# Whats a good free antivirus?



## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

The problem is, AVG Free sucks at detecting virus and whatnot. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  I tried the Norton 3 month 2009 AV trial and it was soo much better than AVG Free.
So whats a Good FREE antivirus thats better than AVG 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



It can't be a crack or something like that * UNLESS * i know its safe and someone PMs me the link :S


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## azure0wind (Jan 13, 2010)

Avast! Professional Edition search the keygen / crack to make it registered...


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

It can't be a Crack or something like that unless i know its safe :s

Any other suggestions?


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## Deleted User (Jan 13, 2010)

Avira is the best one I've used. It monitors web pages and files. The only downside is that it occasionally bothers you with a popup after updating its definition files (not a big deal).


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## hatredg0d (Jan 13, 2010)

EDIT: deleted, too late.
problem with norton is that viruses target it, and disable it. i use avg and have never had a problem removing virus's. the only time i have had problems with removing virus's (long time ago) was when they infected system files. then that has to be fixed manually in safe mode. but i havent had a virus in years. 

but my opinion would be to switch the the anti virus called "linux" then u can say bye bye virus's!


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## jceggbert5 (Jan 13, 2010)

AVG + SpyBot Search&Destroy + MalWare Bytes + Super Anti=Spyware = WIN!


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## hatredg0d (Jan 13, 2010)

just thought of one more thing. if avg cant delete it, it probally is one that infects files our system uses, try it in safemode, if that doesnt work, it probally wont be removable with others. just do it manually, and be more careful to not get virus;s. =)


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## VashTS (Jan 13, 2010)

Avira antivir is what i use, you get a popup window when it updates, but nothing a click of the x wont fix.  Although virus removal is a whole different ball game, i usually format and reinstall os


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## Ryukouki (Jan 13, 2010)

BitDefender Total Security 2010. Nothing more. So brilliant for an antivirus, and if you know where to look, you can find a program that enables it until 2047. Can't say where because this site hosts ISOs and CSOs.


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## Diablo1123 (Jan 13, 2010)

I've been using nothing for 2 years or so now.
hated avg becuase it screwd up my Steam, stopped using antivirus since.


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## Chanser (Jan 13, 2010)

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Pretty good AV, gotten good reviews.


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## DeMoN (Jan 13, 2010)

You can try Microsoft Security Essentials, it's free: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/


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## XXNatus (Jan 13, 2010)

Try Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast Home Edition, both of them are free. I also used to use AVG, but switched to Avast and never looked back.


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

Hmm ok
What others?


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## DeMoN (Jan 13, 2010)

Besides the Microsoft Security thing, the only three main free Antiviruses are Avira, AVG, and Avast.  
They all suck in my opinion, but you get what you pay for (or in this case, don't pay for).

There's another recommended Anti-malware program called MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, it's really good for detecting and removing malware, but the free version has no real-time protection so it's not really an Anti-virus.


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## Destructobot (Jan 13, 2010)

All Antivirus programs are free if you just download a crack, but you'll need a good AV program to make sure the crack isn't infected.


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## DeMoN (Jan 13, 2010)

Destructobot said:
			
		

> All Antivirus programs are free if you just download a crack, but you'll need a good AV program to make sure the crack isn't infected.


Yeah, kind of a catch-22 there eh? 
Even if they aren't infected, I hate dealing with cracked files because a lot of them just don't work.   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




On-topic: If you can crack an Anti-virus, go for Kaspersky.


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## CannonFoddr (Jan 13, 2010)

XXNatus said:
			
		

> Try Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast Home Edition, both of them are free. I also used to use AVG, but switched to Avast and never looked back.


