AVG or Avast? Recommendations for free utility software for Vista

My new Vostro in the signature will be delivered soon and I will have to figure out what software to install for all the security functions like antivirus, firewall and the like. Here's my tentative list below:

Antivirus: AVG or Avast?
Firewall: Zonealarm or Comodo (latter has good press, never used it though)
Spyware: Spybot 1.4
Office software: OpenOffice
Music: Winamp
Download manager: Flashget
P2P: Azureus

Recommendations and suggestions on the antivirus software in particular would be appreciated. Comments on the other choices are welcome.

 

AVG managed to pick up things that nod32 or avast didnt. zone alarm isnt really that necessary. i use free avg spyware detector. openoffice is nto bad and i just use firefox as my download manager. bitlord is what i use for p2p but i think they only have a beta version that suypports vista.

 

When I last used AVG they had the annoying 30-day trial feature which meant a frequent uninstall and reinstall of the free version to reenable virus definition updates. Is this still a problem?

 

Harley, you list needs to look more like:

Antivirus: AVG, Avast, Antivir
Firewall: Comodo pro 3.0 (When it comes out later this month)
Spyware: Spybot, a-squared free,
Office software: OpenOffice
Music: VLC, and Foobar
P2P: utorrent
Other: Ad-aware 2007, auslogics disk defrag, ccleaner, firefox

 

Do you have to pay for Comodo pro? If it is a pay program then I'll pass for something else. I'll be getting the relevant codec packs for my new system so I'll pass on VLC and Foobar. I would actually recommend you switch your P2P program since I've used mine for some time and have grown used to its performance. Used ad-aware years ago and didn't like the long scan times so I switched to Spybot. I'll probably take the defrag and ccleaner suggestions since notebook video drivers are not idiot-proof installations.

I'm using firefox right now so didn't think it was worth mentioning.

 

Niether, go with AntiVir
Comodo
I'd get Ad-Aware it picked up a lot more along with HiJack This(to remove spam)
Yep, OpenOffice is a great alternative
Or iTunes I prefer it over WinAmp
Don't use them

 

No comodo pro is free. It's the best firewall out there. Also, unlike what Thomas said i recommend you get all three that i listed because that will give you enhanced protection if your a paranoid p2p user like me. But check out uttorent, it's small, fast, and gets the job done well. Just try it.

 

I would have to agree with the others except for the antispyware-I used to use Ad-Aware but switched to Spyware Doctor 5.0 (Google Pack edition), after PC World's latest testing. Link to test results: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136205/article.html

 

AVG and Avast are both good in terms of freebie antivirus programs. But avast has more running processes than AVG.

Regarding spyware protection, the built in windows defender should provide ample real time protection. You can use Spybot S&D and/ Ad-Aware 2007 as secondary scanners.

For firewall, the built in 2-way windows firewall is enough for most users. The use of any other additional firewall is an unnecessary resource hog.

Last and not the least you can make a final comprehensive scan using the windows one care free safety scanner.

 

avira is better than avg or avast imo.

 

That's why you turn the windows ones off and use the better free version. It scans incoming, and outgoing connections which makes it, make you safer because windows does a poor job of monitoring outgoing. Plus he's using p2p so he needs all the extra protection he can get.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. booboo12 the link to pcworld was helpful since I was looking for a comparison of decent free security software. I think I have a rough idea of what to get but I will have to wait until my new laptop actually arrives before I can do anything.

 

I have to correct my words "The use of any other firewall other than windows firewall". How do you know that windows firewall is poor in monitoring outgoing connections?

 

Hours of googling, searching tech sites, real world tests. i myself haven't done any but when i was using Zone alarm back on my XP install it was catching things left and right trying to come in and leave my computer.

 

It's all about the open ports in your computer. Many things will come and knock the backdoor.

 

Avast! uses more processes because it is constantly scanning which is a good thing that AVG doesn't have.
AntiVir is best.
Windows Defender reported that my grandparents computer had no problems but, in Ad-Aware it showed 400 I say a third party spyware utility is needed.

 

AVG also has real time scanning. Most of the results that AdAware shows after a scan are cookies and they are not real spyware. They do not harm your computer. Don't get mystified by only the number. AdAware free version does not have real time protection, that means you are more vulnerable to online threats.

 

I tried both avast! and AVG and went with avast! because it annoyed me less.

My current PC security configuration is described, aptly enough, on a page called PC Security on my web site.

 

take a good hard look a look n stop for a great vista firewall that is super light i love lns

 

I did not think look n stop was free.

 

Avast and Comodo are two good free programs, along with Threatfire.

 

f-secure is a good suite and you can get a 3pc lic for a year for 39$ if you wanted something a bit better ..

 

if you download the trial and it expires it still works you just cant update it.. at least it did when i last used it a few months back. i have been beta tesing eset ess suite so i uninstalled it. i will be reinstalling it here very soon though i def miss the control i have with it compared to the ess suite.

 

The built-in Windows Firewall is incoming only in XP, and although it has the capability to be configured for outgoing in Vista, it is a very convoluted process with no prompting nor automation.

 

Not unless you open the ports.

In vista, the default firewall makes it look like all my ports are closed so no one even knows if there is a computer at my i.p but the only fault with it is because it responds to pings so they can just find out easily.

That's why i recommend third party apps that are awesome like comodo, and what John said is true.

 

I suggest that you run the assortment of ShieldsUp tests to determine the state of your security and firewall in particular.