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NOD32 2.5 (discontinued)

NOD32 2.5

Entered CNET Catalog: 10/07/2006

SKU: CNETNOD32 2.5

Manufacturer: ESET, LLC

Content [Hide]
  1. Manufacturer's description
  2. CNET editors' review
  3. Users' opinions

Manufacturer description

Users of Microsoft Windows can experience the power and elegance of NOD32's ThreatSense Technology with ease and comfort. Single optimized engine offers the best protection from viruses, spyware, adware, phishing attacks, and more. Keep tomorrow's threats at bay with the proactive detection technology. And it has the smallest footprint and fastest performance - bar none.

CNET editors' review

  • Editors' Choice: No
  • Reviewed on: 10/09/2006
It won't win any beauty pageants, but Eset NOD32 antivirus will keep your computer free of almost all malware. Our problem is the interface. Although intuitive and improved from previous iterations, NOD32 remains very utilitarian, and the individual AMON and DMON scanners could be confusing to novices who have come expect some level of application hand-holding, such as that provided by McAfee VirusScan Plus 2007. Yet it's what's under the hood is what really matters, and here NOD32 delivers with its collection of awards won over the years. So if you're looking for a powerful and customizable antivirus solution and you don't mind how it looks and feels, NOD32 is superior. But if you require more hand-holding with your routine antivirus protection, we recommend Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6 instead.

Setup
The download file for NOD32 is a mere 9.7MB, and installation is quick and straightforward. After installation, NOD32 occupies only 30MB of disk space, the least of any antivirus application we've seen, and spawns only a handful of processes and services--far fewer than McAfee--so it's also very light on system resources. NOD32 costs the same as Norton or McAfee.

But computer novices will miss the attention available with the brand-name applications. For example, after we installed it, NOD32 didn't prompt us to update our software with the latest antivirus signature files. We also knew to run a full system scan, but NOD32 did not prompt us to do so. If you're a seasoned antivirus pro, you'll instinctively know to perform these basic actions.

Should you ever want to uninstall NOD32, you're in for a bit of work. While Eset does provide a NOD32 uninstall icon, we found that even after a reboot, only our desktop access to the program had been removed, the underlying files and registry entries remained. Digging deeper, we discovered that installed files, along with several system registry entries, still resided in a program folder labeled Eset. Editing the system registry to remove these files should be done by advanced users only. McAfee also left many files and registry entries behind, Norton was a bit better, leaving only system folders, and only Kaspersky removed every trace of itself upon uninstall.

Interface
The overall design of Eset NOD32 is spartan, almost utilitarian, more for the system administrators among us than the average Joes. There are, in fact, two interfaces: the NOD32 On-Demand Scanner is for running manual scans, and the Control Center is for configuring specific aspects of the automated program. The On-Demand Scanner screen shows the drives available for scanning, with tabs linking off to additional settings for scan logs, actions, setup, and individual profiles. The Control Center shows the five active monitors, with links to update your software and additional setting options. Both are clean and efficient.

Features
NOD32 doesn't include a firewall or even antispyware protection; it is simply an antivirus engine--and one of the best. On the maker's Web site, you'll find considerable evidence showing that NOD32 outranks the brand-name antivirus protection (Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro) in test after test. Aside from a quality engine, there's also a high level of customization offered. Out of the box, NOD32 delivers superior protection, and the customization options allow you to turn on or off additional services, depending upon your needs. For a system admin or an advanced user, this is great; for novices these features will largely go unused.

Deep within NOD32 is its ThreatSense engine technology, which uses code analysis, emulation, and digital signatures to identify and stop online threats. Unlike other vendors that add antispyware and antiphishing technologies on top of their antivirus engines, NOD32 includes these within its basic scan engine, allowing NOD32 to be lighter and faster than the competition.

To fully appreciate NOD32 you need to learn Eset's lexicon. Looking within the Control Center console, we found that AMON monitors changes made to the overall file system, and DMON monitors documents; EMON monitors e-mail transactions, and IMON monitors Internet port 80 traffic. Within each monitor there are various tabbed configuration options to tailor the various scanners to your specific needs. Most people will never touch these settings, but if you're an advanced user, these settings allow you to customize NOD32 to your own liking.

Performance
NOD32 did well in CNET Labs' performance tests and very well in third-party, independent antivirus testing using live viruses. On our iTunes test, NOD32 came in third, with a fast 194 seconds--32 seconds above our test system. On our Sorensen Squeeze test, NOD32 was again third, with 283 seconds--42 seconds more than our test system. For individual file scans, NOD32 came in the fastest at an amazing 101 seconds. And in boot speed, NOD32 again came in first at 60 seconds. To find out how we test, see CNET Labs' How we test: software: antivirus page.

In terms of protecting your PC, we refer readers to two leading independent antivirus testing organizations. In the latest test results from AV-Comparatives.org, NOD32 earned an Advanced + (highest) rating, catching 98 percent of all malware tested. And NOD32 was one of only four products to earn CheckVir.com's Advanced rating.

Support
NOD32 provides extensive, context sensitive help files. For example, if you are on the Actions tab and you click Help, NOD32 takes you to the Actions tab definition page within Help. It's a small touch, but other than in Kaspersky, we haven't seen it offered in other security software. Online, Eset provides a 52-page PDF-file manual for download, plus FAQs for NOD32, links to an active user forum dedicated to the software, and a Web form for contacting Eset customer support. While there is live telephone support offered, the call is not toll-free and is available only during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

Conclusion
We like NOD32 because it's light, fast, and accurate at protecting your PC from dangerous malware. Unfortunately, the focus on its scanner engines has left the user interface as an afterthought. If you want a fast, flexible antivirus product that an advanced user can tweak to perfection, NOD32's an excellent choice, but if you're more of a set-it-and-forget-it novice, look elsewhere.