Same here. I also use to have AVG - but when it 'missed' a virus & my computer got totalled I swapped to Avast free edition

Several times now Avast has 'caught' hacking attempts into my computer when visiting some sites (something that AVG didn't/doesn't have) & also found viruses in several P2P files I've downloaded - which AVG also didn't catch.
Not sure about Microsofts Security Essential (I still have bad memories from their previous attempt) but also have read good reviews about this

my current setup is:
Avast Antivirus
Comodo Firewall
SpyBot Search&Destroy + MalWare Bytes + Super AntiSpyware (Don't have realtime scanning but I regularly do manual scans just to check) And I haven't had a virus/malware/hack in all that time (yet)


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## Splych (Jan 13, 2010)

flameiguana said:
			
		

> Avira is the best one I've used. It monitors web pages and files. The only downside is that it occasionally bothers you with a popup after updating its definition files (not a big deal).


I don' like Avira... It makes beeping noises when it detects a virus =[.

Catches me off guard. xD. Unless you can turn that off... Can you?

Oh and for me...

+1 avast! Home Edition. All you have to do is give your email and they will send you a Activation Key. Then you will just renew it later on somewhere in the future [either 6 months or 12 months]

+1 Malware Bytes Free Edition. It's gotten rid of all the malware I have encountered so far.


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## Deleted User (Jan 13, 2010)

Splych said:
			
		

> flameiguana said:
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lol I actually like the beeping 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 How many viruses does it detect per day? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




You can turn that off
Main Window > 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 > General > Acoustic Alerts > 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I've used Malwarebyte's to remove those infections that are troublesome and hard to get rid of. It does not, however, *prevent* viruses from being installed onto your system.


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## jesterscourt (Jan 13, 2010)

Microsoft Security Essentials if you have a legit copy of Windows.  Go for it.  Seriously.  It's legit.  Dumped AVG on my 3 PCs for it in fact.


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## Deleted User (Jan 13, 2010)

woops


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

All i can say is AVG Free sucks balls...
All these suggestions might help 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




Keep 'em Coming!


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## steve-p (Jan 13, 2010)

clamav
http://www.clamwin.com/


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## DeMoN (Jan 13, 2010)

No go on that.  ^
http://hphosts.blogspot.com/2009/10/goodby...e-while-it.html


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

Lol thanks Demon i hate toolbars >_> Besides useful ones


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## steve-p (Jan 13, 2010)

hmm - wasnt there when i installed - maybe you can download an older version?

or just use Linux.


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

Windows>Mac>Linux>mactintosh>Other

On-topic: Anyone got any others? :3


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## hatredg0d (Jan 13, 2010)

steve-p said:
			
		

> or just use Linux.


even though i said it befor, +1
the fact of the matter is you will always get infected on windows, and using microsfts virus protection is a bad idea, it is going to be targeted hardcore.


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## Gariscus (Jan 13, 2010)

I find that Microsoft Security Essentials + Comodo Firewall gets the job done for me.


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## Jdbye (Jan 13, 2010)

Nod32


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## zeromac (Jan 13, 2010)

Well i just installed Avast and i must say it looks confusing but it looks good


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## Tokiopop (Jan 13, 2010)

zeromac said:
			
		

> Windows>*Mac*>Linux>*mactintosh*>Other
> 
> On-topic: Anyone got any others? :3


This must be true since he is right about Mac not being an abbreviation for Macintosh.

Not.


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## Splych (Jan 14, 2010)

flameiguana said:
			
		

> Splych said:
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Aha good job. avast! basically is just hiding behind the scenes. It's always running and so it detects anything that tries to attack your computer. I recommend doing a Virus Scan with avast! and Malware Bytes just to be safe.


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## da_head (Jan 14, 2010)

avast. pirate the pro


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## XWolf (Jan 14, 2010)

Avast Home seems fine to me...  No need to patch/introduce_potential_trojans...

I wouldn't trust the Micro$oft option considering the awefull job they did of the Windows Firewall.

Or Linux.  Linux Mint 8 is very nice.  Try it out without installing it (something you cannot do on Windows) using a Live CD or usb.


