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Best free antivirus software?



 
 
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  #16  
Old February 22nd 10, 06:26 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Surfer Joe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 21
Default Best free antivirus software?

On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.



Trying them yourself and deciding which is right for you is excellent
advice for almost all kinds of software. But the one kind of software
where I think it's poor advice (very poor advice) is security
software. The don't all work equally well, and it's very difficult to
determine for yourself how well each of them works.


yeah, I don't have a clue if they work or not or what they're doing, so
it's useless to try them out to see which I like.

In this case, it's not like downloading photoshop and gimp and seeing
which one I prefer, so I'm happy to see if some consensus emerges from
my question.
I had heard nice things about agv.

One thing I don't want is to load a bunch of them on my computer and
then have all their crap lingering in there after I unistall the programs.

Ads
  #17  
Old February 22nd 10, 06:26 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Surfer Joe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 21
Default Best free antivirus software?

On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.



Trying them yourself and deciding which is right for you is excellent
advice for almost all kinds of software. But the one kind of software
where I think it's poor advice (very poor advice) is security
software. The don't all work equally well, and it's very difficult to
determine for yourself how well each of them works.


yeah, I don't have a clue if they work or not or what they're doing, so
it's useless to try them out to see which I like.

In this case, it's not like downloading photoshop and gimp and seeing
which one I prefer, so I'm happy to see if some consensus emerges from
my question.
I had heard nice things about agv.

One thing I don't want is to load a bunch of them on my computer and
then have all their crap lingering in there after I unistall the programs.

  #18  
Old February 22nd 10, 07:05 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default Best free antivirus software?

"I had heard nice things about agv."

You're the first one. Even Google doesn't know an antivirus program
called agv.

If your idea is to choose security software based on the consensus of
anonymous visitors who happen to be reading the newsgroup at the time,
any or all of whom could be unqualified to give a well-reasoned opinion,
then you'll get what you've earned.

Even those among us who /are/ qualified to give a well-reasoned opinion
will find it impossible to give you a good recommendation, since you
haven't told anyone what you're looking for in an antivirus program. The
best anyone can say is what program /they/ prefer, which could be
totally unsuitable for you.

If you're really serious about your security and privacy, you'll start
by listing what qualities you need to have in an antivirus program, then
use the web for research (professional reviews, user reviews and
independent testing organizations.) That should leave you with a short
list of programs to check out; try them one at a time (never have two
antivirus programs running at the same time) and make your choice.

Even with all that, be prepared to reconsider your choice for the 2011
season, since antivirus programs usually change from year to year, and
not always for the good.

On the other hand, if you're not that serious about your security and
privacy - and I acknowledge this is true for many people - then what the
heck: survey the newsgroup, consult tarot cards or throw darts. Either
way you'll have an equally qualified answer.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Surfer Joe wrote:
On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.

There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.



Trying them yourself and deciding which is right for you is excellent
advice for almost all kinds of software. But the one kind of software
where I think it's poor advice (very poor advice) is security
software. The don't all work equally well, and it's very difficult to
determine for yourself how well each of them works.


yeah, I don't have a clue if they work or not or what they're doing, so
it's useless to try them out to see which I like.

In this case, it's not like downloading photoshop and gimp and seeing
which one I prefer, so I'm happy to see if some consensus emerges from
my question.
I had heard nice things about agv.

One thing I don't want is to load a bunch of them on my computer and
then have all their crap lingering in there after I unistall the programs.

  #19  
Old February 22nd 10, 07:05 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default Best free antivirus software?

"I had heard nice things about agv."

You're the first one. Even Google doesn't know an antivirus program
called agv.

If your idea is to choose security software based on the consensus of
anonymous visitors who happen to be reading the newsgroup at the time,
any or all of whom could be unqualified to give a well-reasoned opinion,
then you'll get what you've earned.

Even those among us who /are/ qualified to give a well-reasoned opinion
will find it impossible to give you a good recommendation, since you
haven't told anyone what you're looking for in an antivirus program. The
best anyone can say is what program /they/ prefer, which could be
totally unsuitable for you.

If you're really serious about your security and privacy, you'll start
by listing what qualities you need to have in an antivirus program, then
use the web for research (professional reviews, user reviews and
independent testing organizations.) That should leave you with a short
list of programs to check out; try them one at a time (never have two
antivirus programs running at the same time) and make your choice.

Even with all that, be prepared to reconsider your choice for the 2011
season, since antivirus programs usually change from year to year, and
not always for the good.

On the other hand, if you're not that serious about your security and
privacy - and I acknowledge this is true for many people - then what the
heck: survey the newsgroup, consult tarot cards or throw darts. Either
way you'll have an equally qualified answer.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Surfer Joe wrote:
On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.

There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.



Trying them yourself and deciding which is right for you is excellent
advice for almost all kinds of software. But the one kind of software
where I think it's poor advice (very poor advice) is security
software. The don't all work equally well, and it's very difficult to
determine for yourself how well each of them works.


yeah, I don't have a clue if they work or not or what they're doing, so
it's useless to try them out to see which I like.

In this case, it's not like downloading photoshop and gimp and seeing
which one I prefer, so I'm happy to see if some consensus emerges from
my question.
I had heard nice things about agv.

One thing I don't want is to load a bunch of them on my computer and
then have all their crap lingering in there after I unistall the programs.

  #20  
Old February 22nd 10, 08:17 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default Best free antivirus software?

Surfer,
I have used AVG [free] for the past eight years, and have found it to be
very reliable.
However, it is a product from a company with commercial interests and, as such, does
contain an element of advertising of it's paid-for sister software.

These "reminders" are sometimes called "nag" screens, and can be an inconvenient
distraction.

I have heard of the recent release of Microsoft's first venture into creating a
fully-functional anti-virus program - Microsoft's Security Essentials (MSSE).

