Need Help From Your Computer Guys

[indianafrank]

I know there are a few of you who could answer this question.
I've had AVG Free antivirus software for years. It was great! The past year it's nothing but a headache. AVG has it's own popups, continuously, and is notorious for asking me to update to a paid version.
Is there a good, free antivirus software?
I still use Windows 7.
Thanks in advance!

 

[bonanzadriver]

Look into Bitdefender for virus scans and Malwarebyte for anti-malware

 

[kanse]

I use Avira, not sure if it's any good, but certainly does not even remind me of itself.

 

[pagan]

look up/google Microsoft Security Essentials, free for Microsoft, worked on my old system, Windows 7 and on the new Edge OS

 

[deathmetal]

Microsoft Security Essentials

I would use this, but more importantly:
1. Use a safe browser. I still like Firefox because Chrome is a memory hog.

2. Use a safe email. Gmail and other services filter out most hostile attachments.

3. Update your OpSec: never run any file you find on anything but a reputable site, never run any attachment sent to you in email, view suspicious Word/Excel documents through an online viewer like Google Docs.

4. Lock down your router and disable non-essential internet-based services on your computer.
You want a blackhole portscan for everything under 1024 at a minimum, and no devices exposed to the internet with file sharing enabled.
This will eliminate 99% of your problems. For NSA hacks, Mossad black ops teams, Russian fuzzy bear hackers and /pol/ you will need to go deeper.

 

[indianafrank]

Microsoft Security Essentials

Thanks! I'll look into it.
[/quote]Use a safe browser. I still like Firefox because Chrome is a memory hog.

deathmetal, I use Firefox...but what do you mean by this?

Update your OpSec

and

You want a blackhole portscan for everything under 1024 at a minimum

Thanks again,

 

[madox07]

Avast antivirus, free version works great for me!

 

[fishnbanjo]

+1 on Avast free version, when AVG became a memory hog I ditched it and tried Avast and it uses very little memory, turn on when an email is opened and off when it's closed gets high marks with me.

banjo

 

[derfargin]

Another for Avast

 

[balkisobrains]

If you are on Windows 7, the machine is almost assuredly still vulnerable online, despite any anti-virus software that you may be running. Your best bet is stepping up to at a Win8.1 machine, or, if you have to, a Win10 machine. I would try to go with Win8.1, although that may be harder to find loaded on a brand-new machine. If you're on 8.1 just make sure to be running the built-in Microsoft antivirus and the scan, use Firefox or Chrome as your browser, turn on their built-in pop-up blockers, keep everything updated, and you should be good. Pretty safe bet that the add-on antivirus program that you are running is basically adware before it is anything else. Once you are on 8.1 and a browser with a good built-in blocker, you shouldn't need to run any add-on Anti-anything.

 

[indianafrank]

Ok, thanks all for the information.
I tried to download Microsoft Security Essentials, but after 3 hours of still downloading I gave up.
I installed bitdefender with no problem and will see how that works out.
As for Avast? I want nothing to do with them. They purchased AVG which became a nightmare after 10 years of use.
I want nothing to do with any company involved with AVG.
I have enough problems keeping my insanity sane.

 

[instymp]

What Deathmetal said & update to Windows 10.

 

[jvnshr]

I use Avira, not sure if it's any good, but certainly does not even remind me of itself.

+1 on Avira, it is good and free.

 

[captpat]

+1 bitdefender

 

[warren]

My computer guy, a girl actually, charged me $25.00 (hourly rate), to tell me Essentials is very good. I pass it on free. I raised my daughter, the professional "tech", to value a dollar. Gotta love her!
She further advised me that most of the free programs are stripped down and not so good on the updates. That advice came free.

 

[cossackjack]

Avoid AVAST! like the plague. It has falsely flagged non-malware several times in the past few years. The latest boondoggle cost me hours of work tracking down the false positives. Avast false positives for VBS:malware-gen.

Thankfully no critical files were mistakenly quarantined/removed.
I deleted AVAST!, & now use M$ Security software.
+1 for Bitdefender (for both Windoze & Mac)
- ∞ for M$ & Windoze (only use the latter for my wife to run QuickBooks - another yuck!)

 

[dmcmtk]

Using firefox install Add on Adblock Plus. It's very easy and works very well.