I'm using Norton Anti-virus (NAV) and Real WX so I keep NAV on at all times in the background. I get little to no stutters. I have my FR locked at 25fps.

I use Kaspersky AV 6.0 and I really like it. I has so many features that don't bog the computer down. Trend Micro for me made the computer run so slow, I finally removed it and switched. The 2006 version was fine, but 2007 added all these new features and problems.At any rate, I turn the AV off completely, as in removing it from start up using MSConfig.exe before running FS. I use MSConfig to turn off anything I don't need, then reboot.

I was an avid user of Norton Antivirus until I began to see what a resource hog it could be, especially after the installation of FSX. There are better and more streamlined antivirus programs with far fewer demands on your system such as NOD32, Avast, AVG, etc. After dumping Norton and moving to another AV software I found my system as whole ran faster, and improved performance in FSX was another delightful surprise.

I don't run any AV and I've found that to be my favorite.I've been using the web since '94, and the only thing I've ever contracted was a hijack I got when my teeanager used my computer without asking (man was I ######. It took me 3 hours to get it cleaned off).The best AV is to not let your kids use your computer :-).Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

use Avast. it's the only AV that really doesn't interfere with anythingexcellent Czech cold-war technology :)http://www.avast.com/

Avast is the one that seemed to have caused my troubles-I have had nothing but smooth stutter free fast loading experience since getting rid of it.-I'll still use it on my other computers that don't have flight sim installed.I really liked the program too-but I like smooth fsx'ing even better!

I also used avast before and can second that.If I disable avast the stutter are gone.Problem is I need a AV program for Vista 64bit and avast is the only free one.

no need to remove it, just add FSX to exception list ==Marten:Weber==P-D920 oc3.64MHz 2GB RAM WinXP ATI X1900+1024MB 2xSATA250 2xVIEWSONIC 19"Need AI? Get AI: www.world-of-ai.com

Didn't work in my case. With Fsx in the exception list I got 30-40 minutes loads with ultimate terrain. Turning it off lowered it to 5-6 minutes-but not intalling it all I now get about 1 minute load among other improvements.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpgForum Moderatorhttp://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

Hi Geofa,what AV program do you use now?I'm still search for a good AV program which runs on Vista 64 Bit.Thanks in advance.

I use avast on my tablet and laptop. I am now devoting my 4 year old desktop only to fsx-and am not going to install an av at all on it. With the huge performance increase not using an av I think I'll take my chances on that machine.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpgForum Moderatorhttp://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

So far i tried:Avast - slow loading times, no performance loss.NOD32 (30 day trail) - fast loading times, stutters while flying.MS Live OneCare (90 day trail) - fast loading times, no performance loss.Guess what i use right now... And btw, i didn't catch a virus the last ten years, doesn't matter which AV was running. The Live OneCare firewall seems to be o.k. as well.Heiko

>MS Live OneCare (90 day trail) - fast loading times, no>performance loss.Heiko, did you compare that with your PC environment with no AV software running? If there was indeed no performance loss, then it seems like I should give the trial a tryout. :-)

Yep, i can't notice any difference with LOC running. Looks like it doesn't affect FSX at all. Well, it should leave FSX alone since the two products are from the same house... Sure not a mistake to try and compare it. 3 month free trail is a fair offer indeed. And no, i don't work for MS... :D

>Yep, i can't notice any difference with LOC running. Looks>like it doesn't affect FSX at all. Well, it should leave FSX>alone since the two products are from the same house... Sure>not a mistake to try and compare it. 3 month free trail is a>fair offer indeed. And no, i don't work for MS... :D >Thank you Heiko. I've followed your advice a couple of times here before, and I've always found out your information to be spot-on accurate. It's great to have such a trustworthy and technically savvy member here. Thanks again, I'm always looking to improve my FSX experience and this looks like a another potential opportunity to do do.