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## Minox (Jan 14, 2010)

XWolf said:
			
		

> I wouldn't trust the Micro$oft option considering the awefull job they did of the Windows Firewall.


The Windows Firewall only sucked in Windows XP, it's quite decent in Vista/7. Not to say that there aren't any better ones, but it's not useless.


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## Guild McCommunist (Jan 14, 2010)

XWolf said:
			
		

> I wouldn't trust the Micro$oft option considering the awefull job they did of the Windows Firewall.



MSE is pretty good. It's very comparable to retail products. Of course, it only works on a Windows system (and it has to be authenticated too).

Otherwise, I used COMODO on my laptop and it was pretty decent. I found it better than Avast. Malwarebytes is a great free scanner (the full version has firewall and other stuff, the free version is only the scanner).

You can look here for free anti-virus stuff.


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## prowler (Jan 14, 2010)

I like Avast. No problems with it when I switched from AVG.
(Both are free editions. I don't trust Anti-Viruses when pirated)


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## cman1783 (Jan 14, 2010)

I used AVG, then Avira and now I use Microsoft Security Essentials.  I just worked on a computer that had "Live Antivirus blah blah" and McAfee AND Norton on it.  The Live AV was difinitely a fake since anytime I try to run task manager or anything else it would say it was infected and wanted to activate the AV.  MSE blew all the trojans away.


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## BlackDave (Jan 14, 2010)

Hey I have both Avira and Microsoft Essential running at the same time.... is it good/bad or should I get rid of one of them? If so, which one


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## XWolf (Jan 14, 2010)

cman1783 said:
			
		

> I used AVG, then Avira and now I use Microsoft Security Essentials.  I just worked on a computer that had "Live Antivirus blah blah" and McAfee AND Norton on it.  The Live AV was difinitely a fake since anytime I try to run task manager or anything else it would say it was infected and wanted to activate the AV.  MSE blew all the trojans away.


Live AV?  What's that?


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## cman1783 (Jan 14, 2010)

BlackDave said:
			
		

> Hey I have both Avira and Microsoft Essential running at the same time.... is it good/bad or should I get rid of one of them? If so, which one
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Live AV is a fake antivirus.  Sorry for multiple posts.

Ooops, its called Antivirus Live.  

http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-antivirus-live.html


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## chA1nBull3t (Jan 15, 2010)

I used to use Avast! but have recently switched over to http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/.

A lifehacker article recently convinced me to move over to MSE due to (claiming) it had a lower footprint than Avast!. It doesn't seem to hog as much as Avast (but only by like 1mb lol). Not much difference performance wise. However, the main thing that really got me to swap over was due to having a greater speed in scan ratings and higher detection (As of Dec. 09).

This was a while back though and Avast! may have caught up with their upcoming version update. Don't get me wrong or anything. I love Avast!. I still do. It's great and has saved my ass 10x over.

MSE is also quite wonderful. If anything, they seem to be at par with one another at the moment. I'm thinking about dual security my PC with both AV's. Even though it's not said to be good to have multiple AV's, MSE and Avast! are said to be compatible with one another.


Both have given me great results.


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## mrfatso (Jan 15, 2010)

use nod32 for anti virus,
zone alarm for firewall
Malware Bytes for anti-malware
spybot search and destroy for anti-spyware/adware

and that's about it.


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## playallday (Jan 15, 2010)

Go with Avira.  I tested it by putting it on a n00b's computer (she would click exit on everything if she thought it'd make it go away) and the thing hasn't had any virus issues.



			
				jceggbert5 said:
			
		

> AVG + SpyBot Search&Destroy + MalWare Bytes + Super Anti=Spyware = SLOW COMPUTER!


Fix'd.


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## Satangel (Jan 15, 2010)

playallday said:
			
		

> Go with Avira.  I tested it by putting it on a n00b's computer (she would click exit on everything if she thought it'd make it go away) and the thing hasn't had any virus issues.
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Fix'd even more.


