I might just do that if I get some time this week.
Question: What is the best free antivirus software?
- Thread starter Mark Wein
- Start date
I might just do that if I get some time this week.
rjenkins
Over The Top
I used and paid for McAfee for years. Properly configured (without all their extras), I found it to be the best behaved and least intrusive solution available (and McAfee pretty much invented the industry). Seems like every time I sat down at someone's computer with AVG, it was always popping up with something, or trying to update.
That said, I had a problem about a year ago...McAfee didn't catch a website-based virus that downloaded simply by visiting a web page (and I'm a VERY savvy user who doesn't click on "gotcha links.") I had to spend a couple of hours fixing the problem manually, which kept all ".exe" files from running. Try to do something on your computer with THAT restriction!
Someone had been chronically recommending MS Security Essentials to me, and in desperation, I uninstalled McAfee and installed Essentials. It worked...cleaned up the virus, and has kept me clean, since.
The only caveat is that the software seems to get hung up in an almost endless loop when you do certain things, depending on your version of Windows and IE. Funny how MS's own program clashes with IE. If you don't use IE, it may not be a problem. If it is, you'll see the process "MsMpEng.exe" taking almost 100% of your resources for half a minute or more.
It seems to have improved since I upgraded IE, and I live with it because it's free and does the job. Oh, and I use XP Pro, still. Might not be a problem at all with Vista or 7.
The problem inherent with any virus protection is that a lot of activity (such as trying to uninstall/shut it down, or running another virus protection program) appear to be virus-like, and it resists. Most software now, I regard as "friendly viruses," anyway. They're all trying to install other shit you don't want, and to gain control over your desktop/file associations/etc.
I kind of hate computers, now..
That said, I had a problem about a year ago...McAfee didn't catch a website-based virus that downloaded simply by visiting a web page (and I'm a VERY savvy user who doesn't click on "gotcha links.") I had to spend a couple of hours fixing the problem manually, which kept all ".exe" files from running. Try to do something on your computer with THAT restriction!
Someone had been chronically recommending MS Security Essentials to me, and in desperation, I uninstalled McAfee and installed Essentials. It worked...cleaned up the virus, and has kept me clean, since.
The only caveat is that the software seems to get hung up in an almost endless loop when you do certain things, depending on your version of Windows and IE. Funny how MS's own program clashes with IE. If you don't use IE, it may not be a problem. If it is, you'll see the process "MsMpEng.exe" taking almost 100% of your resources for half a minute or more.
It seems to have improved since I upgraded IE, and I live with it because it's free and does the job. Oh, and I use XP Pro, still. Might not be a problem at all with Vista or 7.
The problem inherent with any virus protection is that a lot of activity (such as trying to uninstall/shut it down, or running another virus protection program) appear to be virus-like, and it resists. Most software now, I regard as "friendly viruses," anyway. They're all trying to install other shit you don't want, and to gain control over your desktop/file associations/etc.
I kind of hate computers, now..
Actually since I have the Macs and Windows 7 on my other PC I don't hate them so much anymore. This one is a PITA though.