I recently got a virus. (Luckily, I was able to perform a System Restore), and it seems that got rid of it, but this virus was really bad (wouldn't let me open anything), so I'm wondering what a good anti-virus software is, that's free.

Any help is appreciated

I have used AVAST for several years now and it is GREAT!!! At least once a day I hear "your virus database has been updated" from my computer and it has fired off a siren with a WARNING screen and allowd me to back out of the infected download without damage. Best virus detection program around. go to http://www.avast.com
and try it you'll love it.

Kasperski is one of my favorites. I'm not sure if it is still free, but it was when I downloaded it. This obviously isn't the solution to everything, but make sure you trust the source of every file you download and run regular scans.

I've been using AVG for a lot of years and I'm very satisfied with it

I use Avira. Never had any problems.


-Widding

I use Microsoft Security Essentials. If you have a Windows computer with a genuine copy of Windows, it is totally free and the best out there.

Yup, That's what I used and its been great so far.

Where do I download it?


I actually just downloaded Avira earlier. Does it scan and update and everything, automatically?


Have you had any serious threats? I just recently deleted AVG, and I don't know, but that might have been why I got the virus.


Yeah, I've heard it's one of the best, but I'm pretty sure you have to pay for it now.

AVG for sure. My dad fixes computers for a living and I worked with him for a bit and we both recommend AVG and all the customers get AVG put on their machines. It's great.

From my experience I second the suggestion for Avira. Once you install it, have it run a scan and then adjust the preferences, updates, etc. to your liking. It will watch for viruses, malicious websites and keep malware/spyware out too. What's nice about Avira is that while it runs in the background it uses the smallest amount of memory resources. It also installs an option so that one may right-click on a file to individually scan it.

I was annoyed with AVG last time I tried it, cause it always asks you to upgrade to full version. With Avira you never notice it's there. It just works.


-Widding

I'm not entirely sure which version you've been using but it has never asked me that. As well as AVG, get Malwarebytes.

AVG never asked me to upgrade to the full version, I'm not even sure that there is a full version, I'm pretty sure that the version that costs money is for someone whos going to use the program with a lot of computers like a company or something, correct me if I'm wrong

Why would I say it if there wasn't? If you go to AVG you see "download free version" and there is an "upgrade from free" option...

-Widding

If AVG hasn't asked be patient, it will. The newer versions are more aggressive in their sales pitch than the older versions. You have to be careful getting the free one as the more prominent link on their site goes to their free "trial" which you eventually have to pay for. For a while, I couldn't even find the free one on their site, having to go to downloads.com and getting it there instead.

I've used both the free and the paid versions of AVG. The paid one gives you more "real time" features, previewing websites for bad code and catching viruses and trojans as they arrive rather than waiting until the next scheduled scan.

Personally? I use the free one.