Options for best free antivirus program.

[Deleted]

Latest tests actually show MSE having pretty horrible protection, how ever if it makes you feel "safe" then sure go for it. You're probably just as safe as not having AV + normal caution.

ZoneAlarm Free and AVG free are some of the better free ones out at the moment.

Personally I find it funny when people spend $1000-2000+ on their PC's and they won't spend $30-50 a year to stay safer, I'm talking about full protection not just AV. But to each his own, I'm not effected by it.

Oh and way too many "I use this so it's good...", I bet many of those using the free less than decent options wouldn't have gotten any viruses either way.

[Deleted]

[...] from what you have said you basically just don't want to use it with no good reason which is fine to each is own.

I guess the biggest reason is that I haven't had a virus or malware in over two years. I've had cases when I knew I was dealing with malicious software but not without being able to contain or stop it (or it simply being a false-positive). I used to download and install malwarebytes and AVG/Avira once in a while in the past just to do a "monthly check/scan", but as they never reported any viruses I found it to be a waste of time.

[Kiingy]

I used to download and install malwarebytes and AVG/Avira once in a while in the past just to do a "monthly check/scan", but as they never reported any viruses I found it to be a waste of time.

Never know.. the one time you don't do it may have been the time it found something...

[Twoddle]

Never know.. the one time you don't do it may have been the time it found something...

You don't have to fall for the scaremongery. The AV companies want you to install their product in the hope that you will be coaxed into buying the full version so they can make money.

It's a case dog, cat and mouse. You've got the bad guys writing the viruses, you've got the good guys writing the AV engines who depend on people reporting new viruses to them along with false positives, in some cases these two groups overlap. And then you've got the Operating System and application writers constantly plugging up potential vulnerabilities with updates.

These groups are constantly chasing each other round and round in circles trying to keep one step ahead. However when the vulnerabilities are patched there's no need for Anti-Virus. If something does get through it means the virus is as yet unknown and the AV wouldn't have prevented it anyway, OS writers will frantically issue a patch before it spreads.

The only other way you will catch something is by doing something stupid like running spam email attachments, following that dodgy link and installing CuteScreenSaver.exe or by typing your details into a phishing site.