Free antivirus protection??

  • Thread starter Thread starter itemyar
  • Start date Start date
I

itemyar

I just gave my daughter an older PC that I wasn't using and it doesn't have
an anti-virus program installed! I use Norton and I like it, but my
daughter's Christmas budget is depleted and so is mine, so I'm wondering
about free anti-virus programs, do they work well? I would like to at least
have automatic updates, so my daughter wouldn't have to manually update the
latest definitions from a web site ('cause I know she wouldn't do this)!
I'm considering AVG, any opinions on this product or any others I should
consider? Or, opinions in general about free virus software?

Thanks all!

Merry Christmas,
Ray
 
There's two teenagers in the house (my grandkids) so it has to be robust, if
you know what I mean? :-)
==============================================================================
 
I'm considering AVG, any opinions on this product or any others I should
consider? Or, opinions in general about free virus software?
Click to expand...

Protection is primarily a matter of user knowledge and the practice of
"safe hex". Those who lack this should be using a top notch antivirus
product, IMO, not one of the free ones, and particularly not AVG.

The best scanners will bog down old slow PCs. It's not much of a gift
to give your kid a underpowered machine when new ones are
available for very little money. You can find brand new "low end"
machines which have considerable speed and resources which are
dirt cheap.

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
itemyar said:
I just gave my daughter an older PC that I wasn't using and it doesn't have
an anti-virus program installed! I use Norton and I like it, but my
daughter's Christmas budget is depleted and so is mine, so I'm wondering
about free anti-virus programs, do they work well? I would like to at least
have automatic updates, so my daughter wouldn't have to manually update the
latest definitions from a web site ('cause I know she wouldn't do this)!
I'm considering AVG, any opinions on this product or any others I should
consider? Or, opinions in general about free virus software?

Thanks all!

Merry Christmas,
Ray
Click to expand...

Check out the free 12 month offer here:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/downloads/default.mspx
Merry Christmas to you too.
 
itemyar said:
I just gave my daughter an older PC that I wasn't using and it doesn't have
an anti-virus program installed! I use Norton and I like it, but my
daughter's Christmas budget is depleted and so is mine, so I'm wondering
about free anti-virus programs, do they work well? I would like to at
least have automatic updates, so my daughter wouldn't have to manually
update the latest definitions from a web site ('cause I know she wouldn't
do this)! I'm considering AVG, any opinions on this product or any others I
should consider? Or, opinions in general about free virus software?

Thanks all!

Merry Christmas,
Ray
Click to expand...

AVG
Avast
Anti Vir

All free and all can be set to auto update (Anti Vir is a little more
complicated to set up for auto update).

But for teenagers, I wouldn't depend on anti virus alone. Get some
anti spyware apps as well. Some of these have to be manually updated, I
believe. And they must be run periodically (once a week). But even if you
have to do it yourself, you'll be glad you have these on the system when the
inevitible intervention becomes necessary. P2P applications, File sharing
programs, music downloads, ring tones -- all that stuff that seems free to
unsuspecting computer novices is often suspect. Here's a site that list
some programs containing spyware, malware, or worse that teens are usually
drawn to:
http://kppfree.altervista.org/spylist.htm

And here's one that lists rogue anti spyware apps:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Some good free anti spyware/malware applications:

Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Ad Aware
http://www.lavasoft.de/

A Squared (trojans and virus)
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/

MS anti Spyware Beta
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

A good education is the best deterent, but with a teenager, a computer, and
the Internet - eventual infestation is very likely.

Good luck.
Bob
 
itemyar said:
I just gave my daughter an older PC that I wasn't using (...)
opinions in general about free virus software?
Click to expand...

Summary:

- Change the OS to Windows 98 second edition
- Update it via WindowsUpates web site or Service Pack 2
- Install AdAware, Spybot, and a hosts file
- Install old version of NAV (2001/2002) and update it

-------------------------

Detailed instructions:

1) Make sure the computer has at least 256 mb of ram. Ram is cheap.
2) Download this and burn it on a CD:
UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a
main page: http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
download site: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4131.html
Direct download link:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=4131&file=11&evp=f7b03d47937ac8f5241010dcfe035f33
Filename: sesp21a-en.exe
3) Make sure you have driver CD's for your various hardware devices
(video card, motherboard, sound card, ethernet card, etc). Go
to various hardware vendor web sites and obtain the latest
drivers for those items.
4) Wipe the hard drive clean and install windows 98 se. Find a cd
from someone. Make sure you get a serial number. I'm sure some
are posted on the net. When asked about hardware drivers during
the install, have the items mentioned in (3) ready to feed it.
5) After you install Windows 98 se, update it with the above
service pack mentioned in (2).
6) Obtain AdAware, Spybot (search & destroy), and a hosts file
and install these items.
7) Find an old Norton Anti-Virus CD (or Norton System Works).
Versions 2001 or 2002 are preferred. Install it. You will
have 1 year of free updates, and despite the fact that the
product is 2 or 3 years old you will have the most up-to-
date protection that is available from Norton/Symantec.
 
