Recommend a Free Anti-virus Please.

[Sam25]

Hello

This is actually for my friend's PC. He has an old P4 system and has Windows XP (SP3) installed on it. He wants to install a free anti-virus and wanted to know which one works well? I used Avast or I think Avira free versions once and it worked pretty good but that was long time ago. Which one should I recommend him?

Please advice.

Regards,
Sam25

 

[pcgeek11]

Microsoft Security Essentials V2.0

 

[masteryoda34]

Microsoft Security Essentials V2.0

This.

 

[Sam25]

Thanks for the replies

So the free versions of Avast and Avira are not used much these days?

 

[pcgeek11]

Thanks for the replies

So the free versions of Avast and Avira are not used much these days?

They may be but they suck compared to MSE 2.0 IMO.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Another vote for MSE

 

[Lemon law]

One vote against MSE even if it is a viable alternative. As I look at the various aspects of
anti virus comparatives, MSE falls short in quite a few areas. And IMHO, both the freeware versions Avast and Avira are better. If anything, Avira has slightly better definition ratings, but lately I have switched to Avast because auto updates no longer seem to work even semi-reliably in Avira.

There is another reason I am dubious about MSE. Never become too predictable. The malware writer is sure to have a test bed system running MSE, and said person will just keep refining their wares, until it gets through MSE. And then if you are running MSE, you are doomed when its released into the wild.

 

[pcslookout]

One vote against MSE even if it is a viable alternative. As I look at the various aspects of
anti virus comparatives, MSE falls short in quite a few areas. And IMHO, both the freeware versions Avast and Avira are better. If anything, Avira has slightly better definition ratings, but lately I have switched to Avast because auto updates no longer seem to work even semi-reliably in Avira.

There is another reason I am dubious about MSE. Never become too predictable. The malware writer is sure to have a test bed system running MSE, and said person will just keep refining their wares, until it gets through MSE. And then if you are running MSE, you are doomed when its released into the wild.

This. Plus MSE still has the slowdown issue if you have any folders with a lot of program .exe files. It is horribly slow. I thought my drive was dying.

You can't go wrong with Avira or Avast. Though like everyone says yes Avira update servers are slow for the free version but hey it is free. I won't complain.

 

[Kabob]

Another vote for Avira. I've not had an issue with slow/unreliable updates and it uses very few resources whilst scanning.

 

[Mem]

Avast 6 gets my vote,you really can't complain for a good free AV.

 

[FoxFifth]

Another vote for MSE

 

[Lemon law]

Of course that is the other thing, payware or a freeware security system, its all at the users risk, we all pay or don't pay our money and take our chances.

No matter what computer security system we use, some people will later say it worked for me, and others will find out they got hacked.

All I can do is tell you what security system I risk my computer and my wife's computer on, and let the reader bet their computer on the AV of their choice.

 

[Unheard]

AntiVirusXP 2009. A lot of sites will give it to you free just for visiting.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Microsoft Security Essentials V2.0

This, along with a router's firewall, Windows Firewall, common sense, up-to-date applications / operating system and a limited user account with a passworded admin account that is rarely used and never used to browse the web with.

 

[Thump553]

Remember too that your ISP probably provides free AV. Comcast gives away Norton, ATT McAfee. Just tossing out this for additional choices.

 

[fredbeard1301]

Another vote for Avast. MSSE may be good as an antivirus but all around protection I would use Avast before MS any day. Avast catches malware a lot better than MS

 

[pcgeek11]

I have switched to Avast because auto updates no longer seem to work even semi-reliably in Avira.

Then why would you rate Avira over MSE?

There is another reason I am dubious about MSE. Never become too predictable. The malware writer is sure to have a test bed system running MSE, and said person will just keep refining their wares, until it gets through MSE. And then if you are running MSE, you are doomed when its released into the wild.

The same is true of Avira and Avast... ?

 

[Wyndru]

AntiVirusXP 2009. A lot of sites will give it to you free just for visiting.

 

[sao123]

I dont trust any antivirus which is free. IMO norton is still the best... and is not nearly the resource hog it was several years back.

 

[Lemon law]

Then why would you rate Avira over MSE?--------I simply stated I felt Avira virus definition were slightly better in Avira compared to Avast. Given the fact that quality of virus definitions is just one part of what an AV has to do, just explains why I now choose to use Avast instead of Avira. But in terms of virus definitions, last time I checked, MSE is decidedly inferior to Avast and Avira on that and other AV rating criteria.



The same is true of Avira and Avast... ?

----------------Since MSE bills itself as more of a security suite than a mere AV. The point being, my computer security system is far more than just Avast, and anything that gets past Avast may be stopped by other elements of my security system or get stopped even before Avast has a chance to intercept it. But many that run MSE have nothing else in front or in back of MSE. A observation somewhat already made by Schadenfroh. So maybe I should add don't put all your eggs in one basket to never be predictable.

 

[sourceninja]

anyone ever review http://www.clamav.net/lang/en/about/win32/ ?

We used to run clam on all of our mail servers before we switched to google mail. I was just wondering how their windows products stacked up.

 

[Lemon law]

I dont trust any antivirus which is free. IMO norton is still the best... and is not nearly the resource hog it was several years back.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you read various AV comparatives, and various other anti-malware comparatives, the only valid conclusion is that price or lack of price seems to be a very bad predictor of performance, especially in the case of middle of the road performers. Where many freeware products clearly out preform their payware contemporaries.

In the case of the tip tip performers, payware sometimes dominates by a very small margin, but last time I checked, Norton was not a top AV. And in any case, I will never again use a symantec product, their customer relations arrogance stinks.

 

[jadinolf]

Avast 6 gets my vote,you really can't complain for a good free AV.

+1

 

[jadinolf]

Thanks for the replies

So the free versions of Avast and Avira are not used much these days?

Yep, nobody uses avast! any more.


OK, I'm kidding.

 

[Binky]

Avast, avira, and MSE are all good. Use what works for you.

In my experience, Avira catches more stuff, but it is more annoying. Avast is in the middle. MSE is the least annoying and maybe it catches less stuff. I've never had many problems with any of them, but...I'm not a moron who clicks random email links. Personally, I use MSE now but I have no problem recommending any of them as long as the user keeps the virus definitions UP TO DATE.

Nothing can save you if you click things that you shouldn't click.