User opinions

Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

User Rating: 7/10

good but no match for zonealarm or kasperskby shivscape - August 19, 2008

Pros: superb as a standalone antivirus

Cons: for 360 degree protection use zonealarm security suite or bitdefender/kaspersky

Review:

User Rating: 10/10

Dont even notice it runningby sims12345 - April 28, 2008

Pros: Super lightweight and great protection

Cons: None that I can think of

Review: I dont even notice it running, doesnt slow down my startup, only bothers me when it automagically updates itself or it has detected and quartined something

User Rating: 8/10

Excellent softwareby tinonorth - February 17, 2008

Pros: Out of your way protection

Cons: Minimal documentation

Review: This package effectively protects you without a lot of code bloat and extra pretty screens. It gets the job done without getting in your way. Highly recommend it.

User Rating: 9/10

It is simply the best!by Maiyan820 - December 28, 2007

Pros: Light on system resources, fast & extremely efficient

Cons: In older versions, only the interface that might have caused a bit of confusion, BUT the latest version 3.0's interface even a 8 year old child can easily understand and use.

Review: O.K., I am a partner in this company and therefore market the ESET company's two latest anti malware products, so one can say that I am bias, BUT independent tests from the world's most stringent and respected anti malware testing ground, i.e. Virus Bulletin, proves that you will hardly find better overall anti malware protection anywhere else. This company does not give out their Virus 100 awards to just any old anti malware company/product. If you find anti malware products who earn this prestigious award on a consistant basis (exactly like the ESET company and its products has), you can be assured of one thing, YOU HAVE STUMBLED UPON SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL AND EXTREMELY EFFICIENT, that you can purchase without hesitation!
Updated
Please take note: My rating of 9/10 was for the latest versions 3.0 of ESET NOD 32, NOT FOR THE VERSION 2.5. The latter version I do not even know. I was only still familiar with version 2.7, which I would only rate at 7.5/10, mainly because of its, perhaps, confusing interface. You guys at CNET are so behind the times. Please test the latest versions, i.e. 3.0 of ESET. They are the NOD 32 Anti virus 3.0 and the ESET Smart Security Suit 3.0.

User Rating: 10/10

Best Anti-Virus ever. I also experienced BitDefender, Norton AV, PCCillin.by stefanbb - December 27, 2007

Pros: Easy to use, low resources use.

Cons: You have to Google search for "nod32 settings" and follow the first link to find the way to be best protected. Default settings protect you, but not fully.

Review: I can say I tested some antiviruses (Nod32, Norton AV, BitDefender, PCCillin, McAfee) on my PC while navigating the Web on sites known to be full of viruses. Nod32 was the only one to fully scan all the contents downloaded by the Web browser, also the only one that kept me free of viruses. You must know though that you'll reach the best protectinon this AV can offer only by applying the settings described on the first site offered by Google when searching "nod32 settings" (wilderssecurity).

User Rating: 10/10

Samsung LN-T5265Fby azizkhawaja - December 10, 2007

Pros: Best picture, user-friendly setup, slick look

Cons: I haven't found anything wrong with this TV.

Review: I bought this TV last month brand-new from an online deal. Believe me, this TV delivers best quality picture with the price range of $2000 - $2300. First I thought it was too big (52") for my living room, but after using the right setup, the picture quality with/without HD/HDMI still looks great. I am using a Terk HD antenna to catch HD programming over the air. I have a Philips upconversion/DivX HDMI dvd-player and two cable/satellite boxes connected to the TV - all are working great. The HDMI picture quality is just amazing. I watch sports using my antenna and it looks fantastic. Remote has light and overall isn't bad either. Samsung provides LD technology to Sony LCD TV's, so why fall for Sony and pay extra $$$.
With this price range, I would definitely recommend others to buy this TV.

User Rating: 10/10

ESET ver3.0 is simply the bestby review_monster - December 9, 2007

Pros: fast, excellent detection, interface is friendly

Cons: technical support is limited

Review: I have tested many antivirus from norton, bitdefender, kaspersky, avast, avg and mcafee. out of them alL Eset's NOD32 ver3 stands out as the best. picks up lota bugs and viruses before they get into your system.

User Rating: 9/10

very fast and easy to useby ochiman007 - December 7, 2007

Pros: may bee the interface

Cons: perfect and ok for use

Review:

User Rating: 9/10

Trail blazing speedby dhrubogupta - December 3, 2007

Pros: Version 3.0 is out - much simpler interface a novice can handle

Cons: Cant think of any

Review: I had a Norton IS installed till today - while it never let me down, it did slow the system to a crawl. Removed it and downloaded the trial version of the recently revamped Nod 32 Version 3.0 AV. Cant express in sufficient terms the improvement in the overall system speed - its as if its not there at all! The new interface is about as simple as you can hope for. They have three levels of set-up - as downloaded, or advanced for minor tweaking or if you are comp savvy you can set it up for just about anyway you please. I have only removed it from my e-mail downloads as I do not use OS. Really happy with it and will definitely buy.

User Rating: 9/10

best anti-virus period.by schmee23-220648588089050599218 - November 28, 2007

Pros: works amazingly well, doesn't chew up resources and scans fast too.

