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Free Anti-Virus Software


Question

Can you all tell what you think is the best Anti-Virus software that i can download online, i dont want something like a 15 day free trial, i want something that will not expire

please help, and thank you in advance :D

Rogo :rofl:

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...solid firewall configurations (no default 'allow this app' rules thankyou) and know that should they have a lapse of common sense and download a trojan, it couldn't do anything. The people without a clue use fluffy pretty apps like Norton...

^ That is what I had always assumed.

But, I didn't realize that there was a difference in the 'AV' world between trojans and virii.

I figured that trojans were mass-produced and 'mass-detected' like virii, a la subseven...I guess I didn't take into account the fact that one punk could write a private trojan and find some way to inject it into wide usage, piggy-backing (or passing as blunt fakes) onto utilities that he/she hosts on their webpage...hoping for someone to come along and say 'I use ifranview, and here is a new version' Huh...I wonder why the filesize is different from what is listed at soandso.com...*shrug*'...etc etc etc.

So, even though you both have opposing opinions, know that your 'discussion' has enlightened me...at least a little bit!

So, what Davey is strenously stating is that AVG is a basic, free antivirus program, with very limited trojan protection. Paid, commerical solutions usually do a better job catching trojans.

What Jon is saying is that if you need antivirus software, AVG is fine. If you have a strong firewall, a trojan can't get out. Therefore, AVG is an adequate AV solution.

At least, that is what I reconstructed from the flaming charred remains of this thread ;)

---

Jon, could you elaborate a little on how an 'allow app' rule in a firewall can be exploited by a trojan? I use Sygate, and I assumed since Sygate checked the application for 'changes', it couldn't be 'infected' by a trojan and hijacked (which I assume is why you wouldn't want to allow your browser access to remote TCP or UDP ports ouside of those normally allowed for internet browsing, and would set up elaborate permission rules to lock down the connection).

Davey, thanks for the recommendation, I will check out Avast.

G

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I *was* using AVG, but I'm now trying avast.

2 things:

1. AVG ran in the background, I assumed this is checking stuff on the fly? avast doesn't do this (to my knowledge), and is purely used to scan things.

2. avast picked up 3 apparent trojans that AVG didn't, although I'm not convinced they were (since two of them were html pages I wrote myself - lol, the other was a Visual Style exe from a well known author and download site).

Anyone with knowledge help me here (mainly with 1)?

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I *was* using AVG, but I'm now trying avast.

2 things:

1. AVG ran in the background, I assumed this is checking stuff on the fly? avast doesn't do this (to my knowledge), and is purely used to scan things.

2. avast picked up 3 apparent trojans that AVG didn't, although I'm not convinced they were (since two of them were html pages I wrote myself - lol, the other was a Visual Style exe from a well known author and download site).

Anyone with knowledge help me here (mainly with 1)?

http://www.avast.com/i_idt_153.html#3

Very strange. You sure you have checked to make sure? Even has right click explorer context menu scanning feature.

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I tried avast today, but I didn't like it...

Here are some things, that I didn't like about avast:

You can't just shut it down (you have to kill 3 tasks/processes to do that...)

You have to restart your computer after downloading updates...

The UI is not user friendly and it looks ugly...

So I switched back to AVG

Please don't flame me! Thank You! :)

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I tried avast today, but I didn't like it...

Here are some things, that I didn't like about avast:

You can't just shut it down (you have to kill 3 tasks/processes to do that...)

You have to restart your computer after downloading updates...

The UI is not user friendly and it looks ugly...

So I switched back to AVG

Please don't flame me! Thank You! :)

If you dont like it, is cool, user preference so dont worry about flames, lol.

1. Why not just turn off real time protection instead of shutting it down. Why would you shut it down anyway.

2. AVG on some updates does this also, even my one does it when i get program updates. Panda also and most others.

3. Is UI ugliness a factor if it performs?

User preference.

Just always remember with AV Scanners in general, always practice safe computing.

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1. Why not just turn off real time protection instead of shutting it down. Why would you shut it down anyway.

2. AVG on some updates does this also, even my one does it when i get program updates. Panda also and most others.

3. Is UI ugliness a factor if it performs?

1. If I turn something off, I want it to be completely turned off. (And if you want to uninstall something, you have to turn it off...:whistle:)

2. AVG has never wanted to restart my computer after downloading updates :huh:

3. You are right, UI ugliness is not important. I just can't stand ugly programs and I like user friendly programs.

I may try avast again in the future, but for now I'll stick with AVG, because it has never caused me any problems.

