Anti virus....Free for a reason

I have not had any issues with the free versions of anti virus.

as i only use my PC i know whats being downloaded but the misses has a laptop which has avast free on and she has not had any issues with it and my sons PC has MSE on and again no issues running that either

what you have to remember is no anti virus is 100% safe and will keep you protected from virus's
 
Even CrystalDiskMark comes bundled with horrible OpenCandy Adware unless you download the 'portable' zip file rather than the installer.

PrimoPDF, which was previously popular with IT professionals, also now comes bundled with OpenCandy.
 
BunnyKillBot said:
True, however its not all rubbish and its a very common and deceptive industry practice to bundle bloatware carp with legitimate products and services. iirc even the java installer defaults to install the ask toolbar, with a deceptive opt-out option. I can catch these because i know what to look for, but the average user hasn't got a chance.
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Ugh, toolbars. Peoples laptops are full of them. My god! Plus UAC was disabled.
 
mattyg said:
AAAARRRRGGGHHHH

Just bought my son a laptop from the black/purple shirted baffoons. To be told it doesn't come with any anti virus software and they have a deal on mcafee at the moment.

I said its ok I've never had any issues using the free ones like MSE or AVG or AVAST to be told well they are free for a reason..
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The best free AV solutions are not as good as the best paid ones... that's a fact that you can check yourself on AV-Comparatives http://www.av-comparatives.org/awards-statistics/

Needless to say, Mcafee is not the best paid AV solution.

However, I do question why people make threads like this when everyone and their cat knows full well that a PC World (or equivalent store) staff member is there to sell and make the most money they can for the store. You are not going to get objective, expert advice at any point.
 
I've used only the built in Windows Defender with Windows 8.1 and MSE previously with Windows 7, after years of using various free ones (AVG, Avast, etc). Never had a virus or spyware... because I'm not a computer-idiot who downloads suspicious files and clicks links without knowing what they contain.
 
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as ShakenNstirred says COMMON SENSE . you cant go wrong with the free av solutions out there . my self i have been using comodo free and don't have issues .
 
ShakenNstirred said:
Windows built in av, routers hardware firewall and antimalware bytes is all I use. Plus common sense


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I use Panda Cloud(free) with hardware firewall via router,Malwarebytes(free version) with UAC enabled plus common sense too,using 8.1 as well.

No need to get a paid one,besides you need more then just AV nowadays if you want better security hence the reason why I use Malwarebytes monthy scan.

I would love to go a PC shop and argue with them about all the FUD and crap they give out.
 
Th0nt said:
More effort on education and safe procedures will prevent infections more than any malware package branding hype (x is best over y).

However as they are reactive by design they will never prevent all malware.
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This.
 
Malwarebytes and the ability to stay away from dodgy websites has proved more than adequate for me over the past several years.

I haven't had to do a fresh install due to anything nasty, I do this yearly out of pure boredom :P
 
been using eset smart security with the manual firewall settings and common sense for years. no problem at all
 
i switched to avast recently and been very happy with it, very unlikely to encounter a virus now days anyway especially with good browsing habbits. You should have a good malware program and I've found Malwarebytes to be my go to choice.

Bit of common sense and an adblocker program (I use Adblock plus + no script) will remove most of the links you shouldn't be clicking on anyway but no script completely disables all sorts of nasty hidden **** :)
 
Windows Defender on 8.1 appears to replace MSE, it has far better functionality apparently over the earlier versions, such as my old Vista install.
 
Defender apparently only used to pick up adware and spyware and you are right that MSE is now superseded in win 8 with Defender being revamped. By the nuts and bolts M$ claim it now offers enhanced protection from rootkits.
 
All antivirus software is pretty similar anyways. If a virus is detected by one, it is likely to be detected by others to.

I also use the WOT browser addon which shows a red circle to any websites which have malware, untrustworthy etc and a green circle for those which are legitimate which helps to avoid dodgy sites.
 
Could MSE and Defender actually be better than people make out? It is probably one of the most common on household laptops so more easily targeted by malware. Just a thought.
 
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