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lilboo

lilboo

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Right now I'm using AVG Virus Scanner, Spybot for Adware & that other crap, and Zone Alarm for my firewall.

The only problem I have is that in June AVG will go to version 8.0 and it looks like the free version will no longer exist :(
So I'm just looking for recommendations on a good, easy to use, free virus scanner.

The other 2, ZoneAlarm & Spybot, are working well for me but I'd figure I would ask to see if there are BETTER options out there ^_^

Thanks in advance :)
 
Unfortunately most of the free solutions went to crap. AVG, Spy-Bot, and Adaware used to be awesome but now they are second rate...at best...

You could try Avast! and Avira. I believe both are free, I haven't used either though.

You can also check out the Windows Online Virus Scanner. It doesn't seem too be too hot at removing stuff when I used it but it did a great job of detecting stuff.
 
I'll check Avast! out later tonight (work soon).
What do you consider 'going to crap'? I'm just curious by what you mean.

My AVG 7.5 (the free one) seems to work great and I've had it for at least a year (or close to a year) and it's been a great time. I was actually almost considering buying the 8.0 version once this full expires on me..but I figured I'd ask around to see if there are better options for no monies ^_^
 
[quote name='lilboo']I'll check Avast! out later tonight (work soon).
What do you consider 'going to crap'? I'm just curious by what you mean.

My AVG 7.5 (the free one) seems to work great and I've had it for at least a year (or close to a year) and it's been a great time. I was actually almost considering buying the 8.0 version once this full expires on me..but I figured I'd ask around to see if there are better options for no monies ^_^[/QUOTE]

They just aren't very good anymore. Their detection and cleaning rates aren't as good as most of the other Virus/Malware scanners. There was a test done by PC World around a year ago and AVG finished at the Bottom. Same with Spybot and Adaware. In my personal experience all three failed pretty miserably with a recent infection I had to clean up on a friend's PC. He was infected with a variation of Vundo and neither, Spy-Bot, Adaware, AVG, or the specialized Vundo cleaners detected and removed all of it. Spyware Doctor detected and removed about 90% of it and the rest I had to remove manually using the locations that the Windows Online Scanner gave me.

Don't forget about Avira, I've heard very good things about that one.
 
If you're looking for Anti-Spyware alternatives, try aSquared and SuperAntiSpyware. They're both free. Personally I use CounterSpy which only cost me $20 for a full year's subscription. They let you download and use a full featured trial if you're interested in paying for something like that.

But yes, as mentioned earlier good judgment is the best prevention, still some extra insurance never hurts either. :)

EDIT: I need to proof read more often
 
AVG is now made of fail. Get Avast!; you'll never look back. It has better detection rates, is more lightweight, imo has a better interface, and uses less resources.

Of course, in my experience, I never use antivirus tools for virus removal; just detection. If I were ever to be infected (which, because I use good tools and have the necessary common sense, hasn't ever happened), I'd probably just reformat (which is a routine exercise for me anyway).

And there is nothing better than Spybot, bar none. You've already got the best, in that sector.
 
[quote name='jimbodan']They just aren't very good anymore. Their detection and cleaning rates aren't as good as most of the other Virus/Malware scanners. There was a test done by PC World around a year ago and AVG finished at the Bottom. Same with Spybot and Adaware. In my personal experience all three failed pretty miserably with a recent infection I had to clean up on a friend's PC. He was infected with a variation of Vundo and neither, Spy-Bot, Adaware, AVG, or the specialized Vundo cleaners detected and removed all of it. Spyware Doctor detected and removed about 90% of it and the rest I had to remove manually using the locations that the Windows Online Scanner gave me.

Don't forget about Avira, I've heard very good things about that one.[/QUOTE]

Well I just googled both..and I'm probably not going to download both :lol:
I'll probably just try the better one after some more research.

Ideally, I would love to find an all in 1 program that's free or CHEAP AAAAND is awesome that: Detects/Removes Virus', a good USER FRIENDLY firewall, and has an awesome adware/spyware remover.
^ Anyone have anything on that? For an all in 1, I do not mind paying..just really want to pay alot :(

[quote name='CoffeeEdge']AVG is now made of fail. Get Avast!; you'll never look back. It has better detection rates, is more lightweight, imo has a better interface, and uses less resources.

Of course, in my experience, I never use antivirus tools for virus removal; just detection. If I were ever to be infected (which, because I use good tools and have the necessary common sense, hasn't ever happened), I'd probably just reformat (which is a routine exercise for me anyway).

And there is nothing better than Spybot, bar none. You've already got the best, in that sector.[/QUOTE]

I've alwas heard great things aboyt SpyBot, but now people are saying no :(

No one has said anything about me using ZoneAlarm so I'm guessing it's pretty well liked? :)
 
[quote name='Kayden']You can't get better defense than intelligence.[/QUOTE]

So true.

