anti virus

[VTmechie]

Has anyone used an anti virus software that plays well with solidworks? It's required by my employer.

[kawuser]

Has anyone used an anti virus software that plays well with solidworks? It's required by the company.

Please define plays well.

[AlexLachance]

We use Sophos and it doesn't cause any issue

[VTmechie]

Please define plays well.

Doesn't slow down solidworks. Easy to configure so it won't run scans in the middle of the work day. Not sure what else. I usually avoid all AV on SW computers.

[Maha Nadarasa]

I have used many anti virus software with SWX but no compliant at all, only thing is when downloading and installing SWX you have disable your anti virus.

[Maha Nadarasa]

@AlexLachance

I usually look for cheap software in market that gives Internet Protection. I have not heard about "Sophos". What is the reason for choosing "Sophos"?

[Frederick_Law]

Sophos is big in IT and company security.
Not a "home" AV.
Setup is difficult because our outsourced IT company need sometime to learn how to config it.
It default to block almost everything. Not just simple black and whitelist URL.
For example, SW error report was blocked. Not the URL but the aspx file.
Took a few days to figure out how to unblock it.

I have been using Avira Free AV for a few years. Using Avira Prime now.
And I don't turn off AV when installing SW.
If software company can't program their software to install with AV, they're not worth installing.

[kawuser]

If software company can't program their software to install with AV, they're not worth installing.

I believe SW ask to have AV off when installing.

[Frederick_Law]

I believe SW ask to have AV off when installing.

Exactly my point. They don't know how to program and they keep blaming customer for their own problems.
I don't turn off AV at and not at home.
A few SP of SW won't install but I doubt it has anything to do with AV. I just skip that SP.
If AV block a SW file, you'll see a notice and you can allow it.

[Maha Nadarasa]

It is safe to turn off any anti virus protection when download and install SWX because you do not know what is going behind and specially if you use SWX for your meal ticket.

[Frederick_Law]

because you do not know what is going behind

Nothing that should trigger AV.
And I've installed SW since 2016 without turning AV off.
And many other software.

[Frederick_Law]

And here are reasons why you shouldn't turn off any protection:
Their download server could be hacked:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/pan9wn/ ... -computers

Their network could be hacked because of the software they're using got hacked:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/codecov-b ... -networks/

Of course, the AV you're using could be hacked too

[AlexLachance]

@AlexLachance

I usually look for cheap software in market that gives Internet Protection. I have not heard about "Sophos". What is the reason for choosing "Sophos"?

Generally, cheap and protection don't go together very well.

Sophos, as stated by Frederik, is a pretty well known software, it was advised to us by one of our IT guys. It's somewhat a pain in the neck to set-up, but once it's set-up it runs flawlessly.

Took us a few months of little things here and there to get it running without impairing us.

[Frederick_Law]

All protection are useless if you need to turn it off to install anything.

[JPARKER]

I agree with Sophos as a great AV that works with SOLIDWORKS. But it is not a home or small company software.

These days most AV is very similar, the biggest thing with SOLIDWORKS is to ensure that you can add exceptions via file type extension (*.sldprt, etc.) and/or folders. This way it can ensure that the AV will not try to scan SOLIDWORKS files or working folders that it uses.

[Hansjoerg]

Source: https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/antivirus_sw.html

[Frederick_Law]

Good, it didn't say turn off AV to install.

[mbiasotti]

We are using Sophos with my company also - and no problems.