Best free anti spyware?

Millionare

Personally, Ive never rated AVG as much as some do on here. It tends to get a lot of bonus points for being free like alot of other stuff.

Also alot of the Good free Spyware progs dont give you realtime protection.

You have to run the program for it to detect it, so the stuffs already on your computer unless your Antivirus picks it up and I never see the point of that.

I use the best free versions to backup my realtime protection to check now again if anything got through.

I havent add anything in absolute years been detected on my Pc(touch wood)

recent email virus that antiviruses didnt pick up. and notice hoe norton(which gets alot of stick on here) picked it up and as usaul kaspersky got it aswell.

and yes AVG didnt get it.

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/Virustotal-Stormworm.jpg
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/004102.html

iglimpse

Millionare wrote: »

free Spyware progs dont give you realtime protection.

What is real time protection

You have to run the program for it to detect it, so the stuffs already on your computer unless your Antivirus picks it up and I never see the point of that.

I run the prog / scan every day

I use the best free versions to backup my realtime protection

What real time protection have you got. I tried Norton a few yrs ago but found it hard to use. I am very non techie and just want the simplest easiest protection

Am I right to lose faith on AVG after finding all this??

What are the alternatives. How many checks / packages do people run how often. I just want something that does it all automatically

Millionare

Basically, realtime protection works in the background while you browse internet, open files etc etc.

Anti-virus programs work like this so you dont need to do scans everyday. just make sure its setup to update daily.

Once a week is more than enough. I tend to run scans once every 2 weeks.

However most free good Spyware progs like Adaware dont work in realtime unless you pay for them. They detect stuff only when you open the program up and run a scan.

if it was realtime it would work in the background stopping stuff while your browsing or opening things just like antivirus software.

iglimpse

AVG is free, have lost faith after today.

Always did a daily scan and update early every morning.

Understand that it won't directly protect as you open things but - if it arrived on the computer e.g in the afternoon, why doesn't the next day scan pick it up.

Have had symptoms ofr a few weeks now, AVG seems to have missed not one but 3 viruses.

Millionare

iglimpse wrote: »

AVG is free, have lost faith after today.

Always did a daily scan and update early every morning.

Understand that it won't directly protect as you open things but - if it arrived on the computer e.g in the afternoon, why doesn't the next day scan pick it up.

Have had symptoms ofr a few weeks now, AVG seems to have missed not one but 3 viruses.

AVG Anitvirus does work realtime as its antivirus software and needs to, I just dont think its as good as people say. I personally use Norton, but currently "Kaspersky" is the top dog in Antivirus detection from results all over the place. but it is paid for software.

By the way the software you downloaded seems to me is a trial version? you have to be careful as some software give "false postives" e.g: you got a virus! because they want you to buy their software thinking it detected things your currrnt one missed.

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

try this free scanner to see if it picks up somethingon your pc

skiddy2k

Millionare wrote: »

recent email virus that antiviruses didnt pick up. and notice hoe norton(which gets alot of stick on here) picked it up and as usaul kaspersky got it aswell.

and yes AVG didnt get it.

No AntiVirus is 100% effective, they all miss some malware so you cant base what a good or bad AV is by looking at one malware... a malware which AVG may detect may not be detected by nortons or kaspersky. have to look at all of them (or as many as you can get your hands on) to see which actually detects more... thats why you should take comparatives into consideration... things like AV-comparatives.org where they test out detection rates with larger samples

iglimpse

I have to wonder what non techs like myself have to do to defend their computer?? Clearly, daily updating and virus check with frequent spychecks, MS defenders reassurances are just not enough, it seems

I appreciate all your help but can anyone suggest a series of checks that could be done automatically. I appreciate that nothing is 100%

Said previously:- If Vista could promise me it would defend, mantain and backup my computer automatically, I would seriously consider changing"...is this being unrealistic

Millionare

skiddy2k wrote: »

No AntiVirus is 100% effective, they all miss some malware so you cant base what a good or bad AV is by looking at one malware... a malware which AVG may detect may not be detected by nortons or kaspersky. have to look at all of them (or as many as you can get your hands on) to see which actually detects more... thats why you should take comparatives into consideration... things like AV-comparatives.org where they test out detection rates with larger samples

I have done over the years, and Im aware that Scanners dont pick up all and everthing, but AVG isnt the best of the best and hasnt been over the years, there are better scanners about and since nowadays Security is one of the most improtant aspects of online comptuer use I dont understand why people use, at best an average scanner.

Again it's only my personal opinon, so if you are happy with AVG (and many are)then thats fine

skiddy2k

Millionare wrote: »

I have done over the years, and Im aware that Scanners dont pick up all and everthing, but AVG isnt the best of the best and hasnt been over the years, there are better scanners about and since nowadays Security is one of the most improtant aspects of online comptuer use I dont understand why people use, at best an average scanner.

Again it's only my personal opinon, so if you are happy with AVG (and many are)then thats fine

sorry, wasnt a personal attack, was just making clear that just because 1 virus wasnt detected, it doesnt mean its a bad antivirus... I know people which have switched from Kaspersky or NOD because it missed a few viruses to lets just say.. less superior antiviruses because they think the less superior AV will protect them better... crazy!

totally agree with you though... i dont mind spending a few quid to get hardcore protection (or one of the closest things possible which i feel safe with)... rather spend around £40 and get some decent protection than have all my bank details and passwords stolen and have my files corrupted so i have to reinstall my software or format!..
personal opinion as you said... some people are wiling to risk it... they may be safe surfers and the standard AVs may be good enough... they're better than nothing i suppose!