Asked By
anson
420 points
N/A
Posted on - 06/07/2011
Is the free version of Antivirus reliable or not?
I installed a free version of Avast Antivirus scanner for my laptop. I prefer using the free version as it doesn’t cost any money. I’ve been using my Antivirus for the past few weeks and it seemed that everything is going fine. It detects incoming virus/worm threat s and blocks suspected Malware. Every week I always perform a full scan of my system and a few viruses are detected. So far my system is free from viruses.
Earlier, I downloaded a registered version of antivirus. I found out that the Antivirus I downloaded was outdated and a latter version. I was annoyed and uninstalled it, because there is always a dialog box that keeps appearing, stating that my version is outdated. That time I decided to install a free version.
The only question in my mind is whether a free version of Antivirus is reliable, when it comes to system protection?
Free version antivirus reliable or not?
A lot of Antivirus today promises that it has a superb scanning detection and security that guards your computer activity, both offline and online 24/7, but comes with a price. With new viruses that develop everyday, having a free Antivirus on your computer doesn’t mean that it cannot detect or remove tough viruses that infects your computer system, like the paid version of Antivirus software.
A free Antivirus may not be at par, against their rival but some computer users prefer to use the free version, as their life time Antivirus software. All commercial Antivirus, requires you to activate the license first, before you can use it. When activated, most of it grants you a 1 year contract to use their Antivirus. After it expires you need to have another license, to continue using their product. If you fail to renew this license, some of it will stop detecting viruses or will stop updating the Antivirus signatures.
One of the best free Antivirus is the Grisoft’s AVG. Although you can use if for personal purposes, it has a lot of features that helps you  protect your computer system while surfing the net, because it has a full AVG Link Scanner, safe search as well as the surf technology. Although it has some limitations compared to the commercial version of AVG, there are no big differences when it comes to virus detection and virus removal. This free version also has Anti Spyware Scanning Engine like their paid version. You won’t need any Anti-spyware software, because this free version already has it.
Another best Antivirus is the MSE or the Microsoft Security Essentials. This is a great Antivirus, that comes from the product of Microsoft as free, with no single penny required for you to have it. It protects your computer system from different kinds of Malware such as rootkits, viruses, Trojans etc. This MSE has an auto update functionality, that keeps your virus definitions updated. You can download this free Antivirus directly to Microsoft’s Download Center.
Having a free Antivirus is very practical now a days, because it will cost you to spend nothing unlike some commercial Antivirus that promises this and that; but they are only a hoax. I myself used a free Antivirus software for several years as my computer system’s protection and it never let me down until now.
I switched to a free  version of Antivirus when I have done some experiments. I scanned a USB stick full of viruses, using a commercial Antivirus, it detected and removed the threat that it found, and then I ran a scan again, with a free version of Antivirus and it also detected the virus. This is when I came to the conclusion that a free Antivirus is much better than the commercial ones. You may think that I may have used an Antivirus that is not good and that’s why it missed to detect some of the viruses in the USB stick. It is just that this free Antivirus that I used, can totally be a rival to those of paid Antivirus.
AVG, Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira and Avast are the best free Antivirus softwares that I have tested. But I recommend you to use, MSE along these four Antivirus softwares.
Free version antivirus reliable or not?
I understand your concerns. It is difficult to sort through all the information and know if you have really made a sound decision. The good news is that, using the Avast program is fine, when using the free program.
There is another one as well that you might like, Microsoft Security Essentials. Both of these programs have a user friendly interface and works well with most applications. You wouldn't want to create so many conflicts that you may create an issue where applications are crashing or you develop connectivity issues.
The only real advantage the pro versions are offering is, that they combine many of the features that your computer is capable of completing into one application. Your PC is designed with firewall and security features in it. Don't be afraid to let your computer do what it is designed to do. There is no one program that is going to be one hundred percent effective. You do need to add something as a backup, to ensure that your PC remains healthy. You do not want to be unprotected and create an expensive issue, that could have been avoided replacing hardware and software.
The primary method of spreading Malware is, by having you complete what appears to be a legitimate software download. That is where, knowing where and how to locate safe sites is going to be critical. Try to use manufacturer sites for software downloads. If you are using a third party site, try using this link or this link ​Advanced SystemCare. These are examples of know sites for software downloads, without the risk of damaging your PC.
Malware is spread in one of two ways. It attaches it self to good files and is executed in various ways. It can be by something as simple as opening the browser. It is most often downloaded through false cookies and cache files, that the browser automatically opens. Malware's biggest enemy has been the success and advance of your email scanners. The advances have led to the issue impacting users, by way of the internet.
Most often Malware is housed in a temporary folder, that can be deleted through your browser's tools menu. If it is a particular code that writes itself into the system files on your computer, it will be impossible to remove. This will ultimately affect, initially the applications, causing them to crash and then the operating system it self will suffer.
There are many programs that are designed to prevent this from affecting you. One of the best, out there today, are from Microsoft. Always make sure that you have installed the Microsoft malicious software removal tool. They have teams that are dedicated to this major issue, a new version is released every month.
The second part of this process is to use the Windows live one care protection scanner. These are both free programs, that have no known conflicts with other programs. The scanner will quarantine anything that is found to be affecting your PC and the removal tool will eradicate the issue. Regular updates are going to be critical to the success of removing these, before the damage is done.
These tools provide very simple online instructions without tampering with registry file edits that can be devastating if an error is made. Those are the programs that you are going to want to stay away from. When editing registry files, if you are not sure of the edit and a mistake is made, it can cost you hours of valuable time.
If you are a heavy internet user, I would recommend that you complete these scans at least every 2-3 days. If you spend a great deal of time using search engines only and do not use favorites and bookmarks, I would recommend a scan daily.
Remember there is no accurate way, to know that you have downloaded Malware. Always be careful and make sure you have determined that anything you are downloading is absolutely necessary. Always make sure, you know what you are deleting, when you have quarantined something. If you are not sure, it is safe to leave it in quarantine and research the file online. Removing any file permanently can have major consequences.