Cons: None (for me anyway)

Review: I've used this for about a year now at home & work and couldn't be happier with it. It is very lightweight and won't bog down slower/older systems. It updates regularly on its own and doesn't annoy you like Norton/McAffe does with updates (a little balloon just pops up over the icon in the system tray, thats it). It runs a FULL scan/clean very fast (about 15-20 mins tops) and there is REAL customer support for it!

User Rating: 1/10

Lousy experienceby bento501 - November 26, 2007

Pros: ? ?? Could not load.

Cons: Could not load and customer service was non existent.

Review: To install you must email eset to obtain user name and password which is to be sent in 20-30 minutes. I did so and did not receive a response as of yet, 2 1/2 hours later. I tried to email through their contact system but it requires your user name and password in order to send the email. Obviously since I was trying to obtail the user name and password I did not have it to use. I called the "additional assistance" number and when prompted to access help for password/ username info. i was referred to a voicemail message telling me to leave a number, the email address used when purchasing the product, and that I would be contacted. I did not reveive any contact within an hour so I called again and got the operator and relayed my problem and asked to speak to a live person she transferred me to tech support and again the voice message request. I left another message and then called the operator back and told her I needed to talk to someone now, since I am trying to load the anti-virus and get my computer running. She told me they were busy due to a "new release" but to leave my phone number with tech. I did so again.
This company is pathetic. I am taking this product back to Micro Center.

User Rating: 9/10

Wonderful program!!!by In flight - November 16, 2007

Pros: Quiet, light and efficient.

Cons: Nothing at this point.

Review: I've had this program for nearly six months and it works like a charm. It recently flagged and stopped a Win32 trojan horse. I used to have Kaspersky and liked it very much until I got a software conflict that may or may not have had something to do with it. Has not happened since I switched to NOD 32. Just got NOD 32 V3 with its user-friendly functions. Don't understand why CNET did not include it in its 2008 antivirus test scores, considering the quality and reputation of NOD 32. Still agree with Kaspersky ranking so high. But excluding NOD 32 from the test?!

User Rating: 5/10

1234567891by Kapookza1 - November 13, 2007

Pros: 1234567891

Cons: 02777026517

Review: 9874563212
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User Rating: 9/10

NOD32 now has a firewall/virus suite.by cwrmba - October 17, 2007

Pros: Fast, effective and easy to use

Cons: This program verges on perfection.

Review: In my opinion this is the best firewall and anti-virus package available. It is stable, does not slow you down and it is highly rated all over the web. Go to the site check out the statistics. Free-Download available. Suite was in beta last time I tried it. The next closest thing is avast in my opinion.

User Rating: 9/10

Quick, Unobtrusive, Powerfulby lrushforth - October 3, 2007

Pros: Does not drain resources and runs exceptionally fast.

Cons: Configuration requires tenacity, but once you set things up, you can forget it.

Review: Unlike Norton and McAfee, NOD32 does not drain computing resources, and its scans are exceptionally quick. Other anti-virus software packages (and we have tried many) can create network problems and can slow down productivity. NOD32 works efficiently and, for the most part, unnoticed. Like other reviewers, I recommend uninstalling other AV software and moving to NOD32. I like the "configurability" of this program, but the process of setting the various options could be made simpler.

User Rating: 4/10

It's Not The Best Antivirusby Sky_Rider256 - September 30, 2007

Pros: Superior proactive defense and low on ram

Cons: Terrible interface and limited spyware protection

Review: PROS:Good detection of virus, worms and Trojans due it's superior proactive defense.Fast on-demand scanner.Realtime protection is quick with very few false-positives.Low on system memory.

CONS:It found 2 Trojans in my pc but failed to disinfect them properly and I could still see the changes and files of those Trojans in registry and system 32 folder.Terrible interface, an average user could easily get lost.Limited spyware protection and anti phishing is average.This company makes their own test to compare Nod32 to an outdated version of a leading antivirus and try to prove they are best(no wonder it wins all the sections of their tests, check this on their website).But their online tests on their website are absolutely false, for example: on their website they say Nod32 catches all the malware and doesn't miss one but on the latest pcworld antivirus chart Nod32 was ranked 4th not first because it missed some malware.This is not a good business practice.

CONCLUSION:It has a superior proactive defense and runs low on memory but I wouldn't recommend this antivirus, because it's impossible to use and when it finds a threat it will have trouble removing it.Some areas of this company are bad espically the comparison.I recommend some other antivirus like Bitdefender or Kaspersky.

User Rating: 8/10

Very light and fast, thorough, but conflicts with Lenovo softwareby seantagorek - September 15, 2007

Pros: Very light, whole system runs faster with it on as opposed to Symantec, thorough scan

Cons: Menu is scant, Software conflicts with Ultimaco private disk

Review: Now its months later after I have gotten this to work finally. It doesn't work properly on a Thinkpad notebook with the CSS Client Security Software, specifically the Ultimaco private disk encryption that is bundled, so I finally chose to use NOD32 instead and it work fine now. Very lightweight, thorough scan. Menus are very cryptic, IMON, AMON and other such listings, so you need to go through the instructions to completely know what functions they perform specifically. It does hang a bit after a download on Firefox but only 20 seconds so thoroughly scan a file checking for viruses not even released yet, called advanced heuristics (you can disable it if you want). Its good, I like it so far. And my system runs a lot faster with it than when I had corporate symantec. Too bad I couldn't get the private disk encryption software to work too, if there was a work around I couldn't find it, it used to crash my computer all the time. Still, it has a very high rating and people swear by it. Their software support is hit and miss, but usually they eventually get back to you.

