[NA]Free Antivirus Software [NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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Dave Taylor
OK several of you have encouraged me to dispense with Norton antivirus in the past and use another brand or freeware.

What do you think of this one?
http://www.free-av.com/antivirclassic/index.html

Should I be concerned that it does not have the "Special Protection against email viruses (POP3)"?

How about the antispam/antiphishing/anti-ads/spyware/adware that the Classic version lacks?

I am planning on experimenting with this and purging NAV. Its OK, I'm starting with my wife's computer!
 
Dave, I have been using CA Antivirus ( www.ca.com )have been quite pleased with it, especially after years of enduring Norton's Enforced Explosion Policy.
 
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thanks I will look at that one too, Spike.
I guess you lower the force field (firewall) to allow it to load, then raise it and leave it back up?
ps: www.ca.com
 
I've evaluated a bunch of anti-virus products for use in my business, which has about 15 computers on line all the time.

I've found the combination of avg and MS Windows Defender works really well. These two products place by far the lowest load on your processor. Norton is the worst for loading up your machine.

I use avg at work and at home. I just by licenses for the free version at work but use the free product. I have not evaluated the full avg product just because I find the free one works perfectly for me.

Microsoft could have purchased any of the spyware companies. They purchased Giantsoft, the authors of Windows Defender just to get the product. It does a fine job of stopping malware and does not load down your computer.

Avg: http://free.grisoft.com/

Windows Defender: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
 
I'll second the recommendation for AVG.

I have Avira on a video server.... it may be OK for a regular desktop machine, but I've found that the advertising screens that appear with the automatic updates tend to cause the machine to stop processing other stuff until you close the advertising screen. Bad behavior, IMHO.
 
OK I loaded AVG on her IBM and she is using Netscape.
Every time an email arrives, a very large window pops up on the bottom right, obliterating (on top of) anything she is working on. It says something like scanning email for viruses. Same with some websites. Unacceptable.
I hope there is an easy way to disable the notifications.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
OK I loaded AVG on her IBM and she is using Netscape.
Every time an email arrives, a very large window pops up on the bottom right, obliterating (on top of) anything she is working on. It says something like scanning email for viruses. Same with some websites. Unacceptable.
I hope there is an easy way to disable the notifications.
Click to expand...

I think you have an option to make it quiet, but the free edition adds an ad to every outgoing message like "scanned by AVG antivirus"

Try Avast. http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
OK I loaded AVG on her IBM and she is using Netscape.
Every time an email arrives, a very large window pops up on the bottom right, obliterating (on top of) anything she is working on. It says something like scanning email for viruses. Same with some websites. Unacceptable.
I hope there is an easy way to disable the notifications.
Click to expand...
Dave, my fully current version of AVG free doesn't do that. I can't recall if there is a setting for this problem, or what. Keep looking!

-Skip
 
Here is what she is seeing. It stays popped up for several moments and is completely aggravating! I see no 'shut that darned thing off' button!
 

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Let'sgoflying! said:
Here is what she is seeing. It stays popped up for several moments and is completely aggravating! I see no 'shut that darned thing off' button!
Click to expand...

Wow - I don't get that. That's pretty obstructive. Sorry, no advice.
 
Is the pop1.sbc.mail.vip.sp1.yahoo.com her mail server? If not, you have something on your system trying to access that server. That's what you need to turn off.
 
Lisa Ive never seen it before, dont recognize the character string.
Only thing I can think of is we have not removed Norton. Maybe they are 'dancing' and this is the result.
Sort of afraid to uninstall NAV because they now charge you 20$ if they you need to reload the parent program.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Sort of afraid to uninstall NAV because they now charge you 20$ if they you need to reload the parent program.
Click to expand...

All the more reason to say good riddance. Sheesh.

Who do they think they are? Quicken?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Lisa Ive never seen it before, dont recognize the character string.
Only thing I can think of is we have not removed Norton. Maybe they are 'dancing' and this is the result.
Sort of afraid to uninstall NAV because they now charge you 20$ if they you need to reload the parent program.
Click to expand...

Typically AVG will display a message that lets you know when another program is attempting to access an email server. It'll scan traffic between the two. Most times it'll pop up and be gone so fast you won't see it. The fact that it's trying over and over would make me think of some malware on the system attempting to connect to a server that's not responding.

Can you completly disable Norton without installing? I haven't used it in a long time so I don't know. I use AVG with Windows Defender.

I think I'd get a spyware scanner and have it scan the system.
 
I suggest you trash Norton. It started going downhill the day Peter stopped writing the code, and Symantec only makes it worse every year.

In fact, Symantec products are banned from any of my systems. I actually fired a client who insisted on using Symantec on her office network. If I'm going to support the network and be the one who has to respond to outbreaks, then I am also the one who gets to decide what security software will be used. My solution of choice is Trend Micro Office Scan (or Trend Micro Internet Security for machines not on a domain).

But AVG is a VERY close second. :yes:

Now as far as conflict, having two virus scanners is a very big no-no, for several reasons. One is that they sometimes attack each others' definitions. The other is that all virus scanners have a lot of things in common in terms of how they interface with the system to protect the computer, and having multiple programs trying to do the same thing simply doesn't work. :no:

I think the problem you're experiencing is the result of a conflict between AVG and Norton; and no, simply disabling Norton is not enough to be sure that the conflict is rectified. There are browser objects and virtual drivers involved.

My suggestion is that you completely uninstall Norton (preferably along with anything else Symantec makes, which you can do by using the Norton Removal Tool, if Norton refuses to uninstall cleanly in the usual way).

Then reboot and run Crap Cleaner, including the registry cleaner ("Issues"), which will clean up all the crap that the Norton uninstaller leaves behind. Make a backup when prompted, then let it fix all issues. Then reboot again.

Next, completely uninstall AVG, reboot, run Crap Cleaner again, and reboot again.

I don't recall the last time a Norton installation uninstalled cleanly; I think it may have been this century, but I'm not positive. :dunno: So there may be other traces of Norton left behind that can be removed with HijackThis. But it's a dangerous program if you don't know how to use it. If you decide to try, just look for anything in there that says "Norton" or "Symantec," and leave everything else alone unless you know exactly what you are doing. Otherwise, skip this step.

Next, reinstall AVG.

Good luck!

-Rich
 
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