Free Anti-Virus Software

[PDXnative]

(This is not spam, just info from a happy user who likes free stuff)

If anyone is looking for a really good and FREE anti-virus program, you should check out AVG. And, for those of you already using AVG and your version expired today, you can still get the upgrade for free. Here is the link:

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

I have been using this program for years. Really Good, and free!!!! Norton and McAfee suck butt!!!! Don't use those programs for anything. They are a serious resource hog and will only slow your computer down.

[kimbercuddles]

Excellent info, PDX...we've had AVG for the last five years and love it. My brother-in-law, who is a computer whiz, claims that it is one of the best anti-virus programs out there.

[T.S.]

I have been using AVG Free Edition for years also.

[Panterro]

I use AVG as well.. didnt they go pay only now?

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by Panterro

I use AVG as well.. didnt they go pay only now?

No, they did discontinue updates and support for an old version, but there is still a new free version.

[deeptrance]

Well, aren't we just the big fan club!

I never knew about AVG until I had computer problems last year, took my computer to PC Guru in south Austin, and a young wild-looking Goth/hipster woman removed a bunch of my software and replaced it with stuff that works better, uses less RAM, doesn't interfere with other processes, etc. AVG was part of the package. I had been using McAfee and she torched that and told me not to use their products! Fine with me, saves me about $40 a year on renewal licenses.

I recently added Zone Alarm --- does anyone have an opinion about that vs. other firewall programs?

[scirocco22]

Hey PDX ...or anybody else, what version is the newest?

I've also used AVG for years. But when I went to update it, it seems like it's the same version I've had for quite awhile now.

Is the newest 7.5.441? ...I thought I had that before. Or maybe it was 7.5.411, could that have been it and the newest is .441?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by deeptrance

Well, aren't we just the big fan club!

I never knew about AVG until I had computer problems last year, took my computer to PC Guru in south Austin, and a young wild-looking Goth/hipster woman removed a bunch of my software and replaced it with stuff that works better, uses less RAM, doesn't interfere with other processes, etc. AVG was part of the package. I had been using McAfee and she torched that and told me not to use their products! Fine with me, saves me about $40 a year on renewal licenses.

I recently added Zone Alarm --- does anyone have an opinion about that vs. other firewall programs?

Zone Alarm, my thoughts: I used it at one time but a few people told me that the Windows firewall (I use PCs) was sufficient. Zone Alarm, I was told by several, was just as you described Norton and McAfee as being, resource-eating programs working in the background and just fouling up and slowing down your computer. That's why I eventually stopped using it. Anybody else concur? If anybody has a good argument for using the free version of ZA, please inform ...I could always be convinced to go back to using it.

Thanks.

--'rocco

[Panterro]

Get ad-aware se. It works great with AVG.. I run it every couple weeks or right after I do a defrag.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

Hey PDX ...or anybody else, what version is the newest?

I've also used AVG for years. But when I went to update it, it seems like it's the same version I've had for quite awhile now.

Is the newest 7.5.441? ...I thought I had that before. Or maybe it was 7.5.411, could that have been it and the newest is .441?

Thanks.

--'rocco

7.5.441 is the newest.

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by T.S.

7.5.441 is the newest.

Thanx, T.S.

Originally Posted by Panterro

Get ad-aware se. It works great with AVG.. I run it every couple weeks or right after I do a defrag.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

I used to use that. I don't know why I discontinued using it. I'll look into trying it again. Thanx, Panterro.




--'rocco

[Panterro]

No problem.. I fnd it helps me getrid of any thing that sneaks by AVG. =)

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

Zone Alarm, my thoughts: I used it at one time but a few people told me that the Windows firewall (I use PCs) was sufficient.

Does Windows Firewall work as well with Firefox? I tend to lack confidence in Windows products even though I've always been a PC guy and never an Applehead.

I use AdAware and Spybot. Spybot doesn't catch anything these days because I'm running AVG spyware blocker along with AVG antivirus. AVG seems to rock.

One more question about firewalls --- my techie friends tell me that software firewalls aren't very effective, especially for people like me who use cable modems. I'm on Time Warner Cable and they have 50 users per node. From what I've been told, any other user within that node can easily hack my system if they're technically competent. Is there a way to block this type of activity?

And one last question about aardvarks --- did they choose to spell their name with two a's just to get a higher placement in the Yellow Pages?

[Spokanite]

Thanks for the link to AVG - I had not heard of it before seeing this post. It's up and running on my PC and not keeping everything else from lagging along like the last one I tried. It found a virus that I didn't know about either...so thanks, PDX!

[kimbercuddles]

Originally Posted by Panterro

Get ad-aware se. It works great with AVG.. I run it every couple weeks or right after I do a defrag.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

More excellent advice, Panterro...I've been using that for a few years, also.

[kdm31091]

AVG is nice. If you have a pretty newish computer, try Avast as well.

www.avast.com < There is a free and paid version.

The detection is about the same (Avast sometimes a little better), but I think Avast is prettier.