I would also just uninstall Spybot. It hasnt been a valid spyware scan in years. I just use AVG and the intelligence to some degree and havent had a problem.
 
[quote name='lilboo']Well I just googled both..and I'm probably not going to download both :lol:
I'll probably just try the better one after some more research.

Ideally, I would love to find an all in 1 program that's free or CHEAP AAAAND is awesome that: Detects/Removes Virus', a good USER FRIENDLY firewall, and has an awesome adware/spyware remover.
^ Anyone have anything on that? For an all in 1, I do not mind paying..just really want to pay alot :(



I've alwas heard great things aboyt SpyBot, but now people are saying no :(

No one has said anything about me using ZoneAlarm so I'm guessing it's pretty well liked? :)[/QUOTE]

Can't help you much on all in 1 programs as I don't really like them. I just don't need an intrusive firewall, but that's just me, obviously they do increase your level of protection though. Also I feel there is usually a better stand alone solution for each need then an all in 1.
 
[quote name='jimbodan']Unfortunately most of the free solutions went to crap. AVG, Spy-Bot, and Adaware used to be awesome but now they are second rate...at best...

You could try Avast! and Avira. I believe both are free, I haven't used either though.

You can also check out the Windows Online Virus Scanner. It doesn't seem too be too hot at removing stuff when I used it but it did a great job of detecting stuff.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I agree. AVG is getting slower and slower... SpyBot is just crap, it keeps pestering me about something or another all the time. I stopped using Adaware long ago.
 
Hmm. That's neat. Everytime I was prompted for an update on AVG it kept saying "LOL!!! Sorry, but it will NO LONGER BE FREE AFTR MAY!!"..this is why I got confused :whistle2:s

I went ahead and downloaded Avira (seemed to be the better out of that and Avast!). So far so good. I'll give this about a week to try it out. If not, I'll re-download AVG in it's 8.0 glory.
Thanks for the help today guys.

Oh, so if Spybot is pretty crappy.. what's a better option then? :whistle2:k
 
Avast is a bit annoying when it updates...*rings..."Virus database has been updated" I wish there was a way to turn it off. Other than that, its pretty good. Haven't had any virus trouble with it so far.

Comodo firewall can be a bit annoying also. Just about every action (downloading, installing, etc...), the thing pops up asking for permission to do whatever.
 
Comodo is horrible. It reminds of an annoying kid that won't leave you alone. I'm still using AVG. I better upgrade it soon.
 
[quote name='lilboo']
Oh, so if Spybot is pretty crappy.. what's a better option then? :whistle2:k[/QUOTE]

Did you check out the links I provided in my earlier post? I listed a couple of free ones and one paid solution. ;)

[quote name='ZerotypeX']Avast is a bit annoying when it updates...*rings..."Virus database has been updated" I wish there was a way to turn it off. [/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure there is an option to turn that off. I only use Avast on the Windows partition that's on my Intel Mac, and since I don't boot into it very often, I can't remember exactly where it's located. But I definitely remember turning that off after it started grating on my nerves.
 
Read through this topic and found a lot of the information usefull. Decided to give Avira a try to maybe replace AVG.

For those who mentioned Adaware and spybot being crap , are there any decent alternatives to either , or should I just remove both and go without?

For firewalls , I noticed Comodo was suggested , would that be preferable to zonealarm or should I just keep that?

Lastly , Spyware Blaster and CCleaner , keep them or remove them?
 
you can set avast to be completely non-invasive- no announcements of updates or appearing in taskbar- i have it set on my parent's laptop so they don't get frustrated
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']no u[/quote]Hehe.

OK, now for my non smart-ass reply.

I just use Avast!, Spybot and Spyware Blaster. Honestly, I would probably still be using AVG rather than Avast! if that program wasn't giving me problems with Source games.
 
ive used Kapersky and havent gotten raped since. though its not free

AVG sucks, avast is cool, bitdefender is blah, panda is ew, spybot +1, eveything is ether crap or i havent tried it yet
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']Read through this topic and found a lot of the information usefull. Decided to give Avira a try to maybe replace AVG.

For those who mentioned Adaware and spybot being crap , are there any decent alternatives to either , or should I just remove both and go without?
[/quote]

Here's a repost of my earlier message in this thread addressing this question:
If you're looking for Anti-Spyware alternatives, try aSquared and SuperAntiSpyware. They're both free. Personally I use CounterSpy which only cost me $20 for a full year's subscription. They let you download and use a full featured trial if you're interested in paying for something like that.

I'll add that I've used the free version of both of those programs I listed on my work PC, and had good results. Based on my research, they're a couple of the better free anti-spyware programs available especially better than Spybot and Ad-Aware

[quote name='StarKnightX']
For firewalls , I noticed Comodo was suggested , would that be preferable to zonealarm or should I just keep that?[/quote]

My experience with Comodo wasn't so good, as it seemed to block ports and programs even when I added them to the allow list. I've used ZoneAlarm and it's been good enough for my needs. If you already have Zone Alarm all configured, I'd say keep it.

