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Latest ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 and Smart Security v4 Review

Posted By Raymond In Category: Computer

Mar
4
2009

ESET released version 4 of ESET Anivirus (NOD32) and ESET Smart Security yesterday. Actually I wanted to do a review on the version 4 of ESET products but ended up spending nearly 4 hours trying to help a user to solve his computer problems via live support. If you’ve been here long enough, you should know that I am not a big fan of ESET products. Reason is it cannot detect my private trojan using its heuristic detection and it takes quite a lot of memory. The only advantage that I can see from using ESET products are the easy methods of obtaining username and password to update virus signature database.

I’ve only briefly tested the BETA version of ESET v4 but it was also disappointing as I am getting pretty much the same result as in version 3. Today I will bring ESET users some good news because the latest version 4 is pretty impressive and I would actually consider it to be one of my favorite antivirus program. If you already have a valid license, then there is no charge for the upgrade. All you need to do is to download the latest version of NOD32 Antivirus v4 or Smart Security v4 and use your username and password.


There are 2 products from ESET. NOD32 Antivirus v4 has antivirus and antispyware. As for Smart Security v4, it comes with an antivirus, antispyware plus firewall and antispam. Smart Security has more protection and it cost $59.99 compared to NOD32 Antivirus which only cost $39.99 for a year’s subscription.

This is how the latest ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 looks like. The interface didn’t go through a major change, which is good because the old users would still be familiar with it and won’t have problems configuring it.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 review

Here is what’s new on the latest NOD32 Antivirus v4:

  • Smarter Scanner – ESET NOD32 Antivirus inspects SSL-encrypted communication channels like HTTPS and POP3S and intelligently scans compressed files to find hidden threats other products miss. (Zemana AntiLogger has this feature)
  • Clean and Safe Email – Email scanning for Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, Windows Live Mail, Windows Mail, and other POP3/IMAP mail clients, ensuring your email is free of viruses and other threats.
  • Removable Media Security – ESET NOD32 Antivirus scans autorun.inf and associated files when the medium is inserted, in addition to scanning any file on any removable device when it is accessed, or during a full-scan of the media.
  • System Tools – ESET SysInspector and ESET SysRescue simplify diagnosing and cleaning of infected systems by allowing deep scans of system processes to find hidden threats, and creating bootable rescue CD/DVD or USB drives to help you repair an infected computer.
  • Self Defense – ESET NOD32 Antivirus has built-in technology to prevent malicious software from corrupting or disabling it, so you can rest assured your system is always protected.
  • Improvements – Numerous speed, security and usability upgrades such as password protection, keyboard shortcuts, popups are hidden when running full screen applications, advanced protection status, and energy sipping battery mode which extends laptop battery life.

    • Now it’s time for the test. We’ll first check on the memory usage. I’ve installed ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 on Windows XP and Vista. When Windows is fully booted up, I am seeing a pretty high memory usage of 50MB+ (ekrn.exe at 40MB+ and egui.exe at 10MB+). In Windows XP, the memory usage remained the same but in Vista, the memory usage for ekrn.exe and egui.exe slowly drops to a total of 12MB+. I believe this is the smart memory management feature in Vista and not ESET because I noticed that all other process memory usage are dropping as well. As for Windows XP, no matter how long I waited, the memory usage for NOD32 doesn’t drop.
    ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 Memory Usage

    I ran a full scan on my desktop, and it took 30 minutes 11 seconds to scan 201841 files. It also had some false positives by detecting Quick Heal Antivirus installer as a probable Win32/Agent trojan, PLoP as a probably unknown TSR.BOOT virus. The surprising part is ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 manage to detect my private trojan and also ALL 16 BCD private FUD stubs as threats! That is a perfect 100% detection on a supposedly undetectable threat! Thumbs up!

    I’ve also tried placing an autorun.inf file associated with a virus in a USB flash drive. Plugged in my computer and ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 immediately prompts that it detected a virus in autorun.inf file and automatically removed it to prevent it from infecting other computers.

    My verdict, ESET has improved their detection but the false detection rate has also gone up. It also comes with many new useful features such as Removable Media Security and rescue disk. As for the memory usage, I hope ESET will stop misleading users by stating that they are the fastest and lightest antivirus on their website. It’s NOT. If you want to use it on XP and concerned about the memory usage, you can try Minimem or Cleanmem.

