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I would like to have had the following summary when I was looking for my answers. Since I only read the end of the thread, please add other pertinent information.

Best AntiVirus Software
Neither interferes with K9 now.  Do not have more than one antivirus running at a time.
Free - Avast           download here
Paid - Kaspersky

Best Free Spyware
ublock                    download here for FireFox

Firewalls
Windows Firewall should be ON at all times unless your antivirus software comes with one.
If so, it will probably shut off Windows Firewall on its own.



Before following the information contained here, check the date at the bottom to make sure this wiki is relatively up to date.
 
« Last edited by srap on November 17, 2015, 01:34:37 AM »

Author Topic: Best free Anti-Virus master thread  (Read 66667 times)

Offline Work-for-ur-muny

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #220 on: May 23, 2016, 04:12:45 PM »
Does AV software effectively check zipped files for viruses, or do I have to extract them first?

Offline DanH

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #221 on: May 23, 2016, 04:44:30 PM »
Does AV software effectively check zipped files for viruses, or do I have to extract them first?
They should, unless they are password protected.
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Offline ae123

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #222 on: May 23, 2016, 08:48:36 PM »
How does BitDefender rank as a free AV?
« Last Edit: May 23, 2016, 08:51:55 PM by ae123 »

Offline sky121

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #223 on: December 13, 2016, 02:56:50 PM »
Current opinions of best free and best paid for anti virus?



Also, lately I've noticed some sites I've been going to don't have the lock near the address. DansDeals Forums included. Thoughts?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #224 on: December 13, 2016, 04:47:38 PM »
Current opinions of best free and best paid for anti virus?
The Wiki recommendations are still pretty the same IMHO. For paid Kaspersky is king, Bitdefender and Norton are runner-ups. For Free, Avast is great followed by Panda, AVG and  - again - Bitdefender.

Quote
Also, lately I've noticed some sites I've been going to don't have the lock near the address. DansDeals Forums included. Thoughts?
What it means is that someone that sees your network traffic could potentially get your username and password when you sign in. For a financial institution it is a must, as well as important sites like gmail etc. But for a mere forum, it is not really that secret and important info that this should be needed. (though it can't do any bad if the admin wants to use it, and you can nowadays get it for free www.letsencrypt.org.)

Offline sky121

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #225 on: December 13, 2016, 05:00:49 PM »
The Wiki recommendations are still pretty the same IMHO. For paid Kaspersky is king, Bitdefender and Norton are runner-ups. For Free, Avast is great followed by Panda, AVG and  - again - Bitdefender.
What it means is that someone that sees your network traffic could potentially get your username and password when you sign in. For a financial institution it is a must, as well as important sites like gmail etc. But for a mere forum, it is not really that secret and important info that this should be needed. (though it can't do any bad if the admin wants to use it, and you can nowadays get it for free www.letsencrypt.org.)

Thanks for all that. Super helpful.
"Not all who wander are lost"

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #226 on: December 13, 2016, 05:56:09 PM »
Current opinions of best free and best paid for anti virus?

My IT guy recommended Avast

Offline sruliL

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #227 on: December 14, 2016, 07:08:54 PM »
Current opinions of best free and best paid for anti virus?



Also, lately I've noticed some sites I've been going to don't have the lock near the address. DansDeals Forums included. Thoughts?

I'm actually a big fan of Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows Defender).
Life's not about doing things good, its about doing good things.

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #228 on: December 14, 2016, 07:41:38 PM »
I'm actually a big fan of Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows Defender).
If I may ask, based on what is that? I've seen more than once Defender missing viruses that the mentioned antivirus software removed right away, and all independent antivirus test show the same. (see, for instance, here from AV-TEST which had Defender at the very lowest end of the lost in rating for protection!)

