- Joined
- Jul 22, 2012
Just finished my budget build and I'm looking for some good, effective and free anti-virus software. Thanks guys!
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Good FREE anti-virus programs?
- Thread starter Baseballkid3497
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2002
- Location
- The Empire State
MSE . It's free and super easy to use. I use it myself with zero issues
+1
I also use EMET which is a great tool to use in conjunction with MSE. In the Configure Apps section hit "File" in the top left corner and head into C:\Program Files (x86)\EMET\Deployment\Protection Profiles
and select the "All" file. This will add a predefined list of applications used in systems. It's set up as a default list using the default locations of the .exe's. If you have things like Java, Firefox, etc. installed
in a location other than the default you have to add the .exe from that location. Here is a link I found re: the configuration of the software and adding applications. One important thing to note is the
Plugin-Container for Firefox cannot use EAF security. If it is left on, the browser will crash when watching videos in Silverlight on Netflix. There are some conflicts with appllications so you just have to
remember you're running it so if there's a problem one of the security features could be the culprit. Once it's configured it's a great tool that you never have to mess with, it just works.
I wouldn't use MSE. http://vr-zone.com/articles/microso...cation-after-badly-failing-av-test/18117.html
I just removed that and went with avg free.
I just removed that and went with avg free.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2006
- Location
- Folding&home
I'll recommend avira antivir https://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
it consistently tests great year after year http://www.av-comparatives.org/
it consistently tests great year after year http://www.av-comparatives.org/
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2005
- Location
- Oregon
I use privacyware's private fw alone. AV is for terrorists who like to get their pant's leg wet.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2002
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2012
Avast is my favorite and ever trusted free antivirus.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2005
- Location
- Camarillo, CA!
+1 for MSE.... its light weight, very much set it and forget it... does a good job its clean and easy to use and integrates perfect within windows.
+4 for MSE it has worked good for me
In the past I've used AVG and AVAST with good results.
I've got a bunch of the main stream boxed AVs sitting here from money making rebates (McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, Trend Micro) and I don't use any of them...
In the past I've used AVG and AVAST with good results.
I've got a bunch of the main stream boxed AVs sitting here from money making rebates (McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, Trend Micro) and I don't use any of them...
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2002
Every once in a while we have anti-virus threads and 9/10 posts are of the type "I've used XYZ and therefore it's good."
We need more than that, willingness to ditch whatever we're using based on actual reasons and we need to be weary of results posted on sites plastered with advertizements for anti-virus companies or otherwise connected to specific anti-virus companies.
So in short:
A. Is the advice being given by someone irrationally attached to a product (because they've been using it for years and nothing happened to them - therefore it's the best.
B. Is the poster/site connected in any way to an antivirus company?
C. Are the definitions good? [Now there's a crucial point].
D: Are the ZERO DAY definitions good? One company will protect you on Day 1, another on day 13, so if you are testing on day 14, are their definitions equally good? That's a tough one to test but it has been done in the past.
E. Is the product free or pay-for? It is definitely a myth that pay-for equals better. Some pay-fors are in the top few products and some free products can match or beat most pay-fors.
F: What are program's impact on computer resources?
So somebody's single personal experience tells you nothing.
Have they installed multiple products and tested multiple products and found actual differences? The best test I've ever done was after being in possession of a zero day Virus, quaranteeing it then installing multiple products, updating each with their latest definitions then unleashing the zero day virus. It was interesting to see how some detected it, some detected it only days later, some not even a week later. It was also interesting to see how some crippled the machine's performance in comparison to others, although top computer hardware today has advanced enough to handle that issue much better.
But still, I always say, tell me why I should switch away from what I am using and I will test your recommendation and switch away in a heart beat. We should not care about any anti-virus company for any other reason than the ones listed above.
We need more than that, willingness to ditch whatever we're using based on actual reasons and we need to be weary of results posted on sites plastered with advertizements for anti-virus companies or otherwise connected to specific anti-virus companies.
So in short:
A. Is the advice being given by someone irrationally attached to a product (because they've been using it for years and nothing happened to them - therefore it's the best.
B. Is the poster/site connected in any way to an antivirus company?
C. Are the definitions good? [Now there's a crucial point].
D: Are the ZERO DAY definitions good? One company will protect you on Day 1, another on day 13, so if you are testing on day 14, are their definitions equally good? That's a tough one to test but it has been done in the past.
E. Is the product free or pay-for? It is definitely a myth that pay-for equals better. Some pay-fors are in the top few products and some free products can match or beat most pay-fors.
F: What are program's impact on computer resources?
