Comments for Where can I get a free antivirus for my computer?

Comment from Ricky Meade on 2009-07-21

2009-07-21T18:02:16Z

Yeah, Avira's Antivir (free) really rocks. It is one great piece of software... It has also won the Cnet's "Editors Choice Award"...

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Comment from sue holland on 2009-05-29

2009-05-29T14:47:47Z

thanks, followed link above and now have it
sue

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Comment from Spirit on 2008-06-27

2008-06-27T23:38:25Z

Have used AVG Free spyware and antivirus..for untold years..d/l the new AVG8 it slugged my Vista and installed Yahoo Toolbar...rided all the above..and am really happy with Avira Free!!!!!! its user friendly.

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Comment from Niyi on 2008-06-09

2008-06-09T09:16:50Z

I use avira and it works very efficiently for my needs. I however notice its better to install it after a clean re-installation of your system, as it could affect the system that is already infected depending on the type of virus threat. Whenever I re-install a system, after installing all necessary software including an antivirus (avira), I create a system restore point. Whenever I have a problem with my system

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Comment from VAl on 2008-06-06

2008-06-06T18:36:26Z

I have been using Comodo, which provides free firewall plus free Anti-Virus software. It seems to be working well.

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Comment from Jim on 2008-06-05

2008-06-05T21:29:10Z

As for the person using Threatfire, it tells you right in the diections, that it is only to be used as a "sidekick"
to a regular anti-virus program.

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Comment from Jessie on 2008-06-05

2008-06-05T17:44:58Z

I have xp, media center & I love Avast. It is very easy to use & it works good. When I had McAfee it slowed my machine down. I feel very comfortable with Avast. I have used it for several years now. It is the free version. Jessie

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Comment from Alex on 2008-06-04

2008-06-05T01:11:48Z

For windows partition I would highly recomend AVG Free, and Spybot Search and destroy, avg is freeware, spybot search and destroy is entirerly free, and have never had a problem with either. Spybot s&d also includes anti roolkit.

For my linux partition, which I use much more frequently, I use Clamav with Clamavtk as my gui interface, I recomend it, but not for windows users, however i do recoment clamwin it is a gui interface for clamav on windows, it works well, however only problem I have had was long scanning times, and I have a decent machine, 2 gigs of ram, dual core 3.45 ghz.
Another security thing i recommend is to use your windows firewall, and get a free ware or open source one if you can for extra security. Also on linux use the firestarter firewall, once you get it configured, you don't have to run it again to have the firewall working each time. All of these tools are great for experienced, and inexperienced users I do think.

-Alex

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Comment from Organicman on 2008-06-04

2008-06-04T14:31:24Z

I have used AVG for years and even paid for it for two years after they announced they would no longer be offering a free version (sound familiar?). Of course, they continued to offer a free version to capture the new-comers, and they do, after all, have to earn some money somehow.

AVG slows down our older computers, but not my newest with Vista and dual processors.

AVG has certainly been the best I have tried to date and beats the pants off McAfee and Norton in my experience.

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Comment from Kenny on 2008-06-04

2008-06-04T11:59:26Z

I used AVG for a few years, but moved over to Avira (www.free-av.com) a about 2 years ago. It's very lightweight and reliable etc.

I found AVG has a tendancy towards false positives, and I also see it struggling to use our webproxy to update, so we don't recommend it to our users.

Also, people should check out "superantispyware" - despite the stupid name, it is a really thorough bit of kit.

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Comment from Deyaa Addeen Fahmy Shedeed on 2008-06-03

2008-06-04T06:20:39Z

Me 2 use AVG Free from its site for a year .
thanks .

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Comment from Jim on 2008-06-03

2008-06-04T06:14:22Z

Steve wrote, "I am really irritated with AVG right now as they have decided to discontinue the free product."

Actually, Steve, Grisoft has a free version of AVG 8.0 available that contains both anti-virus and anti-spyware, although they don't push it. It's available from their website, but directs you to this Download.com site: http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?part=dl-AVGAntiVir&subj=dl&tag=button ... I've installed 8.0 on both our XP machines with no problems so far.

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Comment from Ravi Agrawal on 2008-06-03

2008-06-04T05:35:13Z

AVG is good & light on resources but I've given it up. It detects most keygens & serial crackers as trojans / viruses. And there have been Computers with AVG running that have been seriously infected & I too have been pinched by a Virus with AVG running with most current Updates. Morever, even after shutting down AVG completely it will not let you run a program it has once reported as infected. The program blocks the file in such a way that Windows gives a User Rights Warning & does not run the file even if you want it to. Only uninstalling AVG will let you Run it Again.

Ravi.

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Comment from Jerry on 2008-06-03

2008-06-04T01:28:53Z

I realised no one mentioned ThreatFire', but after using AVG 8 and the slowing of my Windows vista I tried 'Threatfire free offer and found it working good so far. Please post if anyone else uses this anti-virus, and if there is any problems I should be aware of.