[quote name='StarKnightX']
Lastly , Spyware Blaster and CCleaner , keep them or remove them?[/QUOTE]

Keep them, they're both good for what they do. Make sure to keep Spyware Blaster updated as that's best way that it prevents Spyware infections. CCleaner is best run every now and then as it helps clean up old files left over after removing various programs.
 
Heh thankfully someone posted the obligatory Linux comment.

With Firefox + NoScript Extension + common sense, I haven't had a virus or malware intrusion in forever. If you still want an AV program, I recommend ClamWin. It's free, open source, relatively lightweight and works. Provided you aren't downloading stuff from the bowels of the internet or from Russian crack sites, viruses shouldn't be a huge problem.

If your router is properly configured, another firewall like Comodo or ZoneAlarm should be unnecessary.

http://www.clamwin.com/
 
[quote name='SNAKE EYES EX']I'm completely raw dog and I've never gotten a virus.[/QUOTE]
That's what you and the rest of the general public seems to think. My spam folder says otherwise.
 
[quote name='Drizzt']Here's a repost of my earlier message in this thread addressing this question:
If you're looking for Anti-Spyware alternatives, try aSquared and SuperAntiSpyware. They're both free. Personally I use CounterSpy which only cost me $20 for a full year's subscription. They let you download and use a full featured trial if you're interested in paying for something like that.[/quote]

It wasn't that I missed your post (either time) , I was just asking for other thoughts on the matter. Also the fact that your the only person who has mentioned any of those 3 options , it left me wondering whether anyone else had experience with them.


[quote name='Serik']If your router is properly configured, another firewall like Comodo or ZoneAlarm should be unnecessary.[/QUOTE]

What would "properly configured" include?

I looked up on Cnet Downloads to see how some of these various AV programs were rated to see how they might compare to one another:
Avast! = 5 star / 4.5 star
A-Squared = 4 star / 3.5 star
AVG = 5 star / 4 star
Avira = 5 star / 4 star

No ratings for Clamwin or SuperAntiSpyware.

On a possibly related note , I use all four of the main browser available (IE , Firefox , Opera , and Safari) and try to use them for different purposes but I'm not completly sure what those might be , or what each one might be good for , if anything. Also what are some good extensions for the browsers that use them? I know NoScript was mentioned for Firefox.
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']It wasn't that I missed your post (either time) , I was just asking for other thoughts on the matter. Also the fact that your the only person who has mentioned any of those 3 options , it left me wondering whether anyone else had experience with them. [/quote]

Ah gotcha, I just wasn't sure if the first post was too far back that maybe it was being missed. I'll admit that I only found out about A-Squared and SuperAntiSpyware about a year ago myself. They don't seem to be widely advertised like Spybot and Ad-Aware were back in the day.



[quote name='StarKnightX']
What would "properly configured" include?
[/quote]

My guess to this is that by default you have your router blocking all incoming connections on all ports except port 80 (the port used for normal web browsing). Going by that logic, if you needed a specific port opened up, you could open it for the specific IP address that the router has assigned to your computer. At least that's what I've always felt. I mainly just use ZoneAlarm as a method of finding out when programs that aren't games are trying to "phone out" without any input from me.

[quote name='StarKnightX']
I looked up on Cnet Downloads to see how some of these various AV programs were rated to see how they might compare to one another:
Avast! = 5 star / 4.5 star
A-Squared = 4 star / 3.5 star
AVG = 5 star / 4 star
Avira = 5 star / 4 star

No ratings for Clamwin or SuperAntiSpyware.

On a possibly related note , I use all four of the main browser available (IE , Firefox , Opera , and Safari) and try to use them for different purposes but I'm not completly sure what those might be , or what each one might be good for , if anything. Also what are some good extensions for the browsers that use them? I know NoScript was mentioned for Firefox.[/QUOTE]

AFAIK, Clamwin is an open source antivirus program. I've read that it is pretty good, and updated on a consistent basis both with its definitions and the program itself, but I have never used it personally. I'm not sure why it does not get included in anti virus comparisons testing.

If you'd like some reviews of SAS, here's (a measly) 6 of them at Softpedia: http://www.softpedia.com/progViewOpinions/10-17-488,.html

Although as a disclaimer Anti-Spyware testing is generally not as clear cut as Anti-Virus testing seems to be. You can read a very detailed write up on the subject at the Spyware Warrior forums.

If you'd like an online report from one source (of many) that regularly tests various Anti-Virus products, here's the AV-Compartive report for May

Regarding your browser question, I personally use Firefox for my everyday browsing. It works with probably 99% of the websites out there that I visit. The NoScript extension is very nice to have, but be forewarned that you will have to be telling it to allow scripts on a lot of sites that you visit commonly after first installing it since it blocks everything by default.