Virus Guy said:
Detailed instructions:

1) Make sure the computer has at least 256 mb of ram. Ram is cheap.
2) Download this and burn it on a CD:
UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a
main page: http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
download site: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4131.html
Direct download link:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=4131&file=11&evp=f7b03d47937ac8f5241010dcfe035f33
Filename: sesp21a-en.exe
3) Make sure you have driver CD's for your various hardware devices
(video card, motherboard, sound card, ethernet card, etc). Go
to various hardware vendor web sites and obtain the latest
drivers for those items.
4) Wipe the hard drive clean and install windows 98 se. Find a cd
from someone. Make sure you get a serial number. I'm sure some
are posted on the net. When asked about hardware drivers during
the install, have the items mentioned in (3) ready to feed it.
5) After you install Windows 98 se, update it with the above
service pack mentioned in (2).
6) Obtain AdAware, Spybot (search & destroy), and a hosts file
and install these items.
7) Find an old Norton Anti-Virus CD (or Norton System Works).
Versions 2001 or 2002 are preferred. Install it. You will
have 1 year of free updates, and despite the fact that the
product is 2 or 3 years old you will have the most up-to-
date protection that is available from Norton/Symantec.
Click to expand...

By the time he does all that the kids will be grown, get jobs and purchase their own computers ;-)
 
By the time he does all that the kids will be grown, get
jobs and purchase their own computers ;-)
Click to expand...

Ya ya, wink wink.

But really, anyone giving or setting up an old computer for some else
should really wipe it clean and start from scratch with an OS,
drivers, protection, updates, apps, etc. Regardless what the OS is.

It's better than wiping your shit off of it, handing it over, and then
dealing with the constant stream of operational issues that will, I
repeat, will happen.

I'm just saying to wipe it and install 98 if you want to hand over a
maintanence-free, trouble-free, safe and secure system to someone.

I didn't put it in my instructions, but also be sure to hide or
disable Internet Exploiter and Outlook Depress and replace them with
Firefox (and what-ever Netscape/Mozilla has for e-mail).
 
Check out the free 12 month offer here:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/downloads/default.mspx
Click to expand...

The F-Secure 6 month trial d/l was a disappointing experience. During
installation, it insisted on removing

1. Lavasoft AdAware
2. A alleged earlier version of F-Secure
3. Yahoo Toolbar.

I let it go ahead and "remove" AdAware. Strike one!
There was no earlier version of F-Secure. Strike two!
There was no installation of Yahoo Toolbar. Strike three
and it was OUT!

I did spend some time trying to humor the stupid thing along by
searching the registry and folders, and removing old remnants of
anything no longer on the machine. I tried reinstalling from scratch
three times. The worst of it was that Add/Remove programs had
the F-Secure installation _ being installed_ in it, of all things. So
you have to uninstall, try to clean out all remnants and try again.
But no way, no how.

Whatta piece of crap software! Things are really going downhill
anymore. A 56 meg d/l and it's just a big annoyance and a
waste of time.

It's particularly disappointing since F-Secure uses the Kaspersky
scan engine (among others), and it would be nice to be able to
recommend it.

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Art said:
The F-Secure 6 month trial d/l was a disappointing experience.

Whatta piece of crap software! Things are really going downhill
anymore. A 56 meg d/l and it's just a big annoyance and a
waste of time.

It's particularly disappointing since F-Secure uses the Kaspersky
scan engine (among others), and it would be nice to be able to
recommend it.

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
Click to expand...
I agree with you. It's unfortunate that software is now being "sold by
the pound". Someone must think the more features, the better.
 
From: "optikl" <[email protected]>


| I agree with you. It's unfortunate that software is now being "sold by
| the pound". Someone must think the more features, the better.

The SuperSize-It mentality has taken hold.
 
Thanks all, for your many suggestions! The computer I gave my daughter
isn't ancient, it's got a 1.6 gig processor and it does have "Spy Sweeper"
installed on it, so it's not like I gave her a dinosaur! I'll use AVG just
until I can put up the $40 for Norton. I just don't want her to go on-line
for even a minute without protection, I repartitioned it just before I gave
it to her and within two weeks my granddaughter had turned it to toast! I
swear, teenagers say yes to every pop-up that entices them. I'm also going
to set up seperate profiles and limit their power, that'll fix'em!! :-) At
least until they figure out a way to hack their way out of that!
 
itemyar said:
Thanks all, for your many suggestions! The computer I gave my daughter
isn't ancient, it's got a 1.6 gig processor and it does have "Spy Sweeper"
installed on it, so it's not like I gave her a dinosaur! I'll use AVG just
until I can put up the $40 for Norton. I just don't want her to go on-line
for even a minute without protection, I repartitioned it just before I gave
it to her and within two weeks my granddaughter had turned it to toast! I
swear, teenagers say yes to every pop-up that entices them. I'm also going
to set up seperate profiles and limit their power, that'll fix'em!! :-) At
least until they figure out a way to hack their way out of that!
Click to expand...
My daughter did the same thing with a Windows laptop I gave her. The
number of infestations by spyware and trojans totalled something over
130. Anyway, I found the solution in her case was to give her a laptop
with a much less exploitable OS. She has had no malware problems at all
since. You might want to consider that option yourself.
 
(e-mail address removed) AKA itemyar on 12/24/2005 in
I just gave my daughter an older PC that I wasn't using and it
doesn't have an anti-virus program installed! I use Norton and I
like it, but my daughter's Christmas budget is depleted and so is
mine, so I'm wondering about free anti-virus programs, do they work
well? I would like to at least have automatic updates, so my
daughter wouldn't have to manually update the latest definitions from
a web site ('cause I know she wouldn't do this)! I'm considering AVG,
any opinions on this product or any others I should consider? Or,
opinions in general about free virus software?

Thanks all!

Merry Christmas,
Ray
Click to expand...
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