Free antivirus reliable??

[candymore]

i got desperate after my last system crash, my hp laptop get infect of rare virus, so i decide to change for a new antivirus to replace my 3 year norton. i have used kaspersky before, one of my friend recommend me of BitDefender Antivirus 2010 FREE, but i do not really belive in free stuff, i need ur ideas or other recommendation.
thx in advance

[nosleeper]

Hello,
I use AVAST! and Malwarebytes Anti-malware regularly, they use less resources than Norton and the other over-priced bloated AV programs out there.
The AVAST! keeps itself updated as long as your machine is online and can be scheduled to do a boot-time scan to catch those nasty bugs before Windows starts.

[DrJekell]

I know this is a couple of months old, but if you are going to use a free AV, just use Microsoft's free Security Essentials. It is reliable, safe and light weight. Just google Microsoft Security Essentials, it will be the first result.

[daveleau]

Avast is the best out there, right now. In the past, I relied on AVG, but they changed so much that I had to switch. If you got 100 replies to this question, I believe over 70 of them would suggest Avast. It is the best free AV.

Comodo is one of the best firewall, too. You should use a free firewall as well.

And...I use Firefox's browser with NoScript, which stops malicious scripts on webpages.

With this triumvirate of programs, I have been virus free for well over a year (lost track of the last virus I had) despite my tendency to be click-happy.

[ConsumerPrevails]

I'd recommend MS Security Essentials. Light Weight, effective and much better.
I have been using it for the last few months and it has caught threats and cleans my systems effectively.
Highly recommend!

[felguard]

I second Microsoft Security Essentials. AVG is also good.

[1988XJ]

Microsoft Security Essentials vs Avira vs avast! vs AVG: A comprehensive comparison to help you decide which (free) anti-malware security software you should use | Freeware Reviews | dotTech

From the article:

"Final Verdict

While there are some noteworthy aspects - such as Microsoft Security Essential's low false positive count or avast!'s low RAM usage or AVG's fast scans - there is no one "winner" between Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira Free, avast! Free, and AVG Free. To try to determine which one is the "best" is like trying to split hairs; you just can't do it. In real-life situations, all four programs will provide users with excellent protection. What program you use will come down to your specific needs and desires. Are you on a RAM limited computer? avast! Free is the way to go. Do you conduct full scans often? AVG Free may be what you are looking for since it conducts scans quickly. Are you looking for the best detection rates, and don't care about anything else? Avira Free is for you. Want a simple anti-malware program that provides great protection but comes with no bells and whistles? Microsoft Security Essentials beckons you. Do want the security software with the most features? Get avast! Free. Do you social network often and feel you are susceptible to social engineering via social networks? Go with AVG Free. Don't like advertisements? Microsoft Security Essentials is ad-free, while avast! Free's ads are non-intrusive. Hate false positives? Avoid AVG and consider Microsoft Security Essentials. Surf the web a lot, besides your frequent websites? avast! Free's "Web Shield" will provide you the best protection in that area.

I have provided you with the facts; now the choice of Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira Free, avast! Free, or AVG free is in your hands. Whichever one you pick, rest assured all four will serve you well."