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Introduction
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Antivirus software provides an essential layer of protection from a multitude of virus, trojan, worm, spyware, adware, dialer, keylogger and rootkit infections. Traditionally antivirus programs just detected viruses and spyware removers just detected spyware but nowadays the boundary between antivirus and spyware removers is unclear. Most current antiviruses have at least reasonably good detection rates of all forms of malware. Malware includes viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, dialers, keyloggers and rootkit threats that perform malicious activities on a computer. With the huge increase in malware, antivirus software cannot keep up with detecting all of it. But using more than one real-time antivirus uses much more system resources, can cause conflicts and even reduce protection. So I recommend you only choose one antivirus for real-time protection. Instead, you can increase your protection using other security software. I looked at several free antivirus programs which are vital in protecting your computer from virus threats and other types of malware. |
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Discussion
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First, AntiVir does not include web or e-mail scanning capabilities; this is only available in the paid version. The lack of an e-mail scanner is not really a disadvantage, it just means that AntiVir won't warn you of infected emails before you open them. But should you open an infected email, AntiVir will still spring into action, so it doesn't mean that you're not protected from email-based infections. Second, AntiVir has advertisements that appear with every update, although you can disable these ads. Finally, AntiVir has a time-limited license. It is renewable, but be aware that you'll have to periodically go through the hoops. Although AntiVir had signature updating problems in the past this seems to be fixed now.
Microsoft Security Essentials is the best choice for average users because of the minimal user interaction required. It automatically updates and removes threats. No registration is needed, apart from a quick validating of Windows, and there are no nag screens or advertisements. The main downsides are the slow scan speeds and the lengthy amount of time it takes to quarantine malware. MSE also is not available in certain countries so users there will have to look elsewhere. Note that Microsoft Security Essentials requires a genuine copy of Windows to install.
These free antivirus programs are excellent software that provide a real alternative to the major commerical antivirus products. You can increase your protection if you run on-demand scans with another antivirus. On-demand scans can be run regularly to check for viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, rootkits and other malware that may have been missed by your main antivirus scanner. If you have a good preventive security strategy in place, however, the extra protection an on-demand antivirus scanner offers is minimal. You can also use one of the free antiviruses mentioned above as an on-demand antivirus scanner. One advantage is that you can set scheduled scans if you wish. Avira AntiVir Personal Edition: During the install, under "Choose Installation Type" select "Custom", and under "Install Components" untick "AntiVir Guard". Avast! Home Edition: During the install, under "Configuration" select "Custom", and untick all the items under "Resident Protection". AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition: In the interface, open the "Resident Shield Component" and untick "Resident Shield Active".
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition deserves a special mention because it is so popular. Although this venerable antivirus was once highly regarded, I feel that in recent times, although it is not bad, it is not comparable to the above mentioned free antivirus software. It has grown considerably in size and resource usage, has very slow scan speeds and also advertisements (but they can be disabled). I'll also mention several popular free antivirus programs which I considered but did not include in the review because of low detection rates.
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Please rate this article
Would like to see the links to av-test updated since thats results from 2008-2009 when we are in 2010. also Pc-Mag isn't trusted but we have their link on our site for what? I see that more people are needed on TSA Midnightcowboy is only one person and can't seem to keep up with the demand of everyone.
I'm not aware of any newer AV-Test results which I missed, if I did please provide a link and I'll add it in the review, thanks. I don't see a link to PC-Mag in the review.
There are more staff here than Midnight cowboy. 2010 just started and there has not been very many major new Independent Testing done yet...Patience please...
Around another 85 at the last count, and all trying to do their best with the time available.
Its time to reconsider Avast as TOP CHOICE... AVIRA isn't up to the task of being reliable anymore. what kinda av isn't going to offer updates. You know it would do them some good to add automatic updates so there wouldn't be any issues. I just don't see how having high false positives and ad's with every update is a top choice. Avast has some ad's about upgrading but they aren't intrusive like avira. I'd never buy avira or use it even if given to me for life. They have issues that I just think shouldn't be had by a security software provider. If you can't trust your computer software where does that leave you? Avast is top pick version 5 is the best possible protection you can get for free. It only lacks a firewall spam protection and a sandbox from the paid version and might very well be on par now with avira's detection rates. What else has to be done to by pass avira with the unreliable updates and high false positives. I've wanted avast on top now for a number of years. My top picks would be avast, MSE, and panda cloud av with USB vaccine. I think its time to separate free av into realtime protection and on demand scan cause A-squared is taking up a valuable spot on this page and I notice its the only on demand scanner listed.
If it helps any Cnet's Download.com has already ranked Avast 5 as the best free anti-malware on the market right now. Before that it was avira and before that it was avg free for a long time. If Cnet can state that avast is the best out right now why is it not mentioned anywhere else. Cnet is a good site and has a good reputation.