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## EnnEss (Jan 15, 2010)

I agree with playallday, I used to have Avira and it was GREAT! Until I bought BitDefender. Avira's free. BitDefender isn't, but I say BitDefender's worth the spending.


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## megabug7 (Jan 15, 2010)

I wouldn't use Comodo antivirus -- too many false positives.

It wanted to remove Winrar because it said it was a trojan - yeah right.

I use their firewall though, and Avira Premium, Malwarebytes for monthly scans.

Combofix every six months.


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## Lodis (Jan 16, 2010)

I also recommend Avast Antivirus Home Edition. By the sounds of it some of you guys are relying too much on just one line of defense. I also recommend Appdefend, Regdefend, System Safety Monitor and a decent firewall.  The problem is that many of these programs require the user to have a slightly lower level of knowledge i.e you might get messages warning you about parent processes, dll hooks, low level keyboard access etc.

Some one mentioned how malware shuts down antivirus programs but if you also have a processguard type security installed it will prevent that from happening. A good behavior monitor will catch any missed viruses simply from the fact that every single virus will do something malicious. A generic monitor will catch an attempt from a foreign program trying to add itself to the startup registry or attempting to delete or modify a critical file etc.


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## zeromac (Jan 16, 2010)

Lodis said:
			
		

> I also recommend Avast Antivirus Home Edition. By the sounds of it some of you guys are relying too much on just one line of defense. I also recommend Appdefend, Regdefend, System Safety Monitor and a decent firewall.  The problem is that many of these programs require the user to have a slightly lower level of knowledge i.e you might get messages warning you about parent processes, dll hooks, low level keyboard access etc.
> 
> Some one mentioned how malware shuts down antivirus programs but if you also have a processguard type security installed it will prevent that from happening. A good behavior monitor will catch any missed viruses simply from the fact that every single virus will do something malicious. A generic monitor will catch an attempt from a foreign program trying to add itself to the startup registry or attempting to delete or modify a critical file etc.


Didn't really catch that? Your saying i need something that watches my computer 24/7 for anything that moves?


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## Hakoda (Jan 16, 2010)

You want it free, go with Avast! That AV is better than Norton by 10 fold. If you're willing to use a crack/buy an AV, I suggest BitDefender 2010 (what I have now; legally purchased) or you can obtain ESET NOD32. 

Hell here's a permanent solution. Buy a Mac. 

~ Jon


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## XWolf (Jan 16, 2010)

jonjon95 said:
			
		

> You want it free, go with Avast! That AV is better than Norton by 10 fold. If you're willing to use a crack/buy an AV, I suggest BitDefender 2010 (what I have now; legally purchased) or you can obtain ESET NOD32.
> 
> Hell here's a permanent solution. Buy a Mac.
> 
> ~ Jon


Cheaper alternative (free), ditch windows and go with Linux!
You can even use a LiveCD or USB stick to try out Linux without installing it.


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## Lodis (Jan 17, 2010)

zeromac said:
			
		

> Didn't really catch that? Your saying i need something that watches my computer 24/7 for anything that moves?




In other words, you should have a layered defense solution but it depends on your level of knowledge too.


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## playallday (Jan 18, 2010)

jonjon95 said:
			
		

> Hell here's a permanent solution. Buy a Mac.


My half a year old $700 PC still beats out a $2,900 Mac in both speed and price.  Try to think about that next time you yell 'get a mac'.

Hell here's a permanent solution.  Get Linux for free.


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## Guild McCommunist (Jan 18, 2010)

playallday said:
			
		

> jonjon95 said:
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Lol, was gonna say that. Linux is pretty virus-resistant, and you most Linux-compatible anti-virus programs are free or have free versions. Not to mention Linux is really damn cool.

But right now I'm using MSE, if that didn't come up before.


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## razorback78 (Jan 19, 2010)

jceggbert5 said:
			
		

> AVG + SpyBot Search&Destroy + MalWare Bytes + Super Anti=Spyware = WIN!


wow. we almost had the same setup of protection...except for the last one. i use windows defender instead.


