AntiVirus Software Question

[Faccia di Angelo]

Hey guys,

I had a question about finding a good *free* antivirus software. I was currently using AVG 7.5 but now that they are no longer offering updates for it because they want you to upgrade to 8.0 I needed to find another good reliable program. I was doing some little research and came across Avast which was getting good reviews along with Avira.

Anyone try these and feel that they are good programs?

I was leaning more towards the Avast and downloaded it but wanted to get more opinions before installing it. I was happy with AVG and used them for the past couple of years and don't think I ever had any problems but I'm hearing this new 8 version is just terrible.

Should I still keep it in the background tho as a backup and use one of the other programs as well? Or will it not even be useable without current updates?
How many antivirus programs should I have running and is the AVG Anti-spyware decent? I've been using that as well, but I read up on other programs like SpyDoctor etc.

I don't really understand all these things but I just want to be protected and have good virus programs running on my computer so it doesn't get infected. I'd really appreciate any understandable advice you guys can offer! lol :)

[xrayzebra]

Does your ISP offer any anti-virus software. I know AT&T does
and also Roadrunner. I am not sure about others. Call them and
ask.

I have heard good things about Avast. So you shouldn't go too wrong
by installing it.

[Slomo]

You can use the free version 8 of AVG

http://free.grisoft.com/ww.download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition#tba2

[ChumpDumper]

The new AVG has a free edition as well. There seems to be some confusion that there isn't.

It includes anti-spyware, but I use a few other programs too.

Spyware Blaster blocks a lot of spyware from being installed on your machine in the first place. It runs automatically in the background but needs to be updated manually.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware are two good spyware removal programs. Both have free versions that need to be updated and run manually.

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

[balli]

I don't have time now, but if you want me to later, I'll post a bunch of download links to crackable versions of all sorts of normally costly shit. Not sure if your computer literacy is good enough to crack a program or use a keygen, but let me know if you're interested and I'll get you full versions of anything you want.

If you're over AVG, I'd recommend Spyware Dr, Registry Mechanic, Lavasoft Adaware and a cleanup program, or just a big ol program like system mechanic.

[leemajors]

I use kaspersky.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wrap a condom around the port...would stop the AV...

make sure its TROJAN....

[Xolotl]

wrap a condom around the port...would stop the AV...

make sure its TROJAN....

Awww cmon you're better than that lol

[remingtonbo2001]

AVG :tu

[N.Y. Johnny]

Hey guys,

I had a question about finding a good *free* antivirus software. I was currently using AVG 7.5 but now that they are no longer offering updates for it because they want you to upgrade to 8.0 I needed to find another good reliable program. I was doing some little research and came across Avast which was getting good reviews along with Avira.

Anyone try these and feel that they are good programs?

I was leaning more towards the Avast and downloaded it but wanted to get more opinions before installing it. I was happy with AVG and used them for the past couple of years and don't think I ever had any problems but I'm hearing this new 8 version is just terrible.

Should I still keep it in the background tho as a backup and use one of the other programs as well? Or will it not even be useable without current updates?
How many antivirus programs should I have running and is the AVG Anti-spyware decent? I've been using that as well, but I read up on other programs like SpyDoctor etc.

I don't really understand all these things but I just want to be protected and have good virus programs running on my computer so it doesn't get infected. I'd really appreciate any understandable advice you guys can offer! lol :)



Kid,
I told you what to do. Anyways do what post #4 says. :downspin:

[TDMVPDPOY]

Kid,
I told you what to do. Anyways do what post #7 says. :downspin:

CORRECTION

[boutons_]

I put AVG on my 1.6 GHz/512 MB laptop a couple years ago.
Totally killed the performance.

I tried to put it on a neighbor's mass-market Dell machine much later, forgetting how killer-y it was.

Took me 30+ minutes, of waiting, to get it off, due to the XP machine, 256 MB max, swapping like crazy until AVG was killed daid off. Except for disk light hard on, the machine was essentially hung for 30 mins.

MS is bad enough about stealing your hardware with piggy software. AVG will never touch any machine I work on.

AVG's probably OK with a quad-CPU, 2 GHz, and 3 GB RAM.

[balli]

I just downloaded BitDefender Total Security 2008. I haven't installed it on my machine yet, but from what I've been able to gather it's a pretty good program. I've only had AVG a short while and it's been fine, but I've been reading and hearing that it destroys keygens in an attempt to police your computer for you. Anyway I'm going to replace it with this and see how it does. If anybody else wants it, you can download the fully-licensed version here complete with a patch, keygen and instructions for using them. 49 Mbs-
http://rapidshare.com/files/86049907/BitDefender_Total_Security_2008_v11.0.15_X_86.rar

Here's a review if anybody's interested.
http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/bitdefender-review.html

The best line of defense against computer viruses, spyware and spam is BitDefender 2008, our #1 ranked anti–virus software and winner of “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award.” BitDefender 2008 is an outstanding product with a user–friendly interface that will scan all existing files on your computer, all incoming and outgoing emails, IM transfers and all other network traffic.