    [ ESET NOD32 Antivirus v4 and Smart Security v4 Website ]


    Related posts:
  • FREE 3 Months ESET NOD32 Antivirus Genuine Username and Password for EVERYONE
  • FREE ESET NOD32 Antivirus v2.7/3.0/4.0 Username and Password with 6 Months Subscription for EVERYONE
  • FREE ESET Smart Security v2.7/3.0/4.0 Username and Password with 3 Months Subscription for EVERYONE
  • Examine Malware Affected Systems with ESET SysInspector
  • Which FREE Antivirus is the Lightest on System Memory Usage?
    • Jason

      Interesting…I might give this a run soon. Nice back up scanner :)

    • mazani

      it’s any longer license then normal 30day trial

    • http://Alternative Fille

      Which antivirus is according to you the best?

    • philips14c

      YES! This is also my problem with other av like Norton, Bitdefender, etc…false positives! When you combine this with the fact that these av are not really configurable then your trusted apps will disappear in front of your eyes! LOL! Kaspersky is still the most reliable and most customizable, yet I still miss the Interactive mode for the firewall! :(

      BTW: Does NOD32 at least ask you permission before deleting those ‘treats’?

    • WOODE

      Hi, Raymond

      I agree with you … And also there is no evolution at the level of the engine .

      Can not read some types of Archive .. And shows you Unpack Error

      ^_*

    • Kroko

      Thank You Raymond !
      I use Kaspersky,I tried many antivirus software,I believe in Kaspersky product. 2 years ago I tried the Eset product,in 1 mounth 10 trojan installed in my laptop.

    • koko

      Where did u get it from? I can see only 3.x version available for download on the ESET website.

    • http://www.sudeep.net.np sudeep tamrakar

      Interesting to read this review, I would like to test nod32 v4 also.

    • Kabith

      Thanks Ray, been waiting for this

    • Ahinigami

      Vr 4 is currently only downloadable by paid user

    • bam

      V4 looks good. And comparing ESET to other AV products it is one of the best. http://www.eset.eu/products/compare-antivirus-products-x

    • mk

      can try it only when it comes as a freetrial verion raymond..unfortunately it is int now..

    • vikky

      hi Ray, can you pls review the latest Commodo internet security and test its efficacy.Thanks.

    • MoShef

      I use to use NOD32 but not anymore. I use PC Tools Internet Security 2009. This has so many features over NOD32.

      But gotta admit NOD32 do use less Memory but PC Tools Inernet Seucrity 2009 is not bad at all.

    • ceyfer

      Great to try it then … it’s been 2 years since I left Nod32 and switched to KAV/NAV

      I’m going to test it too -

    • IMAd

      i have probleme with loading Firewall
      “04-03-2009 12:37:02 Pare-feu personnel Une erreur s’est produite au démarrage du serveur proxy. La vérification des protocoles d’application (POP3, HTTP) ne fonctionnera pas. “

    • Juhani

      Interesting! But I\\\’d like to go back to your article from 11/7-08 about memory usage, it certainly looks like your favourite, Kaspersky, uses more memory. Still, I love Eset, Kaspersky scanning engine sounds like half of the Russian army marching through my system:) And sorry to tell you, Kaspersky wasn\\\’t able to stop SystemAntivirus2008 or Virtumonde.

    • MR7

      Great tip, but is there any mirror for the downloads? I’m downloading right now and the speed is 13KB/s (and I can download at 1,25MB/s O.O)…

    • Juhani

      I’m not happy:( This is what you write: If you already have a valid license, then there is no charge for the upgrade. …I was able to upgrade and to get a 30-trial!

    • min

      Hi Ray,

      Please also review Twister antivirus
      http://www.filseclab.com/eng/products/twister.htm

    • Liliput

      Hi Raymond,

      What do you think of Norman Security Suite? Is it any good? 10q.

    • maria

      hmm thanks for da info…macam ok je..still prefer kav..tapi nak cuba la

    • Uplink

      I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN NOD32. I LOVE THIS ANTIVIRUS AND ALWAYS WILL!!!

      Raymond, you should offer a free 1 year license for NOD-AV and NOD-SS

    • jim

      if we got eset version 3, do we need to uninstall it before installing version 4?

      Or can just proceed to install version 1

    • Mystique

      Raymond may I ask which antivirus maintains a lower memory use and is lighter on a system than NOD32, I have always held NOD32 in high regard in that respect as the performance hit from NOD32 seems minimal in comparison to others I have tested.
      The thing about NOD32 is that it has a reasonably swift scan time and doesn’t seem to bog down your system whilst scanning in my experience.
      I’m sure there are others that are less of a system hog but I’m sure they all fail miserably in comparison in all aspects.