Offline sruliL

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #229 on: December 14, 2016, 11:15:45 PM »
If I may ask, based on what is that? I've seen more than once Defender missing viruses that the mentioned antivirus software removed right away, and all independent antivirus test show the same. (see, for instance, here from AV-TEST which had Defender at the very lowest end of the lost in rating for protection!)
I'm still basing on Security Essentials which I thought was pretty strong. With the rollout of Windows 8 and the switch to Windows Defender I did see a degradation in quality especially not being able to schedule scans. For Windows 7 and below I stick with Security Essentials but I have considered switching to Emsisoft for 8 and above.
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Offline tec

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #230 on: March 20, 2017, 10:18:43 AM »
I had Kaspersky and recently my computer started crashing and giving a NETIO.SYS error. I uninstalled Kaspersky and it seems like (hopefully) the problem stopped. It also seems like my computer is a lot faster now. Does this make sense? Did anyone experience anything similar? Is that something to expect from any anti-virus?

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #231 on: March 20, 2017, 11:15:17 AM »
I had Kaspersky and recently my computer started crashing and giving a NETIO.SYS error. I uninstalled Kaspersky and it seems like (hopefully) the problem stopped. It also seems like my computer is a lot faster now. Does this make sense? Did anyone experience anything similar? Is that something to expect from any anti-virus?
Do you have a web filter? Sometimes they can fight with your antivirus and cause issues. Also if you have any other antivirus (eg: if your computer came with a free trial of something) you should get rid of that.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline tec

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #232 on: March 20, 2017, 11:18:25 AM »
Do you have a web filter? Sometimes they can fight with your antivirus and cause issues. Also if you have any other antivirus (eg: if your computer came with a free trial of something) you should get rid of that.
I don't think I have any other anti-virus running but I do have Livigent.

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #233 on: March 20, 2017, 11:19:38 AM »
I don't think I have any other anti-virus running but I do have Livigent.
I'll let the experts chime in, but it may be possible that your Kaspersky settings would need to be tweaked.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline tec

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #234 on: March 20, 2017, 11:20:56 AM »
I'll let the experts chime in, but it may be possible that your Kaspersky settings would need to be tweaked.
Ok thank you very much

Offline mbasar

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #235 on: March 20, 2017, 02:30:54 PM »
Technically it can work.
but you need to bypass on Kaspersky your filter/proxy ip and on Livigent you need to bypass Kaspersky (exe)

Offline DanH

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #236 on: March 20, 2017, 02:50:22 PM »
Kaspersky does slow down PC.  Same with livigent.
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Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #237 on: March 20, 2017, 09:58:04 PM »
I had Kaspersky and recently my computer started crashing and giving a NETIO.SYS error. I uninstalled Kaspersky and it seems like (hopefully) the problem stopped. It also seems like my computer is a lot faster now. Does this make sense? Did anyone experience anything similar? Is that something to expect from any anti-virus?
It is certainly (without any doubt whatsoever) Livigent's problem. I had three people with Avast and one with Bitdefender, all on Livigent, with the same exact crash. There is no need really to uninstall the whole antivirus, for me disabling (hopefully only temporarily, until they fix it) the web (for Avast)/firewall (for BD) was enough to stop the crashes.

It seems to be a new problem that they have. You should contact you filter provider (through whom do you have the Livigent? I had it with Meshimer users only) and let them know. Tell them to try making exclusions in the web/firewall protection for their IP and program file. (if they just turn it off try protesting and ask them to fix it, or at least try with exclusions, instead of just leaving you less protected because it is easier...)

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #238 on: March 20, 2017, 10:02:11 PM »
My browser (firefox) has slowed TERRIBELY since I installed gentech/livigent. I tried with other browsers too, not much luck. Does anyone else here have that experience. It also does some weird stuff.

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Re: Best free Anti-Virus master thread
« Reply #239 on: March 20, 2017, 10:04:48 PM »
My browser (firefox) has slowed TERRIBELY since I installed gentech/livigent. I tried with other browsers too, not much luck. Does anyone else here have that experience. It also does some weird stuff.
Please (not just you, as a general suggestion and read this threads wiki...) be descriptive when you write a problem, so people could even attempt helping you. No one could know what "does some weird stuff" means, describe what those weird stuff are.