Can you install more than one Antivirius program?

[venom0706]

I just downloaded AVG Antivirus from the PlayStore on my Galaxy S4 Mini.However, I am thinking of downloading one or two more (for maximum security).My question is, will it be ok, or like the PC, it is not wise to use many antivirus programs at the same time since they cross each other?Thanks.

 

[fjaesbog]

Consume lots of CPU, and cause unstability in your system. There's no need for more than one antivirus. AVG is a good antivirus, and it will certainly protect your system. Stick with only, AVG

Two active scanning anti-virus programs will conflict. Passive scanners won't, and you can have as many of them as you want.

The issue is the way active scanners work. The behavior they're looking for is programs that attempt to manage the entire system and intercept and mangle the data going to other programs. However, they prevent this behavior by engaging in precisely this behavior. To an anti-virus program, another anti-virus program behaves precisely as a virus does -- monitoring other programs, intercepting and filtering their data, and so on.

If either anti-virus program allowed information to get to a process without scanning it, it wouldn't be doing its job. But they can't both scan the data (since whichever wasn't last would have scanned the data that went to the other anti-virus program, not the data that went to the target process). So there is no sane resolution.

 

[edogawa]

Only install one, multiple anti-virus will conflict with one another causing them to not work optimally.

 

[venom0706]

Thanks for the answer.Among AVG,Avast and ESET (free versions), which one do you recommend as the best one?

 

[fjaesbog]

I personally find AVG very good. Used it a lot, and haven't had the slightest problems with it. Haven't gotten any viruses on my PC yet with it. And it doesn't use as much CPU as many other antivirus programs do. So if you're into gaming, AVG is also recommended by many others.

 

[edogawa]

I recommend Norton 360 for PC, light-weight, not intrusive, dirt cheap on Amazon, and effective. People are always opinionated about anti-virus too, but I've never had an issue with Norton; Bit-defender is good too.

As long as you use common sense during PC use you won't get a virus/malware. Last infection I had on my PC was early Windows XP days.