      Also Minimem or Cleanmem seem great but would I be correct in assuming that in the long term without a system reboot such a method could hinder system performance given that it seems to lower memory cost at the expense of virtual memory which sky rockets after using these sorts of applications as it puts more strain on your system.

      I consider your articles very well written and upfront which bods well with many net users.
      I look forward to your reply.

    • Ishaan

      Hmm.. i thinks its time for me to try ESEt ;-)

    • http://www.neobux.com/?r=tejaswi Tejaswi

      Hello Raymond!

      In your review you said that the memory usage never dropped. I will tell you why… Here are the minimum system requirements…

      Processors: Intel or AMD x86/x64
      OS: Microsoft Windows 2000, XP , Vista , Microsoft Windows Server 2000 , Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2008

      Memory: 48 MB

      Disk Space (download): 32 MB
      Disk Space (installation): 46 MB

      So as you can see.. It is rightfully using the amount it is required to… One cant expect it to use less memory than the minimum… :D

      Ya.. You are absolutely correct that there are many other lighter solutions than Eset…

      For Instance, Kaspersky and Bit Defender are lighter than Eset v4…

      But I will not be using this Newer version of Eset because I do not have enough RAM in my system..

      I will wait until I upgrade my RAM.. (I guess it is only after 7 or 8 months from now… :D)

      Anyways.. I love Eset, You should also try it in future if you ever require to go for an alternative than the current one you are using… My guess is that you are currently using Kasperky! :)

    • vikas jain

      I beleive nod32 is better that norton, avira, and avg. And this antivirus can be update with username and password (can be easily available).

    • Jarbas

      where are the 64bits version??

    • Chocobito

      Memory usage its not the only factor in system degradation, acording AV-Comparatives.com the more light antivirus and the minus system degradation cause is ESET NOD32, all the other antivirus are more bloat in the system, its the facts.

    • sk

      ESET-4 keeps on downloading and uploading several MBs of data even after viral definitions are updated and further updating is fixed after a week etc. I got fedup withit. any solutions please.

    • http://www.neobux.com/?r=tejaswi Tejaswi

      @ sk

      I Heard that using any cracks for that program causes that problem… I am not sure as to why it happens or if my reasoning is True.

      Try contacting Eset Contact Center/ Support

      They will assist you in the best possible manner.

      If Raymond can assist you even before they do.. It’s well and good.. :)

    • Adhi

      Hi Raymond, have you click Help-About ???
      It is written : version 3.0.684.0 !!!

      Any explanation???

    • tazz

      It’s 2009, every system have 1GB+ of memory so this is not the problem…
      For me is more important how many CPU is consumed and OS lags in realtime scanning process, and Nod was usually perfect…
      Now I preffer Avira, because i have some infiltrations with previous wersion of NOD. Avita was the best antivirus in many tests on internet…
      http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/ergebnisse_2008_02.php
      http://programujte.com/index.php?akce=clanek&cl=2007120901-novy-srovnavaci-test-antiviru-serveru-av-comparatives

    • tazz

      You must copy and paste the first link…

    • Ronald

      Dunno where you got that system process from but Nod V4 is using about 90MB of ram

    • Anirban

      90mb of ram!
      i think its depand on os configuration
      becouse in my pc ekrn.exe = 48 mb
      egui.exe =2.7 mb

      and i dont agree with false detaction.
      becouse any other anti virus its does not says all crackes and patchs win32 virus.
      its says patch tool or unsafe applications.

    • Jathurshanth Mahesan

      NOD32 detects and cleans all viruses that any other anitiviruses cannot do. I trust NOD32 because it protects my digital words.

    • mahendra

      i haved used nod for quite some time,works well,how ever during local scan (not removable)at around 90%complete it looks as if it froze & will not proceed,even after hours.I have tried alot of things but cant seem to make it sacn properly.please advise

    • netAdmin

      I switched in Feb from Sophos (a nightmare to manage) to NOD32 and what a nice change. The network management console is easy to use, clear, helpful and best of all, NOD32 catches everything. Once installed it is “hands off” and I have no worries with antivirus and can concentrate on other things. IMHO, products like Norton are a joke. The technically saavy people that know best all use ESET or SOPHOS products, which is why those companies don’t have to advertise.

