Free Antivirus Programs?
Upitatanium
10-07-2005, 22:35
I'm looking for a free antivirus program.
Seems that AVG may have gotten rid of their free version and now they all versions of the AV software require licenses. So I need another substitute.
Currently I'm using the free version of BitDefender but I would like an antivirus with an active virus shield that runs in the background (BitDefender's virus shield is deactivated in its free version).
Any ideas?
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 22:37
Well, not that any of these are anti-virus programs, but the following free programs are good to use to help prevent malware from getting on your PC:
Ad-Aware
Spyware Blaster
Spybot Search & Destroy
You can get them all from Download.com
Alinania
10-07-2005, 22:41
Well, not that any of these are anti-virus programs, but the following free programs are good to use to help prevent malware from getting on your PC:
Ad-Aware
Spyware Blaster
Spybot Search & Destroy
You can get them all from Download.com
Beat me to it :)
[NS]Ihatevacations
10-07-2005, 22:43
I'm looking for a free antivirus program.
Seems that AVG may have gotten rid of their free version and now they all versions of the AV software require licenses. So I need another substitute.
Currently I'm using the free version of BitDefender but I would like an antivirus with an active virus shield that runs in the background (BitDefender's virus shield is deactivated in its free version).
Any ideas?
I havn't heard that, I'm still using AVG
found it: http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01
Upitatanium
10-07-2005, 22:44
Ihatevacations']I havn't heard that, I'm still using AVG
The newest version? Version 7?
Katganistan
10-07-2005, 22:46
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
Still free.
Shing-Le-Ton
10-07-2005, 22:48
I only use one of the aforementions programs, (Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE) and it works great.
Katganistan
10-07-2005, 22:51
I only use one of the aforementions programs, (Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE) and it works great.
I would suggest that in combination with Spybot: Search and Destroy and Spyblaster.
HOWEVER -- all three together still leave tons of crap on your machine. I have found that Counterspy or Microsoft's Spyware programs rip out much more.
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 22:57
Ad-Aware
Spyware Blaster
Spybot Search & Destroy
Word of advice, don't bother. Viruses>humans. Its the circle of technology. I have all three of them, plus Microsoft AntiSpyware, and a firewall, and AVG, and I still get viruses daily. Its like I subscribed to a virus testing website or something :S
Oh yeah, plus my ad aware is *insisting* that my Spybot S&D is spyware, and that I should remove it. The spyware/anti virus programs are fighting each other.... :rolleyes:
Upitatanium
10-07-2005, 23:07
Word of advice, don't bother. Viruses>humans. Its the circle of technology. I have all three of them, plus Microsoft AntiSpyware, and a firewall, and AVG, and I still get viruses daily. Its like I subscribed to a virus testing website or something :S
Oh yeah, plus my ad aware is *insisting* that my Spybot S&D is spyware, and that I should remove it. The spyware/anti virus programs are fighting each other.... :rolleyes:
Where are all your viruses coming from?
I'm looking for a free antivirus program.
Seems that AVG may have gotten rid of their free version and now they all versions of the AV software require licenses. So I need another substitute.
Currently I'm using the free version of BitDefender but I would like an antivirus with an active virus shield that runs in the background (BitDefender's virus shield is deactivated in its free version).
Any ideas?
Common sense works nicely. Up until hormones take over...
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 23:10
Word of advice, don't bother. Viruses>humans. Its the circle of technology. I have all three of them, plus Microsoft AntiSpyware, and a firewall, and AVG, and I still get viruses daily. Its like I subscribed to a virus testing website or something :S
Oh yeah, plus my ad aware is *insisting* that my Spybot S&D is spyware, and that I should remove it. The spyware/anti virus programs are fighting each other.... :rolleyes:
These are why you don't mess with settings if you don't understand what they do.
I don't know...I don't travel too far across the Internet, as I can get pretty much everything I need from sites I trust...and I get pretty much no virus problems, and very, very few adware/spyware problems (all of which my programs take care of).
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 23:11
Common sense works nicely. Up until hormones take over...
Yea...pretty much.
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 23:11
Where are all your viruses coming from?
Now that, is one hell of a good question. To which my answer would be, I have no idea. I get two spyware things a day on average, and I haven't run a virus scan in a long time. Scared of what I may find :p
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 23:12
I don't know...I don't travel too far across the Internet, as I can get pretty much everything I need from sites I trust...and I get pretty much no virus problems, and very, very few adware/spyware problems (all of which my programs take care of).
Neither do I! My internet is limited to Lycos and Excite for email, NS and Particracy for forums, and Online.sector and Miniclip.com for games. Thats it!
Upitatanium
10-07-2005, 23:14
Now that, is one hell of a good question. To which my answer would be, I have no idea. I get two spyware things a day on average, and I haven't run a virus scan in a long time. Scared of what I may find :p
I feel like hijacking my own thread and asking you what your setup and commonly used programs are.
Enlighten us. I'm amazingly lucid today and feel like helping :)
Tamilion
10-07-2005, 23:22
AntiVir is free and quite effective.
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 23:31
I feel like hijacking my own thread and asking you what your setup and commonly used programs are.
Enlighten us. I'm amazingly lucid today and feel like helping :)
setup.... no idea what you mean *is a failure at anything technological :p*
Commonly used programs:
Limewire (could do it I guess)
Firefox
Midtown Madness
F1 Manager 2001
MSN Messenger 7.0
That is about the extent of my computer usage.
Jimusopolis
10-07-2005, 23:32
Stop using Internet Explorer and most of your problems will dissapear!