Different sites rate programs in different ways. Some are so heavily biased in favour of commercial software that it's obvious, and others are just the opinions of one person as in PC Mag, or here at TSA. The fact is, there is no "best" AV solution for everyone. So many other criteria come into play such as how it's configured, firewall settings, browser choice, browser protection software and where on the web you surf to. There never has been a single solution which you can install and surf all over the web with impunity, and there never will be. I appreciate that many users must find the abundance of published tests confusing because it's not easy to assess how and if any of these might be relevant to your own circumstances. Looking at pure detection rates, I think that any of the programs consistently appearing in the top group at AV_Comparatives are worthy of consideration. Which ever one you like most, and can understand the easiest, will be the one to serve you best.
http://www.av-comparatives.org/
How about Panda Cloud Antivirus. Using Panda Cloud Antivirus connects to Collective Intelligence in real-time and new viruses can be taken care of in 6 minutes instead of 48 days. Well im not an expert but it seems like a better type than the rest.
PCA scored very high on AV-Test's result, but I would like to wait until some results from AV-Comparatives as well come out before including it. In my view, there's really no rush to add generally untested products, when there are such reliable alternatives, which have proven detection rates.
Id like to see a review of Panda Cloud from techsupport. Seen 2 sites so far that recommend, including the one below.
Forgot to include the Panda link http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/
I have used AVG for a while now and it's the best! It has linkscanner technology to tell you which sites are safe to visit and which are not. If a virus tries to get on your computer, it automatically blocks it by webshield and you can be at rest. Overall, I would prefer AVG more than any other ones simply because it's convenient and reliable.
AVG? Did you try the other free AV choices and then come to that conclusion? Did you read the posts reviews and tests here and elsewhere?
You should review Rising AV free edition.
I have had no problems at all with the new Avast! 5 works like a charm and is now probably the best free AV out there. I didn't install over the old 4.8. I completely uninstalled the 4.8 and then ran two registry scans to make sure it was completely removed. Then off to Cnet and installed the new Avast 5 and that was on the 2nd day it was released. It has been 100% reliable and updates at least twice a day. I believe the problem people are having is with installing over the old 4.8. You should uninstall manually 1st because there is a restart and run a registry scan so you can cleanly install the new 5 version. Hope that helps
I like and use Avast and agree with you to a point. Some machines have problems running Avast because of a few bugs in Avast itself that need fixing. I'm talking about a few geek's who know their security software and their machines...
Please review prevx
prevx is just a scanner not a full free av so I doubt it will get a review here. The detection rate is very good though in the high 90's at least.
My input: I've been a loyal user of Avast for about 5 years. It's served me well, and I've always appreciated it's easy installation, simple operation, and, of course, the price--free. The latest version, though, has caused me nothing but grief. I installed it over the existing v 4.x install on two laptops, and it started turning itself off about every 2 minutes. I'd restart it, and it would again turn itself off. Over and over. The next day, I downloaded a "fixed" version. On one laptop, it identified several files in my \system32 folder as rootkits. They may have been, so I can't really fault Avast for that, except, if they were, they got by the previous version with frequent updates and scans. It recommended deletion, and I made the mistake of not recording what I deleted. My system stopped working. It was time for a new hard drive, so no big loss, but I'm now using Avira, and can't recommend Avast until and if they correct these obvious problems.
The new Avast 5 still has bugs to fix, no doubt. Avira free is good when it updates, but when set to high-detection the user can start noticing false-positives. When on default FP's are lowered, but so is detection...
Always good to have High detection settings just check to make sure your actually have malware detected by using virustotal or something along those lines. You should be fine with Avast. Also if you have issues uninstall and reinstall using avast uninstaller. if that doesn't work check forums. Avast is the new first place free av.
MSE sure is easy to download and install. It is very easy to use also. This one could now be the choice for many.
Thanks
Wildman
I agree, that for the average PC user MSE is the current best choice. I also advise reading this page on their forum for a common question on Updates and some good info on not using 3rd party firewalls with MSE. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/mseupdate/thread/ce129b...
Very Revealing Info!!!
An AV/IS 'Performance Test' readers must be aware of:
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2010/02/03/best-performing-speed-and...
Moderator's Comment : Edited link to point to the actual URL
Wnen I come to Gizmo freeware my Avira shows this tab.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1273/gizmoc.jpg
??? :(
another site at http://bestfreeantivirus.ninenorth.com ranked microsoft security essentials number 1 and panda #2. i guess you just have to try out these programs to find what is #1 for you. i happen to like panda.
I cannot trust a list, that shows AVG ahead of Avira and Avast.
