[Apple Pro Underwear]

Is there any FREE anti-virus software being offered out there that's respectable?

Thanks, I am on a PC because my tibook is on the fritz. I do not know the inner knowledge for PCs, so thanks.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

Is AVG any good?

[Blue Flame]

yup, AVG is good.

Also, ravantivirus.com will scan your computer and fix it for you, or if you go to symantec's website they have one as well.

[wolfen]

Ditto.

The best free sweeper/cleaner is Housecall. It's at TrendMicro.com. The realtime scan isn't free, but for the manual scans this is the best.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

thanks, feel free to update me on other free stuff

[Jens Peter]

If you wan't a firewall, try Kerio Personal Firewall, it is free for limited edition, and I have only good experiences with it.

[theolein]

Avast is probably the best free one around. Just download (you'll have to register, but it really is free otherwise) and install. I've come so far that I now deinstall Symantec "money grabber" Anti-Virus and just install this and a good firewall, such as the Sygate.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Thanks All,

I have installed the AVG Anti-virus and Sygate Firewall. They both were FREE and required no registration. I understand I should not be looking for trouble and I have already deleted Outlook from my PC and never use Explorer.

Questions:
Should I allow all my "Windows/" programs to have access?

What is a "NDIS Uder mode I/O Driver"? I get a lot of pop ups for this requestion permission.

Any idea what a "TGCMD module" is?

Finally, should websites be "scanning my computer"? Is this the same as MacNN looking for cookies or a media player?

THANKS!


sidenote:
My experience with going back to a PC has actually been real smooth and nice. I don't doubt that Windows will always be dominant. Macs IMO is easier and more enjoyable to use. The feeling of safety is much better too. When a problem or slowdown occurs on a PC, you immediately think "virus" and on a mac, that's the last thing you consider.

[CD Hanks]

While I hate to be the pessimist here, I have had nothing but false positives and other problems with free computer protection utilities (ala firewalls and anti-virus).

Your best bet is to scrounge up all the pocket change you can find, and go buy a router/firewall and McAfee Anti-Virus. Windows built in firewall works well in conjunction with a router that provides NAT or just a hardware firewall (provided you have installed SP2). And McAfee is (in my opinion) the best Anti-Virus software money can buy.

I hope for continued good luck with the switch. I won't be pedantic and say "durr the grass is grener here hurrr", but computers are simply tools, and no one should feel hardpressed to stick with one platform due to some weird brand loyalty.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally posted by theolein:
Avast is probably the best free one around. Just download (you'll have to register, but it really is free otherwise) and install. I've come so far that I now deinstall Symantec "money grabber" Anti-Virus and just install this and a good firewall, such as the Sygate.

Seconded. Avast rules.

No, you don't have shell out $ for a good anti-virus app, as Avast proves. I'm not sure why AVG is so popular, I found it to be overly-intrusive crap, yet Avast is better than most commercial AV apps- certainly McCrapee- and kept constantly up to date.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:


Seconded. Avast rules.

No, you don't have shell out $ for a good anti-virus app, as Avast proves. I'm not sure why AVG is so popular, I found it to be overly-intrusive crap, yet Avast is better than most commercial AV apps- certainly McCrapee- and kept constantly up to date.

If he's clever, he can get things like McAfee for free, and legally.

[Randman]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
If he's clever, he can stick with a Mac and not worry about viruses.

Fixed.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Randman:
Fixed.

Congradulations, you haven't added a single worthwhile thing to this thread.

[Randman]

First of all, learn how to spell "Congradulations". Secondly, my comment has about much value as yours.
If you truly had a problem, there's a thing called private messages. There's also the ignore list if you can't understand what a light-hearted comment (made in a Mac forum) is.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Randman:
First of all, learn how to spell "Congradulations". Secondly, my comment has about much value as yours.
If you truly had a problem, there's a thing called private messages. There's also the ignore list if you can't understand what a light-hearted comment (made in a Mac forum) is.

No sleep and lots of alcohol over the past few days will cause bad spelling. (HO HO HO I GOT SERVED)

Secondly, the guy (APU) has switched back to Windows presumably for work related reasons. There isn't much logic telling someone who has willingly switched platforms to switch back just to satisfy one or two points about security.

But hey, free country and all.

[Randman]

Once again, read the part about it being A LIGHT-HEARTED COMMENT.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Randman:
Once again, read the part about it being A LIGHT-HEARTED COMMENT.

Once again, read the part about no sleep and lots of alcohol over the past few days.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
And McAfee is (in my opinion) the best Anti-Virus software money can buy.

I don't think I can quite agree with you on that. I found McAfee to be very slow and intrusive. Also, it failed to find a lot of little baddies lying hidden.

Of course, it wasn't quite as bad as Norton AntiVirus, which, apart from not finding anything, although the computer was infected, also seemed to install its own virus (or something) that completely broke the computer and resulted in a clean XP install. Nice one, Norton.

I use avast! too; I agree with the others that it's very unobtrusive (unless you actually want all the warnings, alerts, and other fun stuff, in which case you can have that too) and catches pretty much everything. I haven't had any issues with it. The only downside is that a full system scan takes longer with avast! than with some other programs, but if you start it before going to bed, which I normally do, that doesn't really make much of a difference...

[Oisín]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
Secondly, the guy (APU) has switched back to Windows presumably for work related reasons. There isn't much logic telling someone who has willingly switched platforms to switch back just to satisfy one or two points about security.

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
Thanks, I am on a PC because my tibook is on the fritz.

There. Your entire little argument here is invalid. Now shake hands and quit bickering

[effgee]

• 

[wataru]

I don't know if you're already set for spyware removal, APU, but ArsTechnica just did a review of the major tools.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Oisín:
There. Your entire little argument here is invalid.

Keyword was "presumably".

[Apple Pro Underwear]

i'll be back to using macs when i scrounge up some money, but for now i am just fine on my backup PC

anybody have any ideas on this...


Questions:
Should I allow all my "Windows/" programs to have access?

What is a "NDIS Uder mode I/O Driver"? I get a lot of pop ups for this requestion permission.

Any idea what a "TGCMD module" is?

Finally, should websites be "scanning my computer"? Is this the same as MacNN looking for cookies or a media player?

[glyph]

here's a AV program i've been using for a couple of weeks:
ClamWin

it doesn't have the more advanced features of pro AV software, but it has detected viruses that my panda AV program didn't. you can update your virus data file daily.

i have a e-mail screening service from my isp that uses McAfee and i still get viruses occasionally in my e-mail. so, you can't be too careful.

avast looks like a nice program....i'll have to check it out.