Best free anti-virus? I need one now : /

**hellohihello** · 02-24-2009 09:17 PM

I have been running AVG and it has not picked up anything. My comp keeps crashing and I don't know why. I have not looked at porn believe it or not. I am downloading Avast! right now but I probably need another one. Anyone have a good software to use.

Sorry for spamming tech talk with my noobish questions but this one is pretty serious

My comp is at risk and I sure do not want to restart from scratch.

Edit: I searched before I posted this. I am not lazy

**Goldney** · 02-24-2009 10:05 PM

I use Avast! and it seems pretty good to me.

**slash112** · 02-24-2009 10:06 PM

did you have youre first one up to date?

**hellohihello** · 02-24-2009 10:22 PM

Avast! is at 50%. Wonder what the results are : /

And yes I update it every other day.

**slash112** · 02-24-2009 10:43 PM

oh, i thought that might have been the reason for the problem, but i guess not.

by the way, it might be hardware problems causing the crashing.

**Amethyst Star** · 02-24-2009 10:44 PM

Malwarebytes is another option. Also, start up your computer in safe mode before you run a scan, as it will prevent unnecessary and usually unwanted processes from running. (If I'm wrong, let me know. That's just what I was told and it makes sense to me.)

Also, if you're running Windows, run the updates. If you have that conficker virus that's running around, Microsoft came out with a patch for it. I don't know if that was before or after the French Navy's computers were infected

**slash112** · 02-24-2009 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

Malwarebytes is another option. Also, start up your computer in safe mode before you run a scan, as it will prevent unnecessary and usually unwanted processes from running. (If I'm wrong, let me know. That's just what I was told and it makes sense to me.)

i thought safe mode was made so that when you run it in safe mode viruses dont run. and in that case how is a scan supposed to detect any viruses when there arent any running.

**Tyler** · 02-24-2009 11:26 PM

I use Avira AntiVir.
It works decently enough for me.

**Amethyst Star** · 02-24-2009 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by slash112

i thought safe mode was made so that when you run it in safe mode viruses dont run. and in that case how is a scan supposed to detect any viruses when there arent any running.

Originally Posted by Website

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=67223

Often the only way to remove certain persistent virus and spyware programs is to run your system in Safe Mode. Many forms of malicious software will protect or reinstall themselves constantly if they are allowed to start in the first place. These programs will situate themselves in one of the many autorun locations in the Windows registry and file structure. When Windows is started normally, so is the offending software, running as a process in the background.

When you start the PC in Safe Mode, these autorun locations are not used, and no software is started automatically. This can allow virus and spyware removal programs the opportunity they need to remove the malicious software completely.

If you are having virus or spyware problems on your PC, you should always run antivirus and anti-spyware programs in Safe Mode to ensure that they have maximum effect.

.

**magical mike** · 02-25-2009 12:07 AM

I use.. nothing.. Because I am bold..

**Tyler** · 02-25-2009 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by magical mike

I use.. nothing.. Because I am bold..

Or foolish.

**Amethyst Star** · 02-25-2009 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by magical mike

I use.. nothing.. Because I am bold..

*cough*Linux*cough*

**Tyler** · 02-25-2009 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

*cough*Linux*cough*

lol.
I've been thinking of trying Linux lately...
Is it worth it?
I'm a n00b when it comes to computers.

**slash112** · 02-25-2009 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by magical mike

I use.. nothing.. Because I am bold..

lol i dont use anything either. and i turned windows defender off ages ago for some reason, i think it was for an online game, and i can never be bothered to turn it on again. coz im lazy

**hellohihello** · 02-25-2009 12:38 AM

No viruses... Hmm maybe it just crashed. My computer shuts off a lot because it over heated.. Never got the blue screen of death before though and my internet kept on crashing.

I still need an anti virus. I will stick with avast and try avira as well. If anyone has any others let me know

**magical mike** · 02-25-2009 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Fableflame

lol.
I've been thinking of trying Linux lately...
Is it worth it?
I'm a n00b when it comes to computers.

Yeah its easy easy easy easy.
Get Ubuntu 8.10
Yeah I dont use Anti-Virus because I use linux.
But I do scan fiels I upload, and download, so i dont pass windows viruses on.
www.ubuntu.com
I would get a CD. It takes like 6 weeks to get though. When I finaly got mine. I was like "WYF is this?" Then i poped it in, and I was like, :Ohhh yeah this lniux thing!"

and hellohihello.
If it keeps doing all this.. Make the switch to ubuntu, atleast with a dual boot, incase you change your mind.

**ninja9578** · 02-25-2009 01:10 AM

Sounds like spyware, not viruses. Ad-Aware

**hellohihello** · 02-25-2009 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Sounds like spyware, not viruses. Ad-Aware

I have Spybot SnD. Should I pick up ad-aware as well ?

**ninja9578** · 02-25-2009 02:00 AM

Yes.

If it's still crashing, it's probably a registry problem. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Press the processes tab, is there a process that is constantly using more than 5% of your CPU? What's it named?

**hellohihello** · 02-25-2009 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Yes.

If it's still crashing, it's probably a registry problem. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Press the processes tab, is there a process that is constantly using more than 5% of your CPU? What's it named?

Will do. And nope that's the weird thing. Memory is far from being an issue.

I haven't got any more crashes. It crashed about 3 times though.

**Ynot** · 02-25-2009 12:51 PM

**blade5x** · 03-04-2009 11:55 PM

I use Comodo Internet Security since it's a AV, Firewall, and something sort of extra like Windows Defender all in one... and it works perfectly on Vista 64.

So I've got a hardware firewall and software firewall. Security in layers. Hardware firewalls will do a good job protecting inbound, but just in case you do get something, you need that software firewall to block outbound.