# Recommended "Free" Windows AntiVirus



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

For a few years now, I have been using the Free version of AVG. (Yes, I disabled the bleeping LinkScanner) I'm testing Avast! on my games drive, and it seems faster. Hmmm....

So, as a knowledgeable techie, I want to ask.... what is the best Free AntiVirus software that is updated regularly?


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## thudman99 (Jan 20, 2007)

Microsoft's Security Essentials works very well, is well maintained, and has very low impact on system performance. At my workplace recently it caught new malware before McAfee Enterprise Antivirus did, and we pay a lot for that.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

thudman99 said:


> Microsoft's Security Essentials works very well, is well maintained, and has very low impact on system performance. At my workplace recently it caught new malware before McAfee Enterprise Antivirus did, and we pay a lot for that.


+1

It needs to be added to everyone's try it you'll like it list.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

We run two A/V packages here...Eset on the main machines and Micrsoft Security Essentials on everything else. We had been running a number of the free packages AVG, Avira, Avast, but MSE is much lighter weight and seems to do as good a job.

When our eset license expires we'll probably shift all the machines over to MSE.


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Microsoft Security Essentials is the winner


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Though not technically Anti-Virus, I also use SpyBot Search and Destroy and Lavasoft's AdAware (don't like that the new version starts itself as a Service).


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> Microsoft Security Essentials is the winner


Agreed.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/


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## Movieman (May 9, 2009)

You guys thing that MSE is better than Avast? I am downloading it now to give it a try but Avast has been great to.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

I was using AVG but they did not have a Windows 7 compatible version when I started playing with it, but Avast did and I have been happy with Avast ever since.

I might try the MS Security essentials also.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

Movieman said:


> You guys thing that MSE is better than Avast? I am downloading it now to give it a try but Avast has been great to.


I have never tried Avast, so I cannot compare. MSSE seems to use less resources than AVG.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

I think MSE holds up quite well to Avast. I've used Avast, then I switched to Avira, now I'm on MSE on all my computers.

The best things MSE has going for it (over Avast) are that it is even less resource intensive and you don't need to 'renew' a free license every year.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Avira or Avast with a bias towards Avira.

AVG is crap these days IMO. Avast uses a bit more resources than Avira but does not have the popup ads on updates. I still use Avira though, great detection rates these days.


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## phat78boy (Sep 12, 2007)

I'm on the list for MSE also. As everyone else said, its extremely light weight and just plain works.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Movieman said:


> You guys thing that MSE is better than Avast? I am downloading it now to give it a try but Avast has been great to.


Hard to speak to "better", having used most of these.

What I like about MSE:

1. Extremely small footprint on computer
2. Very light use of system resources
3. Product software updated thru Windows Update Service
4. Microsoft pushes definition updates at least 3 times every day, but you will experience no indicator or interruption
5. Same underlying engine as used in Microsoft's Forefront Corporate Security product.

As I am someone who sometimes must deliberately expose my PC to known problems, I have had the opportunity to see this product at work. Visiting an infected web site results in a virtually instantaneous response from MSE. It has yet to fail to stop and or remove any problems.

I run Malwarebytes regularly and it has found nothing other than routine "ad" based cookies since I started using MSE.

This isn't anything negative about any of the other free products out there. I have used many of them and found them adequate... but I am liking this product and plan to use it going forward.


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## drded (Aug 23, 2006)

I compared 2 machines with Avast and AVG and ending up liking AVG better. Avast with its annoying download and announcement drove me nuts everytime it happened. AVG has caught enough things that I do trust it. Avast got removed a couple of weeks after install because of the annoyance factor, so I never developed a level of trust.

AVG has been reliable. I have Windows 7 on 3 machines with AVG, and one machine still with XP. I do dedicated scans once each week, so I just start them early Saturday morning and let them run. I have done productive work during the scans, so AVG resource allocation didn't make the machine unusable.

Based on the comments above, MSE seems to be good and I will have to give it a try.

Dave


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

drded said:


> I compared 2 machines with Avast and AVG and ending up liking AVG better. Avast with its annoying download and announcement drove me nuts everytime it happened. AVG has caught enough things that I do trust it. Avast got removed a couple of weeks after install because of the annoyance factor, so I never developed a level of trust.
> 
> AVG has been reliable. I have Windows 7 on 3 machines with AVG, and one machine still with XP. I do dedicated scans once each week, so I just start them early Saturday morning and let them run. I have done productive work during the scans, so AVG resource allocation didn't make the machine unusable.
> 
> ...


Just so you know, you can turn the sound reminders off on Avast and combine the two system tray icons...

With Avira, you can stop the annoying 'update to the pay version' ads everytime you get you virus definitions if you block access to avnotify.exe in the Avira folder

MSE is just a good product, for all the reasons Larry and others pointed out earlier.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

I have been using MSE, but before that it has been AVG free.


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## Pete K. (Apr 23, 2002)

I used AVG for years and switched to MSE just last week. I've never said this before about any Microsoft product but I really like it. Here's hoping Windows 7 will be something else from Microsoft that I'll appreciate.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

I just wait for a Buy.com, Fry's or Staples sale on Symantec that makes it free after the rebate. Happens at least once every year.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

I'm having no issues with MSE. Been running it since the July Beta. That said, everyone visits different sites with different threats, so hard to go by just my experience.

