Member Avatar for J☼E

i need a new virus program, i have Mcafee which came with my computer but i cant get any updates for it unless i pay 30$ or something, whats a free virus program that works good

  • 6 Contributors
  • 11 Replies
  • 340 Views
  • 2 Weeks Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

Generated

A short, practical primer for @J☼E and anyone else finding this thread later.

Pick protection by capability, not price. The priorities are: resident (real‑time) scanning that runs in the background, automatic signature updates, low resource usage on Windows NT/2000/XP, and scheduled full scans. If the AV that came with your PC can't update without paying, it effectively leaves you exposed and should be replaced or supplemented.

Understand the difference between resident and on‑demand tools. On‑demand/online scanners are useful as a second opinion or rescue scan but do not block threats as they occur. Avoid running two real‑time engines at once (they often conflict). Keep the OS and browser patched, run a host firewall, and practice cautious browsing and email habits.

Practical steps when switching or cleaning an infected PC:

  1. Back up personal files to external media before you begin.
  2. If you suspect an active infection, disconnect from the Internet and boot to Safe Mode.
  3. Uninstall the old AV cleanly (Add/Remove Programs) and reboot; use vendor removal tools if available.
  4. Install the new resident AV, update signatures immediately, then run a full system scan (including removable drives).
  5. Run a second‑opinion on‑demand scan in normal mode and inspect startup entries (msconfig) and scheduled tasks for persistent items.

Notes and cautions: free resident products can be perfectly adequate when kept up to date; online scanners are handy backups; paid/trial offerings may add extras but aren’t strictly necessary. The community here (see posts by , and ) correctly distinguishes on‑demand vs resident tools, and others (, ) pointed out paid alternatives worth evaluating.

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for J☼E

will this one expire in like 3 months and make me pay for it?

Member Avatar for Dickus4u

Grisoft.com has no time limiton it's AVG anti virus software. I found it works quite well. You can program it to automatically update and scan your sytem. You can pay to upgrade to additional features. They seem to have quick response to new threats.

You may also want pop up stopper from panicware.com . Its free (for the basic version).
Good luck.

Member Avatar for J☼E

ok thanks, i have google pop up blocker though and it works very very good ;)

Member Avatar for CLEARICE01

hi.joe.a good free antivirus would be avg.but if you want to tryout the best antivirus going bar none its nod32 you can download a trial fromhttp://www.nod32.com/download/trial.htm. :cool:

Member Avatar for TallCool1

will this one expire in like 3 months and make me pay for it?

No, probably not. I have been using the free version of AVG for well over a year now. I wish I could afford to pay for it. I like it a lot.

Member Avatar for TallCool1

what about the one from the housecall website? www.trendmicro.com

That's an on-line on-demand tool only and doesn't work in the background.

Member Avatar for Member #2466

i need a new virus program, i have Mcafee which came with my computer but i cant get any updates for it unless i pay 30$ or something, whats a free virus program that works good

Kaspersky Lite for USD 19.95

http://www.kaspersky.com/buyonline.html?chapter=610707


Works great...used it for about 3 years now. Hands down beats MacAffe and Norton in contests...rawks.

Member Avatar for caperjack

>:)

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.