Good free AV?

[TheNiceGuy]

I have used KAV in the past, and was happy with it. However, I have to watch my budget this year and am looking for a decent free AV.
What's your pick?

 

[mechBgon]

Try AOL Kaspersky, which is a "lite" version of KAV6 and is free for home users. Skip the optional security toolbar during installation (you'll see where you can uncheck the box).

I tried it, half-expecting to have AOL Instant Messenger and a billion AOL icons scattered across my system. But there is no extra AOL junk packaged with it (so far). It's conceivable they could send you Spam, so use your Spam email address to register.

 

[tennisflip]

Avira AntiVir® PersonalEdition Classic

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: tennisflip
Avira AntiVir® PersonalEdition Classic

That's my choice :thumbsup:

 

[LouPoir]

Antivir or AVG - both excellent and free

 

[Kriz]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try AOL Kaspersky, which is a "lite" version of KAV6 and is free for home users. Skip the optional security toolbar during installation (you'll see where you can uncheck the box).

I tried it, half-expecting to have AOL Instant Messenger and a billion AOL icons scattered across my system. But there is no extra AOL junk packaged with it (so far). It's conceivable they could send you Spam, so use your Spam email address to register.

AOL Kaspersky (also called Active Virus Shield) is the way to go.

I just set mine to check for updates every hour. why? because it can.

 

[Wellcky]

Here's the AVG Free 7.5 Link.

 

[John]

I keep experiencing Deja Vu when I see these threads. You'll find personal opinions, reviews, and much more in both of these threads.

Best windows antivirus software?

Best anti-virus software for Win XP SP2?

 

[flexy]

John, yes

But he said "free". I'd agree and say AVG or Antivir....bad sadly all those have "good" detection rates but not "excellent" compared to the best commercial ones out there. Then you might consider to judge whether spending money on a good commercial one wouldn't be actually worth it.
If a (free) checker knows 90% of all threats...this still means that once in a while you might get infected, compared to a 99% or 100% detection rate.....which (IMHO) makes running a lower-percentage rate AV program worthless !

 

[John]

My links contain a plethora of comments on Free AV software. You've also got the Consolidated Security Thread sticky at the top of this forum. The best free AV available is AOL Active Virus Shield (Kaspersky 6 lite) which has identical detection rates as the pay version. Since some people (not directed exclusively to you) have trouble clicking links that reference similar discussion info I'll paste this from a previous thread.

virus.gr just published their August 2006 Comparative tests of antivirus programs.