For objective testing of everything else that's out there, AV-Comparatives.org does a bang-up job testing the leading programs under a variety of conditions, including reports of "false positives". Their latest round of tests results (August) may be found here.

The August test did not include MSE, just Microsoft's "One Care" product. I'm looking forward to see how MSE stacks up against the others in AVC's next round.


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## sum_random_dork (Aug 21, 2008)

I used AVAST in the past, but it seemed to really slow down my computers. I switched to AVG and have been happy ever since.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

armophob said:


> I just wait for a Buy.com, Fry's or Staples sale on *Symantec* that makes it free after the rebate. Happens at least once every year.


That's probably the worst one of all. It's a good way to ruin a computer.


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

armophob said:


> I just wait for a Buy.com, Fry's or Staples sale on Symantec that makes it free after the rebate. Happens at least once every year.


Symantec products are really poor and should be avoided.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I just put MSE on one of my systems. But one thing is I believe I heard right is that it doesn't do heuristics.

That might be a problem for some users.


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## phat78boy (Sep 12, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> I just put MSE on one of my systems. But one thing is I believe I heard right is that it doesn't do heuristics.
> 
> That might be a problem for some users.


Thats incorrect. It is built in and always on, there is no way to disable it.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

Another vote for MSE here. I've been using it since the beta and it's been great. I just installed a copy on my fiancee's laptop and the process only took a few minutes - far different than other products I've tried (and don't get me started on Norton).


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

djlong said:


> Another vote for MSE here. I've been using it since the beta and it's been great. I just installed a copy on my fiancee's laptop and the process only took a few minutes - far different than other products I've tried (and don't get me started on Norton).


I'm about to abandon Norton/Symantec, and move to MSE.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

I loaded MSE on Windows 7 when I found the OneCare that I had purchased for Vista wouldn't work and wasn't supported anymore. Will be changing Vista to 7 and MSE as soon as I can!

I gave up on Symantec / McAfee long ago. Way too intrusive. Memory / cpu hog.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

phat78boy said:


> Thats incorrect. It is built in and always on, there is no way to disable it.


Good. Normally Paul Thurrott is pretty good, but he suggested otherwise on Windows Weekly.


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## CopyCat (Jan 21, 2008)

Since moving to Vista I started using Symantec Endpoint Protection and have no complaints.


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## phat78boy (Sep 12, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> Good. Normally Paul Thurrott is pretty good, but he suggested otherwise on Windows Weekly.


I have seen it other feature lists and operating principles for MSE, but can't find them at the moment. Here is a link to the direct question and answer from the MS answer board however.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msescan/thread/fd46d1fb-89bb-4263-9de3-7db7bbb2ac0a/


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

*av-comparatives.org* updated their "Malware Removal" tests this month. Microsoft Security Essentials was included, and it fared about the same as the other top scorers in this test, earning a "good" in both the "malware removal" and "leftover removal" categories. Unfortunately for us users, no tested product earned a "very good" in either category. Full report here.

Still waiting for them to update their "on demand" benchmarking, which was last run in August and did not include MSE among the tested products.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Steve said:


> *av-comparatives.org* updated their "Malware Removal" tests this month. Microsoft Security Essentials was included, and it fared about the same as the other top scorers in this test, earning a "good" in both the "malware removal" and "leftover removal" categories. Unfortunately for us users, no tested product earned a "very good" in either category. Full report here.
> 
> Still waiting for them to update their "on demand" benchmarking, which was last run in August and did not include MSE among the tested products.


Interesting report. Only three products rated "good" in both catgories: eScan antivirus 10.0, MS Essentials 1.0 and Symantec's Norton Antivirus 2010.

For those who haven't tried Symantec in the past few years due to the bloat of the 2005 -2008 products, Symantec has done a great job in slimming down their produts to the point that virually all reviewers recommend Norton Internet Security 2010 over all others while giving the nod to Microsoft Essentials as being probably the best free product.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

Glad to MSE getting some good press. Great little antivirus program


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Prediction - in 10 years, AV programs will be supplemented by "White Ware" - software that'll white list allowed apps, web sites, etc...


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Avast! all the way. The free version (Avast Home) is the same engine and data base as the paid Professional version, and is consistently in the top of class in reviews.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Hansen said:


> Avast! all the way. The free version (Avast Home) is the same engine and data base as the paid Professional version, and is consistently in the top of class in reviews.


See Steve's post #332, above. Avast Professional scored only average on both malware removal and removal of leftover registry entries, etc. It seems obvious from looking at the test results that MS Essentials is the best of the freebies as of this time.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Actually Avast was ranked in the top tier, along with 6 other products, in the pro-active "real time" detection tests run in August. This was as opposed to a poorer showing in the malware removal test, which measures "post-infection" clean-up. MSE was not yet reviewed at that time. AVComparatives will probably do another set of those tests before the end of the year, based on past history.

The August detection tests may be found here.


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Of course, those things only come into play IF a virus gets by the AV and on your system. From my experience, Avast has always protected me and never let a virus get to my systems. That's not to say that can't happen as it may very well some day. So far, I've never had to deal with the issues you raised. But, those are good points if you're infected.


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