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## chA1nBull3t (Jan 19, 2010)

Just a heads up, Avast! 5.0 official release just got released this week.

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Yay! I might have to give it a go Avast a go again. I wonder if they beat MSE in benchmarks.


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## The Catboy (Jan 19, 2010)

I use Avast! on my Windows computer
But my personal computer uses Linux Mint, so I don't really need antivirus


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## The Catboy (Jan 19, 2010)

playallday said:
			
		

> jonjon95 said:
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Yeah Macs are way too pricey, I would never be able to cough up the money for even a cheap one


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## Deleted_171835 (Jan 19, 2010)

BitDefender. Is. The. Best.

Nothing else needed.

Edit: Cracked version.


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## user0002 (Jan 20, 2010)

Avast Home Edition is probably the best. It's free, you get a license for a year and when it ends you just renew it. Simple.


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## dirty_harry (Jan 20, 2010)

go to filehippo.com. Click the security section and read about the programs. This site has a great collection of free software, and it is very _very_ frequently updated. I strongly recommend this place.


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## bazamuffin (Jan 20, 2010)

Avast! antivirus serves me well.  Home edition updates and has on access protection that is superb.  Has won many awards for best antivirus.


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## raulpica (Jan 20, 2010)

I'm currently working as a PC Technician, so I know quite a bit on PCs, n00bs users and viruses. 
I can say that the PCs which come with avast! on board are the most virus ridden. 
After that, NOD32, Kaspersky and the others come as close seconds. 
AVG is pretty crappy, but it does its work, sometimes.

The best is without doubt Avira AntiVir.


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## mew512 (Jan 20, 2010)

i found an AVG crack for a friend its pretty good it detects everything (the keygen makes keys for every AVG product)


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## saxamo (Jan 20, 2010)

The best thing you can do for protection is NOT TO USE AN ADMINISTRATOR account on XP. Use a regular user account and when you need to install something, just switch over.


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## B-Blue (Jan 20, 2010)

I've been using Avast! (free version) for almost a year. It is pretty good acutally and much better that most non-free ani-virus softwares (nod32, kaspersky, etc...).

But a couple of months ago I heard and read good reviews about MSE, and I thought why not give it a try. ....I FELL IN LOVE! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





.
Installation was a breeze and it didn't take more than 2 minutes (the setup will check if you have a genuine version). After that, the program asked for an update (nothing new here) so I updated and everything. After than I did a quick scan and was really impressed! it was fast compared to Avast! and even found some stuff that Avast! didn't found before! And it really "quite" compared to Avast!, no pop up messages every time "the virus database has been updated" or anything.

It's really a nice piece of software and I don't think I'm gonna switch back to Avast! any time soon. I recommend you give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it too 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


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## ddetkowski (Jan 20, 2010)

I tried all of the free, never had good results (someone hacking my firewall) problems....
Since I've installed Norton 360, no firewall attacks, nothing.....
It's not free, 65 bucks a year, but its the best out there...........


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## Satangel (Jan 20, 2010)

I really can't see why AVG Free isn't enough. It has done the job for me for years, it works like a charm.
No complaints at all, super fast scanning and doesn't hog my system at all.


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## zeromac (Jan 21, 2010)

chA1nBull3t said:
			
		

> Just a heads up, Avast! 5.0 official release just got released this week.
> 
> http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
> 
> Yay! I might have to give it a go Avast a go again. I wonder if they beat MSE in benchmarks.


Thanks! i Just updated my Avast 4.8 to 5.0 and the interface is SOOOO much cooler and easier to use because i thought the 4.8 interface was retarded. and everything is in one menu and stuff is easier to see 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Thanks


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## DeMoN (Jan 21, 2010)

raulpica said:
			
		

> I'm currently working as a PC Technician, so I know quite a bit on PCs, n00bs users and viruses.
> I can say that the PCs which come with avast! on board are the most virus ridden.
> After that, NOD32, Kaspersky and the others come as close seconds.
> AVG is pretty crappy, but it does its work, sometimes.
> ...


