Done, finished, solved=>100% free AV=>Thanks !

[smallhagrid]

I've kept NOD32 AV on the PCs at our house for a long time now - and when Tnod had quit for a while I actually broke down and paid them...and that is almost up now.

I don't want to pay them again, and don't want to try and remember to get into the other PCs all the time to give them new creds from Tnod either.

So maybe it's time to replace NOD32 with one of the freebies...?

Having a look here=> http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/RAP/RAP-quadrant-Aug12-Feb13-1200.jpg

Then looking at which are free, and which are OK with XP SP2 leaves a few choices.

I've read mostly positive reviews for Kingsoft Free AV, and looked at a bunch of others too like Rising AV and UnThreat AV.

So - not to get into the whole 'better-than' opinions thing - what I'm asking is IF you were replacing NOD32 AV with a free AV, which one would you choose ??

(I made a list of a few to check but I have to find it so this post will likely get edited a bit later...)

Thanks.

[vin3e]

Hey dude,

Not entirely sure why you want to pay them anything.

I use ESET and just installed this morning. No hassle, all I had to to was download TNod, install and exclude the files. Done

Whats wrong with using TNod again?

I find all the free AV's too loud or uncustomisable.

[ande]

avast! free edition is no-brainer.

Latest AVC test:

Probably avast! detected adaware and asked if you want to delete them, and that is user dependent detection - ask before desinfect/delete.

By my standards avast! is a winner here.

And from what I have read avast! free was participant.

Lastest AV-TEST:

AVG, avast! and Panda Could are free.

AVG is better and better every year.

Panda Cloud is the way to go if you want light config.

Avira still have to many false positive.

You can also try Bitdefender free edition.

Enjoy.

Edit: added AV-Test results.

[smallhagrid]

Thanks for the replies Folks !!

The reason for Tnod vs. paying them looks like nothing UNTIL you add in the teenagers & the woman - then the idea of going in the kids rooms or touching the woman's PC can be very TOUCHY.

I just looked at a few sites to see what the good options are, and I thought Avast and/or Avira required XP SP3, which we don't have...?

Looks like I'll have to check those again.

Thanks.

[Sharelol]

This is free too but Chinese http://sd.360.cn/download_center.html

[smallhagrid]

Whoa Dude !!!

This is free too but Chinese http://sd.360.cn/download_center.html

That '360杀毒抢鲜版' stuff doesn't work for me, it's ingrish or bust !!!

Thanks just the same for replying though.

[maia]

Try Roboscan and you will not regret.... ;)

Homepage - http://www.roboscan.com/

Download

32 bit

http://advert.estsoft.com/?event=201202281134251

64 bit

http://advert.estsoft.com/?event=201202281306053

[Lacius]

http://freebies.about.com/od/computerfreebies/tp/best-free-antivirus.htm

ESET sucks and shouldn't be used whether or not you have to pay for it. Paid antivirus programs are generally no better than free ones anyway. The above URL breaks down some of the best free antivirus programs. Personally, I would highly recommend avast! or Microsoft Security Essentials. If I remember correctly, avast! can be installed on XP SP2; Microsoft Security Essentials requires XP SP3 or later. Regardless of whether or not you can install avast! on SP2, however, you should probably update to SP3. If you're using a 64-bit OS and can't do that, you should probably think about updating your OS for security reasons.

[smallhagrid]

Thanks Again Folks !!

Flaubert I've tried visiting the Roboscan site a few times and for some reason it wouldn't load for me - then I found their installer at Softpedia and went to get & try it - but after 99% of it's 138mb download NOD killed it as being bad, and I got discouraged by all that.

Will you tell me more about why you prefer Roboscan so strongly please ??

Lacius, thanks - and whereas I can say we've had good results using NOD32 - the OS thing is not what I asked about, nor am I planning to change to another m$ OS - for me, the next OS is Linux; for the others - given the complications, stuff will stay as it is - and changing their AV app (if I do...) will be enough trauma for now, thanks.

[maia]

Flaubert I've tried visiting the Roboscan site a few times and for some reason it wouldn't load for me - then I found their installer at Softpedia and went to get & try it - but after 99% of it's 138mb download NOD killed it as being bad, and I got discouraged by all that.

Will you tell me more about why you prefer Roboscan so strongly please ??

The download is very slow unfortunately: it depends on their site. If I can find another link fastest download I'll attach here immediately.

The reasons why I suggest RoboScan:

- Is a lightweight antivirus

- Use the Bitdefender engine that is among the best at the moment

[lazzser]

Avast, look no further.

[Ambrocious]

I also approve of Avast Free Antivirus. Get it HERE.

[DKT27]

Panda is light, but not secure enough.