http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82

Rank

1. Kaspersky version 6.0.0.303 - 99.62%
2. Active Virus Shield by AOL version 6.0.0.299 - 99.62% <---- AOL FTW!
3. F-Secure 2006 version 6.12.90 - 96.86%
4. BitDefender Professional version 9 - 96.63%
5. CyberScrub version 1.0 - 95.98%
6. eScan version 8.0.671.1 - 95.82%
7. BitDefender freeware version 8.0.202 - 95.57%
8. BullGuard version 6.1 - 95.57%
9. AntiVir Premium version 7.01.01.02 - 95.45%
10. Nod32 version 2.51.30 - 95.14%
11. AntiVir Classic version 7.01.01.02 - 94.26%
12. ViruScape 2006 version 1.02.0935.0137 - 93.87%
13. McAfee version 10.0.27 - 93.03%
14. McAfee Enterprise version 8.0.0 - 91.76%
15. F-Prot version 6.0.4.3 beta - 87.88%
16. Avast Professional version 4.7.871 - 87.46%
17. Avast freeware version 4.7.871 - 87.46%
18. Dr. Web version 4.33.2 - 86.03%
19. Norman version 5.90.23 - 85.65%
20. F-Prot version 3.16f - 85.14%
21. ArcaVir 2006 - 83.44%
22. Norton Professional 2006 - 83.18%
23. AVG Professional version 7.1.405 - 82.82%
24. AVG freeware version 7.1.405 - 82.82%
25. Panda 2007 version 2.00.01 - 82.23%
26. Virus Chaser version 5.0a - 81.47%
27. PC-Cillin 2006 version 14.10.1051 - 80.90%
28. VBA32 version 3.11.0 - 79.12%
29. ViRobot Expert version 4.0 - 76.22%
30. UNA version 1.83 - 75.44%
31. Rising AV version 18.41.30 - 73.60%
32. Sophos Sweep version 6.0.2 - 69.48%
33. Ikarus version 5.19 - 63.22%
34. Antiy Ghostbusters version 5.1.3 - 61.55%
35. Digital Patrol version 5.00.12 - 54.29%
36. Vexira 2006 version 5.002.45 - 52.66%
37. V3Pro 2004 version 6.1.1.2.640 - 52.38%
38. Ewido Premium version 4.0.0.172 - 51.27%
39. Ewido freeware version 4.0.0.172 - 51.27%
40. ClamWin version 0.88.4 - 51.23%
41. E-Trust version 7.2.0.0 - 50.36%
42. ZoneAlarm with VET Antivirus version 6.5.722.000 - 44.65%
43. A Squared Anti-Malware version 2.0 - 43.28%
44. A Squared Free version 2.0 - 43.28%
45. Zondex Guard version 5.4.2 - 41.73%
46. Comodo version 1.0.0.4 - 41.02%
47. Solo 4.0 version 3.1.0 - 40.83%
48. Protector Plus version 7.2.H03 - 37.04%
49. Quick Heal version 8.00 - 33.66%
50. PC Door Guard version 4.2.0.35- 24.13%
51. AntiTrojan Shield version 2.1.0.14 - 24.11%
52. VirIT version 6.1.9 - 21.39%
53. Trojan Hunter version 4.2.924 - 13.44%
54. Trojan Remover version 6.5.1 - 8.00%
55. Tauscan version 1.70.1414 - 7.70%
56. The Cleaner version 4.2.4319 - 6.03%
57. Hacker Eliminator version 1.2 - 1.70%
58. Abacre version 1.4 - 0.00% <---- wtf?

Sure virus.gr is only once independent review site, but if you search for other independent reviews you find Kaspersky (arguably) offers the best detection and removal. AOL simply gives it to you for free.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try AOL Kaspersky, which is a "lite" version of KAV6 and is free for home users. Skip the optional security toolbar during installation (you'll see where you can uncheck the box).

I tried it, half-expecting to have AOL Instant Messenger and a billion AOL icons scattered across my system. But there is no extra AOL junk packaged with it (so far). It's conceivable they could send you Spam, so use your Spam email address to register.

I want to try this, but been waiting two hours for a license key.

 

[John]

Jnetty99, go back to the link and use a different email address and/or check your spam filter. I just now submitted one of my gmail addresses and received a code instantly.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: John
Jnetty99, go back to the link and use a different email address and/or check your spam filter. I just now submitted one of my gmail addresses and received a code instantly.

i did but nothing happenning

 

[John]

I find that odd to say the least. I went ahead and PM'ed you a key.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: John
I find that odd to say the least. I went ahead and PM'ed you a key.

I know its weird, I tried to email addresses and checked my spam folder and nothing.

Thanks for the key.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Thanks so much!
I'll give it a go with the KAV.

 

[Albatross]

Originally posted by: John


Rank


58. Abacre version 1.4 - 0.00% <---- wtf?

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[TheNiceGuy]

I know its weird, I tried to email addresses and checked my spam folder and nothing.

I had the same issue after changing my ISP. So I susspect the ISP has its own built-in filter. I applied about 10 times though, and 1 pass finally got through! Good luck.

 

[Lemon law]

To albatross,

Some of the items in test list posted by John are not even advertised as full fledged active anti-virus apps--they are more in the antispyware class---but because they do some limited trojans and viruses---they were tested anyway.---and as we can all see---they are not very good for passive anti-virus scans---but may do a very good job with spyware threats. Others are billed as anti-trojan only.

But its important to understand that one can have only one active anti-virus app on your system at a given time---if you have two or more they will conflict---and by active---I mean it monitors whats going in and out while your computer is working---and will hopefully block an incoming virus or trojan before it can install.---and stop viruses and trojans from hitching a free ride out as you e-mail friends.--or in other outgoing traffic.

