Free anti virus

[J.R.]

Can anyone tell me of any good free anti virus progs ours is about to run out and up for re-newal at a loads of money price I am sure there was a thread on here somewhere but I can't find it .

Mr JR gone out he waited till he new I was busy cunning plan of his so he won't have to buy me a drink thats what he thinks LOL. so I have highjacked this site

Mrs JR

[Great Plum]

Mrs JR on this site as well! Uh-ho!

[Mrs C.]

I`ve always used AVG free, plus Spybot and AdAware - both free too. And Zone alarm - again, free.

[sejintenej]

I`ve always used AVG free, plus Spybot and AdAware - both free too. And Zone alarm - again, free.

I was going to specify the same ones except that AVG is sometimes known as AVAST.

You can google for all of them, download and installation is pretty straightforward - almost automatic.
In the case of AVAST you get a 30 day evaluation copy; go back into the site and you will see the option to register for home use free of charge. You will be emailed a number with instyructions how to enter it in the program.

You will have to re-register every year which is no great problem.


Please mnote that you will have to run Spybot and AdAware manually - simply click on ther icon and follow the instructions. In both cases it willl ask if you want to check / download any updates - advised!

HTH

David

[Vonny]

he waited till he new I was busy cunning plan of his so he won't have to buy me a drink

That sounds so unlike him

I use the same as Mrs C - know nothing about what they do but that's what I've got on my laptop

[Mrs C.]

..and I only have them because they were recommended to me by my silver-surfer father - i just have to remember to start them up every few days!
AVG has mail scanner working all the time, which is good, given all the rubbish that comes in via email.

[matthew]

AVG and AVAST are separate programs, though they both have free versions for home use.

I've installed AVG for a few Windows-using friends and family members, and it seems to serve them well. I haven't needed it myself in a while.

Unlike some commercial programs (you know who you are), it doesn't slow your machine down too much.

[Euterpe13]

I use Clamwin, which seems to use very little machine resources, automatically updates every day, and has so far kept me virus-free.

You can google for it, or download from Cnet or Softonic

I run Adaware once a week.
B.

[J.R.]

Thanks for the replies folks !

She did get her drink, and I'll leave her to sort out the anti-virus !

[shoz]

I use AVG and, touch wood, haven't had any viruses or spyware since I installed it.
What I can't understand is - the Windows operating system is prone to all sorts of threats but if you use an AppleMac they cannot get any viruses. Surely Bill Gates and his huge empire have the resourses to make Windows totally virus free if they wanted. Or is it because someone somewhere is making lots of money selling anti virus software?

[jtaylor]

I use AVG, having migrated from Norton a while back.

I can't hate Norton enough - almost virus-like in its implementation, it's almost impossible to remove and hugely eats up resources.
I tried McAfee for a while, and was impressed, but as AVG is free I've used that and found it fine in both XP and Vista.

J

[sejintenej]

I use AVG and, touch wood, haven't had any viruses or spyware since I installed it.
What I can't understand is - the Windows operating system is prone to all sorts of threats but if you use an AppleMac they cannot get any viruses. Surely Bill Gates and his huge empire have the resourses to make Windows totally virus free if they wanted. Or is it because someone somewhere is making lots of money selling anti virus software?

I understand that the latest updates of XP have had a significant effect - at long last. As I think you allude to, just about every virus writer is after Microcra* possibly because it's use is so widespread. That is why I and at least some others use Mozilla clones - it simply isn't worth the virus writers targetting us.
I don't think that Gates is in league with Norton, McAfee etc. and his own updates are free. The way Gates spends money outside IT one wonders if he bothers to count it - talk about pouring it out ........