This latest version of BitDefender has a new Gamer Mode feature that minimizes impact on gaming performance by removing any popups or warnings during game play while still protecting your computer. The software still has all of the reliable features for which Bitdefender is known such as “Privacy Protection” for outgoing personal information, “Web Scanning” while you’re using the Internet and “Rootkit Detection and Removal,” which detects then removes hidden virus programs.

BitDefender has also improved their existing B–HAVE feature that runs pieces of software on a virtual computer to detect code that could be an unknown virus. In addition, a setup wizard makes it easy to customize security settings.

Ease of Use:

Softwin has covered all of the bases with BitDefender. This comprehensive product has an attractive, easy–to–use design that is consistent throughout the software and the manufacturer’s website. Because it is simple to use and updates itself automatically, you can install it on your system, then practically forget it’s there—an ideal solution for any user.

BitDefender has an option to display a small window called the “File Zone” on your desktop that indicates how many files the program has scanned in the past few minutes. You can also drag and drop files into the File Zone for an immediate scan. The program prepares a report of each completed scan so you know exactly what your files do or do not contain and you can instruct BitDefender to disinfect or remove any infected files or messages.

You can also customize BitDefender’s security settings for features such as AntiVirus, Antispam, Antispyware and Parental Control.

Effectiveness:

BitDefender’s customizable settings make the program effective for a variety of users. For example, if you receive legitimate commercial email, you can set BitDefender’s spam filters to allow specific or all emails.

Virus Bulletin rated BitDefender a VB100%, the highest honor for anti–virus software.

The VB 100% logo is awarded to anti–virus products that detect all current “in the wild” viruses during both on–demand and on–access scanning in Virus Bulletin’s comparative tests.

Additionally, BitDefender passed the ICSA 2007—a similar test that certifies the software can detect viruses, prevent virus replication, and doesn’t generate false positives.


Updates:

The live update feature checks for product and virus definition updates at either a user–defined interval, manually or default (every hour). When you do a manual check for updates, you can decide which updates to install. When the software automatically checks for updates, it can update the files immediately or at a specified time that you can determine during setup.


Feature Set:

BitDefender creates a summary log of events that shows the last definitions updates, details on any virus the software encounters, the last time you ran a scan, definitions number and more. And new in 2008, Bitdefender has added a Gamer Feature so it won't interrupt you during intense gaming.

BitDefender’s startup guard will tell you if a program is trying to load itself upon start up so you can choose to allow it or not. This software suite also comes with adware and spyware detectors. Though we recommend using an antispyware scanner, as they are designed specifically for this purpose, it is nice to have two programs working towards a common goal, to keep your computer clean.


Ease of Installation:

Installation of BitDefender is a snap. Uninstalling BitDefender was easy as well. We did find some leftover registry entries and directories after the uninstall completed though.


Help/Support:

When you purchase BitDefender you also receive one year of virus signature and scan engine updates. The manufacturer offers qualified technical support live via the Internet and telephone.

There is also an online database with answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and they have an email address–they answered our email within 6 hours. An online forum is also available on the BitDefender support site.



Summary:

BitDefender is easy to use, simple to install, has a great feature set and at $24.95, it won’t break your bank account. Anyone who spends time on the Internet knows the importance of anti–virus software; BitDefender will keep your computer virus–free and running smoothly.

[Chief]

If you download a lot of songs and movies, use ares or limewire a lot

I recommend you download McAfee Total Protection.

Go to www.torrentscan.com, click btjunkie.org and type in McAfee 2008.

someone recommended spybot and adaware, those are good for spyware, not viruses.

[balli]

^ No offense, but... God. Fucking. No. Whatever you do, DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT EVER... EVER, EVER, EVER, put McAfee or Norton on your computer. EVER.

Or limewire for that matter.

[remingtonbo2001]

I use limewire and AVG does a fine job of protecting my computer.

I just scan the file before opening it.

[Chief]

^ No offense, but... God. Fucking. No. Whatever you do, DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT EVER... EVER, EVER, EVER, put McAfee or Norton on your computer. EVER.

Or limewire for that matter.

bad experience ?

[balli]

bad experience ?

You can never get rid of it. Mcafee leaves so much shit in your registry it isn't even funny. Not only that, it hogs memory and treats all sorts of things that aren't viruses as if they were. Hell, I just view McAfee and Norton as viruses unto themselves.

As far as limewire goes- Loading software onto your computer for downloads is something I stopped doing about 5 years ago. The programs themselves come loaded and integrated with all sorts of malware and shit, plus there are so many better options for downloading that I question why you'd even want a huge program to do it for you anyway. IMHO, mIRC and file hosting are the only good ways to download. Even torrent programs suck. You gots to keep it simple people.

[N.Y. Johnny]

Just don't download pron.

