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Well due to some unforseeable events my laptop which I only had for two years suddenly died on me this past Friday.
The only way I can surf the web now is either on my itouch or playstation.

I recently unearthed my old nonfuctioning desktop and am getting it operational again. I currently do not hve any antivirus protection on it and am wondering if you guys offer any suggestions as to any free decent antivrius protection to use.

I apologize before hand for any mistype or
how weird the paragraph structure is here as I'm punching this out on the itouch's keyboard.

Well, there are two free item with microsoft that is pretty good.
Microsoft security essentials http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
OneCare (also by MS) http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

You do have some free option like AVG, Spybot S&D or Malwarebyte. But the free version doesn't have "full" protection I don't think. i.e. manual scan instead of auto. I think Spybot is purely free but I know AVG and Malwarebyte have paid version.

I use the following



Keeping my system clean
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avast!
Malwarebytes




Help keep my system running nicely
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Revo Uninstaller
CCleaner

Malwarebytes and laptops don't get along very well for some reason, either. It's worked wonderfully on my desktop but on my laptop I've had to reinstall it several times.

I've heard those MS products are surprisingly effective.

I have been using Avast for a year now, it seems to work just fine.

Dave said:

Malwarebytes and laptops don't get along very well for some reason, either. It's worked wonderfully on my desktop but on my laptop I've had to reinstall it several times.

I've heard those MS products are surprisingly effective.

Click to expand...

I use Malwarebytes on my laptop and it works fine. I have also installed it on several of my families laptops with no problem so far.

Dave said:

Malwarebytes and laptops don't get along very well for some reason, either. It's worked wonderfully on my desktop but on my laptop I've had to reinstall it several times.

I've heard those MS products are surprisingly effective.

Click to expand...

Yea. My co-worker at another location (we have 10 campus) said that onecare actually kill the pesky Antivirus 2010 (not an antivirus it is actually a virus/bot)

I like MS Security Essentials. I just put it on a friends computer after uninstalling AVG and it found 2 viruses and some malware. The free version should be fine for just about anyone.

Free? Avast.

Pay? NOD32.

Thnks guys apparently my laptop fan finally conked and the result it fried my computers innards
so you'd recommend the Microsoft then?

I'm back on good ol fashioned xp w00t

Chibibar said:

You do have some free option like AVG, Spybot S&D or Malwarebyte. But the free version doesn't have "full" protection I don't think. i.e. manual scan instead of auto. I think Spybot is purely free but I know AVG and Malwarebyte have paid version.

Click to expand...

AVG's free version allows scheduled system scans. The free version doesn't have rootkit protection, firewall, spam filters, automatic scanning of downloads, IM protection or tech support. Despite all those missing bullet points, I think it works just fine.

figmentPez;351767][QUOTE=Chibibar said:

You do have some free option like AVG, Spybot S&D or Malwarebyte. But the free version doesn't have "full" protection I don't think. i.e. manual scan instead of auto. I think Spybot is purely free but I know AVG and Malwarebyte have paid version.

Click to expand...

AVG's free version allows scheduled system scans. The free version doesn't have rootkit protection, firewall, spam filters, automatic scanning of downloads, IM protection or tech support. Despite all those missing bullet points, I think it works just fine.[/QUOTE]

It also affords you all the security of a bulletproof vest fabricated entirely from wet paper towels.

Microsoft's Security Essentials has recently blown every other free AV program out of the water in testing. So if you don't want to pay, go for that one.

If you want to pay, then nothing beats NOD32. Nothing.

Again thanks for the assist guys. It's nice to be back on XP again.
Sort of like coming home so to speak lol. Going to miss my laptop but at least with my desktop I'll be able to upgrade now more easily.

And for some extra protection use malwarebytes too: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Firefox + NoScript for surfing

Microsoft Security Essentials for when you screw up.

Does NoScript disable all scripting? That must make the web look like 1998, since so many sites use "web 2.0" technology.

fade said:

Does NoScript disable all scripting? That must make the web look like 1998, since so many sites use "web 2.0" technology.

Click to expand...

yup. Any activeX, flash, etc. I use ABP + no script. I usually have to "temp X site allow" or "perm allow" for those site I allow. Of course you can see how many sites use a script when you view it.

fade said:

Does NoScript disable all scripting? That must make the web look like 1998, since so many sites use "web 2.0" technology.

Click to expand...

It disables all javascript, flash and maybe other stuff by default. However you can allow specific elements, or allow domains (temporarily or permanently). After you've allowed trusted sites, things look pretty normal for most of your surfing.

I'm quite content with AdBlock only, to be honest.

I had heard that antivirus makers were looking to bring an anti-competition lawsuit against microsoft for releasing microsoft security essentials. That should tell you something about the quality.

I think Microsoft preemptively avoided that by NOT including it in windows at all... you need to manually download it. No, you need to first find OUT about it, because there's no mention of it anywhere on the OS, and then decide you want it, and then download it. They have no case.

They could say that MS has an unfair advantage since they develop the OS themselves. Which is stupid. I can't believe they would say that a company cannot try to secure their own OS because other companies want to make money off of it.

I started using Windows SE a few months ago, and I have not had a single issue with it. It's surprisingly low on the resources and fits well with Windows 7, after attempting to use various other anti-viruses with mixed luck (either didn't find viruses and malware, or soaked up my resources like a sponge).

I am thinking of switching all my computers over to it.

Then again I also use NoScript, and only approved trusted websites, so it's not like I need to worry about viruses as much as the average user. It would be interesting to see how it works in more extreme virus prone conditions.

It's designed with the facebook-gaming, pop-up clicking, e-mail spamming crowd... just like my brother. And it's saved his computer from infections that would send a vietnamese hooker running on more than one occasion. Microsoft sometimes gets it right, and Security Essentials is one of those times.

I swear to God, I still believe that most of the virus writers/makers work for some of those antivirus companies... I can't prove it of course, but it makes sense... well, and internet assholes.

I use Avast and Malwarebytes..I tell people to shun AVG after I did some tests with it last year. BTW, AV2009/2010 some variants DO put in a rootkit on the computer.. can make it nasty to get rid of. Some I've had to yank the hard drive and scan in a separate clean bench computer.

GODDAMN... my Windows 7 no longer passes the Genuine validation thingie for Security Essentials (everything else works fine)... anyone know of an alternative?