I just bought a new computer today and I was wondering what is the best free programs I could use for things such as virus protection, quick clean ups for my computer and such.
Thanks guys.
Best free programs to protect computer?
1271190 on 18/02/2013 - 20:57
Comments
Thanks so much, just downloaded them all.
+1 as ozhunter said.
I have used avast in the past and have been pretty happy with it.
Alternatives are Microsoft Essentials Security which I believe can be downloaded for free if you have the right license for windows os (I assume you are using windows).So :
Antivirus : Avast, Microsoft Essential Security
Peripheral Cleaning : CCleanerThanks ! yeah using windows :)
have downloaded them all.
If you run Avast, uninstall MSE as running both together will cause conflicts.
It should be fairly common knowledge that you're not supposed to run 2 resident anti-virus apps simultaneously.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Firefox and Chrome with the Adblock and NoScript addon.
Sandbox apps like Avast's AutoSandbox or Sandboxie is also great for running apps or browsing sites you don't trust.
I went to download MSE and it said because i had windows 8 it had windows defander installed already, then i went to check out windows defender on my computer and it looks like it automatically disabled it beacause of avast.
I have the same problem, it's probably because your laptop/computer come with a copy of another AntiVirus like Norton's and it disables Widows Defender from running. I haven't tried it but I guess you can uninstall the conflicting application and then try and install it again. Again I'm not sure, haven't tried it yet.
Run only one Anti-Virus as the other will behave like a 'virus' itself and cause many unwanted issues. One case where more is not better.
- Anti-Virus
- Firewall (often comes with AV software)
- Malware (protection program) as stated above.Mine actually came with McAfee and Norton and I deleted both of them straight away, but yeah like everyone is saying I should only be using one so I guess my computer is making that decision for me lol.
Current programs
Avast
Malwarebytes
CCleaner
Run only one Anti-Virus as the other will behave like a 'virus' itself and cause many unwanted issues.
Not true, but it will cause your computer to slow down more if you have 2 programs scanning every file accessed. Best to turn off the realtime protection on one of them if you feel like installing 2 anti virus programs.
Windows 8 has built-in AV functionality already. There is no need to install other AV software.
ITveteran !
I read that MSE haven't been really good lately, so might want to try others. I am using avg, but wouldn't say its that best but had been using it for years, gets a bit sloppy sometimes but it always depends on how you use your comp .
I just use MSE because it does have to convince you it is working by telling you that it did something every day, you never see it which is how it should be.
That said it is probably not the greatest on functionality, but I don't need much due to my usage.
avast has been a winner for me
free rolling 1yr protection and its pretty low system impact
whether it catches shit is another story but its not like i troll chinese/russian attack websites
oh an avast pirate mode is a hoot
Just to throw another option in the ring: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2013 is the one I'm now using. I used to use Avast and TBH cant remember why I switched.
Slightly off topic but still the best protection you can get, get a decent backup program. I'm using Comodo and find it does what I need.
Malwarebytes has a flash scanner that scans your bios, not many can claim this.
If you every got a virus in your bios its not as easy as doing a bios upgrade or resetting back to earlier date.
I run MSE and Malwarebytes, no conflicts.
My reg cleaner is Registry First Aid, my computer hasn't run better and I do troll through overseas sites without a worry for more than 2 years.I switched from Avast to MSE as it is less obtrusive and overall I prefer it.
Malwarebytes is good and I also use SuperAntiSpyware which picks up things that Malwarebytes doesn't.
CCleaner is excellent.
+1
AV: MSE
I can't comment on other free av as run nod32 prior.Anti-spyware: Malwarebytes
SuperAntiSpyware would be my 2nd option. I find MB scans faster but would use both on an infected pc. Pick one on a clean pc and be done with itTemp file cleaner: CCleaner
Think it as a program that deletes your temp internet files plus much more. It also has a registry cleaner. I like using it but doubt it makes any performance difference.Notable:
Spybot and spywareblaster. These can be good for building host files to stop you visiting dodgy sites in the first place. That is a secondary function of Spybot which is primarily a spyware remover.A back program. I use paragon free edition. Worse case scenario I'm back up and running in 10mins
MSE failed hard twice in recent tests. Bitdefender is the best package overall (check AV test). Free doesn't protect you worth a damn.
Luckily I've given up on Windows and switched to a Mac.
My preference is Comodo Internet Suite - free and powerful
Guys, can you also please recommend any good (and free) Registry cleaner?
ThanksCCleaner has one built in.
Registry cleaners are mostly unncessary, Windows has literally hundreds of thousands of reg entries. Cleaning probably will only remove a hundred or so, and won't actually make a visible impact on performance on your PC.
There's also a slight risk of you deleting something that shouldn't have been which can cause issues later on.If you want to see a visible performance, don't pay for a registry cleaner — buy an SSD instead.
Wise Registry Cleaner. It's more thorough than CCleaner's registry cleaner app. Wise also do a separate Disk Cleaner which is also free and very good.
Thorough doesn't mean better. It just means it's more aggressive at removing registry entries. That's a bad thing…
I second this. I've always found this a great site for a quick overview of the best free software in many categories.
https://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-anti-virus-softwa…
https://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-registry-cleaner.…
oh cool thanks heaps!
+1 for MSE.
Oh and to save yourself some time, use ninite.com to install all the apps.
+1 for using ninite. It's awesome
Wow, I thought I knew about all the cool stuff on the internet! Thanks guys!
