| Anti-Virus | Yes |
| FireWall | No |
| Anti-Spyware | Yes |
| Anti-Phishing | Yes |
| Anti-Spam | Yes |
| Data Backup | No |
| Email server requirements | Outlook 2000+, Outlook Express 5.0+, Windows Mail on Vista and SMTP and POP3 (Thunderbird, IncrediMail, Eudora, etc. SSL supported only in Outlook and Outlook Express.) |
| New features | Secure file eraser History cleaner PC Explorer |
| Key features | High-performance threat protection with low impact on system resources, Scans email for malware threats, Cutting-edge Proactive Protection guards your PC 24/7, Advanced anti-rootkit technologies and Small, regular definition updates greatly reduce update downloading time |
| Support | Email, live chat, and phone support are all 100% free |
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