User Rating: 9/10

The best AV (referring to Nod32 2.7)by stoneysilence - September 5, 2007

Pros: Small footprint (Memory/HD) which is great for gamers, Fast, one of the best ranked AV's by 3rd party sites.

Cons: Interface could be a bit better

Review: Gave it a 9 of 10 because of the Interface could use some work. But the simple interface is probably why it is such a small program and not so bloated as other leading AV's are.

User Rating: 9/10

Silent and effectiveby digilogman - August 22, 2007

Pros: Fast, doesn't hang pc, doesn't hang boot-up

Cons: simple interface

Review: Works great, is fast and effective. Enough for me. Perfect for sluggish antivir haters.

User Rating: 8/10

Light-weight and fast Anti-Virusby reggie_six - August 8, 2007

Pros: Fast, Inexpensive (relatively), thorough, and top-rated

Cons: Not for the novice user

Review: NOD32 is fast, has a small footprint, and is top-rated. It comes with a 30-day free trial and has an attractive optional 2-year update subscription. I replaced Norton with NOD32 - I was tired of Norton's intrusive interface with all its reminders and the yearly cost of re-subscribing to the virus updates. I ran through the video and the material available regarding installation and had no problems getting the product installed the first try. My PC now boots up much more quickly than when Norton was my AV, and NOD32 is rated better than Norton and McAfee.

As noted in other reviews, NOD32 assumes some level of familiarity with a PC and with the Internet, so I would agree that it is not for the novice user.

User Rating: 8/10

The best protection that money can buy!!!!by NLEBON - May 29, 2007

Pros: Stops 99.99% of ALL Malware

Cons: Alot of reading and learning

Review: All my questions were answered within 30 min from there support dept. They were always helpful and gave me the help I needed for the setup process and scans!

User Rating: 10/10

Fast. Small. Reliableby mrspammer - May 29, 2007

Pros: Fast. Small. 100% Reliable

Cons: UI could be a little better

Review: Wow. Been using Kaspersky for a few years. My license was up for renewal so I looked around. I've been used to appalling performance from Symantec and McAfee so I never even considered them. My friend suggested NOD32. Well, it's lightning fast, very reliable and uses hardly any of your valuable system resources.

Can't recommend it enough!

User Rating: 10/10

I am a sysadmin. NOD32 is the best.by jfergie3 - May 26, 2007

Pros: Super fast, light weight, fantastic virus detection

Cons: User Interface

Review: I have used several of the products listed in this review and NOD32 is simply the best by far. It is super fast, lightweight, was one of the first to support 64 bit. It's virus detection rates are superior. There isn't much not to like except perhaps the ui. But, how much time are you really going to spend in the ui of a virus detection program? This is fire and forget. Install it and you'll never even know it's there.

If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Lastly, I have always trusted CNET reviews. If they got this one this far wrong, what other reviews are suspect involving products I am not familiar with? The credibility of the cnet reviewers has dropped substantially in my eyes.

Check out the difference between the cnet reviewers scores and all of the user submitted scored. At least the users that actually use these products know the real score.

User Rating: 9/10

THE antivirusby lfdgonzalez - May 2, 2007

Pros: Superfast; Highly customizable; Competitive price; Safer than other solutions

Cons: Weird interface, but it's not an issue

Review: Ah, so here we are. This is by far one of the best antivirus solutions in the market. It is fast, it's not as chatty as VirusScan and Norton and consumes a lot less RAM/CPU than the two solutions mentioned here. Plus, it's updated daily and it's got large community following. Some complaints about the user interface, but it's not an issue, it's all right there AND it runs fine on Vista (2.7). At sixty bucks for a two year sub, why look away?

User Rating: 10/10

The Anti-virus software to go with!by btengler - April 30, 2007

Pros: 100% detect! Very small resource footprint!

Cons: Interface may be confusing for novices.

Review: The best Anti-virus software, period! The defualt installation will work for novices so don't be concerned about it. Do'nt look any further. Just buy it. You won't be disappointed.

User Rating: 9/10

Excellent Softwareby iamconan - April 16, 2007

Pros: Outperforms all other anti virus software's

Cons: none so far

Review: Works quickly and with very light use of the system resources. It takes some time to get use to the initial setup and homepage configurations. Otherwise, works with no problems what so ever!

User Rating: 10/10

By Far The Best AV Experience I've Hadby Jim_in_Illinois - April 11, 2007

Pros: No Compromise on System Resouces / Great Support Forum

Cons: None so far

Review: I decided to try Nod32's free 30 day trial during the debacle caused by Zone Alarm Internet Security's 7.0 upgrade and being without AV protection for weeks. I was so impressed with it, that I purchased a 2-year licence. It seems to be very light on system resouces, and my internet surfing is considerable faster. There is also a great support forum at Wilders Security Forums (wilderssecurity.com)that provided me with some great advice on setting the program up. In spite of the Cnet review, it truly has been a set it up and forget it AV program for me, and I can't recommend it enough!

User Rating: 10/10

Uninstall any other antivirus software that you use and install NOD32!by rapito - April 11, 2007

Pros: The best detection, the fastest performance and the minimal resource utilization

Cons: The terminology is very technical

Review: With the best detection, the fastest performance and the minimal resource utilization you won?t be disappointed and your system will run smoothly. In addition, you can set up a scheduler scan and update and you will forget that NOD32 is installed on your computer and protects it. However, I think that a home user will have difficulty in using NOD32, because of the technical jargon, contrary to a techie who will love the customization abilities and scanning power of NOD32. But for any problem there is a solution. So, if you have any wonder about NOD32, visit the frequently asked questions. If you don?t find your question there, send Eset Team an e-mail and you will receive a reply very very soon (within 30 minutes-2 hours).

