Recommend a good Anti-virus and Anti-spyware software

What good antivirus and anti-spyware program can you recommend it can be freeware, shareware, or NEED to be PURCHASED ....

I need a program that won't slow down my computer or cause errors ...

Thanks

Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes

Spybot S&D is a must.

Just remember, nothing is foolproof. The best way to ward off malware and spyware is to practise safe hex.

NOD32 gets my vote for AV. I don't have much need for anti-spy/malware, but S&D and Malwarebytes both seemed decent.

I'm running ESET NOD and Malwarebytes. So far so great. I read many reviews ranking NOD higher than Norton and McAfee. I'm not sure how effective these software are in general though. But Malwarebytes definitely gets the job done.

Quote from TuneIn : Spybot S&D is a must.

I honestly have not used SB S&D for years. Malware bytes free always seemed to do a better job for me.

Quote from thatbb6 : I'm running ESET NOD and Malwarebytes. So far so great. I read many reviews ranking NOD higher than Norton and McAfee. I'm not sure how effective these software are in general though. But Malwarebytes definitely gets the job done.

Anything would be better than Norton and/or McAffee.
They are at the very botom of the pile

Quote from TuneIn : Spybot S&D is a must.

Quote from LiquidRetro : I honestly have not used SB S&D for years. Malware bytes free always seemed to do a better job for me.

Agreed.
SB was good back in the XP days, but it's of little use these days and there's nothing like MB to get the bad stuff out.

I've never used MBAM, so I don't know if it has a feature to immunize the hosts file. Removing malware for me is as simple as purging the cache and watching my firewall for unauthorised connections.

*edit*
I just tried out MBAM and as expected it didn't find anything and it doesn't have an immunization option (the free version). Anyway, I grab most of my programs from FileHippo and they happen to have an anti-malware section here [filehippo.com].

For the record, I run around with Comodo Firewall, Avast!, Spybot, and CCleaner.

Last I checked (about a month ago) AVG was the best free product. See here [av-test.org]

Quote from dhc014 : Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes

Seconds this. If you want, you can throw in something like AVG but a lot of users have frowned on it as being a resource hog but it has never failed me or given Me issues. It's all dependent on the system and the comfort level of the user.

I'm just rolling with Malwarebytes and MSE.

Quote from hbarnwheeler : Last I checked (about a month ago) AVG was the best free product. See here [av-test.org]

I agree and if you're careful to not allow any extras in during the installation of the free version, it is also one of the lightest around.
The alternate is Avira, if AVG won't install for whatever reason. (it does happen some times).
Lots of SD readers are big fans of MSE, but I have tested and retested and it is definitely heavier than AVG and/or Avira, and I don't believe it can offer any better protection, in which case, it is out of the question for me to use it.
It's not that it's no good. It's simply that AVG and Avira are better.

Microsoft security essentials
malwarebytes
superantispyware

Quote from RockySosua : I agree and if you're careful to not allow any extras in during the installation of the free version, it is [AVG] also one of the lightest around. The alternate is Avira, if AVG won't install for whatever reason. (it does happen some times). Lots of SD readers are big fans of MSE, but I have tested and retested and it is definitely heavier than AVG and/or Avira, and I don't believe it can offer any better protection, in which case, it is out of the question for me to use it. It's not that it's no good. It's simply that AVG and Avira are better.

The reason a lot of users get these infections is because they aren't careful when installing software. Really, why should an antivirus software be trivial to install?

MSE FTW.

Avast / Malwarebytes / Superantispyware... All free .

Check out
http://www.av-comparatives.org/
http://www.virusbtn.com/index

For actual independent test results. The major freebies are Avast, Avira, AVG, and Microsoft Security Essentials.

You can read user reviews for various programs here as well
http://download.cnet.com/windows/