free antivirus programs......r they any good?

[IH8PunkRok]

does anyone know of any good free virus programs. one of my family members want to know if there is a good one. i would appreciate it if u could give me a suggestion.
thanks

 

[Spike]

The one we tend to recommend (and most of us use) is AVG.

 

[vnf4ultra]

The one we tend to recommend (and most of us use) is AVG.

I'll second avg.
Another free av is Avast.

 

[howard_hopkinso]

I agree with both Spike and vnf4ultra. AVG free is an excellent antivirus programme. You can get it HERE.

If you also need a good free firewall programme. Zonealarm free is very good. You can get it HERE.

Regards Howard

 

[kapurssk]

Free antivirus - Norton Antivirus 2005 SE free download available

Free download of Norton antivirus 2005 SE is available with google pack.
Try downloading for free!!!

 

[Jimbo420]

Free download of Norton antivirus 2005 SE is available with google pack.
Try downloading for free!!!

You do that and you are very likely to not get that much sympathey from most of the guys around here if/when you come on not much later and need help getting rid of the virus you just got.

Stay as far away from Norton as you can!

 

[howard_hopkinso]

Hello and welcome to Techspot.

Free download of Norton antivirus 2005 SE is available with google pack.
Try downloading for free!!!

Norton antivirus 2005 is one of the worst programmes you could ever have on your computer. Not only does it not keep your computer secure, but it`s also a system resource hog and will slow your system down. It can also be a complete pain in the rear to uninstall.

These forums are full of problems caused by using Symantec/Norton crapwear.

Just take a look at this thread HERE. For an example of just some of the problems of using Norton. There are others, if you care to search for them.

Regards Howard :wave: :wave:

 

[DonNagual]

Here are some reviews of the various anti-virus software packages:

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,124475,00.asp

I myself have AVG installed, however I notice that it did not perform very well in PCWorld's testing, which has me a little worried.

In our performance tests, AVG Free Edition ranked second to last. (Alwil Software's free Avast Home Edition ranked last.) While AVG Free Edition caught nearly 100 percent of bots and zombies in our collection of zoo malware, it caught a disappointing 65 percent of Trojan horses. It ranked second-to-last in our heuristics tests--detecting just 11 percent of worms and 8 percent of backdoor programs using one-month-old virus data.

 

[Jimbo420]

I had also heard about that test where AVG didn't do very well. Although in all other test I have seen from other major PC magazines it has done pretty well. Not the best, but pretty close and still free.

 

[IH8PunkRok]

thanx guys i really appreciate this

 

[Spike]

however I notice that it did not perform very well in PCWorld's testing

Combined with commn sense it's perfectly sufficient. AVG lacks detection for many of the older virii that are not really relevant any more (no loss there then).

 

[N3051M]

and download size for updates etc is nice and small.. perfect for dailup

 

[altheman]

Avast is what i use and its really good. I've not used AVG, but it gets good comments from a lot of people.

As for Avast, it uses a small amount of memory, and I dont even notice it.

 

[hiker]

Heard also from someone that Norton Antivirus is not reliable and tends to attract virus attacks (too bad, I used to trust Norton years ago).

I use AVG and yes, it may have failed in the past, but not now. I appreciate its almost daily updates. Grisoft is very active in busting the threats to computing.

But I uninstalled ZoneAlarm. I think it became too intrusive and a nuisance, interrupting very too often and even disabled me from surfing the internet. Too technical, not user-friendly. I could do without it. Considering I have AVG, Spyware Doctor (ranked #1) and Webroot's SpySweeper (ranked #2). I also use Spybot Search and Destroy as an additional scanner, along with Lavasoft Adaware. Then I use CCleaner to clean my registry and temp. Believe me, that's all you need to secure your system. Just be sure to check daily for updates if you don't run an auto-update.

By the way, I don't even need to register for a paid version. Only Grisoft's AVG, Lavasoft's Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy allow removal of threats detected. The others you have to register and pay for. If a certain spyware evades Adaware, and Spysweeper, it won't manage to evade detection by Spy Doctor. All in all, the combination of these free softwares is enough for protection. I downloaded these softwares by tuning in to this and other forums for what is highly rated. I appreciate this forum best since it is updated. The downloads are the always latest versions, as far as what I have seen by comparing this site with the others.

 

[Tedster]

I use norton corporate with no issues at all and it doesn't use hardly any resources.

 

[wolfram]

I use PC-Cillin 9, and it´s good antivirus. It consumes only 2MB of RAM. Very good software!

 

[Jimbo420]

I use PC-Cillin 9, and it´s good antivirus. It consumes only 2MB of RAM. Very good software!

That isn't free though is it?

 

[wolfram]

Well, it´s free to me. But I don´t know if you have to pay for it.
My ISP gave it to me.

 

[Jimbo420]

I am pretty sure you just got a special deal. I am almost positive they don't offer that out to everyone for free.