I am tempted to try MSSE but would like to hear some feedback on it's use, if I can,
before I change from an AV that has protected my PC effectively and caught many
would-be attacks in the past...

AVG 9.0 [free] :
http://free.avg.com/download-file-ins-afg-free

MSSE :
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...e-en-us-xp.exe

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Surfer Joe" wrote in message
...
On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.

There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.


clipped

  #21  
Old February 22nd 10, 08:17 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default Best free antivirus software?

Surfer,
I have used AVG [free] for the past eight years, and have found it to be
very reliable.
However, it is a product from a company with commercial interests and, as such, does
contain an element of advertising of it's paid-for sister software.

These "reminders" are sometimes called "nag" screens, and can be an inconvenient
distraction.

I have heard of the recent release of Microsoft's first venture into creating a
fully-functional anti-virus program - Microsoft's Security Essentials (MSSE).

I am tempted to try MSSE but would like to hear some feedback on it's use, if I can,
before I change from an AV that has protected my PC effectively and caught many
would-be attacks in the past...

AVG 9.0 [free] :
http://free.avg.com/download-file-ins-afg-free

MSSE :
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...e-en-us-xp.exe

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Surfer Joe" wrote in message
...
On 22/02/2010 15:02, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:41:34 -0600, Roy
wrote:

On 2/21/2010 6:09 PM, Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.

There are several to choose from. Best thing is to download them and
try them out for yourself and decide which is right for you.


clipped

  #22  
Old February 22nd 10, 10:23 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Nil[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,170
Default Best free antivirus software?

On 22 Feb 2010, "Tom Willett" wrote in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize:

Lern grammer and speling befor you criticizse otherz.


You shall like irony more best if whizz below your top head.
  #23  
Old February 22nd 10, 10:23 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Nil[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,170
Default Best free antivirus software?

On 22 Feb 2010, "Tom Willett" wrote in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize:

Lern grammer and speling befor you criticizse otherz.


You shall like irony more best if whizz below your top head.
  #24  
Old February 23rd 10, 08:44 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Twayne[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,073
Default Best free antivirus software?

In ,
Leonard Grey typed:
And you going to use an antivirus program just because we say so?


Actually, there are people who will do just that; you never know. Newbies
especially see information as the last word rather than the opinion it most
always is. Many are shocked to discover there are jerks, criminals and
experts, just like in the real world. Everything seems so "official" to
them. Vendors can 't be bothered with education in most cases and it's
basically a buyer beware setup.

Twayne
--
--
Newsgroups are great places to get assistance.
But always verify important information with
other sources to be certain you have a clear
understanding of it and that it is accurate.



---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


  #25  
Old February 23rd 10, 08:44 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Twayne[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,073
Default Best free antivirus software?


In ,
Leonard Grey typed:
And you going to use an antivirus program just because we say so?


Actually, there are people who will do just that; you never know. Newbies
especially see information as the last word rather than the opinion it most
always is. Many are shocked to discover there are jerks, criminals and
experts, just like in the real world. Everything seems so "official" to
them. Vendors can 't be bothered with education in most cases and it's
basically a buyer beware setup.

Twayne
--
--
Newsgroups are great places to get assistance.
But always verify important information with
other sources to be certain you have a clear
understanding of it and that it is accurate.



---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


  #26  
Old February 26th 10, 07:34 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Stan Brown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,904
Default Best free antivirus software?

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:40:26 -0500 from Twayne :

In ,
Surfer Joe typed:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


AVG


I used to use it. version 8 was terrific, but 8.5 was not. "Link
scanner" was a disaster, taking a lot of time to do something it
shouldn't have done in the first place, and the program as a whole
was a resource hog.


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...
  #27  
Old February 26th 10, 07:34 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Stan Brown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,904
Default Best free antivirus software?

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:40:26 -0500 from Twayne :

In ,
Surfer Joe typed:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


AVG


I used to use it. version 8 was terrific, but 8.5 was not. "Link
scanner" was a disaster, taking a lot of time to do something it
shouldn't have done in the first place, and the program as a whole
was a resource hog.


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...
  #28  
Old February 27th 10, 02:01 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
J. P. Gilliver (John)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,291
Default Best free antivirus software?

In message , Stan Brown
writes:
Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:40:26 -0500 from Twayne :

In ,
Surfer Joe typed:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


AVG


I used to use it. version 8 was terrific, but 8.5 was not. "Link
scanner" was a disaster, taking a lot of time to do something it
shouldn't have done in the first place, and the program as a whole
was a resource hog.


I moved to AVIRA after AVG; can't say it is the best, only that it works
for me, and doesn't get in the way. See http://www.free-av.com/.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

"It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it's
the part that I do understand." - Mark Twain
  #29  
Old February 27th 10, 02:01 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
J. P. Gilliver (John)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,291
Default Best free antivirus software?

In message , Stan Brown
writes:
Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:40:26 -0500 from Twayne :

In ,
Surfer Joe typed:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.


AVG


I used to use it. version 8 was terrific, but 8.5 was not. "Link
scanner" was a disaster, taking a lot of time to do something it
shouldn't have done in the first place, and the program as a whole
was a resource hog.


I moved to AVIRA after AVG; can't say it is the best, only that it works
for me, and doesn't get in the way. See http://www.free-av.com/.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

"It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it's
the part that I do understand." - Mark Twain
  #30  
Old April 4th 10, 06:52 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
tony
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 177
Default Best free antivirus software?

I think if you can not provide a helpful answer then be quiet...this is what
I call smart as...

"Leonard Grey" wrote:

And you going to use an antivirus program just because we say so?
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Surfer Joe wrote:
Can anyone please suggest a good free antivirus?
I'm tired of paying for norton.

.

 




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