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Free anti virus

Posted By: cailyn

Free anti virus - 02/16/14 11:50 AM

I'm looking for a free Anti Virus program as my Webroot is going to expire in 3 days.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/16/14 04:41 PM

Avast, Avira, AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials and probably the most well-known.

All have pluses and minuses. Avast is rated higher than the rest, but they nag you to upgrade and you have to re-register every year. I quit using AVG because it was hogging too many resources, but I think they have fixed that since then. I use Microsoft Security Essentials along with Malwarebytes Pro and it's a pretty good combination.

I'm sure you will get some other opinions!
Posted By: InlandAZ

Re: Free anti virus - 02/16/14 05:16 PM

+1 For Security Essentials & MBAM
Posted By: cailyn

Re: Free anti virus - 02/16/14 08:56 PM

thanksYou two do I just Google Microsoft?
Posted By: InlandAZ

Re: Free anti virus - 02/16/14 09:04 PM

You can find Security Essentials here: Microsoft Security Essentials

Malwarebytes here: Malwarebytes Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the free version.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/16/14 10:00 PM

Cailyn, we assume you're not still using XP, right?
Posted By: cailyn

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 09:19 AM

No XP I have Win 8 I have malware already I'll go to that link Inland Thank You waveI tried that link but when I click on it nothing happens.
Posted By: InlandAZ

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 03:37 PM

If you're running Windows 8 you should already have Windows Defender. Here's how to enable it -
Turn Windows Defender on or off
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 04:08 PM

And make sure you download the free Malwarebytes and run it too.

Is this a brand name computer like Dell or HP or something? If so, did it come with a free trial of McAfee or Norton or some other anti-virus program? The trial might be up and if you don't plan on buying it, you will need to uninstall it. Some of them are quite persistent in remaining the "active" anti-virus and not allowing you to enable Windows Defender which is already on your Windows 8.
Posted By: cailyn

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 08:10 PM

HI Draclvr waveThe only one I have is Webroot I tried uninstalling it from the control panel,it won't work!went to their website and called them.They said the only way to uninstall it was to let them go into my comp.Is that safe?
Posted By: traveler

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 10:11 PM

cailyn,

That doesn't sound right although the developers do seem to make it very difficult to uninstall it yourself.
What I would do first is try to uninstall it with Revo Uninstaller.
They have a free version as well as a paid version.
I've found that it really works and in your case, I would choose the Advanced uninstall to make sure that all traces of Webroot are gone from your computer.

Gil.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 10:18 PM

NO, it is not right. Webroot is a very reputable and good company, but you should not have to allow anyone to take over your computer.

I'm having a sneaking feeling that Revo isn't going to work. Webroot may be one of those anti-virus companies that make it virtually impossible to uninstall. I've had to download special uninstallers for McAfee and Avast too.

See if anything such as the "deactivate" option works.
Posted By: traveler

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 10:56 PM

Speaking of McAfee, (forgive the digression grin), John McAfee told the BBC, ""I am now everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet (after 15 years of having nothing to do with it). These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users."
The AV is now known as Intel Security - a word of warning for those who don't know.

John McAfee is a NUT but I can't help liking him. grin

Gil.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/17/14 11:24 PM

I didn't know any of that! Well, other than John McAfee is a nut job...
Posted By: Jenny100

Re: Free anti virus - 02/18/14 02:50 AM

Originally Posted By: Draclvr
I didn't know any of that! Well, other than John McAfee is a nut job...

Seriously weird.
New York Times: John McAfee Plays Hide and Seek in Belize
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/18/14 03:02 AM

I know... that whole Belize thing was a new kind of strange. Wasn't he accused of having shot his neighbor's dogs? I think he's in Montreal, Canada now.
Posted By: cailyn

Re: Free anti virus - 02/18/14 10:38 PM

Hi Drac,The revo uninstaller said it was removed but it wasn't I did manage to deactivate it,and finally I got Win.Defender turned on.Thank You all for your help wave
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/19/14 01:40 AM

I'm glad the deactivate worked. Just a suggestion, but I'd suggest adding Malwarebytes to your protection if you don't already have it.
Posted By: Creeping_Doom

Re: Free anti virus - 02/19/14 04:14 PM

Have you 64 bit Win 8 ? If you do , the free version of Revo Uninstaller will not work , as it only supports 32 bit Windows . The paid version of Revo does support 64 bit Windows . To my recollection , AVG is still a system hog . Avast & Avira are consistantly the best free antivirus solutions . FortiClient is also another good antivirus . Unless things have drastically changed , Microsoft Security Essentials has been bottom of the barrel for a while . Then again , in the end , your computer is only as safe as the person behind the keyboard .
Posted By: oldmariner

Re: Free anti virus - 02/24/14 04:11 AM

I have Webroot and there is an uninstall option shown in Ccleaner and in Windows add/remove programs. I have uninstalled it before. I'm using win7. Does this have something to do with Win 8? If so it is one more in a long list of reasons to avoid win 8
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/24/14 06:54 AM

Although cailyn has Windows 8, this has nothing to do with Windows 8, but rather with Webroot requiring a special uninstaller. I found a lot of hits on the internet about people being unable to uninstall it from Control Panel. A lot of anti-virus programs seem to have this "feature" to keep malware from uninstalling it. I think it's a pain to force you to use special uninstallers.
Posted By: oldmariner

Re: Free anti virus - 02/24/14 08:38 PM

Originally Posted By: Draclvr
Although cailyn has Windows 8, this has nothing to do with Windows 8, but rather with Webroot requiring a special uninstaller. I found a lot of hits on the internet about people being unable to uninstall it from Control Panel. A lot of anti-virus programs seem to have this "feature" to keep malware from uninstalling it. I think it's a pain to force you to use special uninstallers.


If that is true why then does it not apply to my current up to date version to Webroot Secure Anywhere anti virus program? I can definitely uninstall it either using add/remove programs or Ccleaner.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Free anti virus - 02/24/14 08:47 PM

I have no idea... Windows 8 does not behave any differently with Add/Programs than Windows 7. This is just what Cailyn reported to us. And I found a lot of other complaints on forums about Webroot not uninstalling from Control Panel. Cailyn also said she used Revo Uninstaller that SAID it was uninstalled, but it really wasn't.

I have had this happen to me with McAfee. I had one laptop where the person had purchased McAfee and wanted to install another anti-virus program. It uninstalled perfectly through Add/Remove programs. A couple of months later I had a laptop which had the same McAfee program installed as a trial program on the laptop when it was new. The owner had given up on trying to uninstall it and I finally had to download a special uninstaller from the McAfee website.

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