Unless I'm reading their site wrongly, Ninite appears to be paid software ($9.99 per year per PC). Secunia PSI is free, operates invisibly in the background if you so choose and is both free and very thorough.
Ninite is free to use, but if you want Ninite to be running in the background and be able to detect when your programs are outdated and install newer ones as required, then you'll need to pay.
Your programs will update in a style and fashion similar to Windows update (scheduled and unattended).
Usually, there is no real need to pay for Ninite. You simply visit the website, and do it manually.
Don't use MSE like everyone is suggesting. It does very poorly in independent tests. I suggest reading the reports here. http://www.av-comparatives.org
MSE failures:
http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-security-essentials-fai…
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Microsoft-Security-Essentia…
The free stuff generally is crap. You get what you pay for.
The free stuff generally is crap. You get what you pay for.
This is really not true when it comes to software. Not defending MSE, but this generalisation does not hold.
Look at AV comparatives and AV Test. Free, nope.
Yep, over the years, I've regularly seen reviews where a free Antivirus program will rank higher than some of the commercial offerings on detections
And those same free Antivirus programs are always behind the industry leaders. The likes of Kaspersky, Bitdefender and F-secure (who performed well in 2012).
What you get depends on your level or naiveness.
In terms of free, neglecting the above comments, I'd recommend using Avira anti virus with either Comodo firewall or Privatefirewall (from privacyware).
Disclaimer: I source my knowledge only from independent Antivirus and Firewall review organisations.
I hvae been running AVIRA (free version) for a few years now and using CCleaner to keep things tidy. Occaisionaly I will disable AVIRA and run a Windows Defender scan just to check. So far so good, nothing has slipped past.
If you go with Avira…make sure you are aware that it will have a "opt out" install of ASK toolbar (stupid POS)
I got paid to use Norton Internet Security 2013 (as did quite a few others here), run MSE free till the next Norton Cashback deal comes along.
MSSE
Common Sense 3.0
ninite.com is useful
so pretty much what the boys and girls above said lol
Yes, ninite.com is awesome!!!
Use Microsoft Security essentials (< windows 8) or use the built in defender in windows 8.
Malware bytes like people said is good. Use that to scan from time to time.
Use hitman pro to also scan from time to time.
Hitman pro and malware bytes should be used for a second and third opinion.
Avoid bad websites. Use common sense. Do not open crap emails and you will be fine.
If you want third party, I believe avira is nice and lite. ESET aswell. Avast has been getting a bit bloated over the years
Avira looks OK, pity it's not popular due to it's insistance on pop-up interstitials which pretty much ALT-TABS you out of a fullscreen gaming session. Not cool.
I have had that happen in the past….but I am finding it to be a non-issue with Firefall (the game I am playing atm) so it may be program dependent to an extent
Avast + comodo. Kasersky is only $16 OEM and the best AV.
ccleanerHow about pc tools firewall+ ? I use it as it tells me when programs call home, and lets me decide if I want them too. Annoying at first but useful to work out what is calling home all the time, or if a new program has taken up residence.
You can do this with the standard Windows firewall, just might be not as easy.
Yes, if you know what you are looking for. I like the fact that I can install the pc tools firewall, and it blocks everything. A pop-up window asks for permission, and the answer can be remembered. That way, any new programs that get installed are auto-blocked until you allow them.
As I said, annoying at first but useful if you want to know what is dialing out and when. I am happy to hear what others use, or do people not bother?I think I got onto this by visiting the www.grc.com website and checking which ports were open. Might be useful tool as well.
Being a new computer, you said it came pre-installed with McAfee etc so I recommend installing and running PC Decrapifier http://pcdecrapifier.com. Great little tool to remove any or all of the bundled bloatware which came installed on your new machine.
Just a warning, i tried that with my hp notebook and it broke it. I ended up having to reinstall from the protected partition, which went fine as I had no data on the laptop anyway. So if you do it, do it before you set up your other programs in case it goes bad. It is quite easy to recover from the protected partition.
As an alternative, I just wiped the entire drive and removed the partition then reinstalled windows onto the drive (ssd). It got rid of the protected partition and all the crapware freeing up over 20gb of space and making it boot quicker. You still need some drivers but these are easily obtainable from the HP website (in my case).
It is of little advantage on a laptop to have the protected partition as a drive failure will kill hte partition anyway, and the only thing it protects against is major OS damage due to bad update/virus etc/messing around, at the cost of wiping all your settings.
I personally abhor free antivirus software, because of the argosy of false positives they generate. About 75% of files detected as viruses by Avast and AVP are actually benign. On file sharing sites one constantly sees vituperative posts against the uploader for spreading malware, when in fact the files are clean. People, don't become one of these hysterical morons who believes everything their antivirus program says. Just as one doesn't accept as truth everything a politician or lawyer says, one shouldn't treat free security programs as infallible oracles.
I am an energumen of SandboxIE - you right click on an exe and select the "Run in Sandbox" option. All disk operations are quarantined in a special sandbox folder. The application is also useful for testing out applications and installing programs without bloating the registry with even more junk.
Argosy? Vituperative? Energumen??? How exciting! I do declare, I think I'm coming down with a case of the vapors.
Doesn't any one use AVG?
I use, pretty good. I also use avg pc tune up, very good one.
Dont forget to use cloud backup like dropbox, box or google drive. In case everything crash your data will be safe there.
Avast & Malwarebytes
Make sure you get something to protect against spyware also, such as spybot search and destroy.
avast and ccleaner been working great for me. Malwarebytes is good too.