Good Free Virus Scan For Older User

[az99]

Is there a free virus scan with not as many or no popup scams like Avast has gone to? My elderly mother,with no computer knowledge, is a minimal PC internet user. I had Avast Free on her PC and told her to just ignore the popups. Well after a while she forgot and their deceptive scamming popups got her to buy a self renewing subscription for android.

I caught it when it auto renewed recently only from seeing an email as the Avast on the PC was still on the Free version.

Is there anything else out there that is not as deceptive with their attempts to lure unknowing people to purchase?

Thanx

[az99]

Thanx for all the replies. She is on XP. Tried to give her a Win 10 computer but she refused to use it. She is 90 and I told her never to buy anything on the computer. That was obviously forgotten. I have it setup with Team Viewer so I can fix all the problems remotely. As long as she can still turn it on. 🙂 She thinks the monitor is the computer. It is a challenge but good to see her still on email and the internet at her age.

[thestoloffs]

Did anyone bother to inquire what O/S Mom is running?

Windows Defender & Windows Firewall are fine as built-into W10, but prior Windows versions don't have the same protection.

If she's running any older version of Windows, I'd hope that she's being upgraded to 10 -- but I suspect many of my senior neighbors are remaining on their existing versions of 8.1, 7, or even XP!

In that case, I'd recommend any of the commercial versions -- Trend Micro, Avast, Kaspersky, or even Norton. They combine an antivirus, antimalware, spam filtering, and firewall.

[coolmom42]

Ed_Gee wrote:
The trouble with most anti-virus programs for your mother could be the many extra "choices" that pop up along with regular updates. Additional software is often made a part of the update. I'd suggest Microsoft's Windows Defender would be the better choice ... I don't believe it offers all those extra goodies, and the modern versions of it do a good job for anti-virus, firewall, etc.

Still, you need to tell your mother to NEVER enter her charge card data or other financial data into the computer....that should prevent most scams from getting started, like the example you cited.

This last thing is the MOST important thing to tell her.

If she wants to buy something online, set up Amazon or a few other sites, with a saved card so she never has to enter hers. And ask her to check with you, or some other computer savvy person, before ever entering her card info ANYWHERE.

[Ed_Gee]

The trouble with most anti-virus programs for your mother could be the many extra "choices" that pop up along with regular updates. Additional software is often made a part of the update. I'd suggest Microsoft's Windows Defender would be the better choice ... I don't believe it offers all those extra goodies, and the modern versions of it do a good job for anti-virus, firewall, etc.

Still, you need to tell your mother to NEVER enter her charge card data or other financial data into the computer....that should prevent most scams from getting started, like the example you cited.

[Bill_Satellite]

Windows defender will make it pretty easy for her as it only does a pop up every day or so and it just says everything is fine!
AVG Free is also good but the reviews seem to show that an up-to-date Windows Defender does the same job.

[Dick_B]

We have AVG free. Just say `NO' to everything...

[wa8yxm]

Personally I just close the popups.. There are many
Avast
AVG
MalwareBytes (but the free version is not TSR, only runs on demand)

About the only one that is nto worth the effort is Microsoft's.

You also need a good firewall.. Alas the better the firewall the more annoying it is I'm afraid to say... So I can not recommend.

I can tell you I once got a free comptuer becauise it's last owner thought AV and Firewall programs were too annoying :). Took me a matter of minutes to put it back in service after she got infected and less than an hour to clean it out.

[powderman426]

wildtoad wrote:
Do your mom a favor and give her an IPad. Very few updates, no viruses, and it just works. I have pc's, iPads, and there is no comparison in ease of use.

While Apple makes nice devices, they are always in the pay me mode, which is how they got so rich. For someone who doesn't understand that clicking things have ramifications, I think the Amazon fire tablet is better. Cheap and easy to operate. 😉

[wildtoad]

Do your mom a favor and give her an IPad. Very few updates, no viruses, and it just works. I have pc's, iPads, and there is no comparison in ease of use.

[az99]

Thanx I will check out both.

[ChooChooMan74]

I use Microsoft's Windows Defender.

[Fizz]

Ive been running the free version of Bitdefender for a few years with no problems or nagging.

http://www.bitdefender.com/toolbox/freeapps/desktop/