What Free Virus Scanner is the Best?

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:09 pm

What free virus scanner is the best? I currently use the free version of AVG 7.5 and the daily updates end at the end of May for version 7.5
The free version 8 is getting many bad reviews because the e-mail scan feature will only work for one month.
So, what's out there free to replace what I'm using? Is Avast Free Home any good?

Post by **laserjobs** » Fri May 02, 2008 1:12 am

Does your ISP provide anti-virus software with your internet access?

strndedinalska · Post by **strndedinalska** » Fri May 02, 2008 2:47 am

AVG is good. I use PC Tools. Both are free.

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Fri May 02, 2008 7:28 am

laserjobs wrote:Does your ISP provide anti-virus software with your internet access?

No.

leons · Post by **leons** » Fri May 02, 2008 10:46 am

Avira Antivir is the best.

HendersonMike · Post by **HendersonMike** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:06 am

I've been using Avast (free) AVAST for the past 3 years and have yet to get an infection.
As far as an ISP's offers of virus/firewall apps, I would decline to use them. I prefer to have any protection at my machine... not downstream.

SocalDad · Post by **SocalDad** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:07 am

AlaninKY wrote:What free virus scanner is the best? I currently use the free version of AVG 7.5 and the daily updates end at the end of May for version 7.5
The free version 8 is getting many bad reviews because the e-mail scan feature will only work for one month.
So, what's out there free to replace what I'm using? Is Avast Free Home any good?

Check out "Avast". It updates itself automatically almost daily and i have not ever had an issue with it.

kumar · Post by **kumar** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:34 am

What ever you do, don't get the known ones like McAfee or Norton. I hate them, they are free at staples a lot and put a mess on my computer. I like CA which you can usually get free from somewhere... But, I either use AVG or no scanner at all. I did not upgrade to the new AVG yet, so I do not really know. ClamWin is also pretty good. Its open source so will never cost money. But I reformat very frequently (winthin the 60day windows activation period most of the time) so I do not really need virus scan on those computers....
Peace Outttt
Kumar

strndedinalska · Post by **strndedinalska** » Wed May 07, 2008 3:54 pm

I tried out Avira and it seems to work pretty well without bloating. If you don't like AVG, give Avira a try and you may like it too.

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Thu May 08, 2008 2:08 pm

After doing more research on the various free virus scanning software, it is looking like the new free version of AVG doesn't have a 30 day limit on the free e-mail scanning feature according to Grisoft. See http://free.grisoft.com/ww.news
"Important information about e-mail scanning

Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, AVG Free 8.0 does not include any "trial" or "time-out" functionality. Every option provided in the program is fully functional for the life of the product. Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0

May 6, 2008"

I guess I'll try the new free version of AVG.

LikeMagic · Post by **LikeMagic** » Thu May 08, 2008 2:27 pm

This is good to know as I like AVG

strndedinalska · Post by **strndedinalska** » Thu May 08, 2008 3:41 pm

AVG never failed me like several of the name brand software I've used in the past.

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:37 pm

I updated this afternoon my free AVG version 7.5 to the new free version 8 on one of my computers without any problems!

LikeMagic · Post by **LikeMagic** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:05 pm

I've been running the latest AVG FE v8 for the last 2 weeks without any issue. Download AVG FE and other goodies at:
http://filehippo.com

gnimsh · Post by **gnimsh** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:02 pm

If by free you mean "didn't have to pay for it" then I've used both kaspersky and NOD32 with great results. Kaspersky is annoying cuz its got this loud ass barking dog or a loud squealing pig when it finds a threat, and it scares the hell out of me every time. NOD32 was great until the last time I used windows and had it installed, when it would just crash my system less than halfway through any scan. Before that I used AVG, and Avira, and avast. I'm back to AVG on my windows VM but running linux I don't worry about viruses any more.

whiteflirt · Post by **whiteflirt** » Mon May 12, 2008 9:39 pm

I like AVG. It allows me to set the time when updates are downloaded and allows me when my computer is scanned. I download updates at 8:00PM and scan for viruses at 10PM.

Bendle · Post by **Bendle** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:23 am

strndedinalska wrote:Windows Vista and Laptop with XP SP2 on the road. Occasionally, a Mac if my Windows machine isn't working

Thereby implying Mac is reliable and always working....

Lreed · Post by **Lreed** » Thu May 15, 2008 7:52 am

AVG 7.5 will not be updated after the first of the month. The new version AVG 8 will not scan email after 30 days so I un-installed the program and now use Avast. To bad about AVG I really liked it, and it protected me from ever being infected.

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:07 pm

Lreed wrote:AVG 7.5 will not be updated after the first of the month. The new version AVG 8 will not scan email after 30 days so I un-installed the program and now use Avast. To bad about AVG I really liked it, and it protected me from ever being infected.