User Rating: 7/10

Not a 'Fire and Forget' malware proggyby wassupg - April 5, 2007

Pros: modular, tweakable, x64 ready

Cons: modular, tweakable (aka steep learning curve)

Review: Trialed it for several days because they were offering it at the 'egg bundled with Vista - one of the few 64 bit AV's around... although I had no problems with the install or uninstall, there is a pretty good learning curve with this AV. RTFM is mandatory.

Although I didn't really give it a good shakedown cruise through some of the brutal warez sites, regular programs worked fine. I do like the configurability - but learning "NodSpeak" (their modules) and which ones to activate and tweak was tediocorous...

I found Avast to be similar, albeit the modules were easier to locate and configure. Unless I really delve into Vista 64 soon, I won't be "NODding" anytime soon...

User Rating: 9/10

Have you seen Symantec's Sock value lately??by Amwhoam345 - March 11, 2007

Pros: Above and Beyond the others

Cons: Not for the super-beginner

Review: Simply put, NOD32 accomplishes exemplary performance with minimal workload. It runs unobtrusively in the background and keeps your system safe on multiple levels. I do IT work and nearly EVERY TIME I work with a system with Norton on it I have the dual task ripping Norton out AND dealing with the viruses that infected the system while Norton was somehow asleep at its post. Shame really. Not with NOD32!
Updated
Just adding to the bunch here. If you're gonna PAY for an antivirus platform there is no better than NOD32. I've used AVG Free with great success and tried NOD32... System runs great. NOD32 runs great! If it aint broke.. why fix it? (Which is more than I can say for most systems with Norton on it) :)

User Rating: 10/10

The best I' ve ever seenby mulixer - March 10, 2007

Pros: cheaper,faster,better

Cons: none to mention

Review: After using Norton IS 2006,decided to try Nod 32 and I'm really happy with it.
This great tool protects very well,doesn't tire the computer and cheaper than Norton.
The review here says it is difficult to use but I disagree.On the contrary,it is very easy to install and use.Takes updates more often than Norton also.
In short; The Best

User Rating: 2/10

Ridiculous!by compusolver - February 18, 2007

Pros: Got to try it out for free

Cons: Wasted time

Review: I got some kind of virus that nortons and kavproski cant seem to fix either, but at least they dont take two days to run through my system. Im a web developer and I do a lot of video work also, so I have about a terrabyte of harddrives. It would take more time to run this AV program on them than it would to start over, format and reinstall everything. Whats even worse is that this program errors out on all kinds of files claiming that their either password protected or read-only. I checked some of those files - not only are they not password protected (I opened them just fine!) but there isnt even any way to password protect them without some sort of third-party program. As for the read-only files - an AV program should be able to work them.

User Rating: 10/10

Sysadmin w/16 yrs exp: NOD32 is the best.by jakey42440 - January 14, 2007

Pros: Very thorough and powerful + tiny footprint + NO nagware, adware, spyware, no hooks into your OS. Excellent price/performance.

Cons: Upgrade from trial version to reg version could be smoother

Review: I'm a system administrator. I've used various Symantec and McAfee products since the early 90s. NOD32 is clearly, far and away the best I've ever used.

First and most important, it does what it is supposed to do very well, and nothing more.

Very thorough and powerful + tiny footprint + NO nagware, adware, spyware, no hooks into your OS. Excellent price/performance.

I first noticed NOD32 when it came pre-installed on a Dell 745N Terabyte Network Attached Storage device. I am usually skeptical of pre-installed software, but I decided to give it a try. During the 18 months since then, I have replaced all of our McAfee virus scanners with NOD32, and I have helped members of my extended family improve their computer's speed, performance and protection by getting rid of Symantec products and replacing them with NOD32.

User Rating: 10/10

Perfect protection against all types of malware included spyware (not as Cnet says).by bombar - January 6, 2007

Pros: The best heuristic of all antivirus, improving and outstanding reactive protection. Vey good polymorphic protection according to AVcomparatives, fat scanning an minimun system resources required.

Cons: It coud also have a behaviour blocker

Review: ESET NOD 32 is the winner of 2006 AV Comparatives Summary report(the best independent tester of AV products), so Nod 32 is better than Kaspersky and others in AV comparatives and also in other independent org. as Check Vir (basically Check Vir proves the efficiency of signatures and the capacity to eliminate perfectly the malware detected). It is the only Antivirus product that has two certifications of spyware in web coast labs and the first aldo in getting one.
Nod 32 always wins Virus Bulletin tests because it always has had the best on the wild detection...Nod 32 2.7 also protects against rootkits and it has an Antistealth module too.
Personally I like NOD 32 interface
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User Rating: 10/10

Not just the one of the best anti-virus programs but one of the best software programs.by socalreview - December 24, 2006

Pros: Fast, efficient, effective, very compatible with most other security programs, one of the best anti-virus programs available.

Cons: A rather steep learning curve is required to learn how to customize the configuration and settings. The advanced configuration and settings interface might seem confusing for first time users.