You must have dug deep to find that website...lol
I got a issue with avira updating again. I get update errors too often and I'm not happy with this anymore. I'm going to give panda Cloud Av a chance again. I also have Online Armor++ installed with returnil home lux that also has Virus guard. So I don't think I even need avira anymore. I hate how it doesn't update sometimes. I would like to see Avast 5 rated better due to its reliability and ease of use. I also think its detection rate should be on par now or even better than Avira's. Plus it is the most complete free Av/Anti-malware program out there. I'm only going with panda cloud av now because online armor has full realtime capabilities and would conflict with avast's web guard.avira needs to state more cons to using it. The ads still show up even when the update fails, so that tells me they really could fix that issue if they wanted. They had there time on top now its avast's version 5's turn. I hope they defend the title for years to come once they make it up there.
Take a look at this Test:
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2010/02/03/best-performing-speed-and...
Thanks for the link. All test data has some relevance although in terms of importance much of this is inconsequential regarding system protection. What is very interesting though is what does(and mostly doesn't) detect their encrypted bug. Notice that despite many of the big guns missing this, Spyware Terminator was able to block it. This is another good example of why having a layered solution is preferable to reliance on just one product, and how attempting to achieve a "light" system is fine so long as you're happy to watch it get infected. By this I mean that saving a few MB of RAM is the main reason folks give for not adding ST to their existing lineup.
I have Avast 5 free, recent version.396. Since the new updated version I never see auto-updates. I didn't see any for two straight days, so I uninstall Avast like I'm suppose to, with the removal tool in safe mode, and reinstall a fresh copy of Avast from Major Geeks yesterday. I still see no auto-updates. Isn't an AV suppose to do frequent auto-updates and let the user know? Now, the older version of Avast 5 free auto-updated a couple times daily and let me know. I don't get it...
That's strange, the updates should work. I am using version .396, and the updates work really well.
You can check, if the update settings are working fine.
You can find the setting here :
Avast > Settings > Updates
Check if the Engine and Virus Definitions are set to "Automatic Update".
You should also check the Update Parameters, and choose option, as required.
Under "Details", and "Update Options", check all the three boxes. Default update interval should be 240 minutes.
Also check the proxy settings to see if they are correct.
Thank's Anupam, earlier I removed Secure DNS settings and enabled IE instead of Iron. Next I installed a fresh copy of Avast 5. It uodated the program, but will have to wait to see if auto updates work. Afterwards I enabled Iron and put back Secure DNS settings. I checked Avast proxy and it's on , auto detect(use internet explorer settings). It also has direct connection(no proxy) and specify proxy server. I have no clue which one to use.
Welcome :). For most cases, you can choose "auto detect" as you have chosen. It should work. For this, you can check if you are able to browse internet with Internet Explorer. If yes, settings are correct.
To be sure, that updates will work, you can try a manual update for Avast. For that, open Avast, go to Maintenance > Update > click on Update engine and virus definitions. If the manual update occurs successfully, you can be sure that the internet settings are fine. Then just check, if you have set the virus definitions on auto update. Things should work fine.
Manual update can also be done, to check if Avast has been updating itself. It may have updated itself, while you were away from computer, and did not notice :).
If you have more queries, on this issue, please register on the site, and post the query on the forum : http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum
We can track things there in a better way, and you will get helpful answers from other users too :).
Thank's Anupam, for the information.
Welcome :).
I have the new version of Avast and have upgraded to 396 from within the program; no problems. Avast updates, protects, and provides me with a sense of security. I also run other security software and have had no issues thus far. For a free antivirus program, Avast is quite possibly the best product on the market right now.
***Virus Bulletin Feb. RAP Results***
http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/rap-index.xml
http://lookpic.com/i/597/QqZWdRSz.jpeg
This test names Avira free and pro, but just names AVG and not the version used?
Am I blind or is Comodo not listed? Also I assume Alwil listed is the new Avast ?
Thanks for the URL.
Does Avast 5 update at any time or just after a re-boot? It seems I hear and see the notification after a re-boot.
Avast 5 will update at other times too. You can also change this setting yourself, if you want to change after how much time Avast should look for updates.
You can find the setting here :
Avast > Settings > Updates > Details
Default is 240 minutes.
Just got back from 3 weeks without computer, cellphone, radio or television. Yes, it is possible.
Happy to hear Avast 5 made it out. Time for my long-awaited upgrade. I hope the long beta period was worth it.
Jack M.
Please make a new review for the best antivirus since Avast launching new product.
The new version of Avast has now overtaken Avira on the CNET Download.com site in terms of number downloads. Avast rocks!!!
I was running 4 av scanners on-demand for test purposes and Avira caught the virusm MSE caught it and Avast 4.8 did too. Poor AVG missed it :-( I used to be an AVG champion. Now I am anxious to go back real-time. Sounds like Avast is being used by many. Must try it.
Avast 5 is daddy of all
Avast forever, Avast cool!!!
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