Free antivirus ..which one?

yummy_mummy_2

Well my free trial of McAfee is going to end soon...so I was wondering which of the free ones is the best ...have used Avg in the past but was wondering if Avast is better ? Also what is the correct way of going about uninstalling/installing ...do I remove McAfee first then download Avg or whatever one I decided to use ....Using windows 8 which has defender( think that is what it is called) but not sure if this is enough protection on it's own? Can I just use uninstall programs to get rid of McAfee on my computer or do you recommend another way. Thanks.

colin79666

Personally I think Defender in Windows 8 is fine by itself. It is more than the Defender in Windows Vista and 7 in that in Windows 8 it is the same as Security Essentials which is a full anti virus and anti spyware program.

Defender doesn't have all the bells and whistles as others but it provides enough protection if you are sensible and keeps out of the way.

Uninstall McAfee from the Uninstall Programs option. You will probably be prompted to reboot in order to complete the process.

Someone will be along in a minute to say Avast is better, which is arguably true but it also tends to be more resource intensive in order to provide more features.

grumpycrab

We need a sticky for this. AVAST free is recommended. Uninstall other AV before installing AVAST. If another AV won't uninstall search for an uninstaller program at the AV maker's website.

Defender (in Windows8) is ok as a bare minimum but AVAST does better in tests.

AVAST config suggestions. Register it for 365 days to avoid early expiry. Be careful to select the FREE version when it suggests you need to update the program. Turn off sound notifications. Turn "silent/gaming mode" ON to avoid lots of annoying popups.

NiftyDigits

McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool

yummy_mummy_2

So when I uninstall McAfee using uninstall programs option will defender automatically start ? or will I have to switch it on ...If so how do I do that ?

grumpycrab

If you're putting AVAST on don't worry about Defender. If you want to check Defender, run the following (Windows key +R to get prompt)
control.exe /name Microsoft.WindowsDefender
EDIT: yes, Defender should run automatically after the uninstall of a 3rd party AV program

closed

avast combined with malwarebytes both free, also untick the bundled chrome installation during the avast installation

the best protection from viruse damage is a backup, which can be achieved with macrium reflect free

avast uses less resources than defender, and detects more

KxMx

After you've uninstalled Mcafee via the uninstall programs feature, you need to run the removal tool also which has already been linked to.

It will require a system re-boot after which time Mcafee should be gone and you can either turn on Windows Defender or install Avast (I would recommend the latter along side Malwarebytes as closed suggests above)