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Thread ID: 139239	2015-03-31 17:34:00	Another free antivirus question!	Greg (193)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1397702	2015-03-31 17:34:00	Thanks to our good friend CYaBro I've been using a licensed version of BitDefender for my usual online and general computing precautions. However it's about to expire and I've no intention of paying a blimmin cent for any other so called professional product. So please, what's the latest best option? Is Comodo still a feature? Or should I go Avast? Or...? Thanks.	Greg (193)
1397703	2015-03-31 20:16:00	Personally, I use Avast. Avira annoyed me with all its pop-ups - though that may have changed in the last year or 2. I also have BitDefender running on another PC and can't say I like it much. I'll probably go Eset once it's license expires.	autechre (266)
1397704	2015-03-31 20:28:00	Common sense and a paranoid reaction to online warnings & Emails most likely being scams is the best free anti-virus but I think Avast is rating as one of the best lately, just pay attention to what you're clicking when you install it or you may end up with chrome or something as part of the install. Myself I just use Defender in windows 8 and MSSE in windows 7 (same thing different name). Apparently that's bottom of the barrel bare minimum protection but I like it for it's unobtrusiveness and supplement it with malwarebytes and the free online nod32 scan from time to time. Works for me but most don't think it's sufficient.I recently put an older machine with XP home together and have installed Avast on that, seems to work ok.	dugimodo (138)
1397705	2015-03-31 20:41:00	Some of the free AV wont scan email (Avira, MSSE). Others try & do too much, with plugins all over the place . Some other free AV's are 'on demand' only, ie dont run in the background & only good for occasional AV checks/scans Avast is OK, I allways do the custom install & disable all features except AV, email & web(?) scanning. The 3 options on the right With free AV, most will try & sucker you into paying, with popups & reminders	1101 (13337)
1397706	2015-03-31 22:15:00	Avast has a software reminder and updater for common programs and display important updates, e.g. firefox, adobe, chrome, etc which I find useful. Need to update regularly to prevent security issues and help combat malware according to the avast blog. (blog.avast.com) Does have a few popups to purchase add-ons, e.g Grime Fighter for (www.avast.com) pending hardware failure, removing intrusions, etc.	kahawai chaser (3545)
1397707	2015-04-01 00:57:00	NOD32, hands down. I don't bother with the freebies any more. Way too much let through. Just cleaned out a workmates PC, he had Avast. NOD32 Online Scanner then found 32 infections. Good times....	Chilling_Silence (9)
1397708	2015-04-01 01:06:00	None of the free products are a patch on NOD32 at the moment. I frequently see PCs with AVG/MSE/Avast on them with all kinds of nasties that NOD32 picks up and removes. A free AV is better than no AV, but not by a lot.	wratterus (105)
1397709	2015-04-01 04:40:00	None of the free products are a patch on NOD32 at the moment. I frequently see PCs with AVG/MSE/Avast on them with all kinds of nasties that NOD32 picks up and removes. A free AV is better than no AV, but not by a lot. Those free AV's you get what you pay for. Nothing is perfect, but the amount of PC's I see riddled with infections and most have a Free AV. Common sense goes a long way. Just finished cleaning out a W7 that had MSE originally ( got destroyed by infections), but the PC had obvious infections so the owner put in Avast .-- Found about 20 so he said. It was still obvious it was infected. Some Pictures say more than words, SO in this order: Scanned with Malware bytes - removed 450+ Scanned with JRT - about 180+ Scanned with adware remover - Another few hundred. Scanned with Hitmanpro - over 9000 infections: 6337 Ran Combofix, removed LOTS. Lastly ran Nod32 in full scan and fully armed (every possible action ticked) Nod Went nuts with active items: 6338 All the time running a full system Scan, removing a further 319: 6339 Ran another scan this morning - clean. Also ran several other antimalware programs after Nod = clean.	wainuitech (129)
1397710	2015-04-01 20:04:00	Wainui - if you want NOD to go into 'aggressive' mode, and remove everything it finds, what are the list of settings you change? I generally just go into the engine setup, and change the cleaning to 'strict' for the on demand scans, and depending on the situation, sometimes the real time protection too.	wratterus (105)
1397711	2015-04-01 20:17:00	Wainui - if you want NOD to go into 'aggressive' mode, and remove everything it finds, what are the list of settings you change? I generally just go into the engine setup, and change the cleaning to 'strict' for the on demand scans, and depending on the situation, sometimes the real time protection too. Generally those are the ones: 6340 Make sure everything is ticked in those 3 options ( red Box), as well as cleaning set to Strict. In the Advanced mode Make sure PUPS is enabled: ( this one is more aggressive- and disabled by default) it will detect some PUPS if left unticked, but tick it and then its gloves off time :devil 6341 When doing a scan for the first time I always use the Custom Scan ---- Computer Scan / Custom Scan making sure the whole drive / Folders are selected and working through the settings as above to make sure they are enabled. When setting up a weekly scan I then change to Smart Scan options. I usually do a full custom scan on my own once every month, but it never finds anything as normally items are stopped beforehand.	wainuitech (129)
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