Scope of Protection:  

Sunbelt Software’s Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware doesn’t just protect from viruses and spyware, but also covers rootkits, Trojans, worms, keyloggers, dialers, adware, malicious scripts, and a number of other malware threats. Vipre’s big push is to keep your computer protected from viruses that may not be on traditional signature databases yet. This proactive protection is made possible by incorporating advanced heuristic detection, including the MX-Virtualization. This technology allows Vipre to run files in a sterile Windows-like emulator and observe how it behaves. Combine this with real-time kernel-level antivirus security, and Vipre is well equipped to guard your PC from threats from different angles.

Effectiveness:  

Vipre is an effective antivirus (and antispyware) desktop solution. Powered by Sunbelt Software, the software has received the checkmark certification from West Coast Labs as an effective antivirus software.

One feature that helps keep Vipre on top of protection is the advanced heuristic technologies, Genscan and Cobra. These advanced features help Vipre dynamically locate malware before it even has the chance to cause any problems on your PC.

Ease of Installation:  

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware has a fairly in-depth installation process, but it’s not overwhelming. A full install took us about 16 minutes (and 1 restart). The installation and setup from Virpre took longer than any of the competitors, but isn’t hard by any means.

Vipre was engineered from the bottom up, and specifically designed not to be a system hog. And while there are trimmer antivirus applications, Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware holds up to their promise to deliver a resource efficient program.

The software itself used a relatively low 9.7MB when idle, but what was really surprising was that its scan footprint was basically the same, 9.8MB. Vipre certainly has one of the most efficient antivirus scanning engines available, and should leave users pleasantly surprised with no PC slowdown.

Ease of Use:  

Vipre’s antivirus software is quite simple to use. The simple user interface and navigation make for a pretty intuitive experience. Setting specific scans on a schedule or adjusting settings are no trouble. Even better, for the most part Vipre runs seamlessly in the background, requiring very little user input.

Features:  

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware has a number of useful lets that ensure security, and are just plain convenient. The secure file eraser lets you completely and permanently remove sensitive files from your computer. The software also includes an integrated history cleaning utility (to cover your tracks online), and simple access to some PC tools that normally are hard to find.

Vipre is also fully equipped to protect your computer from email-borne threats. The active email scanning will keep your inbox free of malicious files, and even scans outbound mail so you won’t pass any viruses on to your friends/coworkers/family by accident.

Vipre has all the essentials, but we would have liked to see an integrated silent ‘gamer’ mode, password protected settings, and/or auto USB detection.

Updates:  

As with almost every antivirus software, updates from Vipre are setup to run automatically (but can also be performed manually if needed). The program is set by default to run updates every 2 hours, but can be manually set to run every hour if desired. More importantly, Vipre utilizes a security network that enables them to deliver updates to your PC immediately as the need should arise.

Help & Support:  

Sunbelt’s support for Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware is pretty good, and includes in-program help files, and additional assistance online. Most common issues can be fixed by taking a look at the KnowledgeBase, user guide, or support forums. Individual questions can be directed to their service department through email, phone, or even online chat (all U.S. based).

Overall, Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware is a very good security solution. The software has all the essentials, and several advanced features (heuristic, behavioral analysis, real-time protection) that work efficiently to deliver a fairly complete antivirus package. The unique “home site license” allows you to install the software on as many computers as you have at home (a valuable solution for many home users). See how Vipre compares with the other antivirus software reviewed.