[Chief]

You can never get rid of it. Mcafee leaves so much shit in your registry it isn't even funny. Not only that, it hogs memory and treats all sorts of things that aren't viruses as if they were. Hell, I just view McAfee and Norton as viruses unto themselves.

As far as limewire goes- Loading software onto your computer for downloads is something I stopped doing about 5 years ago. The programs themselves come loaded and integrated with all sorts of malware and shit, plus there are so many better options for downloading that I question why you'd even want a huge program to do it for you anyway. IMHO, mIRC and file hosting are the only good ways to download. Even torrent programs suck. You gots to keep it simple people.

I see what u mean about the memory hogging, but personally I love it. I own an Internet Cafe down here in Costa Rica. I have McAfee on all 15 of my computers including the laptop that I use. Customers use Ares and Limewire all day long, haven't had a virus yet.

I didn't know mirc was still around.

[N.Y. Johnny]

I see what u mean about the memory hogging, but personally I love it. I own an Internet Cafe down here in Costa Rica. I have McAfee on all 15 of my computers including the laptop that I use. Customers use Ares and Limewire all day long, haven't had a virus yet.

I didn't know mirc was still around.




damn...is Ares still working?

I missed the ol' Audio Galaxy.

[balli]

I didn't know mirc was still around.
Not many people use it, but I love it. In fact, I find a lot of new movies on mirc that uploaders from file hosting and torrent sites don't seem to get as fast. I think there's a strong contingent of old-school and connected uploaders who use mIRC above all else. It's true that not many people use it, but those that do are usually 100% on top of their game.

And, McAfee seems like it would work fine in a setting like the one you've got, but I got waaaaay to much shit on my computer that McAfee would fuck with and try to control. I guess it depends on what kind of computing you're doing, which means it may work fine for the OG thread starter, but if you get complex and illegal there are much better programs than McAfee.

[Chief]

damn...is Ares still working?

I missed the ol' Audio Galaxy.

works great BUT

not the english version of the program, weird

The spanish ones work fine.

[leemajors]

mirc will never go away. ballijuana, everything from those groups usually shows up on usenet first anyway. i get 1.6MBps down off of giganews servers.

[Chief]

mirc will never go away. ballijuana, everything from those groups usually shows up on usenet first anyway. i get 1.6MBps down off of giganews servers.

I use to use MIRC during the Aol Day's

One question tho, correct me if i'm wrong

on mirc you only receive a file from ONE person whereas torrents you can receive the file by many people ?

[balli]

I don't know much about torrents other than the fact they haven't worked well when I've tried them. My understanding is that they allow packages to come from multiple sources, but really, I don't like having the any extra programs on my computer, which is my biggest beef with torrents. I guess mIRC is kind of a program too, but it's so basic and versatile that I don't mind having it.

The thing with Mirc is that you can only download from one source at any given time, but if that connection gets interrupted you can switch to another connection and resume where you left off. Plus, it's as fast a connection for downloads as I've ever found.

[leemajors]

I use to use MIRC during the Aol Day's

One question tho, correct me if i'm wrong

on mirc you only receive a file from ONE person whereas torrents you can receive the file by many people ?

i only used mirc for ftp lists and servers. sending files through mirc was a hassle.

[Faccia di Angelo]

wow guys, thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I haven't gotten the chance to look into some other stuff but I'll keep everything ya'll said in mind.

And yes I do use Limewire alot. I didn't want to install it and was just going to get a paid suscription to keep my new computer safe but it seemed like a big hassle after reading up on the way those programs work. They seemed to charge you for every little thing and that didn't even include the song itself. So I went with the free stuff, but I don't even feel good about downloading from programs like Limewire either because I know I'm just asking for a virus. Maybe I should just get a Zune Pass huh N.Y. Johnny? lol
I used to also download from mIRC back in the day. My ex turned me on to that and I loved it but haven't used it in a long time. Don't even know if I would remember how. It was also just movies I was getting tho, not anything else.


^ No offense, but... God. Fucking. No. Whatever you do, DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT EVER... EVER, EVER, EVER, put McAfee or Norton on your computer. EVER.

Or limewire for that matter.

I've heard the same thing about McAfee and Norton. Thats why I've always stayed away from them and advised other people to do the same. I don't let them touch my computer.


If anybody else wants it, you can download the fully-licensed version here complete with a patch, keygen and instructions for using them. 49 Mbs-
http://rapidshare.com/files/86049907....0.15_X_86.rar
You got the fully licensed version for free? Is that safe to do? You don't get viruses from doing that? I used to try to download programs with patches and all that but could never quite figure it out. Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough. :)

[N.Y. Johnny]

Maybe I should just get a Zune Pass huh N.Y. Johnny? lol


Microsoft Zune Pass. Go ahead and get it. You've sold your soul to Steve Ballmer anyways. :p:

[Al Gore]

^ No offense, but... God. Fucking. No. Whatever you do, DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT EVER... EVER, EVER, EVER, put McAfee or Norton on your computer. EVER.

Or limewire for that matter.

:lmao words of wisdom! :tu