Kaspersky Anti-Virus (KAV) Review

Courtesy of the alt.comp.virus newsgroup participants.
(These "anti-malware" pages are the result of a continuing cooperative effort.)


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Reviewed by: Clay

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal - Version: 4.0.5.0

Test machines:
PIII 850 - 128MB RAM - Windows Millennium
PIII 800 - 128MB RAM - Win98SE
PII 333 - 192MB RAM - Win95B

Platforms Supported: Win9x, ME, NT, Win2K, DOS, Linux

- Brief Summary -

I've used KAV (formerly AVP - AntiViral Toolkit Pro) since 1998 and it has been (and still is) exceptionally good with regard to detection and removal of viruses, frequency of updates and support.

Unfortunately, Version 4 isn't the same heavyweight program in a lightweight package that it used to be. It is now (depending on how you configure the options) quite resource hungry. One of the things that made the program so desirable in the past, was its premium capabilities while maintaining a low impact on system resources. Though it used to be quite fast, effective and easy on resources; it is no longer the "no-brainer" it used to be. It is still a great choice for premium protection from viruses and other malware, but you'll need a powerful machine to utilize all the options and functionality it now provides.

I've contacted support on occasion and they are normally quick to respond.

- Details -

Pricing options:

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal - $44.95 - 1 year
Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal Pro - $89.95 - 1 year

What's the difference between "Personal" and "Personal Pro"?
See the KAV Feature List.

Pros:

• Very good detection rates (including trojans)
• Frequent updates
• Good support

Cons:

• Enabling some options greatly affects (slows down) system performance
• Scanner interface is a little daunting for novices
• Poor choice for older computers