Avast is secure but over-scans things and slows down the execution of softwares / etc.

[dcs18]

IF you were replacing NOD32 AV with a free AV, which one would you choose ??

The reason for Tnod vs. paying them looks like nothing UNTIL you add in the teenagers & the woman - then the idea of going in the kids rooms or touching the woman's PC can be very TOUCHY.

I'm in a similar situation as I cater to quite a few Customers.

Personally, I like to use a Trial Reset since it's a one-time trigger that lasts over extremely long periods. For me, this particular type of fixing an AntiVirus allows me to break free into a world of wider choices of sharewares.

[Lyon275]

Thanks for the replies Folks !!

The reason for Tnod vs. paying them looks like nothing UNTIL you add in the teenagers & the woman - then the idea of going in the kids rooms or touching the woman's PC can be very TOUCHY.

I just looked at a few sites to see what the good options are, and I thought Avast and/or Avira required XP SP3, which we don't have...?

Looks like I'll have to check those again.

Thanks.

My vote goes to : avast! .

P.S

It works just fine on XP SP2 ;)

[Airstream_Bill]

Flaubert I've tried visiting the Roboscan site a few times and for some reason it wouldn't load for me - then I found their installer at Softpedia and went to get & try it - but after 99% of it's 138mb download NOD killed it as being bad, and I got discouraged by all that.

Will you tell me more about why you prefer Roboscan so strongly please ??

The download is very slow unfortunately: it depends on their site. If I can find another link fastest download I'll attach here immediately.

The reasons why I suggest RoboScan:

- Is a lightweight antivirus

- Use the Bitdefender engine that is among the best at the moment

Hi thanks for the post. 138 mb file. Downloading it now 22min.total. I did not think that is too long for my particular connection. I am going to try it. Could not find any negatives about the IS Free. version.

[Dawnz]

+1 for AVAST. Download, Install and forget. No worries

[smallhagrid]

Great replies - and lots of Avast fans here, Aye...

No mention of Rising, UnThreat or Kingsoft either, makes me wonder why they would not be popular ??

We've got a nice old box with win2k used for sharing/storing files, and in looking for something good for AV on it, I ran across CreaSoftware CS Anti-Virus, which is based upon Clam AV - anyone here ever try that one at all ??

Thanks.

[Airstream_Bill]

Roboscan IS Free is defenitely light on the System.

[shlomy79]

Try Roboscan and you will not regret.... ;)

Homepage - http://www.roboscan.com/

Download

32 bit

http://advert.estsoft.com/?event=201202281134251

64 bit

http://advert.estsoft.com/?event=201202281306053

Is the engine of BITDEFENDER is only virus scanning or firewall too?

sorry about my english its rusty

[smallhagrid]

I haven't tried that lately, so...:

I'm in a similar situation as I cater to quite a few Customers.

Personally, I like to use a Trial Reset since it's a one-time trigger that lasts over extremely long periods. For me, this particular type of fixing an AntiVirus allows me to break free into a world of wider choices of sharewares.

I just grabbed the trial reset and used it on my own PC - and it worked amazingly well.

Still - might be well to try a couple of others before making an appointment to enter 'no man's land...' - I prefer to risk my life as little as possible nowadays !!!

[SkyrimGuy]

Fortinet, Avast or Bitdefender free. If you add Norton DNS, sandboxie free and daily scans with hitmanpro, you're all set.

[SnakeMasteR]

Panda is light, but not secure enough.

Avast is secure but over-scans things and slows down the execution of softwares / etc.

Of course, it does. And if you handle relatively big files every day (1GB+), it takes ages until the real-time engine has scanned the content or let you execute or open or whatever. That is where avast! s*cks big time. it's a known issue and it has not improved until today and maybe people who use avast! simply should live with that. But besides that, avast performs pretty good. Auto-Sandbox is sometimes very annoying too.

[alaindc]

no love for comodo internet security?

[Ramjade]

If you have been reading wilders, it seems Roboscan is a useless when compare to the mights of Emisoft, Bullguard, G data, F secure which uses Bitdefender engine. Why not go for the real Bitdefender engine by using Bitdefender Free Antivirus. Two downside :

1. it is fully cloud (like Panda cloud)

2. It won't ask you before it quarantine things. It quarantine by adding its own extension to the file by locking it. It can auto delete things

If is me, I got for Bitdefender Free Antivirus if I always connected to the internet. If not, I go for avast free v8. Heard they improve their detection with Dyna gen, auto sandbox module updated and stuff. Your choice. Avast is battle tested over Bitdefender Free Antivirus. But Bitdefender Free Antivirus comes from makers of the Bitdefender products.