I need advice for freeware

[STEED]

OK, calling all of you lot who use freeware anti virus and firewalls. What ones are you using and are you happy with them?

I have decided not to renew my Norton anti virus & firewall not because it has not served me well more to do with the renew cost.

[danlisa]

AVG Antivirus + Zone Alarm - both freeware both good:up:

[3Jane]

I switched from Norton to Zone Alarm two years ago, I now have ZA 2006. Norton was too much of a resource grabber and not too user friendly. The full version of the Zone Alarm Security Suite is much easyer on the system load. With anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware built in. Not too expensive for the full licence, about £25.00 on Amazon at present.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1891760,00.asp

[Perilscope]

I personally use clamwin (http://www.clamwin.com/)for my anti virus solution. I like it because it's passive, non-intrusive and very light on the system.

As for the firewall, I made it myself, kind of...
But if I have to recommend one, it's filseclab (http://www.filseclab.com/eng/products/firewall.htm).

[tycho102]

For Windows, I also recommend AVG antivirus.

*cough*

Which reminds me, I need to order a copy off Amazon...

[mr chris]

My Mcafee just ran out so im looking for a new anti virus system.

[TteFAboB]

Avast! as anti-virus.

Firewall is just the Windows one as I have a router and on some test page I found on the internet every single bloody port gets completely blocked except when I temporarily open the specific ports to play a game on the internet.

There's a problem with Avast!, it is possible that I haven't tried enough and found the right switch but there seems to be no way of doing a complete scan, like Norton and McAffee do, without interrupting the process everytime a problem is found. That means I have to sit near the computer if I want to do a full virus scan to attend to the pop-up box instead of leaving the PC for a few hours and returning to deal with anything that was found all at once. May be just a setting I don't know how to tweak but it's quite a hassle.

[Fish]

For Windows, I also recommend AVG antivirus.

*cough*

Which reminds me, I need to order a copy off Amazon...

AVG is no longer freeware. :(
I have to pay starting january.

[stabiz]

I use Avast! I have never had viruses after installing it.

For spyware I use Adaware SE and spybot.

Videos are played with VLC, the best video program IMO.

Music is played with Winamp or Windows Mediaplayer.

All these are free.

[The Munster]

I also recommend Avast :up:

[The Munster]

Oh and 'CCleaner' for clearing out Spyware etc. It's free and excellent [no nagging for $20].
Incidentally, the 'C' stands for 'crap' !

[sonar732]

There are a number of Linux based firewalls that you can implement on an old system.

:up::rock:

[lesrae]

AVG + Windows Firewall haven't given me any problems, also recommend CCleaner as Kpt Munson says.

AVG is no longer freeware. :(
I have to pay starting january.

Exisiting versions expire in January, you have to install V7 by then or it stops working - but it's still free for personal use.

[jumpy]

spybotS&D (spyware)
Adaware (spyware)
ZoneAlarm (currently I use ZA pro) (firewall)
AVG (gf has this installed on her machine, seems to do ok) (antivirus)
Black Ice (firewall)


I'd say go for ZA - only issue with the free version is that it will not allow you to 'gateway' other machines through you pc to the internet, hence me having ZA pro, which does. Also you can have some slow startup issues with ZA hogging all of your system resources, but if it doesn't run a boot this is no problem.
AVG seemed to perform perfectly adequately in its capacity as antivirus software.

[Fish]

AVG + Windows Firewall haven't given me any problems, also recommend CCleaner as Kpt Munson says.

AVG is no longer freeware. :(
I have to pay starting january.

Exisiting versions expire in January, you have to install V7 by then or it stops working - but it's still free for personal use.

Ahh ok, thanks . :up:

[STEED]

I have nailed my search down to these ones.

Anti Virus

avast! Home Edition
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
AntiVir PE
BitDefender Free EditionFirewalls


Comodo Firewall
PeerGuardian 2
SensiveGuard
ZoneAlarm

[sonar732]

For Windows, I also recommend AVG antivirus.

*cough*

Which reminds me, I need to order a copy off Amazon...
AVG is no longer freeware. :(
I have to pay starting january.

7.5 is still labeled as free here (http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/).

[sonar732]

As I suggested earlier, get an old machine to install a hardware based firewall. Here are a few to keep in mind.

Smoothwall
Ubuntu