Review: I took my time looking for an anti-virus program to replace the increasingly bloated and ineffective solutions that were coming from the most well known security software companies. During my search for alternative anti-virus programs I kept reading about NOD32 anti-virus as being the choice of many computer technicians, gamers and security enthusiasts. The other name that came up frequently was Kaspersky anti-virus (KAV). Most of the anti-virus test results always had these two AV programs rated at or near the top. After more research I finally un-installed my previous AV program and decided to download the NOD32 AV trial version. It installed easily and flawlessly. The challenging part came after the installation when I wanted to customize the configuration and settings in order to maximize the NOD32 AV program capabilities. However, there are some excellent third party web site forums that have helpful support information and other users of the program to walk you through any extended setup that you might want to do (i.e. wilderssecurity forum). Once you learn how to configure the program it gets much easier.

NOD32 AV has not only become my favorite stand alone anti-virus program but it is also one of my favorite Windows programs I have ever used. Considering the horrible recent track record of the most well known security software and anti-virus programs this is an amazing feat in itself. I highly recommend NOD32 AV to anyone looking to try an AV program that could re-define for you what security software should be (fast, efficient and effective). NOD32 AV is available for most of the major past and current PC operating systems including MS DOS, Windows 95/98/Me, Windows XP and Vista 32/64 bit, MS Exchange server, Linux and BSD, and more. It is also available in the most common worldwide languages.

User Rating: 9/10

Just work!!by monkeyz - December 12, 2006

Pros: very light, fast, little space require, update very quick

Cons: what else do you need from AV software??

Review:

User Rating: 10/10

Small, fast, works!by dlasaath - November 24, 2006

Pros: Will find things that symantec or mcafee cannot find.

Cons: not user friendly setting up.

Review: I do computer consulting and we have used Symantec for years. I noticed some servers were running strange, did a Symantec scan and didn't find anything. Notice the network traffic was coming from the servers which was causing disruption. Have checked all over for any virus but nothing was found. Uninstalled Symantec and installed Nod32 2.5 trial and right after reboot found irc root kits running! Amazing what this thing can do!

User Rating: 9/10

The best I've seenby ho72 - November 16, 2006

Pros: Fast, accurate, low impact on system resources

Cons: None worth mentioning

Review: CNET's ratings for software are sometimes at odds with those of their members. The editors rank a product highly, the users don't agree and cry, "Overrated!" (See SpySweeper 5, for example). Since it is the users who live with the software, employing it in real life under a variety of scenarios that can never be duplicated in the lab, I tend to side with the opinions of those with real-life experiences. Which brings us to NOD32, which, in this case, the editors have underrated.

The CNET rating for NOD32 is 7.3. While this is higher than the ratings for either Norton (yuck!) or MacAfee, it makes it seem that all three products are roughly equivalent. Nothing could be further from the truth. NOD32 is superior to all currently available anti virus products, including Kaspersky and Bit Defender. I demo'd the latter two products before I settled on NOD32. Bit Defender is a dog, Kaspersky has extra baggage I don't need and also a bit slow. NOD32 is the better choice.

NOD32 is written largely in (highly optimized) assembly language which gives it a small footprint, fast response, and exceptional real-time capabilities. Its heuristics are capable as well. NOD32, in my experience, does not cause conflicts with other installed software. This is a real plus if you've ever experienced the pain of your AV and your firewall being locked in a death match.

The CNET editors say the interface is clunky, but it's straight forward enough if you're willing to spend 5-10 minutes reading the included documentation. Given the serious nature of virus protection, I think that is time well spent. Once you have configured NOD32 to your liking?probably another 5 minutes?you're done messing with it, basically forever.

A great, real-life proven product, worthy of a 9 rating. Are you listening, editors?

User Rating: 10/10

It works, and that seems simple enough, but finding NOD was NOTby Hogtied - November 14, 2006

Pros: NOD pulled so many Trojans off my PC the # is not believable

Cons: You will need to know how to read the directions, no so simple for some.

Review: My system was seemingly on it's last leg,but seeing evidence of a virus, I ran two major brand name A.Virus programs on it. They caught a couple of viruses, that was it. I was researching one virus which landed me in the hands of NOD. I research this company and decided to try their product, I did not even except their 30 day free trial. It took several hours to run through all of my files, counting Trojans after Trojans in all 15 or more, I lost count, not to mention the viruses and mall ware.
Yes that is an unbelievable number and I am having a hard time realizing that myself. How can a system (computer) run with that many malicious programs, I would say it can not but it did. I have been having odd problem since last spring, memory issues and my credit card number was stolen and I lost it again this week. I don't know what they got out of me, but I am telling ya it is a very evil world out there and they are learning code, encryption technology, and stuff I can't even imagine, all to build a better mouse trap or a stronger poison, that we gladly except. It is a very safe crime, no blood, no big risks and the police don't really care. I know for a fact I received one from a most trusted source, so you are not protected not even with NOD 32 but is as good as it gets. Use my research and don't throw your good money away on those others big name programs with their large customer bases, which will always come back and buy their junk. I was one, but I did some homework, so cheat a little and copy my answers, I didn't guess at a single one, and that is the truth. No it does not have a fire wall and I don't know how to deal with that right now, but that is another research project for later.