PS. Thanx for not falming me! :D

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used norton, mcafee, avg, nod32 and now avast...for awhile i was a big fan of avg..read some virus bulletin, said it failed a lot, although i had no problems with virus detection (also because i'm very cautious), my friend (who isn't so careful) had problems with avg not being able to delete some virus..decided to give nod32 a try..love it! although my trial (30 days) has expired...now am trying avast..and so far not bad..

takes up more memory than avg and nod32, but not too much...

the gui is ugly, but i just disable that on startup but still have the other processess running fine..

i use a different mail client so i turn off the 'outlook/exchange' module (wondering if it stays off on next reboot?)..

when i installed it, it updated the virus def..but didn't prompt me to restart..it would need to restart if the program itself had updates, besides the virus definition....i remember avg doing the same

other than that..not bad for a 'free' antivirus..

if i wanted to spend money on antivirus i would purchase nod32 in a heartbeat though..good stuff

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used norton, mcafee, avg, nod32 and now avast...for awhile i was a big fan of avg..read some virus bulletin, said it failed a lot, although i had no problems with virus detection (also because i'm very cautious), my friend (who isn't so careful) had problems with avg not being able to delete some virus..decided to give nod32 a try..love it! although my trial (30 days) has expired...now am trying avast..and so far not bad..

takes up more memory than avg and nod32, but not too much...

the gui is ugly, but i just disable that on startup but still have the other processess running fine..

i use a different mail client so i turn off the 'outlook/exchange' module (wondering if it stays off on next reboot?)..

when i installed it, it updated the virus def..but didn't prompt me to restart..it would need to restart if the program itself had updates, besides the virus definition....i remember avg doing the same

other than that..not bad for a 'free' antivirus..

if i wanted to spend money on antivirus i would purchase nod32 in a heartbeat though..good stuff

Any screen shots of these programs? Their respective sites seem to avoid them, lol. It'd be nice to see the various interfaces. :blush:

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screenshots for nod32 you mean? i uninstalled it already..but i'm sure you can find some screenshots somewhere on the net...i had nod32 v.2.0 by the way..the previous versions were fugly :)

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Thanks Davey.  :)

No worries man.

Of course there are many more but i dont think will be appreciated if i post all of em.

Kaspersky 4 i want to say is one of the best paid AV scanners out there but does have a difficult GUI, but once you learn it, is easy. But i admit, its UI is hard to navigate through once you start using it for the first time.

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I *was* using AVG, but I'm now trying avast.

2 things:

1. AVG ran in the background, I assumed this is checking stuff on the fly? avast doesn't do this (to my knowledge), and is purely used to scan things.

2. avast picked up 3 apparent trojans that AVG didn't, although I'm not convinced they were (since two of them were html pages I wrote myself - lol, the other was a Visual Style exe from a well known author and download site).

Anyone with knowledge help me here (mainly with 1)?

http://www.avast.com/i_idt_153.html#3

Very strange. You sure you have checked to make sure? Even has right click explorer context menu scanning feature.

Even when I set Resident protection on, no matter what i do nothing happens, and it sets itself off again...

Losing patience... :(

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b0se, if it aint happening for you, uninstall and go back to your other one.

You wouldnt happen to have another AV Scanner installed still would you? As having two can cause conflicts.

If not, uninstall and go with your previus one.

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ohsnos.jpeg

lol...j/k...

Ok, here is what I found after Davey mailed me those virii...

AVG caught 3 out of 14 :

A:\STRIKER.ZIP:\ServerS.exe Trojan horse BackDoor.Striker

A:\WORM SURNOVA.B.zip:\Cheese-B.exe Virus identified Worm/Surnova

A:\INFECTOR.ZIP:\infector.exe Trojan horse BackDoor.BackOrifice

Avast caught 12 out of 14, maybe if I had the guts to extract the stuff fully it would have caught them all :

avast.jpg

I added archives to Avast's On-Access 'Standard Shield'...but it looks like Avast can't scan inside ocassionally...

One thing I've noticed is that Avast with its heuristics has more of a performance hit than AVG with its heuristics... 8(

I am still up in the air...thanks to everyone for this very interesting topic!

G

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http://www.pcspecialties.com/ohsnos.jpeg

lol...j/k...

Ok, here is what I found after Davey mailed me those virii...

AVG caught 3 out of 14 :

A:\STRIKER.ZIP:\ServerS.exe Trojan horse BackDoor.Striker

A:\WORM SURNOVA.B.zip:\Cheese-B.exe Virus identified Worm/Surnova

A:\INFECTOR.ZIP:\infector.exe Trojan horse BackDoor.BackOrifice

Avast caught 12 out of 14, maybe if I had the guts to extract the stuff fully it would have caught them all :

http://www.pcspecialties.com/avast.jpg

I added archives to Avast's On-Access 'Standard Shield'...but it looks like Avast can't scan inside ocassionally...

One thing I've noticed is that Avast with its heuristics has more of a performance hit than AVG with its heuristics... 8(

I am still up in the air...thanks to everyone for this very interesting topic!

G

Very interesting, I'm still undecided myself. :unsure:

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I've been using AVG for a while which I keep up to date, but I've just ran the Trend Micro Housecall scan and it's picked up a virus. :angry:

I tried Avast a year or so ago but I prefered AVG at the time. Avast 4 seems pretty good though so I've diabled AVG and installed Avast 4 to see if it picks up the virus.

I also have a version of PC-Cillin 2000 which I got free which I might try.

Which one would you use?

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Phoneix was You using Avast 4.1 pro or home?

resident scanner was highest possible sensitivity or normal?

Anyway Avas4 is one of top AV products on market ... sorry to say but AVG7 is no compare to

only NOD and Avast4 for me ... :rofl:

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Phoneix was You using Avast 4.1 pro or home?

resident scanner was highest possible sensitivity or normal?

Anyway Avas4 is one of top AV products on market ... sorry to say but AVG7 is no compare to

only NOD and Avast4 for me ... :rofl:

I never tried Avast...:laugh:

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