A good free antivirus?

Luvian · 07-12-2005, 10:18 AM

My Norton Expired, and I decided to give a try to one of those free antivirus I keep hearing about. Anyone know of a good one?

RoSs_bg2_rox · 07-12-2005, 10:41 AM

AVG antivirus is probably the best out there. Get it from www.grisoft.com

Lady Sedai · 07-12-2005, 10:43 AM

I'll second that.

My hubby (the computer "guru"

) swears by AVG. [img]smile.gif[/img]

We have it at home, he put it on my mother's computers AND he switched his employer's computers (about 40) over to AVG.

Larry_OHF · 07-12-2005, 11:51 AM

People here on IW also use Avast, and that is the one I picked up.

dplax · 07-12-2005, 12:05 PM

I would suggest Avast. It has daily virus database updates (sometimes even more than 1 update per day), it has kept me clean for quite a long time now. It has a free or a paying version, with the free one being quite sufficient also. It also uses less memory in my experience as AVG (used that before Avast) and scans faster.

Bungleau · 07-12-2005, 03:37 PM

I use AVG on my machines, but I haven't done a real comparison like dplax appears to have done [img]smile.gif[/img]

I know some folks also use Panda (and I don't know the URL

).

Bozos of Bones · 07-12-2005, 05:57 PM

I have now done a full comparison between Avast! and AVG, both latest versions.
Avast took thirty seven minutes to scan approximately 130GB of hard drive space. On a Barton 2500+ the taken processor time was around 25-45, and in an empty WindowsXP the usage is 5-10%. The Page File Usage was around 530 MB, against the usual 490MB, and it took about fifty or so MB of RAM.
AVG took twenty two minutes to perform the check on the same hard drive. Note that during the first test AVG has been unloaded, so he could not have learnt from avast's scans. The processor usage was between 40 and 65%, page file 550 or so and about 80 MB of RAM was used for it.
On one of my drives I have a secured and hidden folder with compressed tools, viruses, trojans, worms and whatnot, a total of 17 malware programs. I use it to grade antivirus programs. So far, not one AV program has managed to find all of them. Avast didn't find any of them, whereas AVG finds 4. And they both picked up a small worm I recently got off a friend's hard drive.
AVG seems to be the bigger gun.

StigTC · 07-13-2005, 07:07 AM

Well just to add a third option, (and because I'd kinda like for Bozos to test this one) I'm gonna recommend www.free-av.com. It's called Antivir and I think I've recommended it to some of you before in the now dead chat channel.

Bozos of Bones · 07-13-2005, 07:42 AM

I remember having Antivir for a while, a while back. Can't remember how good/bad it was. I'll test it later.

Bungleau · 07-13-2005, 07:59 AM

Bozos is my new AV testing god...

07-12-2005, 10:18 AM	#1
Luvian Ironworks Moderator Join Date: June 27, 2001 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Age: 44 Posts: 6,763	My Norton Expired, and I decided to give a try to one of those free antivirus I keep hearing about. Anyone know of a good one? __________________ Once upon a time in Canada...

07-12-2005, 10:41 AM	#2
RoSs_bg2_rox Zartan Join Date: May 20, 2003 Location: Near Aberdeen, Scotland Age: 36 Posts: 5,225	AVG antivirus is probably the best out there. Get it from www.grisoft.com __________________ [img]\"http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/ladyzekke/dragonwater2.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

07-12-2005, 11:51 AM	#4
Larry_OHF Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Midlands, South Carolina Age: 49 Posts: 14,759	People here on IW also use Avast, and that is the one I picked up. __________________

07-12-2005, 12:05 PM	#5
dplax Jack Burton Join Date: July 19, 2003 Location: an expat living in France Age: 39 Posts: 5,577	I would suggest Avast. It has daily virus database updates (sometimes even more than 1 update per day), it has kept me clean for quite a long time now. It has a free or a paying version, with the free one being quite sufficient also. It also uses less memory in my experience as AVG (used that before Avast) and scans faster. __________________

07-12-2005, 03:37 PM	#6
Bungleau 40th Level Warrior Join Date: October 29, 2001 Location: Western Wilds of Michigan Posts: 11,752	I use AVG on my machines, but I haven't done a real comparison like dplax appears to have done [img]smile.gif[/img] I know some folks also use Panda (and I don't know the URL ). __________________ B Save Early, Save Often Save Before, Save After Two-Star General, Spelling Soldiers -+-+-+ Give 'em a hug one more time. It might be the last.

07-12-2005, 10:43 AM	#3
Lady Sedai Banned User Join Date: May 21, 2004 Location: Hiram\'s lap Age: 56 Posts: 334	I'll second that. My hubby (the computer "guru" ) swears by AVG. [img]smile.gif[/img] We have it at home, he put it on my mother's computers AND he switched his employer's computers (about 40) over to AVG.

07-12-2005, 05:57 PM	#7
Bozos of Bones Apophis Join Date: July 29, 2003 Location: The Underdark cavern of Zagreb Age: 38 Posts: 4,679	I have now done a full comparison between Avast! and AVG, both latest versions. Avast took thirty seven minutes to scan approximately 130GB of hard drive space. On a Barton 2500+ the taken processor time was around 25-45, and in an empty WindowsXP the usage is 5-10%. The Page File Usage was around 530 MB, against the usual 490MB, and it took about fifty or so MB of RAM. AVG took twenty two minutes to perform the check on the same hard drive. Note that during the first test AVG has been unloaded, so he could not have learnt from avast's scans. The processor usage was between 40 and 65%, page file 550 or so and about 80 MB of RAM was used for it. On one of my drives I have a secured and hidden folder with compressed tools, viruses, trojans, worms and whatnot, a total of 17 malware programs. I use it to grade antivirus programs. So far, not one AV program has managed to find all of them. Avast didn't find any of them, whereas AVG finds 4. And they both picked up a small worm I recently got off a friend's hard drive. AVG seems to be the bigger gun. __________________ MAKE LOVE, NOT SPAM!

07-13-2005, 07:07 AM	#8
StigTC Avatar Join Date: September 15, 2002 Location: Denmark Age: 44 Posts: 513	Well just to add a third option, (and because I'd kinda like for Bozos to test this one) I'm gonna recommend www.free-av.com. It's called Antivir and I think I've recommended it to some of you before in the now dead chat channel. __________________ One fine day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight, <br />Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other. <br />The deaf policeman heard the noise, and came and shot those two dead boys. <br />If you don\'t believe this joke is true, ask the blind man, he saw it too!

07-13-2005, 07:42 AM	#9
Bozos of Bones Apophis Join Date: July 29, 2003 Location: The Underdark cavern of Zagreb Age: 38 Posts: 4,679	I remember having Antivir for a while, a while back. Can't remember how good/bad it was. I'll test it later. __________________ MAKE LOVE, NOT SPAM!

07-13-2005, 07:59 AM	#10
Bungleau 40th Level Warrior Join Date: October 29, 2001 Location: Western Wilds of Michigan Posts: 11,752	Bozos is my new AV testing god... __________________ B Save Early, Save Often Save Before, Save After Two-Star General, Spelling Soldiers -+-+-+ Give 'em a hug one more time. It might be the last.

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