2012 Antivirus Software Reviews

VIPRE Antivirus 2012

No question, VIPRE has its shortcomings. For starters, its installation takes longer than many competitors. Then there's the new interface. While it's new for 2012, it's mostly a rehash of the 2011 version.

If you've used VIPRE before, it'll be very familiar; if you haven't, in some ways it doesn't look as modern as some competitors.

Even still, it's the best antivirus software of 2012, again earning our top spot for 2012 and our Editor's Choice award.

How? It does the three most important things better than anyone else:

1. virus prevention
2. virus removal
3. tech support

From top to bottom, VIPRE was the most consistent performer in our tests, offering better protection, even against brand new viruses, than any other software. Since we added VIPRE to our tests in 2010, it's "new from the ground up" virus detection system has been impressive. Even still, compared to last year's version, this version scans faster and has better detection rates.

Our results mirrored what other independent test labs saw, including:

• VB Bulletin
• WestCoast Labs
• Malware Research Group
• AV-Test
• ICSA

Overall, VIPRE impressed, detecting 96% of the test samples we used and blocking just over 97% of our exploit attempts with its real-time antivirus detection.
VIPRE's claim to fame is low resource usage. Is it true?

In a word: yes. VIPRE added no noticeable drag to our test PCs. CPU and memory used were both very low. CPU was virtually unchanged, memory use went up negligibly.

During manual full-system scans, most CPU peaks were about 65%, memory increased about 33% compared to the idle systems.

The bottom line: VIPRE's resource usage was lowest of 2012.
There are two levels to the VIPRE Antivirus 2012 user interface:

1. the main screen with big, clearly-labeled buttons
2. the advanced tab navigation that opens in a separate window

The result: it's easy to perform common tasks and logical if you need to dig deeper into configuring it.

It doesn't have the "Wow!" look that most competitors do, but in this case, that's good news: it's fast and easy to use.

Everything is clearly labeled, there are explanations for everything, and there are links even within the software for tech support. GFI has taken the opposite approach from most companies with VIPRE: seems they actually understand good tech support means happy customers.

Since we started testing VIPRE, GFI has won the tech support part of our test every time.

The best part: it's all free, even for phone support or virus removal. (Avira is the only other company to offer free virus removal; everyone else charges hefty fees, like $99 for virus removal with Norton Antivirus.)

There's no flaming hoop of fire to jump through and no wandering the web to get help. Tech support help links are built into VIPRE's interface, and their phone number is on their homepage, could they make it any easier?
Updates are downloaded during installation, which makes it one of the few programs that makes sure you're up-to-date immediately after install.

Future updates are downloaded hourly and when you reboot.

Unlike some competitors that've removed update controls from their software, VIPRE hasn't. This is a big deal, really, since it gives you confidence updates are actually happening.

We encountered no issues with VIPRE updates, even when we updated all of our test PCs at the same time.
Although VIPRE 2012 doesn't boast a list of extra features as impressive as some competitors, what it does have are actually useful.

The most noteworthy extra features are: the PC Explorer and the Secure File Eraser, both of which can help increase your overall computer security.

Unlike the Window's Task Manager, which leaves a lot to be desired, VIPRE's PC Explorer is better organized and helpful in identifying potential threats.

Everything running on your PC gets categorized and labeled:

• Safe
• Unknown
• Suspicious
• Suspicious

Once we used it, we actually found ourselves preferring it over Task Manager.

It's great both for seeing threats to both system security and ordinary things on the PC, too.
When you delete something in Windows--even after you empty the Recycle Bin--remnants of the data remain. When you delete something all that really happens is a "flag" in Windows is tripped that marks that space OK to write into in the future.

So, even long after you consider something deleted, it's still there. And it'll be there be 'til something is saved into the space where the old file was. Even then, forensic software and some spyware can still recover "ghosts" of the deleted file. Crazy, but true.

Right click what you want Secure File Eraser to erase, and VIPRE Antivirus permanently deletes it and repeatedly overwrites the old space, ensuring the data is destroyed.
As our Editor's Choice for the third straight year, it's safe to say, we like VIPRE.

It does what antivirus software is supposed to do: It detects, it blocks, it cleans.

For anyone who needs reliable virus protection and who's dissatisfied with how antivirus software slows down their PC, this is great software.

It gives outstanding protection against all types of virus threats, and unlike with most competitors, you even get great free tech support and virus removals.

While VIPRE doesn't have a ton of "extra" features like some software (it lacks a dedicated "Gamer" mode, for example), it makes up for it where it matters most: accuracy, speed, and reliability.

Yes, the user interface isn't the most modern looking, but it's fast and easy-to-use, which means it's actually good at doing its job: giving you information and control.

And, behind the scenes, it's definitely doing its job well, no question.

No matter if it's a new virus or malware that's been out for a while, VIPRE was consistently able to keep our test PCs protected, in fact, it stopped more threats of more types than anything else.

And lastly, on the tech support front, GFI is light years ahead of their competitors. Tech support is free, easy to reach, and even includes free virus removal.