So somebody's single personal experience tells you nothing.
Have they installed multiple products and tested multiple products and found actual differences? The best test I've ever done was after being in possession of a zero day Virus, quaranteeing it then installing multiple products, updating each with their latest definitions then unleashing the zero day virus. It was interesting to see how some detected it, some detected it only days later, some not even a week later. It was also interesting to see how some crippled the machine's performance in comparison to others, although top computer hardware today has advanced enough to handle that issue much better.
But still, I always say, tell me why I should switch away from what I am using and I will test your recommendation and switch away in a heart beat. We should not care about any anti-virus company for any other reason than the ones listed above.
I've been using MSE on the 3 pcs in my house, but over the last year there have been several virus infections that MSE didn't catch and couldn't remove. Luckily I do daily backups so I could restore pretty easily.
I picked up Kaspersky Internet Security 3-user for -$25 after rebates last month and put it on all the PCs in my house. We'll see if it works any better, but from what I've read recently MSE's rating has gone way down in AV comparisons.
I picked up Kaspersky Internet Security 3-user for -$25 after rebates last month and put it on all the PCs in my house. We'll see if it works any better, but from what I've read recently MSE's rating has gone way down in AV comparisons.
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2011
i think c627627 has a good point, but i bet no one will read it because 90% of posters see the title and first post and hit reply right away before even reading anything posted on the thread lol.
i feel a/v slows you down i use an antivirus that runs on a flash drive pop it in every 6 mo to a year it updates when its run automatically, usually takes a few minutes then it scans and im done, usually a bunch of cookies it mostly finds. think there were a few "trojans" that were mostly some of my IT software that i use for work.
i feel a/v slows you down
i use an antivirus that runs on a flash drive pop it in every 6 mo to a year it updates when its run automatically, usually takes a few minutes then it scans and im done, usually a bunch of cookies it mostly finds. think there were a few "trojans" that were mostly some of my IT software that i use for work.One of the biggest issues I've had with the current AV solutions is, no single product will catch everything. Granted some are better than others and then it becomes an issue of "is this AV solution a resource hog".
My answer to that is to use a "light weight" AV with a secondary, that doesn't run real time monitoring, to run once in a while just as a CYA. I'm not sure if my theory is correct but I believe most drive by's are exploiting
an advertising hole in browsers. Running Ad Block Plus on Firefox has helped many friends of mine who no longer call me weekly complaining about the latest bug they picked up. This along with Microsoft's EMET
(Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit) has done wonders for my system and those I've set up this way. A key point is EMET won't do squat for a system unless it's configured by adding .exe's to the applications list.
There's also a prewritten configuration file available to use, but it uses the defaults for .exe locations. If you've installed to a different drive or folder you have to add the .exe for that application manually.
MSE, EMET, Spybot SD without Tea-Timer (scan once/twice per month), Malware Bytes as my CYA, Firefox W/ Ad block plus and adding a couple subscriptions to it.
Seems like it would be a resource hog but it isn't because the only thing running real time is MSE and EMET is just enabling internal securities Windows already has. Spybot is passive and prevents your system
from connecting to known bad IP's by writing 127.0.0.1 in the local HOSTS file for the known bad sites.
Although MSE just recently lost it's standing in the AV community, I'm not ready to jump ship yet. I believe MS will get it together soon enough, but we'll see.
My answer to that is to use a "light weight" AV with a secondary, that doesn't run real time monitoring, to run once in a while just as a CYA. I'm not sure if my theory is correct but I believe most drive by's are exploiting
an advertising hole in browsers. Running Ad Block Plus on Firefox has helped many friends of mine who no longer call me weekly complaining about the latest bug they picked up. This along with Microsoft's EMET
(Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit) has done wonders for my system and those I've set up this way. A key point is EMET won't do squat for a system unless it's configured by adding .exe's to the applications list.
There's also a prewritten configuration file available to use, but it uses the defaults for .exe locations. If you've installed to a different drive or folder you have to add the .exe for that application manually.
MSE, EMET, Spybot SD without Tea-Timer (scan once/twice per month), Malware Bytes as my CYA, Firefox W/ Ad block plus and adding a couple subscriptions to it.
Seems like it would be a resource hog but it isn't because the only thing running real time is MSE and EMET is just enabling internal securities Windows already has. Spybot is passive and prevents your system
from connecting to known bad IP's by writing 127.0.0.1 in the local HOSTS file for the known bad sites.
Although MSE just recently lost it's standing in the AV community, I'm not ready to jump ship yet. I believe MS will get it together soon enough, but we'll see.
