Overview

Vipre Anti-virus + Antispyware by Sunbelt Software is a high performance anti-malware utility for the PC.  It combines spyware, virus, rootkit, and other anti-malware protection into one easy to use application.    Vipre officially supports XP and Vista (I was able to successfully run it on Windows 7) and offers “Home Site Licensing” which means when you buy a license you can use it on as many computers you have in your household.

Walk Through Review

Installation – 8

The initial installation was very quick and easy compared to some Anti-virus software.  Basically follow the installation wizard and your done.

After installation is complete a restart of your system is required.

After rebooting the Setup Wizard begins for configuring the way Vipre operates.  If you miss or want to change any settings during setup you can always make changes later.

The first screen we get is to set up proxy servers if necessary.  Assuming everyone is a home user you can leave this blank and continue.

The default Active Protection setting is medium which should be adequate for most users.  Again you can make changes later if necessary.

Decide if you want to join in the ThreatNet Community, this is voluntary and won’t affect how Vipre runs so the choice is yours.

During setup Vipre shows integration with Windows’ existing security, it is best to go with the default selections so nothing conflicts.

Finally enter in the activation code if you have one or choose the 15 day free trial and register your email address.  Vipre is now installed and ready to start protecting your PC.  To start you off they offer a Video Demo of Vipre on their site.

Features – 9

Vipre has all of the features you would expect from an AntiVirus utility and more.  Everything is easily accessed from the main overview panel.

One of the cooler features on on the overview screen is being able to quickly view the risk threats cleaned or blocked by Vipre.  Also, shown is the Vipre Active Space where their research center provides live information on the current threat levels on the Internet.

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.

There is also email client protection which can be changed if you change email clients.

Ease of Use – 8

Navigation and using Vipre is very user friendly.  As an example running a scan is quit simple just hit the Scan tab and then the Scan button.  The length of time a scan takes will varies depending on the amount of files on the hard drive and type of hardware.  Even advanced options are extremely easy to use and set.

Performance – 10

One of the strongest selling points of Vipre is its high performance.  Unlike other anti-virus programs that can slow your computer down, Vipre is virtually un-noticeable with its Active Protection Technology.  This powerful real-time protection technology uses signature matching, database comparison, and heuristic analysis.  Even while running a scan Vipre doesn’t bog down the PC as much as other anti-virus utilities, so you can continue your regular computing while a scan takes place.

Vipre runs so smoothly on your system you’ll forget it is even installed, that is until it finds potentially malicious software.

Product Support – 8

Sunbelt Software offers great customer support for Vipre.  I sent a couple emails to customer support and received a detailed answer the same day.  Other ways to get support are on their site through FAQ, a knowledgebase, and product manuals.  They also have toll-free help line that is available during normal business hours.

Conclusion

Vipre Anti-virus + Anti-Spyware is the best utility of its kind that I have used in a long time.  It is surprisingly light on system resources even while scanning, you won’t even know it’s running.  The liberal Home Site Licensing is very welcome for the user on a tight budget.  The cost of a one year unlimited license is $49.95 which covers all of the PC’s you have in the residence.  A cheaper license of $29.95 can be purchased for one machine.   If you are looking for a powerful security program that does not slow down your PC then Vipre is highly recommended.

Rating

• Installation: 8
• Ease of Use: 9
• Features: 9
• Performance: 10
• Product Support: 8