Antivirus software recommend

looking for a good software that is free, but has updates, avg is one i am looking at, what about others.........

 

Wrong thread but Avira is the best free antivius.

 

I 2nd that one! Avira = FTW, it's really that simple! :yes:


Cin

 

i love using avg ive never had problems. Spybot S&D is a great spyware/malware remover as well.

 

For all your Anti-Virus needs:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=190538

 

Yip, I have to agree. Avira free is great.

Sometimes, you have to think for it though. It chooses system stability over just plain "delete this file etc.".

From my experience, if Avira free finds anything it does not like, simply delete the thing.

At least then, it gets rid of the problem permanently.

Cheers

 

The only problem with Avira free is that it pops multiple windows for just one virus threat.

 

I also use and recommend Avira Antivir. There is a way to block the daily pop-up ad, since it gets annoying.

 

Had avira but didnt like it and now i am happy with avg

 

Good for you. Let's hope AVG keeps you happy in the long term

Cheers

 

for the sake of your c:\Windows\System32 i hope it does keep you safe good luck

 

I <3 McAfee

 

Avast has not given me any problems under Win XP 32 or Vista 64

 

why do you guys still use avira free when you can use the premium version for free? Free 3 Month Avira Premium License or Free 6 Month Avira Premium License

at the least it pays to have the password protection that only comes with the premium version. there's a lot of viruses that know how to turn off avira guard before running.

 

Nice post with links (although German in the second link is required)

+1

Cheers

 

You can just fill the second one out by referencing to the first link if you can't read German, which I can't, but still got the free 6 months

 

Long time satisfied user of Avast, plus SpywareBlaster - XP, Vista and W7.

cheers ...

 

My rule of thumb:

Free =/= Good

 

Strange, I used the link provided for 6 months free use of Avira Premium, but after installing the software and the key I only got one month.

 

I tried Avira (free) yesterday and looks pretty good. The UI is ok (I still think NIS2009 has the best UI) and it seems very light on resources.

One thing left me scratching my head was I found out I can manipulate all the settings and even disable the whole thing from a Standard User account in Vista.

This is the first AV software that I've tried (free or paid) that allows that. Most require admin privileges but Avira does not. What gives?

 

Avira is very weak in protecting itself from malware.

 

I use Norton Antivirus 2009 and it's good so far.

 

Well that's a pretty big oversight on Avira's part. You can have the best detection engine and definition updates but if your software can easily be disabled or modified like this it just defeats the whole purpose.

 

Not sure what makes you think it's weak or why you think it's easily disabled... it cannot be disabled and settings cannot be changed without entering the password, which is encrypted...

yes, there are viruses that know how to turn it off, but that's exactly why avira has implemented security features to prevent that

I wouldn't take something as fact simply because you heard it from one person on forums, especially if that person simply didn't take the time to configure the av software correctly to protect it from disabling...

 

What password? I haven't been asked once. Even a standard user can disable Antivir guard. Your statement is totally misleading. If you can change the restiction for "avnotify.exe", then anything can be done.

 

read back to my first post in this thread.... I think it will clear some stuff up for you.

 

The whole talking was about Avira free.

 

Exactly. I think Jakamo5 is referencing a feature in the Premium version. I was originally talking about the free version which so many people are using.

 

no, YOUR whole talking was about avira free. that doesn't mean everyone was talking about free. for one, I wasn't. so don't assume that just because you're talking about one thing that the whole thread is.

But I apologize for assuming as well... that you actually read the thread you're posting in... otherwise you would have seen what I was referring to.

anyway, avira premium IS free, even if not the free version. there's no point in not having it if you're using avira (refer to my post). hopefully the premium version helps you and you won't have to worry about the av being disabled.

 

Good Question, now I'm curious about that as well?

As far as UI goes (and the only good thing NIS has going for it at this point in time IMO ) NIS 09 is tops, very nice.

 

I know there are ways to get serials for the Premium as you've already mentioned, hell I can get you serials for any AV Suite even hacks to get lifetime updates but that's not the point here. I'm just shocked that Avira free which is one of the most downloaded and used AV software out there and one that's so highly recommended has such a big gaping hole in it that even other free AV software don't have. That's all.

 

it's what we're talking about right now. the premium version of avira (which is free for 6 + 3 months) password protects whatever you tell it to (menu, disabling/enabling, etc).

It's most downloaded and used because of its detection rate and some other things, but I think that you're overestimating how likely it is that you get a virus that actually can and will disable it. yes, there are a bunch out there that can, but given the sheer number of viruses and how uncommon those are, it is really unlikely that you get one that will disable avira. the password protection will be more useful for preventing other users from disabling avira than from preventing viruses from disabling it, simply because it's so unlikely. you describe it as such a "gaping hole", but you don't really see people complaining "my av was disabled " all that often, do you?

if you're that distraught over something you got for free, just get another free av instead... or like I said, get the premium version for free. not sure why you guys are still complaining when I've given you the solution...

and p.s., there's a big difference between what I gave you (legal) and your getting lifetime updates for free (illegal). anyone can do that, it's easy, all you have to do is know where to look, doesn't make you cool, doesn't make you a hacker. I'm offering you a morally legitimate and risk-free legal solution.

 

Just because you haven't seen many posts on sites you frequent about this issue doesn't mean it doesn't exist or far fetched. Malware has increasingly been targeting the shutting down of AV software before running code to the point that every AV company has some sort of tamper-protection built in to even their free offerings, apart from Avira that is.

I'm not distraught (I think you're missing the point yet again) that I should get more out of my free AV software, it's just that it's a problem and everyone is addressing it and I was just surprised that the highly acclaimed Avira hasn't.

 

I can just as easily say that just because you've seen complains of av's getting shut down doesn't mean you have a good representation of the issue with regard to the entire av industry. Suddenly you say that every free AV has solved the "issue" (which again you seem to blow greatly out of proportion), but I think it's safe to assume that you haven't tried even half of the available free av's out there, have you? Guestimates aren't necessarily true, by definition. But, everyone who's anyone is addressing it!! Right?

I gave you the solution. Stop whining, let it go.

 

Hey Jakamo5, sorry to have offended you or Avira as I seem to have done just that.

Funnily enough I tested 12 (yes, twelve) AV software in the last two weeks for colleagues and our company. Some were paid but a lot were free versions too and yes all of them but Avira-free had some sort of tamper-protection. According to many security bulletins we're getting, tamper-protection is important and will only become more important as we move forward which again is why most AV software are incorporating it.

And just an FYI, just because there is a questionable way to get a serial number that'll allow you to use the Premium Avira for three months does not make Avira premium "free" as you say.

Anyhow, you're right, enough about this. Cheers.

 

It's 9 months... and yes, it is by definition free, given that you don't have to pay for it, that's what free means. Calling it questionable doesn't change that fact. And an FYI for you, theres a lot more than 12 av software products out there, so even if you are telling the truth, it doesn't make you right when you say "every" free av software has filled in this "gaping" hole. Anyway, the problem is solved. Good luck in the future.

 

Jakamo5, I would wait for Avira 9, which is coming in a week or two. The keys whick you had referred will be old versions soon.

 

nah, avira said if you have an active license with avira 8 premium or professional then you will get avira 9 premium or professional free, and will be able to use it for the remainder of your license.