As I previously posted in this thread
After doing more research on the various free virus scanning software, it is looking like the new free version of AVG doesn't have a 30 day limit on the free e-mail scanning feature according to Grisoft. See http://free.grisoft.com/ww.news
"Important information about e-mail scanning

Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, AVG Free 8.0 does not include any "trial" or "time-out" functionality. Every option provided in the program is fully functional for the life of the product. Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0

May 6, 2008"

Lreed · Post by **Lreed** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:51 pm

That's great news. How in the world did something like this get in the news. I read it in several places. I'll download AVG8 and give it a try. Thanks for the info.
Lanny

kumar · Post by **kumar** » Mon May 19, 2008 7:21 pm

I just started to us clamwin on a computer and think its pretty good... It is open source, and very easy on resources... Its not flashy and catchy like the bull shit anti virus norton and even worse macafee which are sadly actuly paid for. Also if you are looking for safe and reliable web surfing i would try Linux. At first i though linuz would be a pain in the ass to use but its in some ways like using a mac (- it being gay sorry mac users...) You can't get a virus (shut up you smart mouths i know what your thinking, don't bother

) and it runs really fast on computers... I reccomend using Ubuntu Linux because it is the only one i really used. Linux has everything installed and ready to go (firefox, pidgin (used to logon almost any IM client) and open office (open source office). You can dual-boot so when you turn on your PC you can choose between WIndows or Linux. If you don't like it you can always delete it. what is there to loose? legaly free stuff:-p
Anyway
Peace out
Kumar

Thunder · Post by **Thunder** » Sun May 25, 2008 6:35 pm

I was just wondering after downloading and installing AVG 8.0 When I restart my PC I get a message saying my free trial expires in 29 days. Will this go away after the 30 day trial is up. Or am I going to be stuck with that message always.

Lreed · Post by **Lreed** » Sun May 25, 2008 10:28 pm

I went back to Avast and finding it a better choice.

tmonkey · Post by **tmonkey** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:48 am

I have been using AVG for 4 years on my laptops, and free version on my kids old computer ( they are converted to Linux now) I was so impressed by the free version that I purchased it, they have a 2 year license thats worth the money, compared to Mcafee and Norton, also way less bloat that does not hog your system resources. I also have a copy of Kapersky ( which has never been opened ). I use ClamAV on my USB stick it works great

macuserbb · Post by **macuserbb** » Sat May 31, 2008 7:40 pm

Bendle wrote:
strndedinalska wrote:Windows Vista and Laptop with XP SP2 on the road. Occasionally, a Mac if my Windows machine isn't working

Thereby implying Mac is reliable and always working....

Welllllll of course!!!! You know what they say.........once you go to Mac....ya never go back.....!!!

GaryR55 · Post by **GaryR55** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:41 pm

AVG works great and I've used it since 2003. However, be careful about installing version 8. After I paid for mine and tried to install it, I got a message telling me that there was already antivirus software installed (AVG 7.5) and I'd have to uninstall that first before proceeding. So, I did. Well, the second time I tried to install AVG 8.0, I got the same message again. I thought WTF!?? So, I tried again...and again, and each time I got the same result. So, I checked my Windows Security Center and it was then that I discovered Microsoft had apparently installed McAfee Virus Scan on my computer via Windows Automatic Updates, sometime last year (I know it was then because that's how long it's been since I turned off Automatic Updates). So, I thought, no problem, I'll just uninstall McAfee and install AVG 8.0. Well, I then discovered that McAfee wasn't even on my computer! It was nowhere to be found, either in Program Files, Windows System, or anywhere else (I ran a search about three times, in complete disbelief)! I finally found it, though - as a set of registry files, only. And those are impossible to delete! So, McAfee is now my default antivirus program and I have absolutely no access to it or control over it at all. Thanks, Mr. Gates.

P.S.: I have a cousin who works for the devil (Microsoft), so i emailed her and told her the above story and she sent me an application to run that was supposed to remove McAfee. It didn't. It said it did, but it didn't. The registry files are still there and Security Center says McAfee Virus Scan is still installed and running! And I HATE McAfee! It's the worst crap out there and Norton is the second worst.

Gary

Tim Me · Post by **Tim Me** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:26 pm

Personally, I wish AVG's mail scanner didn't work. It really slows things down.

MyOwnMJ · Post by **MyOwnMJ** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:39 pm

I use AVG. I schedule it to automatically scan and update at night while I'm sleeping.

GaryR55 · Post by **GaryR55** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:40 pm

Yeah, well, I miss AVG's mail scanner, myself. Now I have no idea what's happening because there is no activity I can detect from McAfee. The only way I know it's operational is because Windows tells me so. And that's scary!

Yep, I used to set AVG to run at 4:00am, so it would be finished by the time I get on it to check my email before I get ready for work. Now, as I said above, I have no idea what's happening and whether or not I have any antivirus protection or not.

The one complaint I have, in all this, is the complete lack of support I got from either MS or AVG about it. It was weeks before AVG tech support even responded to my repeated messages and, when they did, they sent me some diagnostic tool to install - which wouldn't - and I told them I couldn't use it, but I haven't heard a word from them since. It's been almost two months, now. Meanwhile, I know of no other antivirus software I trust, other than AVG, and I'm fairly certain that if I spent money on something else, it would also fail to install because McAfee is supposedly running. If I could get rid of McAfee, I'd be fine. Then I could install AVG 8.0 and everything would be back to normal again. But, no such luck, I guess.

Gary

magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

What Free Virus Scanner is the Best?

What Free Virus Scanner is the Best?

Re: What Free Virus Scanner is the Best?

AVG for ME

AVG 8

Re: AVG 8

Thereby implying Mac is reliable and always working??