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02-27-2016, 10:20 AM
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#1
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 860
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The FreeComputer Anti Virus Programs?
How effective can they be and should they be trusted if one never buys their program? Not meant to sound paranoid, but free ? Is it for applause?
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02-27-2016, 11:38 AM
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#2
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The Voice of Reason!
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Canandaigua, New york
Posts: 112,744
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I use AVG Free and have never had a problem.
__________________
Who does the Racing Form Detective like in this one?
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02-27-2016, 12:17 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 17,095
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I have used Avast for years without a problem.
__________________
A man's got to know his limitations. -- Dirty Harry
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02-27-2016, 01:19 PM
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#4
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 860
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Clocker
I have used Avast for years without a problem.
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Have you tried AVG at some time?
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02-27-2016, 04:33 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Central New Jersey
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Flysofree
Have you tried AVG at some time?
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AVG is a memory hog at idle and during a scan. Here is a list of most free AV programs. According to the charts halfway down the page, it looks like Avast doesn't use much memory. How effective they are, that is a different issue.
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/which-fr...emory-usage/2/
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02-27-2016, 05:58 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 600
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I used Free AVG for many years with no problems but got a bug up my butt the other day and decided (based on nothing) that something you pay for has to be better. I bought ESET Smart Security for about $40; put it on my laptop; and continue to have no problems. I haven't the foggiest idea if it is an upgrade or not!!
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02-28-2016, 09:28 AM
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#7
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: NEW YORK CITY
Posts: 3,670
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The combo Avast and Spy Bot has protected me for years... for FREE!!
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03-02-2016, 08:42 AM
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#8
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 860
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I'm using the free version of AVG and the paid for version of MalwareBytes.
AVG seems to do more that what I would think from a free system in terms of updates which require restarts. I'm very computer illiterate, but Malware Bytes (paid version) doesn't require computer restarts to to their updates. However, the "big boys", I'm referring to Microsoft often require a restart after their updates.
What I'm getting at here is it seems that AVG, goes to a lot of trouble for something that's free.
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03-02-2016, 11:21 AM
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#9
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,447
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Flysofree
I'm using the free version of AVG and the paid for version of MalwareBytes.
AVG seems to do more that what I would think from a free system in terms of updates which require restarts. I'm very computer illiterate, but Malware Bytes (paid version) doesn't require computer restarts to to their updates. However, the "big boys", I'm referring to Microsoft often require a restart after their updates.
What I'm getting at here is it seems that AVG, goes to a lot of trouble for something that's free.
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I've never had a Windows PC require a restart after updating a Microsoft Anti-Virus program (either Microsoft Security Essentials or Defender).
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03-02-2016, 11:32 AM
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#10
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 860
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Sometimes Microsoft's regular updates require a restart, not Always.
Also if you have the updates done automatically, rather than manually then you likely would never see a restart.
Last edited by Flysofree; 03-02-2016 at 11:35 AM.
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03-02-2016, 11:50 AM
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#11
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,447
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Flysofree
Sometimes Microsoft's regular updates require a restart, not Always.
Also if you have the updates done automatically, rather than manually then you likely would never see a restart.
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Well yes. Most Microsoft updates require a restart. But if you're simply updating only their anti-virus program, this never requires a restart. I guess I read you wrong.
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03-02-2016, 12:53 PM
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#12
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 16,900
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Microsoft Admits That Third-Party Antivirus Is More Effective Than MSE
http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-admi...eff-1441135677
There are more articles like this out there, where MS admits that Security Essentials is weak.
MS Defender is probably not much better.
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03-02-2016, 08:38 PM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Central New Jersey
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz
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That article is from Oct '13. Back then, it was true. But per this month's PC Pro article on the best free AV apps, they say MS Security Essentials and Defender have gotten MUCH better in the last 90 days and in the near future. Just thought I'd add my 2 cents.
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03-04-2016, 03:51 PM
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#14
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PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,447
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All I know is Windows 10 Defender is updating itself every single freakin' day with new virus signatures...getting a bit annoying, but I guess it's better than not updating itself... 
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03-04-2016, 09:58 PM
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Central New Jersey
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
All I know is Windows 10 Defender is updating itself every single freakin' day with new virus signatures...getting a bit annoying, but I guess it's better than not updating itself... |
I don't use Win10, but can't you get it to update in the background so it's transparent?
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