Free Anti-Virus Programs

AVG is not bad!

Also, CA EZ Antivirus is "free" for one year, this year.


"Michael Wright" <mjsjwright@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Owa9$WW0EHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

> I've been a long-time user of CA EZ-Antivirus program. Their new version
> has been causing me problems. I'm considering not renewing my
> subscription
> to their program. I've heard of some "free" anti-virus program such as
> AVG
> from Grisoft and also a product from Avast. Does anyone know if these are
> good products and if they are reliable?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
>
>

"Michael Wright" <mjsjwright@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Owa9$WW0EHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
| I've been a long-time user of CA EZ-Antivirus program. Their new version
| has been causing me problems. I'm considering not renewing my
subscription
| to their program. I've heard of some "free" anti-virus program such as
AVG
| from Grisoft and also a product from Avast. Does anyone know if these are
| good products and if they are reliable?
|
| Thanks,
| Michael
|
|
|

Hi Michael -

I had problems with the new version 7 CA EZ-Antivirus as well.

I uninstalled the program and reinstalled (as opposed to installing over the
old version) and everything is working well now.

I think the user interface is pretty dumbed-down with the new version, but
the program appears to function well and I have not had any additional
issues since the clean reinstall.

Jef

The problem I'm having is with it locking up sometimes during startup. Not
every time, but just often enough to make the computer totally unrealizable!
That is very frustrating to me.

Evidently it isn't a real common problem. I've tried uninstalling and
reinstalling as well and had it hang up during the first bootup after
installing! Amazing.


"Jef Norton" <jefn_REMOVE_YOUR_SHORTS_@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:fwIod.25670$6q2.928@newssvr14.news.prodigy.co m...

> "Michael Wright" <mjsjwright@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Owa9$WW0EHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> | I've been a long-time user of CA EZ-Antivirus program. Their new

version

> | has been causing me problems. I'm considering not renewing my
> subscription
> | to their program. I've heard of some "free" anti-virus program such as
> AVG
> | from Grisoft and also a product from Avast. Does anyone know if these

are

> | good products and if they are reliable?
> |
> | Thanks,
> | Michael
> |
> |
> |
>
> Hi Michael -
>
> I had problems with the new version 7 CA EZ-Antivirus as well.
>
> I uninstalled the program and reinstalled (as opposed to installing over

the

> old version) and everything is working well now.
>
> I think the user interface is pretty dumbed-down with the new version, but
> the program appears to function well and I have not had any additional
> issues since the clean reinstall.
>
> Jef
>
>

"Michael Wright" <mjsjwright@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eCiQfGX0EHA.2040@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
| The problem I'm having is with it locking up sometimes during startup.
Not
| every time, but just often enough to make the computer totally
unrealizable!
| That is very frustrating to me.
|
| Evidently it isn't a real common problem. I've tried uninstalling and
| reinstalling as well and had it hang up during the first bootup after
| installing! Amazing.
|
|

Hi Michael -

What other applications are you running at startup?

The reason I ask is that many applications attempt to "phone home" at
startup to check for updates (including eTrust).

You may wish to perform a Selective Startup exercise.

Click Start | Run | Msconfig and click the Startup tab. Keep the check by
only one item at a time and restart a couple of times to see if you can
identify your culprit (dicey, I know, because you say that it only
"sometimes" hangs).

Another thought: What firewall are you running? If it's ZoneAlarm... there
has been a recent new release that corrected an occasional problem with the
computer hanging at startup (just before the ZA logo would appear in the
system tray). The problem first appeared when XP SP2 was released and was
(mostly) addressed in ZA version 5.1.033.000. Version 5.5.062.000 seems to
have completely corrected this problem.

Jef

Michael Wright wrote:

> I've been a long-time user of CA EZ-Antivirus program. Their new
> version has been causing me problems. I'm considering not renewing
> my subscription to their program. I've heard of some "free"
> anti-virus program such as AVG from Grisoft and also a product from
> Avast. Does anyone know if these are good products and if they are
> reliable?

AVG: http://www.grisoft.com
Free version with free updates. I think it requires (free) registration.

Avast!: http://www.avast.com
Also a free version with free updates. Requires free registration, which
must be renewed every 14 months or so.

I have used both, and they should both be reliable. Personally I prefer
Avast! because the interface keeps out of your way, and after installation
you won't even know the program is there unless it detects a virus.

AntiVir PE, free from www.free-av.com


"Michael Wright" <mjsjwright@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Owa9$WW0EHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

> I've been a long-time user of CA EZ-Antivirus program. Their new version
> has been causing me problems. I'm considering not renewing my
> subscription
> to their program. I've heard of some "free" anti-virus program such as
> AVG
> from Grisoft and also a product from Avast. Does anyone know if these are
> good products and if they are reliable?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
>
>

MikeP wrote:

> AntiVir PE, free from www.free-av.com

Is this software still as crappy as it was about five years ago?

Even AVG is better than it was just six months ago. Most of the free AV
programs do an "adequate" job on a stand alone home use computer. AV with
Free Spyware\adware scanners, pop-up blockers, programs like SpywareBlaster
and SpywareGuard, and the XP firewall will give you about all the security
you can need, or want, for free.