Ad-Block Plus is another excellent extension out there allowing you to block any ad image out there that you may find annoying. I think it also updates a list of pre blocked ad images, so it can cut down on the number of ads you see right after install.

CookieSafe is the third extension I like having alongside those other two. It's similar to NoScript but it blocks cookies instead. It's probably not as useful overall as those other two, but then I consider myself super paranoid when browsing and since I try to have Firefox as my "secure" browser, I keep it installed for that reason. Do note, that these are only extensions with security/privacy in mind. Firefox has a bunch of fun little extensions besides this as well as many cool themes :)

As for the other browsers, I only use IE when I come across a website that either won't work with Firefox, or if I think Firefox's security will screw with the functionality of the website, I'll just jump on IE to take care of what I need. However that rarely happens. I haven't used Opera in years. I remember it being really good back in the 90s, but it seems not to get much attention these days. I don't use Safari mainly due to the fact that it doesn't offer much that I don't already get with either Firefox or IE. If you're using a Mac, then Safari is a good alternative for websites that Firefox doesn't work with, otherwise it seems redundant for my needs on the PC side.

Hope that helps!
 
The new versions of Spybot and AdAware are bloatware. Both fell victim to feature creep and performance issues. The new Spybot is particularly bad about consuming system RAM and running all the time.

If you surf smart, avoid IE like the plague, and don't download random .exe files, spyware removal shouldn't be an issue.

ClamWin is updated daily, used 18 MB of RAM when the system tray is running, and scores well in virus tests (NOD32 and Kaspersky are still the best, however). I like ClamWin because it's open source, doesn't annoy me, and is comparatively lightweight. Real time scanning, however, is not a feature, which isn't a problem unless you're always downloading untrustworthy files. Due to the lack of real time scanning, ClamWin is often used on USB drives to scan hosed computers or on Linux servers that deal with Windows (mail or file servers with Windows clients)
 
[quote name='WhipSmartBanky']That's what you and the rest of the general public seems to think. My spam folder says otherwise.[/quote]

My spam folder and every check I occasionally do confirms that I'm virus and spyware free.

I don't surf porn or download bit torrents, does Cheap Ass Gamer and Amazon upload viruses? I've been liberally surfing websites and being "connected" for 14+ years and I've NEVER gotten a virus. Ever. Common sense and good knowledge of software and keep you safe. I'm not saying no one should use these applications. But in my experience, every anti-virus program I've ran has been an absolute intolerable burden of resources on my machine.
 
[quote name='SNAKE EYES EX']My spam folder and every check I occasionally do confirms that I'm virus and spyware free.

I don't surf porn or download bit torrents, does Cheap Ass Gamer and Amazon upload viruses? I've been liberally surfing websites and being "connected" for 14+ years and I've NEVER gotten a virus. Ever. Common sense and good knowledge of software and keep you safe. I'm not saying no one should use these applications. But in my experience, every anti-virus program I've ran has been an absolute intolerable burden of resources on my machine.[/QUOTE]
Your spam folder confirms you're virus and spyware free?

WTF?

You utterly missed my point, but since you seem to think that going "raw dog" is a great idea, I'm not surprised. Good goin' with that, chief.
 
There's little chance of getting viruses/malware if you only download from reputable sources, use secure web browsers, visit clean sites, and keep Windows up-to-date. Lock down your router too.

Viruses don't just magically appear on systems. The user unwillingly puts them there. It's completely possible to go virus/malware free for years using common sense.
 
[quote name='SNAKE EYES EX']My spam folder and every check I occasionally do confirms that I'm virus and spyware free.

I don't surf porn or download bit torrents, does Cheap Ass Gamer and Amazon upload viruses? I've been liberally surfing websites and being "connected" for 14+ years and I've NEVER gotten a virus. Ever. Common sense and good knowledge of software and keep you safe. I'm not saying no one should use these applications. But in my experience, every anti-virus program I've ran has been an absolute intolerable burden of resources on my machine.[/QUOTE]

Not every virus bombards you with popups or destroy your machine.

It's very possible to have a virus and not even know it.
 
Free: use Avira
Paid: use NOD32

Then use Firefox or IE7 with Spyware Blaster and Spybot "immunization."
 
[quote name='SNAKE EYES EX']I'm completely raw dog and I've never gotten a virus.[/quote]

Did anyone else think "STDs" when they read this?

I use AVG, Spybot, and AdAware. I had ZoneAlarm, but it gave me connection problems (set the protection too high I think) so I got rid of it.

I don't think I've encountered any spyware or viruses: I scan my computer about once a week and they're always clean. I use FF with NoScript, and Chrome incognito for quick searches/lurking.
 
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