antivirus programs

I currently run Kaspersky. A Geek Squad person told me to switch to Webroot when the current subscrip runs out. It's supposed to use less resources...and Kas just knocks our old computers out when it's in the update or scan mode.

Haven't had any viruses etc with Kas. What's the opinion on Kaspersky? Or Webroot? I'm thinking of going with a free version of something myself.

cts

covetsthesun wrote:
Haven't had any viruses etc with Kas. What's the opinion on Kaspersky? Or Webroot? I'm thinking of going with a free version of something myself.

cts

Despite the bad mouthing of free antivirus programs, they work great. I have used free AVG for years and never gotten a virus. And I have installed it on many friend's and client's systems with the same results.

Yes, free antivirus does nag the user to buy their paid for products but that is the price one pays for excellent protection for free.

And Google's Gmail seems to have stepped up their filtering of incomming emails. I have received several emails from Google recently including info on an email they have not allowed to come to my inbox due to suspicious content and when checking the source address they were obviously bogus. This seems to be an alternative to just routing an email to my spam folder. And that's free also. :)

I've had free AVG version on two PC's for the last ??? years. To my 'tech dumb' self, I've never had a virus that I know about, and have no issues with banks or email or anything else.

I do know occasionally, I get an AVG pop-up telling me it just blocked a threat. And, altho it runs by itself, I do occasionally run a scan, and always find nothing ... the little pop-up screen on the scan also tells me how many 'threats' it's blocked since the last scan.

And, I also get pop prompts to buy the updates -- but I just ignore it. I also double back-up everything important. So, if it ain't broke, I ain't fixing it ...

Jacksons wrote:

why trust what they give away free. when they do have a paid version, they know the worth of the "free" version

Point me to independent testing that Free AV is less superior than their corresponding paid versions? The fact is that developers can only offer the free version, cause users are buying the paid version. And for that, my thanks!

Though users do have to endure ads for the paid version and other sometimes evasive marketing/tracking tactics in return. They're monetizing the free versions using a different method. Just like so called free email.

Jacksons wrote:

why trust what they give away free. when they do have a paid version, they know the worth of the "free" version

Nonsensical comment.

Not a virus but I had a web site try to "Update" some software that it had no business updating, after that this computer was a turtle. So I ran a scan with my always running scanner, it found perhaps 8 issues, some were PUPS one AdWare (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Took hours out of my day.

I ran the nightly scanner (A different program) and this AM it took out 281 Unwanted programs.. TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE!!!!! I have plans to contact the offending web site but that will happen tomorrow soonest... Let's say they won't be happy with what I have to say.

wa8yxm wrote:
Snip...

I ran the nightly scanner (A different program) and this AM it took out 281 Unwanted programs.. TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE!!!!! I have plans to contact the offending web site but that will happen tomorrow soonest... Let's say they won't be happy with what I have to say.

Please let us know what program you are using for your nightly scanner.
Thanks. :)
Barney

sherlock62 wrote:

Jacksons wrote:

why trust what they give away free. when they do have a paid version, they know the worth of the "free" version

Nonsensical comment.

really??? Any company is in business to make money. You don't give away your best product and sell an inferior one.

Car dealers do it every day. They give away free hot dogs and hamburgers to get you there. And they don't give you bad ones just because they are free.
The software companies giving the free virus scans know quite a few of us will come in and "buy the car".

Its simple. In this day and age if you are not running an anti virus program you are an idiot.