User Rating: 10/10

ESET has hit the markby meamod - November 5, 2006

Pros: Fast, Low overhead, Updates everday, Good UI

Cons: None that i can see

Review: ESET has really hit the mark with NOD32 it is a low overhead antivirus program that has a very quick updates. I have tryed all from Norton to Mcafee and NOD is the best by far

User Rating: 10/10

Don't ask...just use NOD32!!!by jrpeterson5 - November 4, 2006

Pros: Fast, light, very accurate

Cons: NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: Trash any of your other anti-virus applications, restart your computer, and install NOD32 NOW. There is no other AV app in my mind that comes close to this. For years I suffered with Norton bogging down my system. I've used NOD32 for over 2 years now with NO infections, dozens of catches, and no system problems. I'm so glad to see Eset getting the recogination they should have got years ago! Buy it NOW!

User Rating: 10/10

The Best AVby KaZu4MwY - November 4, 2006

Pros: The Best AV

Cons: The Best AV

Review: This is the best AV !!!

User Rating: 10/10

Everything an AV app should beby natcat13222 - October 31, 2006

Pros: Small footprint, frequent virus signature updates, works well!

Cons: None really. Although I'm not really a techie, I found installation very straightforward so I have no idea what difficulties the review refers to.

Review: I have recommended this program to so many satisfied friends and colleagues that I should ask ESET (the company that makes NOD32) for commission!

User Rating: 9/10

Fast, light and effective!by Sam 4 - October 30, 2006

Pros: Light on resources. Heuristic.

Cons: Awkward control panel. Mediocre support.

Review: After two years suffering with Norton I finally had enough and looked for an alternative. I had at first went with Trend Micro pcicllin but couldn't get it to install and register properly and had to wait a few days to get a response from customer service. I finally ended up ditching it.
After searching about AV apps and reading comments on Wilder's Security Forum I went with Eset NOD32 even before my Norton had expired because of frustrating slowdowns and lockups caused by it. In a year I've never had a problem. Very light on resources and excellent detection. You never notice it at all. Also has heuristic capability that can idenitify a potential virus even before it's been discovered in the wild.
The control panel is a little out-of-date and can be a little confusing to a novice.
Customer service isn't that great but I haven't gotten good service from any AV vendor.
As an example on a friend's PC she did a scan and found 2-3 files that NOD32 identified but couldn't remove. If I remember they were scumware objects and she emailed customer support and asked what she could do about it. After 3-4 days they responded that she had to 'hand remove' them which I did.. Not a big deal but a faster response would have been nice.

User Rating: 9/10

Excellent, fast, trouble-freeby sieler - October 30, 2006

Pros: Very fast, no observable system impact; best-in-world class virus detection for many years

Cons: User interface could be improved

Review: I've purchased, tried, and discarded the leading AV programs. I tired of having a system crash when receiving a multi-megabyte file (crash by AV scanner).
I tired of dramatic performance slowdowns, rendering my computer useless.

NOD32 from Eset solved these problems. For many years, it's been the world's best at performance and thoroughness. Inexplicably omitted from major reviews, perhaps because they don't advertise as much, it's been a reliable performer for me and our company.

The user interface could be improved a bit,
and setup sometimes requires a hint from
an experienced user ... but it's REALLY worth it!

I'd rate it a 10 if the UI was improved,
and I'd give it a 9.5 now if C-Net would let
me do decimal values!

User Rating: 9/10

Fast, secure and very low overheadby chanskat - October 30, 2006

Pros: Small memory footprint, often updated

Cons: Interface has a bit of a learning curve

Review: I've tried them all and keep coming back to NOD32. It is small, fast and precise. The updates happen automatically, often more than once a day. The interface has a lot of options, but I like the ability to tweak it.

Great program, not bloatware, highly recommended.

User Rating: 10/10

Best Light footprint AV aroundby ozyman4269 - October 30, 2006

Pros: Fast, updates frequently, light footprint, finds viruses that others couldn't

Cons: may be intimidating to novice

Review: I recently switched my company over form Symantec corporate to NOD32.

I got tired of seeing all the services that Symantec spawned taking up my system resources not to mention the sheer size of the app.

I tried NOD32 on the advice of a friend (Fellow IT consultant) and was amazed when it found viruses on my system that were not picked up by Symantec. Furthermore when one of our user?s computers was completely frozen and unusable due to the Bortok B virus. Symantec wasn?t cutting it even with up to date Def?s and scans it couldn?t remove it. I took Symantec off put NOD on and the difference was amazing, it cleared the whole infestation out and then some.

I highly recommended this product to any one it?s worth every penny.
Also you can see for your self there is a fully functional 30 trial available for NOD32, in fact it was the trial version that cleaned out our Virus problems we have since then purchased the licenses for the enterprise version and an MS Exchange scanner as well.

NOD 32 is top notch!
And if you've EVER used an antivirus in your life the user interface is not that hard to figure out.

User Rating: 9/10

If it quacks like a duck NOD32 will shoot it even if it doesn't know it's name.by gracecomputers - October 30, 2006

Pros: Compared to other Antivirus programs it is very light and very trustworthy.

Cons: If you don't want to have to say yes to deleting every virus it finds then you can with a little searching set it to do it all without asking.

Review: I got sick of having to fix pcs that had Norton on and didn't find all the viruses. Then along came NOD32. In 1 case a pc had a virus that Norton didn't know about and yet every exe (application file) was infected and dated the day before. Even if a pc alreay has a virus NOD32 will still sort it out. Not so with Norton. I used to be a Norton fan, now you couldn't pay me enough to put Nortons on.

User Rating: 10/10

Best of the Bestby kalameddine - October 29, 2006

Pros: It is the best product I have ever used

Cons: There are no cons

Review:

User Rating: 9/10

Enterprise Management is also goodby exprtinav - October 23, 2006

Pros: Light, effective and unlike any other scanner in its class

Cons: None to mention regarding protection, could look a bit nicer

Review: ESET NOD32 is the scanner to beat in this day and age. Albeit not perfect, NOD32 reaches a level of protection unrivaled by any player within the market, including Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Kaspersky or Sophos. Simply stated, proactive detection at its finest.