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Comment from Dena Kelley on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T23:46:37Z

I loved AVG Free 7.5. It does exactly what it is supposed to and not a thing more, without slowing my PC to a crawl the way the big LiveOne/Norton/McAfee packages do. I am really irritated with AVG right now as they have decided to discontinue the free product. I have no interest in their new 8.0 product as it will undoubtedly bloat my machine just like their competitors. I would pay for antivirus software that just did what it was supposed to without being obtrusive.

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Comment from Steve on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T20:13:21Z

Hi Leo.
I too had problems with the link scanner in Firefox.
However by disabling the scanner add-on in Firefox itself it cured the problem, and AVG now reports all systems working.

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Comment from Vincent Mc Kenna on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T19:23:23Z

There is no doubt in my experience that AVG 7.5 as freeware is an excellent choice, so much so that I have been using it on my Laptop as a paid subscriber for almost 2 years -- not a single problem. OK, the yearly fee is Euro 23.30 including a VAT fee of Euro 3.75 to Her Majesty's Government. You get a healthy discount for two or more Computers.
I got tired of constant failures with NAV, involving e-mailing and speaking to their Customer Service in Hyderabad, India; so one day I changed to AVG !
I have 3 months free McAfee on my new desktop as it came with it, but McAfee have a nasty habit of holding on to your credit card and automatically renewing the subscription every year -- this is a major turn off as it is anti-competitive and an affront to my intelligence, so I will say goodbye to them next week !

When I consider that in Ireland the average adult shopper is paying $110 per week on Alcohol alone, the humble $0.70 per week I pay for AVG Anti Malware is equivalent to 4 fluid ozs of Guinness Beer per week, just enough to wet my beer mat!

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Comment from fastfreddie1959 on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T19:22:36Z

I have tested all of the programs above.
In my opinion comodo is the best there is.
http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html
The only downside is the antivirus program does
not work in vista,but is awsome with XP.
I do use the antimalware program with the firewall
which is 100% leak proof.
I use clamwin for my antivirus for vista.
Ive been using comodo for over 2yrs now and
have never gotten a virus or trojan on my system.
Best thing about comodo is it's easy to configure
does not slow your computer down and is not
bloatware.
Take your time-read the reviews and you to
will be a believer in this program.
All 100% free....

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Comment from Bobz_Pop on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T19:12:07Z

Been running AVG for 2+yrs now. No problems. Added Avast about 8 months ago, as it has the great boot scan option. Use both in conjunction with Spybot 1.5.2; Adaware, and Zone Alarm. Weird combo, but works for me.

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Comment from Hugh E Torrance on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T18:26:31Z

Avast has a boot scan as well as on access or on demand scanning,this is what I use on XP but I don,t use any kind of stuff like this with Linux,so far I have never needed it...

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Comment from Tony on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T16:29:56Z

I've been using AVG 7.5, just recently installed AVG 8.0 works fine on Win2000. I'm no longer using FireFox got too bloated and slow. Using Avant browser, very very good. Couple of minor issues probably my settings. AVG 8.0 also works fine with AdAware and SpyBot no issues.
I've got Computer Associates on my laptop about to expire. They have raised their price past what I'm willing to pay. Otherwise their product is good. Laptop is going over to AVG also.
Oh and thanks Leo for this site and your newsletter. Much appreciated. (I know, send money)

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Comment from martin on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T16:06:33Z

I've been using Avast for quite some time. It works well -- you can schedule a scan which will be carried out at boot time before Windows (or at least most of WIndows) starts up.

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Comment from 1101doc on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T15:46:43Z

I found AVG Free 8.0 to be much slower at boot and difficult to manage compared to old reliable 7.5. I much prefer to do manual updates and scans. That results in an annoying red 'X' over the icon. After much fussing and configuration I switched to Avira Free. It has about the same impact as AVG 7.5, does just as good(or even better) job, and has a faimiliar interface.

I have always found the Avast interface confusing, and although it does continue to be top-rated(along with Avira) that UI confusion put me off.

The only downside to the Avira application is a large "notice" screen that presents with each update urging me to buy the 'Pro' version. Fortunately, simply clicking the OK button makes it go away. I am not re-directed to the website. Seems a small price to pay for top-rated, free antivirus protection.

I have had reports from others that AVG Free 8.0 has conflict issues with Ad-aware and Spybot. So far, Avira seems to be "playing well with others.
(including Comodo)

Phooey! on AVG for "Nortonizing" their (formerly) fine product.

According to AVG updates for 7.5 will continue through 12/31/08: http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?1,123812,backpage=,sv

I intend to let it run on the other house computers until then. Perhaps AVG will clean up it's act before New Year's. If not, I'll change them all to Avira.

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Comment from Malcolm Otter on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T15:42:40Z

I ran AVG Free for years, and in common with other users found it very good at what it does. I had to run it in tandem with Zonealarm but I have now bitten the bullet and bought AVG Internet Security version 8 which covers everything from anti virus to spam spyware and lots more. I have also negotiated a price for my wife's laptop and now have both machines running an AVG licence concurrently. Great product and well worth the money for the peace of mind.

