ChatterBank9 mins ago
Free Anti Virus
18 Answers
Hello. I'm hoping to get my Toshiba pic back into use again (windows 7), but the Mcafee anti virus has expired. Can you recommend a good,easy free one which I could install straight away? Thank you
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Many people are happy to use the built-in virus protection that's provided by Windows but others are concerned that it's not as good as it could be. (Even statements by senior Microsoft staff seem to support that view).
Like others here, I use Avast:
https:/
Like others here, I use Avast:
https:/
>>> Chris, on a past thread you recommended SuperAntispyware
Not unless I was ***, I didn't!
SuperAntiSpyware is an anti-malware program, rather than an anti-virus one. I've never used it. The reviews for it seem to be generally positive but some of the technical press don't seem too keen on it.
Everyone should have an anti-malware program on their computers (as well as an anti-virus one) though. For many years I recommended the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and I'd continue to recommend its use to anyone who's already got it on their computers.
However anyone now downloading it for the first time is forced into taking a free trial of the 'Premium' version, which seems to slow some machines to a crawl. (Well it does to mine, anyway!)
However there's an alternative free anti-malware program available, which used to be independent of Malwarebytes but has now been bought up by them. (i.e. it should be just as good as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware because it's now 'out of the same stable'). It doesn't come with a trial period of a paid-for version, so it doesn't slow computers down. It's called AdwCleaner and is what I now recommend to people who've not already got Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:
https:/
Not unless I was ***, I didn't!
SuperAntiSpyware is an anti-malware program, rather than an anti-virus one. I've never used it. The reviews for it seem to be generally positive but some of the technical press don't seem too keen on it.
Everyone should have an anti-malware program on their computers (as well as an anti-virus one) though. For many years I recommended the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and I'd continue to recommend its use to anyone who's already got it on their computers.
However anyone now downloading it for the first time is forced into taking a free trial of the 'Premium' version, which seems to slow some machines to a crawl. (Well it does to mine, anyway!)
However there's an alternative free anti-malware program available, which used to be independent of Malwarebytes but has now been bought up by them. (i.e. it should be just as good as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware because it's now 'out of the same stable'). It doesn't come with a trial period of a paid-for version, so it doesn't slow computers down. It's called AdwCleaner and is what I now recommend to people who've not already got Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:
https:/
Danny:
Unless you've got a reason to suspect malware on your computer, you shouldn't need to run an anti-malware program more often than, say, once per fortnight. (That's how often I plan on running my anti-malware program but I quite often leave it for a month or two between scans; it doesn't seem to cause any problems).
I gave up using Microsoft's own anti-virus software years ago because, on every computer I used it, the updating element of it (a process called MsMpEng.exe) seemed to get stuck in loop, hogging all of a machine's resources and slowing it to a crawl. So I know nothing about the way that scheduled scans work in Windows Defender. Sorry!
Unless you've got a reason to suspect malware on your computer, you shouldn't need to run an anti-malware program more often than, say, once per fortnight. (That's how often I plan on running my anti-malware program but I quite often leave it for a month or two between scans; it doesn't seem to cause any problems).
I gave up using Microsoft's own anti-virus software years ago because, on every computer I used it, the updating element of it (a process called MsMpEng.exe) seemed to get stuck in loop, hogging all of a machine's resources and slowing it to a crawl. So I know nothing about the way that scheduled scans work in Windows Defender. Sorry!
chris
1. I've got Microsoft Security Essentials on my computer .
Are you of the opinion then, that i should remove it , because its not doing a good job ?
2. Also is a firewall part of Microsoft Security Essentials ?
3. Should you have a firewall installed as well, irrespective of what Anti Virus you are using ?
1. I've got Microsoft Security Essentials on my computer .
Are you of the opinion then, that i should remove it , because its not doing a good job ?
2. Also is a firewall part of Microsoft Security Essentials ?
3. Should you have a firewall installed as well, irrespective of what Anti Virus you are using ?
@Buenchico......I am one of those folk who is happy with 'in-built' Windows Defender and prefer Malwarebytes to adwcleaner.
Consequently, I can say from my own experience that the trial version of Premium Malwarebytes can be cancelled the moment after installation.
Open Malwarebytes, click on settings > my account > deactivate premium trial.
A notice will then appear to let you know that cancelling the Trial will will revert your account to Free and you'll loose Premium features.........Which , in my opinion are Not worth paying for.
Hans.
Consequently, I can say from my own experience that the trial version of Premium Malwarebytes can be cancelled the moment after installation.
Open Malwarebytes, click on settings > my account > deactivate premium trial.
A notice will then appear to let you know that cancelling the Trial will will revert your account to Free and you'll loose Premium features.........Which , in my opinion are Not worth paying for.
Hans.
SuperAntiSpyware, as the name suggests, is used to identify spyware cookies and remove them.
Malwarebytes, looks for actual malware that doesn't qualify as a virus (or similar) to AVs.
Both may spot virus type stuff as it goes but it's not their prime reason to exist.
Both can be used alongside your regular AV.
Malwarebytes, looks for actual malware that doesn't qualify as a virus (or similar) to AVs.
Both may spot virus type stuff as it goes but it's not their prime reason to exist.
Both can be used alongside your regular AV.
Danny:
It was actually Microsoft Security Essentials that caused me no end of problems on several different machines. I kept finding that everything was slowed to a crawl by 'svchost.exe' hogging resources and, upon further investigation, realising that it was actually 'MsMpEng.exe' (which is the updating element of MSE) which was making the call upon 'svchost.exe'.
Bazile:
As in my response to Danny, above, I've totally given up on Microsoft's own anti-virus solutions because I've experienced too many problems of 'resource hogging' with them. (I gave up on AVG for the same reason). Even Microsoft suggest looking elsewhere:
https:/
The Windows firewall is independent of the MSE anti-virus software. (i.e. if you ditch MSE you won't lose the firewall that's built into Windows). Most people seem happy enough to use the Windows firewall (as I do myself) but it has been criticised for only monitoring traffic to your computer in one direction. Consequently some people install (free) third-party software. (If I could ever be bothered to get around to doing it my own choice would probably be Comodo):
https:/
It was actually Microsoft Security Essentials that caused me no end of problems on several different machines. I kept finding that everything was slowed to a crawl by 'svchost.exe' hogging resources and, upon further investigation, realising that it was actually 'MsMpEng.exe' (which is the updating element of MSE) which was making the call upon 'svchost.exe'.
Bazile:
As in my response to Danny, above, I've totally given up on Microsoft's own anti-virus solutions because I've experienced too many problems of 'resource hogging' with them. (I gave up on AVG for the same reason). Even Microsoft suggest looking elsewhere:
https:/
The Windows firewall is independent of the MSE anti-virus software. (i.e. if you ditch MSE you won't lose the firewall that's built into Windows). Most people seem happy enough to use the Windows firewall (as I do myself) but it has been criticised for only monitoring traffic to your computer in one direction. Consequently some people install (free) third-party software. (If I could ever be bothered to get around to doing it my own choice would probably be Comodo):
https:/
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