What?  Are you saying that Nod32 and Kaspersky are the second-worst Antiviruses?  Because, usually people recommend them as the best. 
Avast does suck, I can attest to that.  

Avira might be the best at detection, but it's countless pop-up advertisements and false postivies will annoy the crap out of you.


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## Feels Good Man (Jan 21, 2010)

Do you have to uninstall Avast 4.8 to upgrade to 5.0 or is there some other way to update it?

EDIT: Nevermind, I just installed it and it seemed to uninstall the previous version. This seems a lot... slower. Well, the interface


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## zeromac (Jan 21, 2010)

Feels Good Man said:
			
		

> Do you have to uninstall Avast 4.8 to upgrade to 5.0 or is there some other way to update it?
> 
> EDIT: Nevermind, I just installed it and it seemed to uninstall the previous version. This seems a lot... slower. Well, the interface


I reackon the new interface is FUCKING AWESOME 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 the old one was retarded, it looked like a mp3 player and the alternative scan had crappy icons. 5.0 interface is sooo much better interms of simplicity.
My only gripe that i don't really care about now is that when i installed 5.0 and restarted my comp, i couldnt scan my comp cos the icons didn't show up 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I just restarted my comp again and everything worked.. mustve been a minor bug


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## Dark Blade (Jan 21, 2010)

Try Avira AntiVir. It's pretty good.


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## misteromar (Jan 21, 2010)

MSE


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## Hakoda (Jan 21, 2010)

zeromac said:
			
		

> Feels Good Man said:
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I used to have Avast! on past machines but now I have Bitdefender 2010. I must the say the new GUI _actually_ looks like an AV. Its true; the old one looked like an MP3 player.... 

5.0 looks good.... 

~ Jon


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## Feels Good Man (Jan 21, 2010)

lol whoops. What I meant by slower was that it seemed to drag my start up speed for some reason. I dont know what's up


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## JakePsycho (Jan 22, 2010)

Nod 32. Best for gaming, or for people who need their sucky amount of ram.

*snipped*


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## R4Liam (Jul 25, 2011)

Avast isn't even free, it says it only has 4 days left and to extend it i need to pay. Is there an actually free anti virus?


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## Youkai (Jul 25, 2011)

Avast is free oO
I preffer it most, but you need to register for free to get a one year or 6 month (not sure) key.

Avira Antivir "sucks" because it just deletes everything and you cannot even "ignore" a finding when you know its not a virus -.-V


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## digdug3 (Jul 25, 2011)

Panda Cloud Antivirus is free...

http://www.cloudantivirus.com


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## dicamarques (Jul 25, 2011)

R4Liam said:
			
		

> Avast isn't even free, it says it only has 4 days left and to extend it i need to pay. Is there an actually free anti virus?


AVAST is free, you just need to type a random e-mail and name to register, not for paying, unless you got the paid version.


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## kylster (Jul 25, 2011)

+1 Avast! it's free, any suspected malware can be run under a sandbox enviroment (though under Avast! descrestion) but that's not the best part.... '
wait for it.... 

wait for it.......


wait for it...........




The best part is it'll talk to you!


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## R4Liam (Jul 25, 2011)

oh so to get it free i must register first? oh cause i didnt register and i got the trial one or something


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## dicamarques (Jul 25, 2011)

ya probably.


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## raulpica (Jul 25, 2011)

Youkai said:
			
		

> Avira Antivir "sucks" because it just deletes everything and you cannot even "ignore" a finding when you know its not a virus -.-V
> Well duh, it doesn't anything like that here, and I can choose to ignore whatever I want
> 
> 
> ...


BTW, nice bump dude! (look at the previous post date, it was FREAKING 2010.)


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