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Comment from Linde Nobre on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T15:37:46Z

I am running AVG for years with xp and others, at home and on the job. Every now and then a "computer specialist" shows up on the job and uninstalls AVG, claiming it slows down the computers (Well, you have to have him check when you're out having lunch and not on peak office hours...). Then after a while everything goes crazy and I reinstall AVG. I have tested lots, I found this the most useful (I combine with Spybot and Zonealarm!).
HOWEVER: Keeping your computer free of virusses is also a question of paying attention to what you do, who uses it, who puts their cds or other in it, how you use the internet, etc.
One antivirus I can unrecommend: Symantec Norton. That one is going to get you crazy!

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Comment from James on 2008-05-29

2008-05-29T13:54:07Z

And what about Avira AntiVir
http://www.free-av.com/en/products/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html

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Comment from Mark on 2008-05-28

2008-05-29T05:03:57Z

I have to chime in for Avast here. I've run both avg and avast and I find the interface a little less complicated that AVG and I've had better luck removing viruses and, using active scanning, preventing them, in the first place with Avast.

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Comment from mat on 2008-05-28

2008-05-29T03:08:20Z

Go for AVG 8.0. It requires little amount of your system resources. Very fine with IE7. Any problem with the installation ? Do disk cleanup first, then defrag the HD. To test, do a full-scan. But as Leo said, "it's worth checking out and evaluating for yourself".

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Comment from Ralph on 2008-05-28

2008-05-29T02:05:37Z

I have been using AVG 7.5 for a long while with no problems. The new version 8 was advertised and finally I rec'd a message that 7.5 would no longer be supported after June 1st/08. I downloaded and installed on 3 XP computers at home and had no problems. It removed 7.5 during install, and said that if I wanted to go back to 7.5, I would have to uninstall 8 and then reinstall 7.5. Why would I if they will no longer support it in a few days? I used to pay for Computer Associates but that started to cost major $ for 3 home computers, so after a lot of net research, decided on AVG and couldn't be happier! Runs great and I have have not been infected since using it, touch wood! I don't use a software firewall as my router is supposed to do that for me. Tried Zone Alarm and Comodo, they worked for a while, but after a reinstall of XP on 2 of 3 machines, I couldn't get my home network to run. So I removed them from all 3 computers and the network seems to work OK. Bottom line, I like AVG

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Comment from Murray McNeill on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T14:08:02Z

AVG Free can be installed without the LinkScanner module. The procedure is outlined here:

http://free.grisoft.com/ww.faq.num-1241

This command line can be done to an existing installation and it will remove only the unwanted portion of the free version.

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Comment from Ziggie on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T13:24:07Z

I've used AVG Free for 3 years now. I updated to 8.0 from 7.5 without uninstalling with no errors whatsoever, and have not had a problem with firefox either.

While the free version can seem limiting, I just remind myself it's free. And I can't argue with the results. AVG has caught viruses in testing that both Norton and McAfee missed.

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Comment from Eli Coten on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T11:44:26Z

Jason it sounds like you have a defective hard drive more than a problem specific to AVG or any other software.

I have installed Anti-Vir on my computer, it is also free but generally I don't use it very much. I prefer to avoid having anti-virus software running in the background because it slows down the computer an awful lot and I don't see how a virus could get into my computer. Yes theoretically of course it could - with no security software running it is very easy to see how it could, I just don't believe it will. And I have done so for 5 years without any problem I believe the practical chance of getting infected by viruses, malware etc is decreasing.

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Comment from Jason on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T03:28:33Z

Hi Leo,
I think AVG suite 8.0 is a headache. I was happy with AVG anti-virus 7.5, before they merged both the anti virus and spyware programs together. I downloaded 8 because the auto update kept bugging me to.
I'm not sure if I had to manually uninstall v7.5 before installing v8.0, but I didn't do so, as I assumed the setup would do that for me (isn't this to be expected these days?). Halfway through install setup: blue screen!
It took me a day to fix the hard drive errors I kept encountering, "NTLDR is not found during bootup", I had to run the repair function from the XP install CD.
Ever since then I have had random Cyclic Redundancy Check failures from individual files within archived files, install files, downloaded files, and the like. Not all the time, but enough to drive me nuts.
I may be compelled to format once again. I tried re-installing AVG 8 suite again, but couldn't complete setup due to install errors. Right now it's only half installed, and I have tried installing Kaspersky anti virus as well, but have realised it is only a trial, so right now I have 2 anti virus programs half-installed on my PC.
Time for a format! Luckily I've kept my old AVG anti-virus 7.5 install file. Why change a good thing?
May I also add, I use Spybot 1.5.2 as my choice of anti-spyware program, and I must say it works quite well.

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Comment from Matt on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T03:22:59Z

I've heard both good and bad things about AVG. It works okay being free but now I run ESET Smart Security and it is excellent.

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Comment from Jon on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T02:17:34Z

Hi Leo,
What kind of problems were you encountering with Firefox? I've been using AVG Free for almost a year and I don't see any problems so far, but maybe I'm just missing them?
Thx.
Jon @ Wordout

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