Get Firefox! (http://www.mozilla.org)
-Jimus-
Battery Charger
10-07-2005, 23:41
Word of advice, don't bother. Viruses>humans. Its the circle of technology. I have all three of them, plus Microsoft AntiSpyware, and a firewall, and AVG, and I still get viruses daily. Its like I subscribed to a virus testing website or something :S
Oh yeah, plus my ad aware is *insisting* that my Spybot S&D is spyware, and that I should remove it. The spyware/anti virus programs are fighting each other.... :rolleyes:When you say you "get viruses daily" what do you mean? Is your machine constantly getting infected with new viruses? Are you getting the same viruses over and over? Is your machine currently compromised by malicious code? Or do you just get viruses in the mail? It sounds to me like you need to get SP2 for your WinXP, assuming that's what you're running.
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 23:42
Limewire (could do it I guess)
That's more than likely it.
Now...in an earlier post you refuted some advise I gave, and in this post...you just admitted to not being very good with computers...I don't really appreciate that.
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 23:44
Now...in an earlier post you refuted some advise I gave, and in this post...you just admitted to not being very good with computers...I don't really appreciate that.
I did what? Where? When? *is confused*
I didn't refute your post about only visiting safe sites, I said I only do as well. And thats true, those are the only websites I visit.....
BC, I think its the same viruses....
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 23:46
I did what? Where? When? *is confused*
I didn't refute your post about only visiting safe sites, I said I only do as well. And thats true, those are the only websites I visit.....
BC, I think its the same viruses....
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9227454&postcount=9
Sanctaphrax
10-07-2005, 23:48
Everything said there is not from a technological "is it good or not" point of view, but from a personal point of view, from my experience with them.
Greater Googlia
10-07-2005, 23:50
Everything said there is not from a technological "is it good or not" point of view, but from a personal point of view, from my experience with them.
From your experience with them with your admitted lack of computing skill.
Versus my experience with them (marked by my suggestion to use them) and moderate computer skill -- enough to know what I'm doing/suggesting anyway.
Upitatanium
11-07-2005, 00:09
That's more than likely it.
Now...in an earlier post you refuted some advise I gave, and in this post...you just admitted to not being very good with computers...I don't really appreciate that.
What's bad about Limewire?
Greater Googlia
11-07-2005, 00:11
What's bad about Limewire?
Limewire is the filesharing program, right?
Upitatanium
11-07-2005, 00:33
Limewire is the filesharing program, right?
Yeah freeware, too. I like it. Downloads are usually really fast when I have a source available.
Greater Googlia
11-07-2005, 00:37
Yeah freeware, too. I like it. Downloads are usually really fast when I have a source available.
The problem with Limewire is the fact that when you fileshare, you're not exactly downloading from the most reliable sources. You don't even know who you're downloading from...which means if that person has a virus on their computer and it has effected the file you're downloading, or if someone is trying to spread a virus via the file you're trying to download...what you think you're downloading...well, you just downloaded a virus...or some sort of malware.
Of course, it could be worse. You could be using Kazaa, which installs malware on your computer on its own...
German Nightmare
11-07-2005, 00:49
AntiVir is free and quite effective.
And you can get it here:
http://www.free-av.com/
Works fine, daily updates. Maybe not the best around but free :D
Upitatanium
11-07-2005, 02:08
The problem with Limewire is the fact that when you fileshare, you're not exactly downloading from the most reliable sources. You don't even know who you're downloading from...which means if that person has a virus on their computer and it has effected the file you're downloading, or if someone is trying to spread a virus via the file you're trying to download...what you think you're downloading...well, you just downloaded a virus...or some sort of malware.
Of course, it could be worse. You could be using Kazaa, which installs malware on your computer on its own...
Aren't all P2P programs technically vulnerable to such a thing or is there something special about Limewire that makes it especially good at passing viruses?
Upitatanium
11-07-2005, 02:10
And you can get it here:
http://www.free-av.com/
Works fine, daily updates. Maybe not the best around but free :D
Seems to be Linux (and its relatives) only though. Windows here.
Calipalmetto
11-07-2005, 02:33
Seems to be Linux (and its relatives) only though. Windows here.
http://www.free-av.com/antivirus/allinonen.html
Notice the first download is for windows...
Lord-General Drache
11-07-2005, 02:44
I use Avast antivirus, Ad Aware SE, and Spybot Search and Destroy, all which can be found at download.com. I rarely get virii.
For those tough ones that refuse to go away (be it spyware or virii), I use Hijack This!, which is great, but you have to know the normal processes of your comp.
Lipstopia
11-07-2005, 03:12
Web-based antispyware program (http://housecall.trendmicro.com) It find things that I do not find with Spybot or Ad-Aware. I also use Spyblaster to block it before it starts.
As for antivirus, I am a fan of Avast!
CanuckHeaven
11-07-2005, 03:34
Ihatevacations']I havn't heard that, I'm still using AVG
found it: http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01
Me too. Version 7.0.323
Aminantinia
11-07-2005, 04:15
Also if you're still using Internet Explorer get something else immediately unless for some reason you absolutely must use it. I switched to Firefox and I've never looked back.
UpwardThrust
11-07-2005, 04:19
I'm looking for a free antivirus program.
Seems that AVG may have gotten rid of their free version and now they all versions of the AV software require licenses. So I need another substitute.
Currently I'm using the free version of BitDefender but I would like an antivirus with an active virus shield that runs in the background (BitDefender's virus shield is deactivated in its free version).
Any ideas?
A free scaner (it does not have a free active scan) syscleen
Absolutly amazing scaner
Like I said you got to run it manualy but the updates are free
I am absolutly purchacing a copy of this program