But in the huge malware universe---anti-virus apps do only a limited subset of the worst of the worst malware---usually just viruses, trojans, and worms--and have more than a full plate already---the lesser malware---which can be equally damaging in different ways---are left to other applications in the spyware type class.---which #43 on the list is just one example of.---and they are by in large passive---they remove after the fact---so you can have a large number of them on your system at the same time.

 

[beggerking]

not true.. I have multiple antivirus softwares installed. Currently AVG and Avast..
When a virus is detected by both software, both will pop up messages to either repair, delete, quarentine... There is no conflict...

 

[Lemon law]

To beggerking,

What I am citing is the conventional wisdom---only one active AV at a time---but I will let others debate you on that.

But lets see--you are using avast---at a 87.46% detection rate---and AVG with a 82.82% detection rate. And chances are that the 10%+ not contained in current definitions overlap---so you would probably do as well with just avast-------but when you have a miss rate of .38% with AOL Kaspersky---compared to a miss rate of 12.54% with avast----thats 33 times the miss rate---maybe
you think that means nothing---but it sure does impress me.

 

[beggerking]

Originally posted by: Lemon law

But lets see--you are using avast---at a 87.46% detection rate---and AVG with a 82.82% detection rate. And chances are that the 10%+ not contained in current definitions overlap---so you would probably do as well with just avast-------but when you have a miss rate of .38% with AOL Kaspersky---compared to a miss rate of 12.54% with avast----thats 33 times the miss rate---maybe
you think that means nothing---but it sure does impress me.

Umm.. I never understood why some of you get so defensive of AOL Kaspersky..

I know AOL is the best and it has been the best for the past few years..

What I'm suggesting here, is the that mutliple active scanners can work to better protect your system better. Maybe AOL + something else might give you 100% ?


btw, your overlap calculation is flawed... how did you calculate your 10% chance not overlapping etc?.. its not really based on anything..

 

[Lemon law]

To beggerking,

Who asks---btw, your overlap calculation is flawed... how did you calculate your 10% chance not overlapping etc?.. its not really based on anything..

Short answer--I didn't calculate anything---maybe that would have been more clear if I had written
a 12.46 to 17.18% miss rate.

But I think I know the argument you are trying to make---suppose we have a block wall--a 100 by 100 blocks---and at random--on one side of the wall--someone sprays a red dot on 8,756 blocks.
And at random someone sprays a blue dot on 8,282 blocks---chances are--215 out of 10,000 blocks will have no paint on either side.---we might be surprised if we got exactly 215---but if we repeated the exersize many times---that should be the mean. Now if we add a dot on another side so we have a three way filter---we could get that 215 down to just 32 with a 85 % coverage---or a 15% miss rate. Add another dot and almost no block in this experiment will have no paint on any of the four sides.

Except malware writers don't conform to that polite thought experiment rule---and going by some knowledge and a gut guess---I am saying the same viruses missed by Avast will be missed by the even lamer AVG.---and that is somewhat borne out by your past posts---when you say--when one triggers---both trigger---and what is unknown is how much is getting by when neither triggers.

 

[kilroo]

I am about as far from expert on this as you can get, but...regarding that "conventional wisdom" about running more than one antivirus...I'm fairly certain I once came across an article written by someone who may or may not have known his stuff, but sounded as if he did, in which it was asserted that MOST antivirus programs (meaning active protection...hopefully on-demand scanners shouldn't have problems unless you run them at the same time) probably shouldn't be run simultaneously, but because of certain differences in their approaches, Avast and AVG get along well together.

So...overlapping any other combination might not be that wise. I have no solid evidence one way or another to present though.

I think the article -implied- that the reason the two worked together was because one or the other used an unusual approach that wouldn't get in the way of most others, or something, so IF what I'm remembering is correct and IF the article was correct, one of those two might theoretically play nicely with other programs as well. I seem to recall at one point having AVG and Antivir running sideby side and not having any problems that I knew about, which may or may not mean anything.