    • http://ineeditudgentlypls. musa

      i will be very greatful if it works.

    • http://vastdown.co.nr Pritush

      Scanner of eset is fastest among all antivirus and i give less false alarm incompariosion to other. I am using this since v2 and i never felt that it uses more memory infact it uses very less memory.

    • Merlin_Magii

      Thank you for a meaningful test analysis. You may be interested to hear.

      * I ran NOD32 for 3 years and sold it to a large number of clients.
      * I always felt 100% happy and safe under its umbrella and never had any infections.
      * I was in moderately frequent contact with their tech dept and cannot praise them highly enough.
      *At the time of the launch of V4 I noticed a dramatic change in the performance of my machine. It slowed down noticably – sometimes ‘mislaid’ its password and ceased functioning and had to have the password (authorisation/validity check) manually re-entered on a number of occasions. In version 4 it suddenly became a Microsoft clone and flagged up irritatingly that my system was at risk because I didn’t have Ms. Auto Updates switched on (I mean, does anyone in their right mind have this function turned on?). It completely fell over when I uninstalled it and just wouldn’t let me reinstall it.
      *I have therefore reluctantly put ESET on the back burner and now supply an alternative product to my clients.

      Raymond – I DO hope you monitor these posts – I expect you do – PLEASE will you give us all the benefit of your thoughts on Sunbelt’s Vipre A-V? I have watched the birthing of this product with interest and its much vaunted claim to be faster and less resource hungry than its competitors. My early experience indicates this is sadly far from the truth and that it is earning a reputation for bringing PC’s to their knees when scanning.

    • http://simurl.com/ultimatetips John

      I thank you all for your input as I’m techno-challenged and listened to other’s views as to Norton being the best. I currently have Norton 360 Pro and find it easy to use though I do feel that it’s not catching everything. I just bought ESET Smart secx.4 ( on suggestion of salesman )
      and thought I’d look at some reviews before I installed it.

      My one concern is that ESET 4 does not have a Registry cleaner included and that seemed to help me with Norton AV.
      Maybe this is not even a concern; I don’t know. as far as the MS warnings, I get those now( YES! they are annoying )so that wouldn’t vreally bother me any more than it already does.

      As long as it’s a better and more reliable than Norton, I’ll give it a shot. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I run a small web based business from home and do alot of surfing and downloading. I’ve just about 10 days left in my current subscript. of Norton.

      have a great week everyone!

    • Merlin_Magii

      John,
      On balance I would say – if you see no problems with NOD32 (bar the irritating subservience to Redmond) – stay with it. My historical experience is that it is largely self running and reliable.

      As for the registry aspect I make the following 3 points.
      * Use Smart Defrag for defragging because it has a disk optimise function and my tests with it have been very favourable.
      * Be very careful with registry cleaners – they can sometimes have unwanted side effects.
      * I use “Glary Registry Repair” and find it (so far) reliable.

    • meisam

      hi. i need new username & password eset smart security 4 .

    • dehc

      i install nod32 version 4 on my pc and i cannot open the internet & outlook as well. please help me!!!

    • http://nod32 rakesh

      i will inturisting nod 32

    • LIAQAT ALI

      Hi plz somebody send me ESET SMART SECURITY V.4 PLZZZZZZZZZZZPLZZ ZZZZ
      liaqat_ali123456789@yahoo.com

    • renny george

      wat du i du 2 get the nod v4 antivirus along wit its serial keys?????

    • Mike Ashton

      My experience with E-SET is very poor I run AutoCAD and it removes essential elements from the program. Things disappear like the dimension tool bar, or the ability to scale drawings without making the program crash. I run the same version of Autocad at home and work the only difference is at home I run AVAST and at the office they run ESET, I have to “repair the program monthly”in the office! And the support is non existent if you send them a problem with all the necessary info they email you back saying you need to include all the information you just sent them before they can continue. They are worthless … run this “security software” only if someone else decides you have to use it. Avoid at all costs if you run any graphics production sofware

    • ABHISHEK SHARMA

      JUST READ IT BECAUSE I’S REALLY IMPORTANT::::
      IFFFFFFFFFF YOU WANT TO RUN YOUR COMPUTER SAFELY ——————- BUT it just need some thing______
      1) you must have WINDOWS operating system GENUINE..
      2) you must have a internet connection

      now what to do just open GOOGLE search MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIAL download it and install it……
      thats always full version and updated..

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