If you use a realtime scanning antivirus package like avira, how does it compare like using just an one demand such as clamwin and scan from time to time? is it much more dangerous or can you config clamwin to be more efficient if you use it standalone?

ClamWin is just an on-demand virus scanner, and it should be used with a real-time scanner (like Avira Antivir, or Alwil Avast, or Microsoft Security Essentials, MSE) until/if it is upgraded to real-time status. ClamWin works fine with any of these--although you will have to exclude the ClamWin DB directory, quarantine directory, and *.clamtmp files from the real-time scanner--for both on-demand scans and real-time scans. I have found MSE and ClamWin to be a good combination, supplemented with an antispyware program that finds tracking cookies--like free versions of Lavasoft or SuperAntiSpyware.

The web is getting to be a very dangerous place. Even real-time scanners are finding it hard to cope with email viruses, downloaded files, drive-by downloads, man-in-the-middle attacks, SEO-seeded web pages, and exploits--all conducted with rapidly-changing malware/viruses. Until governments, businesses, ISPs, software developers, and the courts get serious about providing secure software and a secure computing environment for computer users and swift punishment for malware authors and users--no matter where they are in the world, a frequently-updated real-time AV scanner along with a real-time antispyware scanner and a firewall are the minimum security software you need.

Regards,

I disagree Bob. A solid firewall, a properly configured browser, and a host file (on a static ip) are all that one needs. You, of course, have to configure not just the pc, but also any & all software to run exactly the way you want. Coupled with intelligent habits you will only need a virus scanner for the files you are suspicious of (which should be rare).
The ONLY time you would NEED an always on virus scanner is at a 'public' terminal where the pc's activity is out of your control, or you simply do not trust the user.
Most all sites these days are much more vulnerable than the people who browse them and they have the same concerns you do, only on a larger scale. Granted end users make much bigger mistakes than do those who run 24/7 web servers but those end users are never the ones inquiring about antivirus or security.
I manually remove my temp files and have had maybe one virus in the last 5 years and that was simply from allowing a brand new install of windows to have internet access (sp1?).
It's not the pc you should be scared of; it's the person or persons operating it.

You have a good point, Clammy, and I had an average user in mind when I made the post above. That's why I recommended use of a real-time scanner and a separate antispyware/antimalware program. However, malware infection does not always depend upon an unconcerned user for its infection vector, as it did when it relied primarily on malicious email attachments in times past. Lots of malware now comes in through the browser.

One thing that has concerned me this year is the extent to which the "bad guys" have used search engine optimization to "seed" web searches with links to "bad" sites. Even the safest user can be infected with malware this way. Some of the AVs/antimalware programs are starting to use lists of malicious sites to warn their users when they detect a bad site. There is no way that ClamWin can do this because it is not a real-time scanner. The AVs are starting to use some other enhancements also, but it all depends upon a real-time scanner.

Regards,

I agree about the redirects. There are too many fake sites to keep track of them all. Both my browsers, 4 In all (IE, Opera, OperaTor, & my second profile of Opera -all 3 operas are the exact same up to date files) have phishing control on. The closest I came recently was the website for a $300 phone that everywhere else listed for $600. Called the # & the nigerian dude in london told me to send him the money first-no cc's. I told him where to go. At present I default with java completely off, cookies for the original only and leave referrer disabled. OperaTor is all that with NO cookies. IE is pretty much default. I have learned NOT to put cc info on the net unless absolutely necessary. If you can find a phone#, use it. I don't even get spam. I don't have a yahoo, hotmail/live, google acct anymore. Not after that last mess with google. I DARE ANYBODY to try and infect me remotely by ANY means whatsoever. good luck.
And that, my friends, is why I loves me clamwin. I don't even need to leave it running to keep it up to date nor to use it.