If you have not checked out their enterprise management capabilities, you are missing out on a world class product for any size network. Easy to use, granular configuration options, and world class stability make Remote Administrator an easy choice for your site. I have never encountered a problem with it, the support team even helped me install the entire thing, which saved me a great deal of time. Managing legacy machines is easy, it discovers PC's well, and works with active directory settings. Bells and whistles not required, it just does its job and updates/upgrades/customizes your machines. What else can you ask for?

So, NOD32 is a great choice for the consumer and the enterprise. If you have not kicked the tires fully on this you may be missing out on the software protection you expet to have for the high prices you usually pay. And speaking of price, it is way cheaper than all of the competition it faces. Wish I had heard about this years ago.

User Rating: 9/10

nod32 2.5 il est excellentby boys23a - October 22, 2006

Pros: pour les e-mail 100% efficace

Cons: pour les antiespion 100% efficace

Review: je vous le recommander cet antivirus sa fais un an s que j'utilise nod32 il est parfais pour detecter les virus et supprimmer les virus etc 100% efficace tout commantaire ecris moi a mon adresse merci

User Rating: 9/10

Highly recommendedby karmann8888 - October 17, 2006

Pros: Bullet-proof, small footprint, updates continually

Cons: Setup and utilization can be difficult

Review: This product is definetly worth it's price. Although the setup and interface may seem difficult, the eset forums provide excellent feedback and information to make it easy. It utilizes minimal resources, which cannot be said for a lot of other anti-virus programs. I highly recommend this program.

User Rating: 8/10

Great software,by MediaNoxStella - October 17, 2006

Pros: Wonderful antivirus

Cons: Interface is confuse

Review: Wonderful piece of software, doesnt slow down computer as NAV and McAfee. And most important, it works. the only complain I have is the confusing interface, sometime a virus is found and you dont know if it has been disinfected or not.

User Rating: 8/10

Where's My Buddy Ken Feinstein?by Bill Clinton Fan - October 17, 2006

Pros: Very Fast and Light.. Good with spyware and trojans too!

Cons: Very hard to uninstall.. Hard to figure out at times.

Review: This product won't let you get infected.. and it has one of the best "heuristic" scan engines around. In today's world that's very important. You may want to install M$ Antispyware in addition, but I only run NOD32. I wonder if ESET Provides a Total Uninstaller.. Just in Case. I think this and Kaspersky are the best!
I have to say, however, in the first famous round of reviews, Ken Feinstein did an infamous job, I wonder where he is now?

User Rating: 9/10

Look no further. NOD32 is the best!by markjrenna - October 16, 2006

Pros: Lean, mean, virus killing machine!

Cons: User interface is not for the meek.

Review: If your PC has a virus or want to protect it from getting one, than look no further than NOD32.

I have tested many AV products and NOD32 is the best at providing a real perimeter defense as well as real virus detection and removal.

NOD32's advanced heuristics allow it to detect viruses that may not be known yet. The suspect virus will be submitted to eset and its detection incorporated into the next update. NOD32 releases updates much more frequently then the competition.

I strongly recommend downloading and trying the 30 day trial of nod32.

Here are some helpful sites:
http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/ergebnisse_2006_08.php

http://www.eset.com/products/compare.php

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

http://www.misec.net/trojansimulator/

http://www.virusbtn.com/index

User Rating: 9/10

Fast boot up and on-demand scanning. Excellent monitoring.by Wimpy6 - October 16, 2006

Pros: Minimal memory usage, very configurable, daily updates.

Cons: Takes a bit of learning as user interface is a bit complicated.

Review: I have been using NOD32 for approximately 2 years now. I found it a bit complicated to start with but there is an excellent on-line forum at www.wilderssecurity.com/ that contains all you need to know about NOD32 to include all settings and tips. I suggest users of NOD32 visit this site, before installing NOD32, and download "BlackSpear's" settings document as well as any other users very informative documents on how to set up and use NOD32. I found it very easy from there on out.

About CNET Archive BETA

Welcome to the CNET Archive, a library of product reviews, user opinions, videos, specifications, and manufacturer descriptions for products no longer offered by the manufacturer or most retailers. Here you will find information on replacement parts and replacement ink cartridges. Read what others had to say about that used laptop you are considering buying. Take a trip down memory lane as you browse and reminisce about your favorite old video game or that first digital camera.

NOD32 2.5 specifications

  • Software
  • License pricing Standard
  • Version 2.5
  • Category Security applications
  • Genre Security - desktop antivirus
  • License qty 1 user
  • License type Subscription package
  • License validation period 1.0 year(s)
  • System Requirements
  • Peripheral / Interface devices Graphics card
  • OS type Windows
  • Operating system Microsoft Windows XP , Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition , Microsoft Windows NT , Microsoft Windows 2000
  • Miscellaneous
  • Package type Retail
  • Service & Support Details
  • Full contract period 1 year
  • System Requirements Details
  • Min RAM size 32.0 MB
  • Min hard drive space 30.0 MB
  • Min operating system Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition , Microsoft Windows XP Professional , Microsoft Windows NT , Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition , Microsoft Windows 2000 Workstation
  • Processor type required Intel386
  • Service & Support
  • Service & support type Virus definitions update
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